1.2 Understanding how students learn

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.

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The world in which we live has changed drastically as a result of technological innovation. This shift has brought about multiliteracies, including visual, audio, digital and multimodal texts, which all influence the way in which children interact with literacy to make sense of the world (Green, 2007). Educators need to ensure that children are exposed to and develop an understanding of multiliteracies so that they are fully equipped for the new literacies of today and tomorrow (Fellowes & Oakley, 2014; Wray & Medwell, 2008). The school at which I completed my first professional practice endorsed these views, stating in their Technology in Education Policy (2011) that the role of technology should be to enhance student learning and equip students with a level of technological competence to live in a global community. There is a misconception that punctuation is a mechanical skill that can be taught through systematic and routinised workbook exercises. This traditional approach rarely engages students or results in effective transfer of knowledge (Mitchell, 2008). Students need to be taught punctuation in a meaningful and contextual way that aligns with their everyday life practices, in this case digital communication. Evidence suggests that the integration of technology into the classroom can have a positive impact on student’s learning and level of concentration, self-control, self-esteem, independence and behaviour. Furthermore, multimodal eBooks have been shown to improve the motivation of students, particularly those with reading and behavioural difficulties (Ciampa, 2012; Mitchell, 2008). 

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During my first professional practice, I created a digital storybook around a specific area of literacy for a small group of children to enhance their learning and level of technological competence. Given that the reading extension group were selected to participate in the learning activity, I decided to base my eBook on punctuation extension, specifically, the use of an apostrophe in contractions (ACELA1480).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The learning intention of the eBook was to have students examine the uses of an apostrophe in punctuation, specifically when forming a contraction, as well as recognise that when two words are joined together using an apostrophe a contraction is formed. At the conclusion of reading the eBook, students worked in pairs to construct their own contraction caterpillar from the words listed on the whiteboard. As an extension, students were able to create their own contraction for the fifth body part of the caterpillar. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Students were selected to read each page aloud individually and then lead a whole group reading of the text. The student would subsequently 'feed' Charlie his 'contraction fruit' using the interactive whiteboard and observe the growth (formation) of his contraction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Given that contractions only appear in the Western Australian Curriculum in Year 3, I was concerned that the content would be too challenging for the students. My concerns were laid to rest as soon as the students commenced reading the eBook as they were all actively engaged and made positive and insightful contributions throughout the activity. Furthermore, students demonstrated proficient understanding of the intended learning intention through the accompanying contraction caterpillar activity. Adopting this imaginative and integrated approach to teaching through technology significantly enhanced the students' motivation to learn and participate.

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For more information about the implementation of this literacy learning experience, see Literacy Station 1. 

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References

School Curriculum and Standards Authority. (2014). English v8.1 - Year 3 Syllabus. Retrieved from: http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/english-v8

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Ciampa, K. (2012). Electronic Storybooks: A Constructivist Approach to Improving Reading Motivation in Grade 1 Students. Canadian Journal of Education, 35(4), 92-136. Retrieved from ProQuest. 

 

Green, D. (2007). Teaching the Grammar of Texts: Literacy Education in Primary Schools. Screen Education, 46, 72-74. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Education Source. 

 

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for educator knowledge. Educators College Record, 108(6), 1017-54. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Education Source. 

 

Mitchell, J. (2008). Teaching grammar: new insights for old ideas. Idiom, 44(3), 9-16. Retrieved from Informit Humanities and Social Science Collection.

 

Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2014). Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education. Victoria: Oxford University Press. 

 

Walsh, M. (2010). Multimodal literacy: What does it mean for classroom practice? Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(3), 211-239. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Education Source.

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Wray, D., & Medwell, J. (2008). Primary English. London: SAGE Publications. 

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