HOW Technology is Changing the Teaching and Learning Practices ("B" Posting)

Being fortunate enough to shadow a wonderful teacher at Poinciana Elementary School in Naples, Florida, I had the chance to show an "Ebook" to a class of third grade students. The teacher I shadowed, Mrs. Faramo, is a very intelligent woman who knows her stuff! She is a reading specialist and conducts "reading labs" for children from grades K-4. For my Introduction to Computers class, we were assigned five Ebooks to choose from, and present one to a child of the specific grade level assigned for that Ebook. Aside from doing so, I had the opportunity to present two Ebooks to an entire class of eager third graders, whom had never seen an Ebook before! I had such a great time in doing so, and loved watching their faces when I put "Jack and the Beanstalk" on the projector screen. Even Mrs. Faramo had no idea what an Ebook was. All the teachers from the school that stopped in the room to take a look were very impressed with my technological skills by introducing such a fun form of reading to their children. Aside from having fun watching the children laugh and read along on the screen, I learned that children of this age (after taking a poll after the Ebook) are more prone to watch something, than read something on paper. The way with the Ebook, is that they are still following along with the words on the screen, but are also watching moving pictures and hearing a voice at the same time. The class was very responsive to this method, and when watching other readers that day read a book to the same students, they were more inclined to fidget and not pay attention.

Challenges that I faced with the Ebook were minor, but affected one little girl, by the name of Sydney. I interviewed Sydney, a bright third grader, after the showing of the Ebook, for class assignment purposes. She exclaimed that she preferred reading a traditional book better, because she could "imagine the pictures in her head" when reading. That is the only downfall with Ebooks, that I can see as an educator. Children's imaginations are more prone to take off when reading alone with a non-picture book, being able to fabricate scenarios and faces in their own mind, as opposed to an Ebook where the picture is already given to you, as well as the different character voices. Overall though, Sydney told me that she "loved the Ebook" and thought it was "very cool". Children at this age will like anything that doesnt seem like work, an Ebook is an all around fun way to get your students to read alone or in a group, and can learn how words or phrases sound by listening to the recored voice of the Ebook.

I adore Ebooks and their presentation to student's. I am currently working on my own entiled "Getting in the Game" and look forward to finally having the finsihed product in a week!