Does technology help or harm literacy? The answer is simple, in my experience, technology defiantly helps literacy. Does technology replace reading instruction? NO, but technology can enhance reading and language instruction through the use of apps, computer programs, and Web 2.0 tools.
For starters, not all students learn the same way. Some students thrive on lecture based instruction, but the majority need hands on experience to truly gain the knowledge needed to succeed. Technology gives students hands on practice in a fun, motivational way. There are many apps available to practice basic literacy skills. My students have used apps such as My Story and Storyrobe to create their own stories and present them in a digital storytelling format.
Computer programs such as Earobics allow students who need additional phonemic awareness experience to practice hearing and identifying sounds. This can be very helpful to students with IEPs as this program is tailored to their instructional needs and increases and decreases the difficultly level based on the students responses to the questions.
The are hundreds of Web 2.0 tools that can be used to increase literacy skills. Sites such as Wordle, Glogster, and others encourage vocabulary development.
The bottom line is that students today learn differently than they used to. They are a generation of digital learners and any time we as teachers can use technology tools to help aid in instruction, the more the students will learn.
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