Looking Back on Digital Reading in our Clsssroom

If you had a hidden camera on our classroom, one of the biggest differences from years past are the wider variety of technology tools my students have been using for their reading. All year there were been four different tools used in my classroom: computers, nooks and or kindles, iPad and iPods. Students have brought in their nooks and kindles more this year, and I have encourage them to do so.

This has been an interesting shift in my classroom as I observed the digital tools. Some students shifted between their choices of technology tools. Our class iPad has been a huge hit however with only one I have used it more for sharing digital stories with the whole class which has been an integral part of our reading community. Many students asked to borrow the iPad afterwards to read or listen to the story again.

In addition, students listened to stories on their iPods. The students created persuasive commercials using Sonic Pic on their iPods.  Through our class web page, I linked the commercials so students can listen to their friend’s story.  In addition, many students read and listened to book trailers which was a been a brand new avenue for me this year.  I also am pleased the students continued to use their iPods for the variety of apps that have been loaded to support the curriculum.

Finally I personally still love the feel of a book as I turn the pages. I want to teach my students to honor books. On twitter I found this quote from Same Sun Here pg. 87 "I like that library books have secret lives. All those hands that held them. All those eyes that have read them."  I love books; I love the smell of them when they are new and love them even more 60 years later when my grandmother gave me her original copy of Poor Mrs. Quack by Thurston W. Burgess.I am not sure if digital books will carry the same meaning in 60 years when they are passed down to their great granddaughters?