I watched an archived PBS webinar entitled Early Childhood Literacy: Resources & Strategies. This webinar occurred on July 9, 2009 at 8pm. The presenters included four educators from PBS and the different ways the PBS can help children, teachers and parents build a strong foundation of literacy from a very early age. Presenters included:
Julie Wood, Ed.D from the Harvard School of Education
Scott Cameron, Director of Education and Research Creative Development- Sesame Workshop Heather Dzikiy, Classroom Teacher, DeBois Area School District, PA grades 3-5
Jennifer Rodriguez, PBS KIDS Island Content Manager.
Each presenter talked about how literacy is crucial from a young age, and provided examples of the different tools PBS has to offer to help build this foundation.
Julie Wood, Ed.D
Julie spoke about the importance of getting off to a good start for school. She said that kids that are prepared early tend to do better in school than those that are not prepared, and this lasts throughout their entire academic career. (minutes 7:02). Julie highly recommended visiting the National Early Literacy Panel website, as this provided a plethora of information on this particular topic. There are several skills that children should posses: 6 predictor skills, including Alphabet Knowledge, Phonological Awareness (which is auditory), Rapid Automatic naming letters or digits, Rapid automatic naming of objects or colors, Ability to write individual letters and names, and Phonological Memory. There are other skills that children should possess, which include: Concepts about print, Print Knowledge, Reading readiness, Oral Language and Visual Processing. Possessing these skills are extremely crucial in a child's literacy success.
Julie also spoke about how important it is for parents to be included in the learning process of their children. It is a teachers job to work with the parents to help their children, as the parents are the child's first teacher. It is also important to give parents the confidence they need to help their children, and to let them know that it is OK to learn along with them. PBSonline is a great source of games, activities and tips for parents to accomplish just that. "Real Learning is active and always a new way of experiencing the world." James Gee, (2003). Another resource she provided was a website to help teachers and parents teach children of the digital age. (www.joanganzcooneycenter.org) The attending participants were writing how great this website was in the scrolling comment section as the webinar took place.
Scott Cameron
Scott talked a lot about the new program The New Electric Company. The primary focus is on Decoding, Vocabulary, Comprehension of Connected Text, and Motivation. When children log on to The New Electric Company, the majority of directions are given orally. This is a way to keep children struggling to learn a way to play and learn as well, and to not be deterred from playing the games like their friends and peers. The New Electric Company website provides overgames, Electric Challenge Games, Streaming Video and Resources for Parents and Teachers.
Heather Dzikiy
Heather spoke about her use of DragonFly TV (DFTV) in her classroom to help with reading/comprehension. The students are able to watch real kids their age via an online format. The students watch different programs and lessons via DFTV, and incorporate what they have learned into their lessons for the day. Riddles are used for morning work and center time, and it is a great and beneficial way to practice teamwork. The students also keep notebooks and journals to write about their thoughts and what they learned from the episode of DFTV they watched that day.
Heather's students also watch Word Girl on DFTV and incorporate into their reading or comprehension lesson for the day. After watching Word Girl, the students create word maps using the word of the day. Once they have mapped out the word, they students create sentences and discuss the word definitions, synonyms, etc. Another example of how Word Girl fits into Heather's daily lesson plans is the use of creating comic strips. Students log on and create their own comic strips, utilizing a template, and create a story using the words and language they have learned about within a certain time period. The kids love being able to create and play out their story, and they are learning at the same time.
Jennifer Rodriguez
Jennifer talked about PBS KIDS Island, whose primary focus is learning to read and the concepts that go into reading, such as rhyming, spelling, etc. PBS Island is a free service where kids can create individual accounts, or group accounts (such as in a classroom) and move up levels on the island by playing different games. The kids can create personalized skins, and the Island can be used from Pre-K up. Progress reports are available so parents and teachers can keep track of how the child/student is doing, and it helps the adult gear the next lesson to the child's individual needs.
I really enjoyed the webinar, and learned about many tools that I look forward to implementing into my classroom when I become a teacher. It was also interesting to learn about these tools from a parental standpoint, especially since my daughter is currently learning to read. When the webinar ended, I promptly asked my kids if they wanted to play some games "on Mommy's computer", and tried the different links out for myself. It was great to see that there were games my 5 year old could play, while there were other games my almost 3 year old could play. It was great to see them get excited about seeing the characters they have come to love (such as Elmo, Big Bird, Curious George, and Super Why among some of them), and I thought, if my kids are getting this excited sitting at the kitchen table learning, I can't imagine how excited I will be able to make my students by incorporating this technology into my future classroom. These tools and resources are great for all students, the students who are advanced to the at-risk student; there is something for everyone. We are in a digital age with digital students, and tools such as the ones provided by PBS will only enhance the students learning and success.
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