New Literacies for Early
Elementary: Web 2.0 Tools to
Support Literacy
Kimberly Hartman Brueck, Green Local Schools
brueckkimberly@greenlocalschools.org
Jeremy Brueck, The University of Akron
jbrueck@uakron.edu

RESEARCHING

Old School  nu skool
• Structure “e-tivity” like a “traditional” activity.
– Have students complete a graphic organizer, draft,
edit & revise before publishing work on wiki, blog,
etc…
• Teacher introduces content.
• Teacher gives explicit directions.
– Share expectations
– Model
– Foreshadow problems
• Practice together.

Planning for Instruction
• BEGIN and END with standards
– Keyboarding OR Copy/Paste?
• What skills do your possess already?
• What skills do your students need to learn?
• What are your lesson objectives?
– Spelling
– Writing Process
– Handwriting

REPORTING

Choose appropriate resources
• Why use wikis?
– Structure based on hierarchical subject
divisions through:
• new page creation
• internal and external hyperlinking
– Allow basic page formatting functions
• Text editing (HTML editors)
• Insert images, tables & lists
• Hyperlinking
• Embedded media
Schwartz, L., Clark, S., Cossarin, M., and Rudolph, J. (2004). Educational Wikis: features and selection criteria. The International Review of Research in
Open and Distance Learning, Vol 5, No 1. Retrieved July 1, 2008 from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/163/244.

Free wiki resources
• wikispaces
– http://www.wikispaces.com/
• pbwiki
– http://pbwiki.com/
• seedwiki
– http://seedwiki.com/
• wetpaint
– http://www.wetpaint.com/

Important Considerations
• Private or Public
– Should anyone be able to edit or just
members?
– How will you create accounts for all
your students?
• Advertisements

Use Templates
• BEST PRACTICE
– Create templates to easily replicate common
wiki pages your students will need.
1. Go to \"Manage Space.”
2. Click on \"Manage Templates.”
3. Name the new template. You can create your template
from a blank page or an existing page on your space.

Create a Picture Library
• BEST PRACTICE:
– Upload files without adding them to a wiki
page before students edit wiki.
1. Go to \"Manage Space.”
2. Click on \"List and Upload Files.”
3. Click \"Upload Files\" and then choose the file (or files) to
upload from your desktop.
4. Click \"Select\" and the file will begin uploading.

Instructional Preparation
• BEST PRACTICE:
– Create your wiki pages and outline prior to
class use.
1. Click \"New Page\" in the left sidebar.
2. Select the template to start from.
3. Create your new page. You can then edit your page based
on the template or save it as is.

Limitations and Considerations
• Editing
– Simultaneous editing of one page in a lab
setting presents challenges
– Learning Center approach is more effective
• History Tab
– Is an excellent monitoring tool
– In a public space, only IP addresses are
shown

ANALYZING

Assessment
• BEST PRACTICE:
– Incorporating assessment into the wiki
provides information needed to adjust
teaching and learning while they are
happening.
1. Use the DISCUSSION tab to create assessment questions.
2. Copy the URL of each question and link to it from the wiki
page.

Assessment
• Survey Tools
– SchoolWires
• http://www.schoolwires.com
– SurveyMonkey
• http://www.surveymonkey.com
• Free account allows 10 questions
– Zoomerang
• http://www.zoomerang.com
• Basic service is free
• Educational pricing allows you to
export & analyze results

Questions/Comments
Kimberly Hartman Brueck
Curriculum and Technology Specialist
Green Local Schools
brueckkimberly@greenlocalschools.org
Jeremy Brueck
e-Read Ohio Web Services Manager
The University of Akron
jbrueck@uakron.edu