This question is related to the project eLITE.
We are working on enrichening children literary books in order to make them more attractive and in order to create good tools to teach languages and reading skills..
We would like to know more opinions about this topic, mainly secondary teachers ones.
Do you work also on music books. Trabajan gambien con libres para el aprendizaje de la lectura de la musica?
Muchas gracias
Maite
Children prefer and are more engaged by e-books that add sound, pictures and video.
For language learning, especially ESL, the picture / sound / video enables the child to decode the English for him / herself, without recourse to translation.
We want children to learn as naturally as possible, but much classroom learning is not very natural. Sound, pictures and video can allow students to not feel like they are learning, but to learn, nevertheless.
Multimodality in reading seems to be the preferred mode as its more interactive and students like to engage in video, audio, gestures and spatial elements besides literacy per se. In this vein, reading becomes exciting, fun and engaging.
Yes I agree with all the responses as the children can take them where ever they go, so this can encourage them to read more as oppose to paper copies that may be heavy and bulky to carry around. There is also trend toward flexibility in learning so your digitally enriched text would certainly be trendy.
Best regards,
Debra
Data Flexible Learning Environments-Theories-Trends-Issues
Thanks for your answers.
Apart from the motivation the flexibility and the attraction that this produces in children we have to control their learning by avoiding the excess of "game" and the loss of attention and concentration. That is the risk of new technologies and the importance of blended learning. That is our main objective. Isn't it?
I would resonate with Lourdes' concern about any negative effect of excessive digitally enriched practice/environment, and the word 'optimal' might come into play in this situation. Everything needs to strike a balance, and too much is just same as too little. This not only relates to age appropriateness, but also depends on individual children who may have completely different cognitive traits, learning styles or preferences. Like any other types of learning and teaching, learning environment should not be saturated and overwhelming. What the optimal level is per se might make a good research focus.
From my experience with students for a long period of time, I agree with all who considers Multimodality attract students and increases the interest of students.
But practically speaking many students are not utilizing the new technologies for their educational purpose is my experience.
Mollykutty:
Yes, the students do tend to play a lot of games on their computers and mobile devices, but we as educators can then use more educational games in our delivery to capitalize on this preference they have on gaming.
Best regards,
Debra
The more senses learners use in the learning process, the better learning becomes. However, teachers should avoid "overuse" of digitally enriched texts.
In general, multimodal inputs - more than any merely text inputs - are extremely useful and effective in learning, especially as far as KIDS and young learners are concerned. As mentioned above, digitally enriched texts motivate kids and facilitate learning; they take them into a deeper (and more meaningful) level of understanding, and thus learning becomes more enjoyable and FUN..
The more senses learners use in the learning process, the better learning becomes. However, teachers should avoid "overuse" of digitally enriched texts.
Dear Lourdes:
Thank you so much for asking this most important question. The following link relating to this subject matter may be useful for your answer:
Teaching materials: using literature in the EFL/ ESL classroom
Source: http://www.onestopenglish.com/methodology/methodology/teaching-materials/teaching-materials-using-literature-in-the-efl/-esl-classroom/146508.article
Best wishes,
Javier.
Mª Lourdes Pomposo Yanes, putting in mind the inclination of new generations to get highly indulged in digital devices and apparatuses, I say it is gonna benefit them a great extent.
