Educators should exemplify how an individual uses digital tools and resources to become a skilled communicator, collaborator, and devoted lifelong learner. Modeling the use of a range of transliteracy tools is something teachers need to engage in on a daily basis. Most educators are familiar with Twitter, however many wonder how to actually put it into classroom practice. Twitter brainstorming is one way to begin, even in the early grades, because it does not require students to have individual Twitter accounts. Read the rest of this entry…

During the development of a literate society, literacy practices were very linear in nature. Consider a traditional piece of literature, like a book. It has a cover with the title and author. When we address these elements, we begin by decoding letters and words starting in the upper left and moving to the right across the first line to develop meaning and comprehend printed text. We then open the book, turn the page and then again begin to read for meaning making starting in the upper left, moving across to the right and then down to the next line. This repetitive process reflects the literacy practices most of us have participated in since birth. Read the rest of this entry…

In their most basic form, children’s ebooks are computer files that act much like a book. They have traditional conventions like a title, pages, and chapters. However, they also can contain illustrations and hotspots that provide a navigation mechanism for the reader. A deeper look at children’s ebooks reveals a more complex form, a type of software that includes animations, sounds, videos, and a read-aloud function. Read the rest of this entry…

Literacy is no longer confined to a standard print format. There is an increasing integration and adoption of digital texts and ebooks in school libraries and classrooms across the United States. Compared to their print counterparts, ebooks are portable, facilitating the easy transport of sizable libraries with little physical effort. The mobility of ebooks allows them to be used in any place at any time via handheld or mobile devices.

Ebooks for young children are like storybooks we know and love in some ways. While features of ebooks mirror those we see in traditional children’s literature, ebooks add new, digital features. These digital additions to print are different in a manner that is profoundly changing the storybook as a piece of early literacy learning. As a result, ebooks can be used to develop transliterate practices in the classroom that address academic and cognitive diversity in learners. Read the rest of this entry…

The author Donald J. Sobol first published his adventures of boy super sleuth “Encyclopedia” Brown in 1963. All 29 books in this popular series presented the reader with a set of short mysteries, each including factual disparities somewhere within. Young readers were encouraged to read the text closely to try to identify the “slip-up” that breaks the case and then turn to the “Answers” section in the back of the book to verify their finding.

An important part of writing in digital spaces is the use of “hyperlinks.” In their most basic form, a “link,” or hyperlink is word, phrase or image on a Web page that instructs a computer to move to another relevant Web page. Much like Sobol’s “Answers” section linked readers to the facts that solved each case, hyperlinked writing provides links that are pertinent to a piece of writing on the web and help to strengthen the writing by providing direct access back to source documents and related materials for the writer’s audience. Read the rest of this entry…

Transliteracy is a concept that captures the field of literacy and describes language arts as more than a function of  foundational skills, such as reading and writing, but also encompasses the ability to communicate across traditional and emerging platforms (Thomas, S. et. al., 2007). Simply put, transliteracy is the understanding of traditional literacy components alongside the nuances that living in a touchscreen world brings. Transliteracy puts aside the differences between traditional and emerging literacies to focus on the interconnected path of all literacies and the role they play in developing a literate member of society. Students need to become fluent, not only in their reading and writing practice, but also in the digital skills that are put to regular use in the world around them.

Reading and writing are at the core of transliteracy, as we interact with both traditional and digital print in our daily lives. Whether we are flipping through the pages of our favorite paperback or checking the weather on our smartphone, foundational reading skills (letter knowledge, sounds, and word reading) and meaning- based skills (comprehension, conceptual knowledge, and vocabulary) play an integral role. However, new skills, such as recognizing icons, setting up preferences, mastering multi-tap and swipe gestures, all play a pivotal role becoming a transliterate individual. Read the rest of this entry…

Even our youngest students expect learning spaces that seamlessly integrate digital tools, accommodate a mobile lifestyle, adapt to individual learning styles & encourage collaboration. The Google ecology provides the technological means to support this type of pedagogical approach, however, teachers must become develop a more complete understanding of mobile technology hardware, web-based software & OS. How does an elementary teacher incorporate the affordances of the Google ecology into meaningful learning? Join Dr. Jeremy Brueck as he highlights a variety of GAFE tools and Chrome extensions young children can use to tell their own stories, boosting reading and writing skills. Come discover new ways to use the Google ecology to support and enhance the reading and writing process.

Sprouts and STEM: Growing What We Know About Early Childhood Education and Technology

Digital tools are playing an increasingly important role in classroom learning.  In order to design high-quality learning experiences for our youngest students, early childhood educators must be informed and judicious in the manner in which they integrate these technologies.  Join Jeremy Brueck as he explores appropriate and innovative ways to integrate technology into classrooms in support of young children’s learning.  Drawn on his own research, child development theory, and developmentally appropriate  practice as a foundation, Brueck will demonstrate how digital tools can enhance early learning, support teaching goals, and improve teaching practice.  Brueck will discuss the role of digital tools in:

• Creating engaging and educational experiences for young children that balance with other hands-on learning experiences
• Helping educators with management, organization, and professional learning
• Building teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge

Keynote Presentation Slides

Breakout Session Slides

Breakout Session Resources

Warren Buckleitner, a fantastic colleague and mentor, has again asked me to be a part of the conversation at his 2nd Annual Dust or Magic eBook Retreat: Designing and Critiquing Narrative Driven Interactive Media for Children, being held April 27-29, 2014. This great event is held in Honesdale, PA at the Highlights Foundation Retreat, a really amazing venue for relaxing, creating, networking and  professional learning. I’m extremely excited  to get a chance to learn along side the fabulous presenters he has lined up such as, William Teale, Junko Yokota and Mark Schlichting. Below you can find my conversation description as well as a pretty complete list of references related to ebooks and early literacy. View source document.

This post originates from the “I get this question a lot file” and after I spent the time to type out a response, it seemed like something I should be sharing openly, rather than exclusively through a private email message.

Mr. Brueck,

You were referred to me by [name withheld to protect the innocent], the tech coordinator for [insert school or district here]. He assured me that you were the “go to man” who could point me in the right direction.

I’m a reading interventionist and in search of quality iPad apps to support our reading instruction. In particular, I’m looking for apps to support comprehension and vocabulary development for 7-10 year olds reading at first and second grade levels.  Of course, they love interactivity and game playing.  Any recommendations?

Thanks for you help!