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media type="custom" key="8656236" =//Writing is the largest orchestra a kid's mind has to conduct//=

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//"Why is writing such a stringent test of output capacity during the school years? I suspect it's because there's no other requirement that demands the coordination and integration of so many different neurodevelopmental functions and academic subskills. Just think about it: writing requires you to generate good ideas, organize your thoughts, encode your ideas into clear language, remember many things at once (such as spelling, rules of punctutation, facts, and instructions), coordinate your fingers so that can keyboard or form letters, plan and monitor the quality of your work, and marshal the materials you need (pencils, reference books, or computer equipment) and your time. Writing also requires a great deal of concentration and mental effort. It takes energy and fortitude to complete a term paper. Intense focus is called for in answering an essay question well. All of those simultaneous demands must then be smoothly integrated and synchronized to achieve writing success."-// Dr. Mel Levine, //The Myth of Laziness//===== = = =Welcome to the Techno-Literacy Wiki!= media type="custom" key="8604344"

The goal of the wiki is to explore, share, and learn about ways to integrate technology into literacy education. We are looking for effective ways to integrate technology into the classroom, and are always searching for ways to improve our practice as teachers. We like to beg, borrow, and steal ideas from the many talented educators at our schools, in our area, across the country, and around the world. This is a collaborative space to share some of the information, websites, research, and pedagogy that reaches the students of the 21st Century. Please feel free to join or start a discussion, post links, and share your ideas with educators who feel the same way.

Writing Next: A report done by the Carnegie Corporation in association with the Alliance for Excellent Education on Effective Strategies for Improving Adolescent Writing.

Double the Work: A report done by the Carnegie Corporation in association with the Alliance for Excellent Education on CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS TO ACQUIRING LANGUAGE AND ACADEMIC LITERACY FOR ADOLESCENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.

Educational Technology Standards

**Teach-nology: Taking the road less traveled and using the internet to promote literacy**
by Ilona Pennay, ipennay@hartdistrict.org English Department Chair Professional Development Coach Family Resource Program Director, Sierra Vista Junior High School mrspennay.edublogs.org

Anthony Pennay, anthonypennay@gmail.com Technology Liaison, Cal State Northridge Writing Project Program Manager, Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center pennay.edublogs.org

- Students are proficient in the use of technology. - Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software. - Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. - Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. - Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.
 * Goals (from the National Education Technology Standards from K-12):**

- Why should I teach 21st century literacies? - What are 21st century literacies? - How do I integrate 21st century literacies into my classroom instruction?
 * Essential Questions:**

//**The NCTE Definition of 21st Century Literacies**// Adopted by the NCTE Executive Committee, February 15, 2008 Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-first century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies�from reading online newspapers to participating in virtual classrooms�are multiple, dynamic, and malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life possibilities and social trajectories of individuals and groups. Twenty-first century readers and writers need to: � Develop proficiency with the tools of technology � Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally � Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes � Manage, analyze and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information � Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multi-media texts � Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments
 * Question 1: Why Should I teach 21st century literacies?**

//-Social Nature of Literacy// - Social Networking Sites - Twitter - Blogging - Diigo - Podcasting //-Critical Literacy// - Determining the merit of information/ sources - Determining the intent of author/ content provider - Interactive component of Techno-literacy //-Media Literacy// - Awareness of conventions, biases, and veracity of information from various media sources.
 * Question 2: What are 21st Century literacies?**

Take a look at the resources listed in the Table of Contents to the left, and explore the many resources that have been gathered to help you get started integrating digital literacy into your classroom. Remember: TECHNOLOGY IS NOT THE ANSWER. Rather, it is a tool in your literacy tool kit that can help you if used with a specific literacy building purpose.
 * Question #3: How do I integrate 21st Century Technologies into my classroom?**