Channel 4 News Team

The traditional definition of literacy is the ability to read and write. With the rapid development of new technologies, the nature of literacy is undergoing a rapid metamorphosis

Currently, there are at least twenty-five million illiterate people in this country and this number is increasing rapidly

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Educational technology is nudging literacy instruction beyond its oral and print-based tradition to embrace online and electronic texts as well as multimedia.

Computers are creating new opportunities for writing and collaborating.

The Internet is constructing global bridges for students to communicate, underscoring the need for rock-solid reading and writing skills. By changing the way that information is absorbed, processed, and used, technology is influencing how people read, write, listen, and communicate.

While the long-term effects of television viewing in the early years are often up for debate, pediatricians and researchers can agree that young children who watch television need supervision and guidelines for the amount of television to which they are exposed and the types of shows they can access. Young children are constantly in the process of developing their ability to understand information and make sense of what is real and what is pretend. Exposing children to developmentally inappropriate information and images on television can leave them feeling confused, frightened or upset. This is why choosing appropriate television shows for your children is a critical element of their development. The good news is, watching developmentally appropriate programming with your children can have many positive benefits (bonding between caregiver and child, the introduction of new vocabulary words, exploring new places together, etc.). Thankfully, there are lots of exceptional television shows for young children that are fun and engaging and that can help children build their early literacy skills along the way.

Educational Television and Literacy Copyright Microsoft Clipart Reading and pre-reading skills are significant predictors of academic achievement for students entering elementary skills. As a result, the literacy-related skills a child develops during the preschool age create the foundation for long term educational success. Considering the amount of media consumed by contemporary children, it is necessary to consider the effects of media on early literacy skills. Does media help or harm a child’s ability to learn to read? Should parents of preschool children be exposing their children to certain forms and content? The news articles below present attempts by educational television producers to assist in developing young children’s literacy skills. The research articles below consider the effects of both educational and entertainment media on preschool age children’s pre-reading and reading abilities.

Over 150 kindergarten and first-grade students took part in a study about the educational television series "Between the Lions." Researchers wanted to see if watching the show would help them learn to read. Some of the students were assigned to watch the show for a few weeks and others did not watch the show. The researchers found that everyone who watched the program showed improvements in being able to name letters and read fluently. © Center on Media and Child Health

Researchers reviewed 85 research articles on television, language development, and children under 5 years old. The research has not shown any definitive effects on children under 2, but studies have shown that watching age-appropriate, high-quality educational programming is beneficial for children ages 2-5. These shows can help them learn vocabulary, learn letters, and help them better understand stories.

rogramming that encourages parents to interact with their children and the televisio

TV Shows That Teach Reading & Literacy Skills Use TV Time to Improve Reading Skills

with young people having to tighten up what they say, they are learning to write very precisely, to focus on what they want to say.

While educators regard technology with varying degrees of enthusiasm, from those who are using the Apple iPod touch to teach reading to those who would struggle in creating a Gmail account, it is clear that technology is playing an increasing role in education.

Social Learning - What is it?

Social Networking as a Tool for Student and Teacher Learning Online social networking includes much more than Facebook and Twitter. It is any online use of technology to connect people, enable them to collaborate with each other, and form virtual communities.

Social Networking: Learning Theory in Action By Ruth Reynard 05/21/08 ##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->There has been a lot of recent debate on the benefits of social networking tools and software in education. While there are good points on either side of the debate, there remains the essential difference in theoretical positioning. Most conventional educational environments are "Objectivist" in nature and highly structured in terms of students progress and choice. Social networking essentially requires a less controlled, user-generated environment, which challenges conventional views of the effective "management" of teaching and learning. Therefore, can social networking both as an instructional concept and user skill be integrated into the conventional approaches to teaching and learning? Do the skills developed within a social networking environment have value in the more conventional environments of learning?

Texting is great for kids Children who often use text messaging have better literacy skills than youngsters who do not use mobile phones, scientists have claimed