Elizabeth A. Baker

Audience Awareness in a Technology-Rich Elementary Classroom.

We examined audience awareness in a 5-month naturalistic study of a fourth-grade classroom infused with technology. All students had a computer on their desks, and five multimedia workstations with Web access were available in the classroom. We found that this technology-rich classroom, which also valued collaboration and inquiry, offered such pervasive opportunities for interaction between authors and classmates that it was difficult to distinguish between author and audience. We propose interactive audience as an expanded conception of audience awareness, and we examine the impact that interactive audience had on authors and their composition.

The nature of literacy in a technology‐rich, fourth‐grade classroom

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of literacy in a technology‐rich classroom. I was a participant‐observer for five months in a fourth‐grade classroom that had 26 students, 35 computers, and a variety of other technologies. Using naturalistic methods, four literacy patterns emerged: (a) the public nature of literacy, (b) the semiotic nature of literacy, (c) the transitory nature of literacy, and (d) the publishing nature of literacy. These findings build on other studies of literacy and technology, provide an overarching framework for understanding several other studies, contribute to calls for new conceptions of literacy, and highlight the need for continued investigations into the match between evolving forms of literacy and current foci in literacy instruction.Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of literacy in a technology‐rich classroom. I was a participant‐observer for five months in a fourth‐grade classroom that had 26 students, 35 computers, and a variety of other technologies. Using naturalistic methods, four literacy patterns emerged: (a) the public nature of literacy, (b) the semiotic nature of literacy, (c) the transitory nature of literacy, and (d) the publishing nature of literacy. These findings build on other studies of literacy and technology, provide an overarching framework for understanding several other studies, contribute to calls for new conceptions of literacy, and highlight the need for continued investigations into the match between evolving forms of literacy and current foci in literacy instruction.

Elementary Classroom Web Sites

The purpose of this study was to understand how elementary classroom Web sites support childrens literacy. From a sociocultural perspective of literacy and a transformative stance toward the integration of literacy and technology, and building on explorations of new literacies, I discuss opportunities provided by the Internet that can support literacy within and beyond classrooms. Using open and axial coding as well as typological analyses, I found 3 basic Web site features and consider how they support common instructional approaches, parental involvement, and notions of the invisible classroom. I conclude with a discussion of how these findings are encouraging and revealing. I offer a variety of suggestions to expand features that are currently available on elementary classroom Web sites.

INTEGRATING LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGY: MAKING A MATCH BETWEEN SOFTWARE AND CLASSROOM

There is an explosion of educational software and web pages that can be used to integrate literacy and technology. Elementary teachers, administrators, and parents are faced with the dilemma of foraging through the myriad of available resources in order to make purchases with (typically) limited funds. In order to address this dilemma, we propose an Evaluation Framework that is designed to help users determine whether software and web pages fit with their literacy goals. A common format used to evaluate literacy software is to employ a series of criteria that can be used to determine the quality of the software. For example, McVee and Dickson (2002) proposed a rubric that can be used to examine literacy software for the primary grades. This rubric focused on such criteria as media presentation, navigation, built-in assessments, and fit with classroom needs. Similarly, Case and Truscott (1999) described an evaluation device that focused on the quality of software in relation to concepts about print, print skills, and comprehension. In contrast, the Evaluation Framework presented here takes a more global approach by including various theoretical perspectives (Pearson