Sharing Good Practice
USING TECHNOLOGY TO BRING PURPOSE
& CHALLENGE TO LITERACY LESSONS
By Jenny Murray
A
s a primary educator and
technology enthusiast, I have
had countless conversations
with colleagues around the
world about using technology in
literacy lessons. Common questions
and topics for debate include: What
happens to fine motor skills when
students switch pencils for screens?
What if my students know more than I
do about the technology? Is it safe for
them to be reading and writing for hours
on screen? How can we preserve
traditional literacy skills while moving
with the technological developments
of our times? These are all very valid
questions, however the correct use of
technology will serve only to enhance
the teaching and learning process.
Educators should be innovative, risk
takers who enjoy a challenge and are
keen to try something new if it has the
potential to excite, engage and support
their students. They should also keep
in mind traditional teaching techniques
that work. Yes, students need to be
‘tech-savvy’, as new technologies are
being introduced constantly. This means
that when many of our current students
complete their studies and enter the
workforce, they will be using technology
that is not yet available to us at present.
From a traditionalist perspective, focus
should be kept on spelling strategies,
encouraging students to write creatively
and to take pride in the presentation of their
ideas using pencil and paper. So, how can
this balance be achieved? Technology,
when used should add value to traditional
pedagogy and bring something different to
teaching and learning.
Here are three of the ways that I’ve
recently used technology effectively
in my literacy lessons. Each of these
tools helped to excite and motivate my
students as writers.
Make writing matter LendMeYourLiteracy.com
This website offers a variety of
innovative and creative ways in which
you can use technology to engage your
24
Nov - Dec 2014
students. Writing for a purpose doesn’t
get more real than this. Use the daily
writing prompts to launch your day,
as children respond to the ‘Picture of
the Day’ while you take your register.
While planning for your lessons, you
can view thousands of teaching and
learning ideas and real work samples
from around the world. These can be
used as immersion tools. Allowing
children to analyse real work b