A little bit about us...

My name is Matt Hoey and I have been teaching in Ridgefield, CT for the past 6 years. This is my third year teaching 5th grade and I taught 3rd grade for 3 years prior to that. I graduated in 2011 from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Elementary Education and a year later with my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I recently returned to the Neag School of Education to pursue my 6th year Degree in Educational Technology. When I am not teaching I love spending time out in the sun with my wife and dog.

My name is Dan Bruno and am a 3rd grade teacher in Groton, CT. I have been teaching 3rd grade for 5 years. Prior to that, I taught a year of 5th grade and half a year of 4th. I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2006 with a degree in Sociology. In 2011 I earned my Masters degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Haven. I am completing a second Masters in Educational Technology at the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. In my free time, I enjoy gardening and all things baseball.

I'm Christal Banville, a 3rd grade teacher in Hartford-County, Connecticut. While I have been teaching 3rd grade for the past 6 years, I have two years of experience in 4th and 5th grade as well. I graduated from the University of Saint Joseph in 2010 with my BA in Child Study, and in 2013 with my MA in Reading and Language Arts. I am currently studying at UCONN to earn my 6th year degree in Educational Technology. I believe in empowering kids to harness the wonderful potential of technology to enhance their learning and collaboration.

My name is Alexandra Lewis and I am a 2nd grade teacher in Springfield, MA. Prior to teaching 2nd grade, I was a 3rd grade special education teacher in a self-contained classroom. I graduated from the University of Hartford in 2016 with a dual degree in Elementary and Special Education. I am currently pursuing my first Masters degree in Educational Technology at the University of Connecticut.

My name is Michelle Powers and I am a 4th grade teacher in Bloomfield, CT. This is my 20th year of teaching, most of that time in Bloomfield where I have been since 2002: 4 years in 4th grade where I currently teach, with the 12 previous years in 3rd. Prior to that, I taught Pre-K, 1st and second grade in various districts. I graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 1994 with a degree in Communications. In 2011, I earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hartford. I am currently pursuing my Sixth year degree in Educational Technology at the University of Connecticut.

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Reciprocal Teaching? With the Internet?

If you are among my fellow educators that grew up without computers, know you are in good company. But , those kiddos sitting in front of you did. They have never known life without technology! Inevitably, our two worlds have collided and it is up to us to turn those ‘digital natives’ into Internet savvy learners. For those of you feeling a bit out of your comfort zone, here is a guide to help you do just that. Let’s start with reciprocal teaching first , then build from there. Focus on the four reciprocal teaching strategies without any technology: Predicting Questioning Clarifying & summarizing Begin with direct instruction, guided demonstrations and think-alouds. Lots of modeling! Scaffold those strategies. Provide support where needed. Next, what experiences have your students had reading materials online? A quick written survey of your students can provide this information and give y

New Literacies vs new literacies

New Literacies versus new literacies, what is the difference you ask? No, it isn’t as simple as a capitalization mistake. Lowercase new literacies are ways to read specific technologies such as text messaging or social media outlets. New Literacies takes place over many lowercase platforms and looks for commonalities between them (Leu, et al 2014). Lowercase new literacies are ever changing. As soon as we learn them, more are appearing. Facebook is an example of a new literacy, and just look at the history of the website. Facebook has grown from one posting on a friend’s wall and not being able to comment back and forth to the massive social media outlet it is today. Friends can post videos, comment to one another, have group messages, and do many other activities on the website. Users must adapt to the changes and learn how to use the site. Twitter is another example of an evolving new literacy. When the app first came out, users could post a short 140 character message. No

Best Practices for Teaching New Literacies

After all of this information on New Literacies and new literacies, you may be asking yourself, “...But how! How am I supposed to teach something else !” Well, times are changing. As educators, it is our job to keep up with that, and prepare our students for the world ahead of them. Here are some strategies that may make things a bit easier and help you when teaching new literacies: Look at everything with a Lens to the Future. When we are looking at education and resources with a “lens to the future” we are thinking about what is ahead for our students. When we went to school, things were much different. We were preparing ourselves for jobs that did not necessarily require technology. Now, our students are entering a world filled with technology. It is our job to prepare them for what is ahead- which is looking with a “lens to the future”. The world is changing quicker than you can say ‘new literacies’ and it is essential to be giving students opportunities that they wil

Pedagogy Plugged In

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