Title: Technology%20Innovation%20Action%20Plan
1Technology InnovationAction Plan
2Reading A-Z
- What is Reading A-Z?
- Reading A-Z is a website that offers thousands
of printable teacher materials to teach guided
reading, phonemic awareness, reading
comprehension, reading fluency, alphabet, and
vocabulary. The teaching resources include
professionally developed downloadable leveled
books, lesson plans, worksheets, and reading
assessments (Reading A-Z, 2009).
3What resources are available on Reading
A-Z?(Click on each title to view)
- Leveled Readers
- Benchmark Books and Running Records
- Reading Lessons and Worksheets
- Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Materials
- Poetry Books
- Alphabet Materials
- High-Frequency Word Books (Sight Words)
- Vocabulary Books and Activities
- Fluency Passages
- Reader's Theater Scripts
- Assessments
4Why is it needed?
- Reading A-Z's downloadable books, lessons,
worksheets and other resources are designed for
use in various reading settings from whole class
to small group to individual work whether with
core, ESOL, special education, RtI (Response to
Intervention), bilingual and other such programs.
All materials are research-based,
standards-based, and results oriented" (Reading
A-Z, 2009).
5Free Samples
- www.readinga-z.com
- Most books are available in Spanish or French,
color or black and white.
6Who will collect ongoing data to assess the
effectiveness of the innovation?
- Individual teachers are responsible for
collecting - ongoing data and may include any of the
following - The General classroom teacher
- The ESOL teacher
- The Special Education teacher
- The Gifted teacher
7Who will review the effectiveness of the
technology innovation?
- Teachers
- The principal and school improvement committee
may review it for the Curriculum School
Improvement Plan (CSIP).
8How will accountability for implementation be
assessed?
- While no teacher is held responsible for this
- particular program, it is an innovation to be
used with - students to aid with reading which affects
reading - ability and test scores.
- The teacher can collect data on a student to show
progress - to a student support team or through tiered
meetings where - Intervention strategies are discussed with
colleagues and an - administrator.
9How will you assess the level of technological
proficiency gained by students and teachers?
- Reading A-Z has an easy-to-use guide that no
in-service is - necessary. As long as the teacher and student are
able to - access the website on the internet to select a
book on the - students reading level and/or is guided by the
teacher, there - is not a formal assessment for technological
proficiency - beyond basic computer skills.
- For younger students, the teacher may be the
individual - selecting the books.
10How will you use technology to evaluate teaching
and learning?
- Reading A-Z creates many opportunities for
- evaluating students reading skills.
- It provides
- Benchmarks to test the students level of
- reading.
- Worksheets to test for comprehension of
- reading.
- Fluency passages
- Vocabulary books
- A variety of high interest topics for reading
11What is an indicator of success with this plan?
- Students are reading independently.
- Students are reading on or above grade
- level.
- Students are excited about reading.
- Students are able to build comprehension,
vocabulary and fluency through reading.
12What are the funding requirements and how will
this innovation be funded?
- Reading A-Z has a license fee of 59.95
- 84.95 per classroom depending on the
- license requested upon subscription.
- The principal funds this reading program
- with money from Title One funding.
13How will you know if the innovation has failed
and needs to be abandoned?
- Success depends on teacher/student usage since it
can be - used with specific students or all students in a
class. - Based on reading improvement and test scores the
teacher - may consider it a success or a failure.
- If the principal surveys the staff about usage
and no one is - using it to supplement reading then it will be
considered a - failure and be abandoned.
14How will you analyze implementation decisions to
accommodate for changes as a result of new
information and technologies?
- I would refer to Fullan and Stiegelbauers six
major issues before - committing to a change effort.
- Does the change address an important need?
- Is the administration supporting the innovation
and why or why not? - Are fellow teachers likely to support the
innovation? - What collaborative efforts might I lead, with
other teachers to support the innovation? - How will I keep the innovation in perspective if
I become a leader in its support or opposition? - What assistance from professional associations
might I obtain help to support or oppose the
innovation?
15Reading Extras
- Teacher Training Webinars NEW!Live web
conferences to integrate our solutions with your
curriculumTeacher Appreciation Week Open House
NEW!All of us at Learning A-Z appreciate the
important work teachers do. To show our
gratitude, we will be holding an open house to
each of our websites beginning May 4. Check with
us later for links and details on
pre-registration. Please share this news with
your teacher friends.Multilevel and Leveled
Readers NEW!Onomatopoeia, twelve, friends, and
sharks for differentiated instructionEnvironment
Special Collection NEW!Extend theme units with
leveled readers and sister websitesWord Play
Humor Books NEW!Jokes with "ant" words, babies,
and other insectsBob's Education BlogStudy
shows decline in critical thinking but increase
in visual literacySearch ToolEasily find books
based on topic, level, comprehension skill
16References
- Reading A-Z (2009 ). Retrieved April 4, 2009,
- from http//www.readinga-z.com
- Ellsworth, J.B. (2000). Surviving change A
- survey of educational change models. Eric
- Clearinghouse on Information and
- Technology. Retrieved January 10, 2009
- from http//www.eric.ed.gov.