Chapter 2

The second chapter of the book, “Reading, Writing, and Literacy 2.0: Teaching with Online Texts, Tools, and Resources, K-8,” discusses the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with regard to technology and digital literacies. The Common Core State Standards provides an outline and guide for teachers to base their lessons off of. All teachers use these standards when creating a lesson for various subjects. Teachers should have an integrated balance using technology, curriculum goals, and instructional strategies.  

Since ELA is not a concrete academic learning like math or science, the ELA standards encompass processes and ideas about how to approach teaching for grades K-5 using the CCSS for each level across reading, writing, speaking, listening, language and media, and technology. Some teachers may struggle with incorporating technology into the curriculum and these standards provide a framework for incorporating technology into the English Language Arts Curriculum. Lessons created by teachers should support and assess student learning using curriculum goals.

For some teachers who have been in the field for a long time, integrating technology and knowing how to use it in the classroom is a new and challenging concept. It is important for teachers to be aware and knowledgeable of the variety of digital media, useful and credible websites, and comfortable using the technology before implementing lessons in the classroom. Using the standards will help give teachers a guide for using technology in ELA. Through research, teachers can utilize many different types of digital media to aid their lessons and help accommodate student learning. New technology is always arising, and by practicing incorporating technology into the curriculum more frequently, literacy in digital media will improve both for the teacher as well as students.  

With technology changing every day, it is important for teachers to constantly stay up to date on different types of digital media and adjust lessons and teaching accordingly. By properly incorporating technology using the core standards, student learning, especially in English Language Arts, can be transformed and open many doors for accommodations, support, and scaffolding opportunities for children within the classroom.