Donald Leu provides 15 ideas for teachers to prepare students for Common Core State Standards using digital technologies. The ideas include: (1) understanding the teacher's role in making technology effective; (2) using educational websites and apps to develop early reading; (3) using the Read Write Think site for all grade levels; and (4) using an instructional model called Internet Workshop. The document emphasizes developing students' new literacies skills like locating information, evaluating sources critically, synthesizing information, and communicating online. It presents a three-phase model called Internet Reciprocal Teaching to teach these skills through teacher-led instruction, collaborative problem-solving, and independent inquiry.

1. My 15 Best Ideas for Teaching
New Literacies and Common
Core State Standards
Donald J. Leu
Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology
Neag School of Education
University of Connecticut
donald.leu@uconn.edu

2. 
Defines how we read online when we
conduct informal and formal research to
learn and develop new knowledge.

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Identify the problem/question
Locate
Evaluate
Castek, 2008; Coiro & Dobler, 2007;
Synthesize
Henry, 2007; Leu, Castek, Hartman,
Communicate
Coiro, Henry, Kulikowich, & Lyver, 2005;
Leu, O’Byrne, Zawilinski, McVerry,
& Everett-Cacopardo, 2009; Leu, Kinzer,
Coiro, Castek, & Henry, 2013

3. What Can I Do In My Classroom
to Prepare Students for CCSS
With Digital Technologies?
3

4. 1. Understand that it is the
teacher, not the technology, that
makes a difference in
classrooms.

5. 2. Use Starfall.com and
teacher-tested apps for early
reading development

6. 3. Use Read Write Think at All
Levels

7. 4. Use Internet Workshop as An
Instructional Model

8. 5. Use ePals, or another free,
student safe email package

9. 6. Teach the reading comprehension
skills of locating information
Search problem of the
day
http://www.google.com/insidesearch/searcheducation/lessons.html

10. 7. Teach Critical Evaluation
Spoof Site Homework

11. 8. Reverse Wikipedia

12. 9. Try online projects with other
classrooms.
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13. 10. Require References That
Include an Explanation of Why
The Source Was Reliable

Patricia Polacco. www.patriciapolacco.com
This is the author’s own site so, if she is
telling the truth, it must be reliable.
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14. 11. Explore the Use of
VoiceThread (voicethread.com)

15. 12. Try Out Ideas from Internet
Reciprocal Teaching
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Phase I: Teacher-led Instruction in
Basic Online Skills
Phase II: Problem-based Learning of
New Literacies Skills
Phase III: Internet Inquiry

16. Internet Reciprocal Teaching
(IRT)

17. A Three-Phase Model To Teach Online
Reading Comprehension in 1-1
Classrooms: Internet Reciprocal Teaching

18. IRT: Phase I
Teacher-led Basic Skills
Teacher-led demonstrations of basic
Internet use skills and cooperative learning
strategies
 Explicit modeling by teacher
 Largely whole class instruction
 Mini-lessons as transition to Phase II


19. IRT: Phase II
Collaborative modeling
of online reading strategies
Students presented with information
problems to solve.
 Work in small groups to solve those
problems.
 Exchange strategies as they do so.
 Debrief at the end of the lesson.
 Initially: Locate and Critical evaluation
 Later: Synthesis and Communicate.


20. A Phase II Task

21. IRT: Phase III
Inquiry
 Initially,
within the class.
 Then, with others around the world.


Internet Morning Message of the Day
International Online Collaborations

22. 13. Use Wordle To Bring Print Alive

23. 14. Use a Blog in Your
Classroom
HOT blogging: A framework for blogging to promote higher order
thinking
Lisa Zawilinski
The Reading Teacher, 62 (8), 650-661
http://holyfamilycatholicschool.com/survey/Article_Wikis_
and_Blogs_Zawilinski_2009_HOTBlogging%20to
%20promote%20higherorderthinking.pdf
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24. 15. Remember:
Keep a patient heart and help
others on their journeys.
Keep a patient heart and help
others on their journeys.