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Week 2: Assignment 4: Understanding how technology is used to support ELA instruction

Interview an ELA teacher to learn how technology is integrated in their teaching to facilitate young learners' language and literacy development, what technologies (name a few), (his/her challenge(s) in integrating technology in the teaching of ELA/Emergent Literacy/Literacy and share your interview transcript with us. 

ELA Instructor: Tarrah Vallely
Amber Charter School: Grade 4

1. What technologies do you utilize for developing literacy amongst students?
At Amber, we utilize a number of technology programs within our curriculum to promote literacy among students. A couple of the programs we utilize on a daily bases are Brain Pop in which they have game learning. In addition, we utilize a blog in which students can upload their writing pieces, this is a great way to have students reflect on the growth of their writing. A few of the teachers at Amber also use quill which is a program used to strength reading and writing skills.

2. What are some of your challenges with integrating technologies in teaching literacy?
We have a very diverse background in the sense that many students travel from the Bronx to Manhattan to come to school. Because of the travel, some students miss out on utilizing computers during after school because they have an activity they participate in or simply have to take the bus home. For students who don't have computers at home, we provide them an opportunity to spend time in the library during their lunch period or before the start of the day if they wish to arrive earlier to complete assignments. For the most part, students utilize laptops during our after school program to complete homework assignments.

3. Prior to teaching, did you utilize a lot of technology components?
This is my first year teaching at Amber, however, in my previous school, we have very limited access to computers due to funding issues. I was able to use the computers and projectors to work as a group on work however student were unable to work independently. With the shift in our climate for the benefits of technology I feel like we will surpass our learning gap with the use of technology. 

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