Content Objects

Presently, I am a Dyslexia teacher, and I work with students in all grades K-5. Although I have a specific program that I must follow for the required Dyslexia hours, there are activities that could be done that would support skills that are taught. One major area we have been working on lately is compound words, so for my techplay I am going to focus on content tools that could be used to support reading and writing, with a focus on using compound words. 

Content Objects:

NoRedInk

NoRedInk is both a website and a mobile tool that allows students to complete practice and quizzes over grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and other mechanics. The results are sent to teachers and students are provided feedback so that they can see what areas they need to continue to improve on for mastery. I enjoy NoRedInk as a tool to review concepts taught in class, but a con for the students is that they cannot go on until they have a certain of problems correct. While the website offers writing and spelling help, which is useful for all subjects, it is mostly beneficial for English Language Arts & Reading (ELAR) classes. 

NewsELA

NewsELA provides authentic content to students, at a variety of reading levels so that all students can feel successful reading a text on their level, and still be able to communicate and discuss the same text. It allows for  teachers to Engage students with topics they care about, while building the background knowledge and vocabulary they need to become active, engaged readers. Students can complete various activities with the content; from completing quizzes and written responses to text questions, as well as have opportunities to work with vocabulary. NewsELA could be used in any content area, but ELAR content teachers could focus on a variety of skills from reading comprehension, vocabulary, and annotating text.

Flocabulary

Many teachers in my school use Flocabulary, and it is a great tool to reinforce new concepts.  The website offers drills, practices, tutorials, and explanations via video for students to aid their understanding of a specific work, creates a way for students to understand a whole host of topics in a format that is fun and entertaining through videos and virtual activities. The website creates vocabulary drills, quizzes, and other tools, such as turning topics into rap songs that make them easier to understand and memorize if needed. I love that the website is so relatable for me and my students. There is a lot of content that is available and it can be overwhelming the first time you are navigating the website. Within the site there are also other curriculum uses, as they offer science, math, reading, and more study elements.

Storiumedu

Storiumedu allows for students to play a collaborative game in order to write a story. There are story cards provided on screen that allow for students to be creative and they provide the opportunity for students to not get stuck with writers block. Students work collaboratively to write a story. Students take turns playing story cards and adding to the story. Paragraph by paragraph, they collaboratively write their own original story simply by playing the game. These stories could be used in any subject, however they are more focused toward ELAR writing topics. 

Overall, I found Flocabulary to be a tool that I would most likely use in the classroom. I liked it the most because I found the videos engaging, and the activities included provide many opportunities to further engage students and produce higher quality learning experiences that are student-led. 

For example, say I wanted to have a group of 2nd graders work on compound words. I would start off by having the group watch the Compound Words Flocabulary on a classroom iPad. After watching the video, students would work with partners to work on the vocabulary cards and they would create movements to help them recall the meaning of the words. From there, students would come back together to discuss the meaning of the words, and then they would complete the vocabulary game. From there, students would then work on their own individual iPads to complete the read and respond. Once they have finished, students would go over their answers and share their reasoning with their group. Finally, students would complete the quiz as an assessment to see if students have an understanding of compound words, or if they need to be placed in a small group to review and revisit the topic of compound words. Once students have finished the quiz, they could complete a song in the Lyric Lab to create a song with compound words in it, and share their creation with the class either via a flipgrid or a short video. Their song creation could go into their ePortfolio to show their understanding of both technology and compound words. 

I think another option that could be used to show understanding of compound words could be Storiumedu. As a teacher, I could make a requirement to include a certain number of compound words correctly into their class story and use that as an assessment, but it would be harder to track individual assessments. You could also complete an activity in NoRedInk about compound words as well, but I do not think it would be as engaging as Flocabulary.