This presentation discusses literacy in a connected world and emphasizes expanding definitions of reading and writing to engage students in authentic literacy experiences using digital tools. It encourages connecting students to wider audiences through blogging, social media, and collaborating with authors. Surveys show students enjoy sharing work and collaborating using digital technologies. The presenter provides examples of reading materials and writing projects for students, and recommends teachers model literacy by sharing their own reading and writing lives.

1. Literacy in a
Connected World
Meenoo Rami

2. Stay In Touch
O Teach my students English at Science
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Leadership Academy in Philly
Started #engchat in 2010
www.engchat.org
@meenoorami
meenoo.rami@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/meenoorami
National Board Certified Teacher
Thrive – to be published by Heinemann in
2014

3. Goals
O Expand definition of
reading/writing in our
classrooms
O Ways to engage students in
authentic reading/writing
O Using connections to share
work with wider audience

4. This Moment
O 96% agree digital technologies “allow
students to share their work with a wider
and more varied audience”
O 79% agree that these tools “encourage
greater collaboration among students”
Source: Pew Internet Study – The Impact of
Digital Tools on Student Writing, July
16, 2013

5. So What?

6. From NCTE
O Develop proficiency with the tools of
O
O
O
O
O
technology
Build relationships with others to pose and
solve problems collaboratively and crossculturally
Design and share information for global
communities to meet a variety of purposes
Manage, analyze and synthesize multiple
streams of simultaneous information
Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts
Attend to the ethical responsibilities required
by these complex environments

7. Science
Leadership
Academy
Class of 2015

8. Reading
O Newspapers (Snow Fall – John Branch,
O
O
O
O
O
NYTimes)
Blogs – based on students’ interests
Videos – TED talks, Big Think,
Vlogbrothers
RSA Animate
Authors from your community or across
the world via Skype
Documentaries – PBS, HBO, POV

9. Writing
O Blogs
O Podcasts
O Trailers
O Short Films/Documentaries
O Photo Essays
O Multigenre Research Projects
O 6 words stories via Twitter
O Presentations/Skits/Performance

10. From Room 311
http://www.slideshare.net/mkr
ami/mag-rami1

11. Checklist
O Know your students
O Know their interests
O Create reading/writing opportunities that
bring their interests + skills you want to
teach together
O Use your connections to give them wider
audience

12. You as the lead learner
O Where does your reading and writing life
live?
O How well do your students know you as a
reader and a writer?
O Write with your students
O Share the things that challenge you about
the things you read and write

13. Resources
O Crafting Digital Writing – Troy Hicks
O http://digitalis.nwp.org/ - Digital Is
O http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/ -
NYTimes Learning Blog
O www.engchat.org - Weekly Twitter Chat
for English Teachers – Mondays at 7 PM
ET.

14. If you can leave with…
O Focus on the students, not the tools
O Tools may make composing and
publishing may make it easier but
reading/writing is still a complex process
O You teach even more by modeling your
reading/writing life

15. Stay In Touch
O Teach my students English at Science
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Leadership Academy in Philly
Started #engchat in 2010
www.engchat.org
@meenoorami
meenoo.rami@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/meenoorami
National Board Certified Teacher
Thrive – first book to be published by
Heinemann in 2014