Channel 4 News Team

Educational technology is nudging literacy instruction beyond its oral and print-based learning methods. Computers are creating new opportunities for writing, collaborating, and seeking information. The Internet is allowing students to communicate world-wide, solidifying the need for strong 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. The growing influence of technology has caused many educators to acknowledge that they need information on teaching literacy skills in the Digital Age. This training will offer research, best practices and resources that support purposeful integration of new technologies into literacy instruction. Technologies that support students' reading and writing development will be explored. This may include: audiobooks, electronic books and online texts, online collaborative tools such as wikis and discussion boards, interactive websites and podcasting.

Text messaging 'improves children's spelling skills' Mobile phone text messaging can boost children’s spelling skills, according to new research.

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