Expository Text and Literacy through technology
Mentor Texts in Print from the NCSU METRC Collection (Try searching for the Sibert Award)
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Mentor Texts Online: Livebinder, Overdrive eBooks, CLCD, and TeachingBooks
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Texts for Student Inquiry/Research - Genius Hour
Livebinder, Brittanica (code-- P2FH), Searchasaurus, Kids Search, NC Wise Owl (when in K-12 public schools) |
Text for Student Choice/ Reading for Pleasure!
Overdrive eBooks, METRC books, Public Library, We Give Books, News-o-Matic |
Curriculet - an interactive eReader that allows you to purchase texts or upload your own and then embed videos, images, comments, questions, etc. and track student progress. Try it out here: http://curriculet.com - create an account as a STUDENT and use the following class code: STQ9
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Subtext - an interactive eReader specifically for iOS devices that allows you to find free texts within the app, purchase texts or upload your own and then embed videos, images, comments, questions, track student progress, give assignments, etc. Try it out by downloading the Subtext app and then joining our group with the code: ADOZEGOI
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Google Draw or Thinglink or Skitch in Evernote - Collaborate online and try identifying expository text features through these tools. Upload an image of text and let students identify the important text features. Or create a reading jumping off point with an interesting graphic uploaded to Thinglink that students can make interactive or you can!
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activities with your mentor text:
Many different technology tools can support literacy. When evaluating tools, think through your potential future settings: 1:1 (cart or everyday i.e. byod or school provided), Mini-Lab, Interactive White Board and/or a 1 Computer Classroom. Also consider how to help students avoid plagiarism teach them ethics by crediting sources and using Creative Commons for pictures.
These technology tools are separated by activities that relate to expository text but many can be used for multiple literacy activities - always check the Read Write Think interactives. There are amazing tools at this site - look for RWT apps (by the International Reading Association) as well since many flash based interactives won't work on an iPad.
These technology tools are separated by activities that relate to expository text but many can be used for multiple literacy activities - always check the Read Write Think interactives. There are amazing tools at this site - look for RWT apps (by the International Reading Association) as well since many flash based interactives won't work on an iPad.
Pre-Reading - KWL Chart Interactive (have you ever tried KWO) from Read-Write-Think or a Google Doc graphic organizer template! Use Padlet or Linoit and have students post ideas about what they know on a topic or what they get out of images. Use Tagxedo to word cloud a Wikipedia article or other encyclopedia article and quickly pick out the main ideas. Create an Animoto slide show of key vocabulary in images and short terms.
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Description - Thinglink or Thinglink for Education - Provide images for students to describe aspects of or let students do this for each other. Upload a picture of a historical figure, an animal, etc. and have students describe in writing or by audio with an upload of a recording to Sound Cloud. Some great Thinglink Ed Examples.
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Sequence - Use a Comic Creator to create a process for students or have students create a comic (Bitstrips or Pixton are starting places - or of course the RWT) to explain a sequence of events or a process in a particular order i.e. photosynthesis
Timeline - love the RWT Timeline app for iPad, also try Timetoast - remember a timeline doesn't have to only be used for chronological events in history. |
Comparison - Students and teachers can use standard graphic organizers for comparison or try out teacher or student created infographics. What can you compare? Disney Happiness, Traits of 2 People, Left Brain/Right Brain, Halloween Costumes. Try this template on Ease.ly to compare two people you might teach about.
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Cause and Effect and Problem Solution -
A fun way to integrate MakerEd into your classroom - what can kids MAKE and then explain in expository writing. Can they make a functional 3-D RollerCoaster and then write about the process and the problems/solutions in creating it? Can they create for the 3-D printer (or play-doh) with Tinkercad, Charmr, or CookieCaster. Solving a problem with a design in Tinkercad (i.e. a new disaster relief shelter design for the Red Cross). Try out Read Write Think for essay mapping and other cause and effect and problem/ solution ideas. Use screen casting to demonstrate cause and effect - Educreations, Screencast-O-Matic, use a book creator tool to do "before and after" cause/effect stories. |
Class Books - Create ABC Books, Q & A Guide, or small group books on topics using the various expository structures. Try these tools:
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Tools for Collaborative Writing - Padlet/Linoit, TitanPad, Google Docs - set up students to be "commenters" on documents when you share so Google will track changes, blogs and commenting on blogs, Stoodle (collaborative whiteboard)
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Technology Tools from Teaching Writing: Balancing Process and Product (6th Ed.) by Gail Tompkins
- PicLits (create images with captions) - http://www.piclits.com/compose_dragdrop.aspx
- Wordle - Flash Problems? Try Tagxedo - Word Clouds - 108 Ways to use Word Clouds in the Classroom
- Animoto - fabulous slideshows with images, videos, music, and short text - no narration. Get the free education code to make longer videos and have students make longer videos for free: https://animoto.com/education/classroom
- Glogster - no longer a free version/only a free trial $39 per year - try Canva for making printable or embeddable non-interactive posters and try Smore for interactive posters
- TitanPad - if you are a Google Apps school district or even otherwise, you may want to use Google Docs
- MindMeister - great graphic organizer/mind map - here are others: ExploraTree, Bubbl.us, Popplet, Mindmeister, Mindomo, Prezi (certain templates), Text2MindMap
- MuseumBox
- Ript - downloaded tools are difficult to use in most counties - could be done similarly with Educlipper or Pinterest
- Wallwisher is now Padlet - another similar online sticky note tool is Linoit