Preparing Educators for the Millennium Generation

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Preparing Educators for the Millennium Generation

• Dr. Jean M. Casey

Professor - Reading/Early Childhood/Technology
California State University, Long Beach
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Writing my own story..Colleen

• The New Literacy begins at age three

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Writers, readers at ages 7 and 3
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Todays Focus

• What does research show about the importance of
  preparing educators to use technology in the
  preschool classroom?
• How can technology empower preschool students to
  become avid learners, speakers, readers, authors?

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The Princess and her card

• The child has an absorbent mind ages birth to
  seven (Montessori). Learns second language,
  music, math, computers much more easily at that
  age.
• Language Processing makes Language Experience
  work, What I can say, I can write, what I can
  write, I can read! (Van Allen, Casey).

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Teacher Education and Technology

• Descriptive Study of the Reading Program in ABC
  School District, Cerritos, California (Casey)
• Emphasis in teacher training
• Teachers enthusiasm, love of learning and
  expectations for students.

• Research on early literacy and technology Simi
  Star Project (Casey)
• Students with daily access to computers for
  language processing all became readers and
  writers.
• Our preschool students today need both.

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ETS Evaluation of WTR

• 10,000 Kindergarten and Grade 1 students in 21
  sites (R. Murphy and L. Appel)
• 1)Writing to Read Works
• 2)Children learn with WTR
• 3)Children in WTR write better than
  comparison groups
• 4)In Reading, Kindergarten WTR students have a
  significant advantage over comparison students.

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NCLB and Technology

• NCLB requires teachers to integrate technology
  into ongoing instruction and make technology a
  part of the learning process.
• The value of technology is knowing how to use it
  to learn, the goal is for every student to be
  technologically literate before entering
  secondary education.

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EETT Smart Board Grants

• A high tech learning tool to replace the chalk
  board and then the white board, an asset for
  presentation.
• We still need computers with talking software to
  put each child in control of their learning.

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The Beginning - Failing at Five

• Notice how the other children are all copying
  their sentences.
• Notice Codey

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Observe signs of frustration

• See how he rubs his head
• Pencil broke
• Head down on desk
• Realization he cant write like others do

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Codeys literacy success

• The computer empowered Codey to write. The
  computer proved to Codey that he was not dumb.
• It was his ticket to the Literacy Club

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Los Angeles Unified School District Waterford
and WTR

• Waterford Early Reading Program in 244 schools
• Waterford used by about 150,000 students at 1,600
  schools in 40 states.
• It puts the learner in control of his learning,
  processing his own language experience stories.
• It has the outstanding music, graphics, sound
  educational materials for comprehensible input.
• Its based on a good understanding of reading
  development.(G.Reid Lyon, NIH)

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Brandon 12-13-95 It is raning hrd twoda. I lik
the ran bekaz I lik gateng wet. I lik plaing in
the ran.
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Research Support

• Simi Star Conclusions
• Teachers idea, administrator support.
• Students in the WTR classroom averaged two
  writing levels higher and exceptionally high
  reading attitude compared to control.
• Sixth grade follow-up study

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Mini web, Multilingual, Maxi Learning Project

• Dr. Rachel Cohen- University of Paris
• A network which links children aged 3 to 8 from
  10 countries using 4 languages.
• Research shows that using technology at an
  early age, before children become candidates for
  school failure, can indeed make a significant
  difference.

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Research from Spain

• Dr. Gloria Medrano - University of Zaragoza,
  Spain
• No matter the country or environment, if you
  give children the opportunity to learn and
  prepare a stimulating environment with rich
  media, children reveal their enormous potential
  and are all successful.

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Literacy Success for Learners

• David (A.D.H.D.)
• Brandon (Eye hand coordination)
• Libby (GATE) Gifted

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Davids Story

• 9-18 dinusors lift 200 yers a goe They had fites.
  Evey day they had fites. One day a dinusor was
  eating gras. And a dinosaur got in a fites. The
  bigis dinnsor wan. it was nite time. it was
  snowing for a week.the dinsaurs dide.

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More from David

• gorchwoshtin live he was the first presit.He was
  born in ' 16-48.He was 1 yers old. He was nise he
  noow lots of thing. he had fan win he was 2 yers
  old he had tlooes. Noul he is 3 yers old he was
  omoste in pescol. noul he is 5 yers old he is in
  cinagarn.noul he is 6 yers old he is in fiest
  gard.

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Without the computer and a fantastic teacher

• David would have spent the past six years on
  Ritalin, in a special classroom.
• Without a professional teacher like you, David
  would be lost in our educational system.
• David designed the Web Page for his 7th grade
  class. He is a writer.

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The LakeChapter 1 by LibbyAge 5
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The LakeChapter 2 by LibbyAge 5
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The LakeChapter 3 by LibbyAge 5
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The LakeChapter 4 by LibbyAge 5
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The LakeChapter 5 by LibbyAge 5
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Without you as the knowledgeable professional

• Libby would be bored in school, hate reading
  decodable books.
• Without your understanding of phonemic spelling
  as a first stage, Libby would not write.
• Mat sat on a fat cat wont do it. It failed with
  SWRL in 1970. It will fail again.

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Importance of Early Experiences

• Students who lack books, are not read to in the
  home start school with a disadvantage.
• On target students typically start kindergarten
  with 3000 hours of pre-literacy activities in the
  home, at-risk students start with just 50-250
  hours of the same activities. (Adams, 1990)
• This deficit increases yearly without
  intervention.

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Benefits of Computer for Young Children

• Empowerment and control of learning - accepts
  computer as a lifelong learning tool
• Interactive, visual positive feedback
• An experience that can support the development of
  learning, logical thinking and ability to solve
  and analyze problems

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Software to review

• Dr. Peets Talk Writer
• Waterford Early Reading Program-Pearson
• OpenBooksLearning
• Writing to Read 2000
• Write Outloud- Don Johnston
• KidWorks Deluxe or KidPix
• Clicker 4

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Dr. Jesse K. Hayden Elementary School

• Blue Ribbon School 2005
• Combination of Writing to Read computers and
  Smart Boards
• Enthusiastic principal and teachers and
  environment to encourage students personal
  growth.

First grader listens, reads, and writes
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Information for Parents

• Teachers should share information about language
  processing and how to implement it at home.
• Research shows the direct connection between the
  home and role of the parents and how well
  children will succeed in preschool and the rest
  of their academic careers.

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Jessicas Story (WTR Age 5)

• The Vois Inside You
• One day Jenny seid to her mom I want to do
  jimnastiks Her mom seid OK why dont you try out
  for the Olimpiks? Jennys techer was tuf. it was
  the day of the Olimpiks. Jenny was scard when it
  came to her tern. Then she herd a vois it seid
  you can do it. Jenny ran to the beem.
• She did a back flip the vois cep saing you can do
  it. Then it came agen you can do it. She one
  the Olimpks

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Classroom Integration

• Six networked computers/Internet
  connections/Teachers Computer
• Computers integrated in writing process all day
  long
• 88 Classroom writing ideas in Creating the Early
  Literacy Classroom/Casey
  

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A Writing, Reading, Literacy Classroom

Videotapes
Cassettes
Class Book Library
Supplies
Internet Computers
Writers Station
Whiteboard
Writing Process
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Pre-school Teachers

• Expand and build on the environment of the home
• Understand about providing writing and reading
  experiences for children
• Understand the needs of children living in a
  technology household

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What can you do?

• Pre-school directors, teachers, parents must
  understand the power of the computer as a
  powerful tool for early learning.
• Classrooms must be equipped with computers for
  each child to use daily.
• Stick with effective writing programs and dont
  worry about changing equipment.

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Leadership

• Superintendent with dream of early literacy
  success
• Principal or Director with concern and dedication
  to providing tools and supporting teachers for
  the benefit of the students
• Software developed by educators and thoroughly
  tested.

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Inspiring Friends to Use the Computer

• Federal mandates like Good Start, Grow Smart have
  demonstrated great success with 3 and 4 year olds
  literacy.
• Preschool is a gift for a lifetime.

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Teachers Educators Reward

• Hello Dr. Casey,
• I doubt you remember me, but I was a student in
  one of your teacher education classes at CSULB
  almost a decade ago. I just wanted to let you
  know how my career is going. Especially because
  until I took your class I didnt even have an
  email account.
• A few years ago, the principal at the school I
  worked at noticed that I was using technology in
  my 2nd grade classroom to engage and motivate
  students. She asked me to provide monthly staff
  developments to the teachers at my school and
  eventually she started pulling me out of the
  classroom so that I could work hands-on with
  teachers during the school day modeling lessons
  and providing peer coaching. Since then I have
  been hired to work under the Director of
  Educational Technology for Newport-Mesa as an
  Educational Technology Coordinator.
• I am sure you are very busy, but I wanted to say
  thank you for getting me interested in
  educational technology.
• http//homepage.mac.com/lainiemcgann
• Sincerely,
• Lainie McGann
• Educational Technology Coordinator
• Newport-Mesa Unified School District

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Remember

• One hundred years from now it will not matter
  what kind of car you drove or the sort of house
  you lived in.
• But the world may be different because you were
  important in the life of a child.

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Dr. John Henry Martin

• The computer can give the learner the worlds
  most beautiful feeling, the Greek EurekaI got
  it, I know it, I can see it, I can understand it!
  Thats a transforming feeling to be awakened
  from dormancy, from sadness to strength, to
  dignity. I can write, I can read!

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Where to get more information

• Early Literacy The Empowerment of Technology by
  Jean M. Casey, Ph..D. (Revised Edition 2000)
  Libraries Unlimited publisher
• Creating the Early Literacy Classroom by Jean M.
  Casey, Ph..D. (2000) Book signing at Libraries
  Unlimited