A cautionary tale: digital resources in literacy classrooms. Issue 4 (2nd October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kervin, Lisa; Danby, Susan; Mantei, Jessica
• Is Part Of: Learning, media & technology. Volume 44:Issue 4(2019)
• Page Start: 443
• Page End: 456
• Publication Date: 2019-10-02
• Subjects: Digital resource -- literacy -- children -- teacher -- pedagogy -- classroom; Educational technology -- Periodicals; Internet in education -- Periodicals; Television in education -- Periodicals; Distance education -- Periodicals; Teaching -- Aids and devices -- Periodicals; 371.33
• DOI: 10.1080/17439884.2019.1620769
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-9884

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Supportive digital resources are key to supporting educators' pedagogic practices in teaching children to be literate. But locating suitable resources can be confusing, with as claims about products being educational, aligned with curriculum outcomes, and even as 'silver bullets'. In Australia, a lack of specificity in national and state curriculum guidelines about resource selection creates inconsistencies within and across schools. We investigate how teacher-selected digital resources are used in early childhood classrooms to support literacy learning. Drawing on three independent Australian classroom-based studies, we share three examples of children engaging with digital resources. Together, they show that not all digital resources promote active and engaged literacy learning in meaningful and socially interactive contexts. We propose principles for selecting digital resources to promote playful, scaffolded, and exploratory literacy learning.