I don't know why, but it floored me when my 3 year old niece efficiently navigated her way through YouTube on an iMac to find her favourite song. Not only was I impressed by her impeccable taste in music, but also the ease with which she used the Magic Trackpad and keyboard. She wasn't zoning out in front of a TV; she was actively using her technological knowhow to fill an information need. She found what she wanted, grooved a little, moved away from the computer and proceeded to sit on her brother and play with some marbles.
This is media literacy! This is where success starts! At a very young age, in the home. It got me thinking about kids who DON'T have new fangled technology in their homes. Libraries have to get on board and find a way to make these gadgets accessible to everyone. How do we do that? Music, books, videos, then homework, bus schedules, job applications and driver's licenses... it's all on the interwebs.
We have to get some have to the have nots.
My local library has made TumbleBooks and TumbleReadables (www.tumblebooks.com) available for free. My 2 and 4 year old kids ask to watch a book before we read a book at bedtime. My oldest has no trouble navigating the site and picking her favourite book, but she can easily spend an hour reading to herself too.
ReplyDeleteI use TumbleReadables in my classroom too, to engage some of my students with varying print and language disabilities. While it comes naturally for some, there is no question eLiteracy is a skill that needs to be taught and made accessible.
I would love to hear more about how you use eBooks in the classroom. What kind of device do you use? Do you use any other apps or eBook providers?
ReplyDeleteAlso, what ages do you work with?
ReplyDelete