This portal provides a framework for understanding and teaching literacy. It includes information for teachers (mainly primary level), administrators, and parents. Learning activity "recipes" and how-to videos are included.
Type of Material:
Collection of information about literacy, teaching literacy, and activities and strategies to engage students.
Recommended Uses:
This could be used for teaching undergraduate students studying elementary education and as a professional tool for elementary teachers or reading coaches.
Technical Requirements:
Requires the ability to view videos and click on areas of images (hotspots) to open additional content.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Users will learn what is involved in effective literacy education.
Users will find examples of elementary classrooms that can spark ideas for their own classrooms.
Users will find learning activities that can be implemented in their classrooms.
Target Student Population:
Professional, Grade School
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
It would be helpful to have some knowledge on elementary school literacy. However, it is a resource that parents (non-practitioners) can also use.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The website addresses relevant, fundamental concepts that should retain relevance even if the materials used to teach the concepts change.
The website covers the concepts well by presenting the information in different forms (text and video). The text has references to other reputable resources, which complements the examples provided by practitioners in the videos.
The website could be used in different situations for different groups (teachers, administrators, parents, teacher educators).
Concerns:
While the importance of literacy in the elementary classroom will not become lose relevance soon, some of the YouTube videos may be considered outdated because of teacher/student dress, classroom resources available, etc.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The website does a good job explaining how different groups can utilize the website. Although it is geared towards teachers, students preparing to become teachers, and administrators, parents can also find some value even without prerequisite knowledge.
The website introduces the idea of different “food groups” in the “reading pyramid.” These concepts are reinforced with example activities in the “recipe finder.” Therefore, the website is cohesive by reinforcing and building on prior concepts.
The activities and other ideas on the website can be easily integrated into curriculum assignments, because they are already being used in the field.
Concerns:
A concern would include the subtitle, "Putting research into practice in the classroom." Much of the information available on this site is research-based, not to be confused with "teaching" how to research in the area of children and literacy. Its emphasis is on literacy teaching practices.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Overall, the website is engaging and interactive. The ability to search and find the recipes by grade and “food group” is nice. The virtual tours is a great, interactive way to learn about example classrooms.
Concerns:
WAVE (https://wave.webaim.org/) detected some problems with the website with images missing alt text, contrast errors, missing headings, link issues, and the using tables as design elements.
Creative Commons:
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