Strategies to Promote Teaching Non-Fiction Texts through the Use of Technology

Essay , 2021 , 8 Seiten , Note: Summa Cum Laude

Didaktik für das Fach Englisch - Literatur, Werke

The following essay presented a case study of a resident art teacher working in collaboration with the English Teacher to enhance the use of technology to benefit the students educationally to explore non-fiction texts. In most International schools, this can be a challenging task, hence the reason why using different strategies to employ 21st-century skills which are important to prepare students to utilise their approaches to teaching and learning (ATL) skills to be critical thinkers, effective communicators and reflective students developing their understanding for English more as second language speakers. The majority of students will have English as an additional language or English as a second language and will be able to explore non-functions texts challenging.

Abstract

The following essay presented a case study of a resident art teacher working in collaboration with the English Teacher to enhance the use of technology to benefit the students educationally to explore non-fiction texts. In most International schools this can be a challenging task, hence the reason why using different strategies to employ 21st-century skills which are important to prepare students to utilise their approaches to teaching and learning (ATL) skills to be critical thinkers, effective communicators and reflective students developing their understanding for English more as second language speaker. The majority of students will have English as an additional language or English as a second language and will be able to explore non-functions texts challenging.

Keywords: Education, Literature, Non-fiction texts, Technology.

Introduction

The following case study was presented by Mr Stevens who is the resident art teacher and introduced technology to enhance the understanding of non-fiction texts to encourage and motivate students to actively engage and participate in the lesson. One of his objectives is to differentiate between students who have different reading abilities.

One Non fiction text and strategy

Teaching non-fiction texts can be very challenging especially when students are unfamiliar with the words. The best way to introduce a nonfiction book is to start extending their knowledge and understanding of the content by exploring the vocabulary words, which might be new to them. Through means of classroom discussions, you allow opportunities for each student to actively participate in your lesson. It is always good to have a glossary or vocabulary book with some of the new words listed. Getting the students to look up the meaning by using dictionaries or technology will encourage everyone to be involved. Getting the students to explain the meanings of the new words in their own words, encourages them to use their imagination and scaffold the new information constructively.

According to Scholastic (2021) which confirms that: “Reading nonfiction can help students learn new vocabulary and strengthen their skills in decoding word meanings in an engaging way” (para. 1). There are several suggestions to consider for example:

- One could analyse the texts with them by reading the whole paragraph with them, get everyone involved and ask them for their input,
- Identify the part of speech for the unknown words used in the texts,
- Teachers can allow students to write sentences using each of the unknown words from the narrative,
- Allow the students to find the synonyms for the selected words in the texts by using a dictionary,
- Teachers could analyse the new words in terms of grammar (adjective, noun, adverb, and verbs). “For example: abolish, abolish, abolitionist; or persist, persistent, persistence, persistently, persistency” (Scholastic, 2021, p. 1).
- Give the students the clues to help them identify the meanings of the selected words in the texts from the narratives,
- Allow students to determine the meanings of the word parts found in the texts within the narratives (Scholastic, 2021).

These will allow students to have targeted questions related to the text to encourage and motivate them to participate in the lesson and learn new words, which they can use in the correct context.

Identification and Description of One Way to Incorporate Technology

There are several strategies teachers can use to implement technology to enhance students' reading abilities. Through using technology and access to different educational programs and applications students can extend their knowledge and understanding of certain words. These activities will encourage students to extend their vocabulary. In art, when you study abstract art students can access books online, highlight the words they are unfamiliar with and look up the meanings of these words. They can construct sentences or reflect on what they have learned through using blogs. Blogs are a powerful tool for creative writing to encourage students to write and use these new words and vocabularies being developed as outlined by Ceramic (2009); Einstein (2004); Hamilton (2015); IBO (2018; Stauffer (2020). Understanding their educational needs will allow teachers to differentiate and have targeted questions ready when they are concluding classroom discussions. They can use technology to collaborate, converse and share ideas and opinions, but foremost to connect within a global context and become International Minded as outlined by IBO (n.d.). Using technology can benefit the students and greatly impact their various Approaches to Teaching and Learning (ATL) skills, especially research, thinking, social, self-management and communication skills.

Benefits for students to use technology and use non-fiction texts

Through using technology students will become 21st-century skills as outlined by Stauffer (2020), developing their social skills through concluding projects that promote cooperative learning, allowing students to think critically about what is happening around them, working through means of collaboration, questions and reflecting about what they have learned. Students need to reflect on their learning and share their educational experiences with the teacher to allow opportunities for them to become more enriched and cover areas of particular concern to become more confident and comfortable with what they are reading, exploring or extending. Through the help of reflection and assessment, teachers can grade students accordingly through means of formative and summative assessments. Give detailed feedback and through report writing communicate with parents and highlight their child's strengths and weaknesses. It is important to have a positive relationship with parents to allow them to further support their children at home by guiding them to become life-long learners who are responsible and accountable for their actions.

Conclusion

Through using various instructional approaches we as teachers have to differentiate and learn through trial and error which strategies work best. Being a good listener, being supportive and guiding our students further to reach their full potential is probably the most rewarding aspect of teaching. Guiding them along, whilst supporting them to achieve all their goals is imperative in order for them to succeed with their objectives/aims/outcomes for the educational work.

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• Hochschule: University of the People (Faculty of Education)
• Veranstaltung: Masters in Education (Advanced Teaching for Elementary, Middle and Secondary)
• Note: Summa Cum Laude
• Autor: Mario Maxwell Müller (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2021
• Seiten: 8
• Katalognummer: V1281036
• ISBN (PDF): 9783346738158
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: strategies, promote, teaching, non-fiction, texts, technology