Element of Interactivity: Improving Reading Comprehension with the See-N-Read Tool

The element of interactivity I chose is highlighting text by using the See-N-Read tool. This tool is part bookmark and part highlighter. You can highlight important part of the text one line at a time by using the tool. The tool is a thin plastic piece that has a hole cut out in the center so that you only see one line of text at a time as you read. All you have to do is place the See-N-Read over the passage or page you are reading. When you have finished reading one line, move the tool down slightly to read the next line. The website for this helpful tool features See-N-Read products in many different sizes and styles, as well as other products. Some styles even make it easier for you to highlight the text yourself, because the yellow film in the center cut out has been removed. Below is the list of some of the many benefits of this useful tool:

• Read faster
• Improve concentration
• Remember what you've read
• Enhance spelling and academic vocabulary
• Improve learning strategies 

To purchase the See-N-Read tool or other products, visit the website: See-N-Read

Ashley's Visual Processing Disorders

Ashley, (a false name to respect the student's privacy), is a 4th grader at River City Elementary School. She was recently diagnosed with a visual processing disorder and given an IEP. She has been classified as learning disabled by the ESE teacher. Every day, Ashley sits in the front of the room in her class. Her assignments are printed in large font by each of her 3 teachers. The ESE teacher works with her for 30 minutes every morning on her assignments. In addition to sitting up front in class and having her assignments printed in large font, Ashley's teachers give her the accommodations of reading questions/text aloud on tests, extra time on tests and assignments, having key words highlighted in questions, and the option of small group or individual instruction.

5th Grade Social Studies/American History Textbooks

One of the biggest topics 5th graders learn in Social Studies is American History. They learn about how our country came to be the way it is today from the time it was founded to the present. Below is a list of appropriate etextbooks for this topic:

1. We the People
2. Native American History for Kids
3. Cooking Up US History
4. The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts from all 50 States
5. The New Big Book of U.S. Presidents
6. The Everything Kids States Book

Great Depression Ebook List

The topic I chose for this project is examples of text that are about or take place in the Great Depression. I created my topic for the upper elementary school grades, (grades 3-5). Below is a list of literature, media sources and books that would be useful in this project:

1. Bud, Not Buddy
2. Pictures from the Great Depression
3. The Great Depression
4. Stories from the Great Depression
5. Songs of the Great Depression
6. Dear America: Great Depression Stories

Feyland The Dark Realm (Feyland Trilogy Book 1) Ebook Review

The Ebook I chose for this review is titled, Feyland: The Dark Realm. It is the first book in the Feyland Trilogy by Anthea Sharp. The book is about a computer game called Feyland, which turns out to be a portal to the Faerie Realm. A 15 year old girl named Jennet is the very first person to play the prototype of the games. It's all fun and games until the game comes to life and Jennet finds herself fighting for her life against the Dark Queen...

The story is very fast paced and grabs the reader's attention from beginning to end! The prologue alone paints a picture in the mind that makes you feel as if you are inside the video game. The Dark Queen is a terrifying villain whom I would definitely not want to cross paths with or get angry! She is not your average fairy princess!! I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy to find out what happens next!!

I downloaded the novel on my Kindle Fire HDX tablet that I got for my birthday this year. It is available for free in the Appstore or the Books tab on the Kindle and other tablets. To find it, I searched for Free Kindle Ebooks under the Young Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy section in the Library of books available. There are hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, and I look forward to downloading more books!

I enjoyed the experience of reading a novel on my Kindle, although I sometimes still prefer to read a regular book. What I do love about Ebooks and tablets is that you can download as many as you want and carry them around with you without worrying about them taking up space in your bag, Tablets also make it easier to read at night because the screens light up. I think this would help students with special needs see the text better.

Tablets and Ebooks are a great way to integrate technology into the classroom when it comes time for reading lessons. As I mentioned before, the screen usually lights up on the device you have which makes it easier to see what you are doing. You can also highlight sections of text, bookmark pages, and change the size and style of the font. These features will help students with special needs, such as learning disabilities and visual processing difficulties, comprehend what they are reading.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Booktalk

A booktalk commercial I made for my technology class based on the first book of one of my favorite book series! Enjoy!

Kingdom Keepers Booktalk Commercial on Animoto

I created a short "commercial" for the first Kingdom Keepers book using the Animoto website. The link is pasted below. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

https://animoto.com/play/mmF06e4zn7dGKKZu3zLv0w