Last semester a literacy expert and I discussed how often teachers use technology because it's fun and motivating. It seems that some teachers only justify the use of technology because it engages students. The researcher, Dr. Kristin Conradi at NC State University, went further and published an article in Phi Delta Kappan: "Tapping Technology’s Potential
to Motivate Readers." The article values the fact that technology can be motivational but pushes the concept further to encourage teachers to move beyond the motivational purpose and do more with technology.
To enhance her article, I added a series of resources that can be used for literacy instruction and literacy projects. These resources and tools also allow teachers to create learning experiences that are differentiated so students and teachers use the technology in a personalized manner. The chart below explains each technology enhanced literacy tool and gives classroom examples with differentiation ideas. It can be accessed here or at http://ncsucedmetrc.weebly.com/digital-literacy-tools-and-differentiation.html
