This professional learning unit for teachers focuses on closing the gap in reading using technology. It discusses the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It explains that technology can help with reading skills by engaging students, preparing them for the digital world, and bringing background knowledge into the classroom. The unit goals are for teachers to create a virtual field trip, word cloud, graphic organizer, and independent reading lesson using online tools. The modules will teach teachers how to accomplish these goals and effectively incorporate technology into reading instruction.

1. Closing the Gap in Reading
using Technology
Professional Learning Unit for Teachers
Presented by:
Leslie Jones

2. Reading Background Information
Phonemic
Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
• Phonemic Awareness and Phonics are the decoding steps
• Fluency is reading smoothly and quickly (phonemic awareness and phonics are
important for this to know for this step).
• Vocabulary can be oral or reading. Oral Vocabulary refers to words we use when we
speak or listen. Reading Vocabulary refers to words we read/recognize in print. One
reason vocabulary is important is it helps you understand what your are reading or
listening to-it helps you comprehend.
• Reading Comprehension is understanding what you are reading each day.
• All of these skills are related and must be learned in order for students to be
successful readers.
Reading Skills are Related

3. Why Use Technology in your
Classroom to help with Reading Skills?
• 21st Century Skills / What are 21st Century Skills
• Kids are growing up in a digital society
• Standardized Assessments are using technology
• Engaging for Students
• Preparing students to live in the information age
• Helps to bring experiences into your classroom
which gives students more background
knowledge.
• Background knowledge increases vocabulary
which increases reading comprehension

4. What are 21st Century Skills?
• What are 21st Century Skills
• 21st Century Skills
• International Society for Technology in
Education
Your Turn
• Turn to a Partner
• Explain why you feel these skills are important in todays classrooms
• What are some ways you already teach these skills without technology
and how can you teach them with technology

5. Essential Questions
• How can teachers use technology to help
students with reading skills?
• How can teachers help students learn to use
technology safely?
• How can teachers use technology to help
students be active and engaged learners?

6. Goals for this Unit
• The teacher will be able to find information on a topic
using the internet and take students on a virtual field
trip with the information.
• The teacher will be able to create a word cloud for a
specific reading topic they are teaching.
• The teacher will be able to create a graphic organizer
using various internet sites for a reading topic.
• The teacher will be able to create a trackstar4teachers
lesson for a reading topic.
• The teacher will be able to instruct their students using
the computers in a computer lab setting.

7. Modules
• Module 1: Introduction to Class
• Module 2: Learning to Create a Virtual Field
Trip
• Module 3: Learning to Create a Word Cloud
• Module 4: Learning to Create a Graphic
Organizer
• Module 5: Learning to Create an Independent
Reading Lesson Using Trackstar4Teachers

8. Let’s Get
Started !
!