Miss Drake`s Literacy Blog

            When I went through student teaching, I was required to use some form of technology in ever lesson I taught. It did not matter what technology it was, I just needed to use some type of technology. For most lessons, I would find a video that I could play at the beginning of my lesson or I would make a Smart Notebook file that would summarize my lesson. Very rarely, if ever, did I think to myself “wow this technology really enhances my lesson”. I realized the push needs to go from using technology in every lesson to finding technologies that work to enhance your lesson. The shift needs to go from quantity to quality.             As discussed in chapter 6 of Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens , determining what technology is worth your time is the hardest part (Guernsey, Levine). There are many lists online that discuss the best apps and technologies to use, but they a...

            As a teacher who LOVES children`s books, I often find myself scavenging garage sales, book sales and stores to find the best picture books for my students` (and my) enjoyment. While I find a lot of books this way, I also discover amazing picture books through formal book reviews or just while talking to a friend. When I hear reviews, I want to read the book ASAP.   In these situations, I often find myself going to Youtube to see if there are videos of that book being read aloud. As I do this, a question pops into my head. Are virtual read alouds taking the place of actual in-person read alouds? The first chapter of Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a world of screens acknowledges the shift from paper books to virtual books in their first chapter. Through my searches, I have found librarians, teachers, and principals who post videos of themselves reading books on websites. I still remember, as a kid, going to the library a few times a mo...