4 reading responses

Enhancing Adolescent Literacy Achievement through Integration of Technology in the Classroom

Author(s): Betty J. Sternberg, Karen A. Kaplan and Jennifer E. Borck

Source: Reading Research Quarterly , Jul. - Sep., 2007, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 2007), pp. 416-420

Published by: International Literacy Association and Wiley

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20068306

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416 Reading Research Quarterly JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2007 42/3

Enhancing adolescent literacy achievement through integration of technology in the classroom BETTY J. STERNBERG Greenwich Public Schools, Connecticut, USA

KAREN A. KAPLAN JENNIFER E. BORCK Connecticut State Department of Education, Hartford, USA

Adolescent literacy achievement across the United States is in crisis. More than eight million students in grades 4 to 12 are identified as struggling readers (Grigg, Daane, Jin, & Campbell, 2003). These stu dents, who perform below grade level in reading and writing, are at high risk for failure in all content sub jects and ultimately for dropping out of school. Educators and policymakers across the nation are working to address these concerns. Our state of Connecticut, for example, is expanding its focus from literacy in prekindergarten through third grade to the examination of empirical research that ad dresses todays literacy concerns for students in grades 4 to 12. To this end, Connecticut is seeking sound research to inform the preparation of adoles cents for success in further education and training, as participants in a highly skilled workforce, and as productive and responsible citizens.

Connecticut continues to explore key elements in programs designed to improve adolescent literacy achievement in middle and high schools, such as those outlined by the Alliance for Excellent Education, the National Council of Teachers of

English, the International Reading Association, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. While it is clear that no single interven tion will ever meet the needs of all struggling readers and writers, these professional organizations speak to the need for technology to be part of any effective adolescent literacy program. "Professionals and lay people are increasingly voicing support for inclusion of this element in a literacy program, because tech nology plays an increasingly central role in our soci ety" (Biancarosa & Snow, 2004, p. 19).

Todays students are living in a time when tech nological innovations are increasing at a pace never before seen. Technology is readily available to most of Connecticut's adolescents in the form of cell phones, Internet-connected computers, portable music and video players, and more. Likewise, most Connecticut schools are well equipped with a variety of technolo gies for use by students; however, these technologies may not always be used in ways that significantly benefit learning. Recognizing that important research has already been completed in the area of educational technology, this article suggests seven areas for further research that are of interest to state policymakers, fo cusing particularly on enhancing adolescent literacy achievement through the integration of technology across all content areas. Empirical research in these areas can be used to inform future practice in Connecticut and across the nation: (1) state-offered virtual courses and delivery systems, (2) communica tion tools, (3) artificial intelligence, (4) word proces sors, (5) new literacies practices, (6) professional development, and (7) technology for parents.

State-offered virtual courses

and delivery systems Since the late 1990s, tremendous progress has

been made toward achieving the U.S. Department of Educations goal of building a national technology infrastructure to support its vision for effective tech

nology use in schools. Significant increases in invest ments by states in their technology infrastructures

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New Directions in Research 417

have helped many educators and students begin to use a variety of powerful new online learning tools.

In 2006, nearly half of all states had "virtual schools" (Swanson, 2006, p. 52). The Florida State Department of Education was among the first to move forward with virtual learning when it created and provided Internet-based courses for its high school students in 1997. Today, Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is an accredited Internet-based pro gram serving more than 30,000 students in grades 7 to 12. FLVS offers more than 80 National Collegiate

Athletic Association-approved courses, including standard, advanced placement, and honors sections. Students earn high school credit or General Educational Development (GED) equivalents for successful completion of FLVS courses. All FLVS teachers hold valid Florida teaching certificates, and teachers communicate with students and parents reg ularly via telephone, e-mail, online chats, instant messaging, and discussion forums.

Providing courses online offers many benefits, including improved student access to an increased range and volume of courses and teachers as well as

flexibility in scheduling, pacing, location, and teach ing and learning approaches. This holds great poten tial for differentiated instruction that targets

students' individual needs, styles, and strengths. In Connecticut, a small pilot program of on

line instruction is underway for students who have dropped out of high school, offering courses they need to complete their GEDs. Participants have had great success with their online coursework, finishing courses they were unable to complete in a traditional environment. Though the number of students in the pilot is small, the experience to date indicates that online learning may be one way to better meet needs of students who are not achieving in a traditional learning setting.

Further research, however, is needed to deter

mine which virtual teaching and learning approaches maximize student literacy achievement. What are the factors and supports that lead to successful literacy achievement in an online course? How does an online

environment affect reading comprehension or writing achievement? Are there certain online instructional

strategies that provide for greater student success in literacy achievement than others? How does literacy achievement in a virtual course differ from that in a traditional course? Connecticut seeks answers to these

questions as it continues to explore online learning options in an effort to meet underlying goals of equalizing disparity in educational opportunities and increasing adolescent literacy performance.

Communication tools Throughout much of the world, the cellular

telephone has become an integral communications tool. E-mailing and instant messaging (IM) on cell phones and computers have become commonplace. These communications tools are readily accessible and used almost everywhere by Connecticut's adolescents?everywhere, that is, but in schools.

In most schools, e-mailing, IM, text messaging, and cell-phone talking by students are against board of education policies and procedures. Their use is of ten seen as a waste of time?or even dangerous?and an interference with the work of teaching and learn ing. But what if these technologies and students' skills in using them could safely enhance their literacy? Because e-mailing, IM, text messaging, and cell phone talking require skills in reading, writing, listen ing, and speaking, we must explore the ways they can assist adolescents in the development of these literacy abilities. Can specific uses of e-mailing, IM, text mes saging, or cell-phone talking in academic courses have a positive effect on students' literacy skills? Are there specific strategies or activities that maximize their usefulness as educational tools for literacy?

Opponents of the use of IM and text messaging in schools have argued that with these communication

modes, students often use nonstandard English (e.g., "C U L8R" instead of "See you later") and that this interferes with development of abilities to write in standard forms when required to do so for school based writing assignments, for higher education cours es, or in the workforce. Conversely, proponents of these technology uses in schools believe that they pro vide a motivating way to engage students and can be beneficial in a teaching and learning environment. They also argue that combining instant and text mes saging with other technologies can maximize students' learning potential and creativity, and that linguistic behaviors in communication modes such as IM show

how skilled students are with the English language (Tagliamonte & Derek, 2006). If this is the case, how can technology uses such as instant and text messag ing maximize students' reading and writing potential?

E-mail is another controversial technology when it is used in schools. Some schools provide all educators and students with e-mail accounts, while

others do not provide any access or limit use to spe cific educational purposes. Some educators and com munity members worry about students interacting through e-mail with inappropriate users or even with Internet predators. Yet e-mail is among the most common forms of communication in adolescents'

daily lives and can be used by students to collaborate

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418 Reading Research Quarterly JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2007 42/3

on projects with classmates or with peers in other states or countries. E-mail correspondence with peers or writing experts could provide a highly motivating and effective way for students to receive feedback on

their writing and write for varied audiences. Additional research needs to be conducted to

determine which educational uses of e-mail can best

enhance students' literacy skills. Does e-mailing in or out of English language arts classes have an effect on literacy skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, or presenting? Are there specific strategies or activities that maximize this technology's usefulness as an educational tool? Are there other outcomes that

occur as a result of using communications technolo gies in schools (e.g., increased participation, im proved behavior, etc.)? Should states develop policies to encourage or even require their use?

Artificial intelligence One of the most exciting technologies to hit ed

ucation in the last several years involves artificial in

telligence (AI). In the area of literacy in particular, AI tools hold great potential, especially for developing students' writing proficiency. These products require students to respond to writing prompts at their com puters and to click to submit their work; within sec onds they receive targeted, specific feedback. Students can then revise their work and submit it for more

feedback, repeating the process until the work is opti mized. In using one of these AI writing products in a typical middle or high school class, for example, each student could receive feedback on his or her writing

several times in a given period?much more fre quently than would be humanly possible from the classroom teacher. During the time students are en gaged with their own writing on the computer, the classroom teacher is freed to concentrate efforts on

individual student needs. Because these tools provide teachers with electronically collected and organized information about student-submitted work, they can

be extremely useful for individualizing instruction. Though the companies that offer these AI tools

claim impressive results from their use, independent research would provide objective evidence about achievement differences between students who use

AI writing tools and those who do not. This research could also discover which tools are most effective,

and what qualities of these tools promote the great est literacy achievement.

A Connecticut pilot program provides laptops and Internet-based AI writing tools to high schools for the teaching of writing. Preliminary results have

been promising. National commercial studies of the use of these tools indicate they are most valuable for students who are underachieving and for English learners. Still, additional independent research on the effectiveness of these tools is needed to more ful

ly understand their use and determine their benefits for increasing adolescent literacy achievement.

Word processors A growing body of research supports the use of

word-processing software in the teaching and learn ing of writing. Most people who use a word proces sor on a regular basis know that this tool is a great asset and allows them to be more efficient, orga nized, accurate, and thoughtful in their writing.

Some educators are concerned, however, about

the use of features built into today's word processors, such as spelling and grammar checker, dictionaries, and thesauruses. They fear students will become too reliant on these tools and be unable to spell, acquire sufficient vocabulary, or construct grammatically correct sentences without them. Proponents, howev er, believe these tools only increase students' written language skills. They believe students achieve more success in their writing when they have the opportu nity to write with a word processor. Who is correct? Are students who regularly use word processors more accurate in their spelling and grammar even when they are not using a word processor?that is, do the skills transfer to students' own knowledge base? Does the word processor benefit the writing process steps of prewriting, writing, revising, editing, and publish ing? Answers to these questions may be helpful in in forming the implementation of statewide curriculum standards and initiatives.

New literacies practices For students to be fully literate in today's world

they must become proficient in the new literacies practices of information and communication tech nologies (ICTs). In Connecticut, the leading re searchers in the area of literacy and technology are Donald J. Leu and the members of the New Literacies Research Team at the University of Connecticut, whose work is focused on examining what new practices are required for students to access successfully, evaluate critically, and use optimally to day's electronically available information. Their cur rent research and theories support traditional and new literacies practices, as well as development of

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New Directions in Research 419

classroom resources and approaches that can en hance literacy for students at all grade levels. Connecticut educational policymakers want to ex pand on the New Literacies Research Team's work to identify the most beneficial practices for enhancing adolescent students' skills in reading, writing, listen ing, speaking, viewing, and presenting. Where do traditional practices join new practices?

Professional development Ongoing, embedded professional development

is essential for all educators in creating a successful school literacy culture. Effective professional devel opment makes connections to curriculum, instruc tion, and assessment. There are several ways teachers'

professional development can be enhanced through the use of technology, including offering online

workshops, access to literacy coaches, and online professional learning communities. Such technology enhanced professional development can offer online threaded discussions with colleagues, consultants, and professors; assistance with classroom issues around curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments; grade-level and content area study groups to enhance student learning through best teaching practices; and resources to enhance instruction and extend under

standing?all at the convenience (in time, location, and pace) of each individual administrator, class room teacher, or other staff member.

Providing professional development for teach ers via the Internet facilitates consistent content and

delivery to all, and allows for coverage over a wide geographical area. Both of these advantages are of particular interest to state leaders. Teachers can ac cess these materials at any time?evenings, week ends, during daily breaks, or in the summer. It also provides a way for professional development to con tinue over a sustained period of time, which research has shown to be most effective (Snow-Renner & Lauer, 2005). Offerings can include video clips of ef fective practices that can be viewed repeatedly as needed by each teacher. Online professional develop ment courses can also be made available in a large range of subjects and grade levels, providing some thing for every teacher?which most school districts do not have the ability to do on their own, either in terms of expertise or resources. In Connecticut, we are interested in knowing what professional develop

ment is most appropriate and successful in a virtual environment, particularly in core content areas such as English language arts.

Online environments may help provide middle and high school content area teachers with access to literacy coaches. As empirical research begins to an swer the questions posed by the International Reading Association (2006) in its Standards for Middle and High School Literacy Coaches, the role of the middle and high school literacy coach will be come better defined and "virtual" literacy coaches may become a viable option. But, before implement ing statewide policy and funding programs, we must better understand the ways in which technology can assist in the deployment of literacy coaches. Can a virtual literacy coach be just as effective as an in person coach who works face to face with a content area teacher? Are virtual literacy coaches more cost effective than in-person coaches?

Professional learning communities, where teachers can interact with colleagues to discuss ideas, share strategies, voice concerns, provide mentoring, and support one another, can be provided and pro moted online. An online environment allows for

greater numbers of people to participate in discus sions and add to the richness of the bank of ideas

and resources. We must explore and discover the best ways to involve teachers in technology-assisted pro fessional learning communities.

Technology for parents Most would agree that the Internet is the great

est information-sharing vehicle of our time. Schools across Connecticut and the nation use the Internet to enhance home-school communication. These

schools may post class content and homework, sup ply links to extend learning into the after-school hours, offer secure access to attendance information

and grades, and provide easy access to teachers through e-mail. Some schools are even experiment ing with providing resources to parents/guardians to help them develop their own literacy skills. These re sources include information on adult education pro grams, links to interactive Internet-based activities, and access to support for adult learners.

But before Internet-based parent communica tion is promoted on the state level, it is essential to know if these programs are worth the time and ef fort. Does their use with parents assist children in

enhancing literacy skills? What are the specific re sources parents access through the use of technology that assist them in developing their own literacy skills and those of their children?

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420 Reading Research Quarterly JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2007 42/3

Final remarks The National Council of Teachers of English

and the International Reading Association's (1996) Standards for the English Language Arts states that secondary students should be able to conduct re search using "a variety of technological and informa tion resources." The Alliance for Excellent Education

(Biancarosa & Snow, 2004) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (2005) also call for technological communication and infor mation resources to be embedded in effective adoles

cent literacy programs. These technologies are seen both as a facilitator and a medium of literacy teach ing and learning. "Effective adolescent literacy pro grams therefore should use technology as both an instructional tool and an instructional topic" (Biancarosa & Snow, p. 19).

We know we must move forward with these

technologies in preparing Connecticut's students; however, from the perspective of policymakers, too little research has been conducted about how tech

nologies foster adolescent literacy growth. Further, the research that is conducted poses challenges in that changes in technology will continue to alter the ways in which we use language to communicate and to think. Professionals in the field must pursue addi tional research around technology integration to en hance adolescent literacy achievement so that states across the nation can best create and promote the necessary programs to reverse the adolescent literacy achievement crisis.

BETTY J. STERNBERG is the former commissioner of education for

the state of Connecticut and currently serves as superintendent of

schools in Greenwich (290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830, USA). Contact her by e-mail at [email protected].

KAREN A. KAPLAN is the consultant for educational technology at the Connecticut State Department of Education in Hartford and serves as the executive director of Connecticut's Commission for Educational

Technology.

JENNIFER E. BORCK is the consultant for English/language arts, grades 6-12, at the Connecticut State Department of Education in Hartford.

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"Where am I?" A call for

"connectedness" in literacy PHIL HUNSBERGER doioi598rrq4237

Educational Equity Consultants, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Shel Silverstein includes a wonderful poem in Where the Sidewalk Ends in which a little girl is so enamored

with Band-Aids that she covers her body with them.

She places them on her chin, wrist, ankle, thigh, and several other body parts. She even carries a box of 35

more just in case she might need them. Of course,

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