EDTC 6433- Module 2 Blog Post

Using Technology to Assess Student Reading Levels

Using the second ISTE Standard, developing digital age learning experiences and assessments, I asked a question that hopefully I could answer to further my technology integration in reading: “How can I use technology to monitor and assess student reading levels for my first graders?”.  Currently, I assess student reading levels using the Fountas and Pinnell benchmark system, assigning letters that match student reading levels.  Since this is required by my district and is an effective system, it is not something I am looking to change.  We only are required to test these students 2-3 times per year (depending on their level); however, so I am looking for something to fill in the gaps in between these larger testing windows.  Performing Fountas and Pinnell tests can be very time consuming, so finding an online resource to help get an idea of student reading levels between testing would be a huge time saver, and would hopefully allow to me to spend more time at that precious small group table giving individualized instruction. 

              Initially on my quest, I started very broad in my searching for ideas or techniques that could be applied.  Within our assigned readings, I was encouraged by the article “Deepening Connections: Teachers Rely Increasingly on Media and Technology” by Vockley and Lang.  It confirmed that with the amount of technology present in schools today, I should have no problem finding resources to further and monitor student reading levels.  An article that a classmate shared, “iPads in Primary”, also got me thinking of the extra advantages to using technology to monitor reading, such as opportunities for collaboration and the enhances engagement. Since I have access to iPads this year for the first time, I enjoyed reading this article and connecting it to how I could apply it to student reading and monitoring their levels. Sustained silent reading time or even individual literacy centers that focus on improving reading levels can be a struggle for primary grades, especially at the beginning of first grade when student stamina is not yet at its full potential.  The extra engagement that using iPads for reading brings will hopefully allow for a huge improvement in stamina and in turn, an increase in student reading levels (Cassidy, 2012). 

              The first resource I was interested in is called “The Role of Technology in the Guided Reading Classroom” by David Rose.  This article was great for considering multiple options for technology within a classroom using guided reading.  The article overviews the importance of technology within guided reading, focusing on what it should and should not include.  There is also a list of things technology should be doing within your instruction.  One that I specifically was interested in was “Allow for timely and appropriate feedback on performance”.  One resource that is discussed is called “wiggle works", which is a scholastic program that can be used within reading and writing curriculum.  Towards the end of the article, Universal Design and tips to differentiate instruction through technology are discussed in detail (Rose, 2004).  Again, this article was great for confirming that using technology in reading instruction can be powerful and beneficial, but I wasn’t quite getting the answers of exactly how I was going to accomplish this.  The wiggle works website seemed like a good resource, but I realized that my district is already paying for similar websites that are updated and more relevant to instruction in 2017 compared to 2014. 

            While I found various additional resources that could possibly be used in my first grade classroom to monitor or assist with student reading levels, I decided that it was best to narrow down my resources to things I already had access to.  Since there was such a wide range of options, I wanted to focus in on one or two things so it could be manageable to actually implement this school year.  One resource that is already paid for by my building is Razkids.  Razkids is a website that allows students to read and listen to books, answer questions about stories, record their voice, and earn points for books read or questions answered (Klein, learninga-z).  Currently, I was just using Razkids as one of my literacy centers for students to listen to or read books and answer questions.  I didn’t realize the full potential that Razkids had, especially with assessments and monitoring progress.  It allows you to give specific assignments to individual students, do online running records, and electronically tracks the progress of students on their reading levels.  It also uses the questions that students answer and connects them to ELA CCSS, so you can determine which standards need to be focused on as a class and with individual students (Klein, learninga-z).  I plan on using this information to informally assess student reading levels in between Fountas and Pinnell testing.  The best part is, students can do this all independently while I am working with other students- it takes no instructional time away.  Thankfully, these functions are so user friendly that I’ve already been using the data for almost a full week now- only a couple days after discovering it. 

            In addition to being able to answer my question about using technology to monitor student reading levels, I was also able to find a way to digitize my Fountas and Pinnell testing system.  A colleague of mine recently showed me how the testing pages are also in PDF form on Fountas and Pinnell’s website.  We worked together to insert each of these PDF’s into a OneNote notebook, so that all we have to do is copy and paste the OneNote page into the student we’re testing’s OneNote file.  Since I already take my guided reading notes and data digitally through OneNote, this was the perfect next step in digitizing my resources and using less paper.  It also allows me to never have to copy additional testing pages!  Since I have a surface, I can easily write on the PDF’s in one note using my pen; though, I’m sure this could be done on an iPad with a stylus or an apple pencil instead.  While this newest change with digitizing my F&P testing didn’t quite answer my question, I thought I’d include it since was so closely related to the topic of using technology to assess student reading levels.  As I continue in the process of using digital technology to monitor and assess students, I look forward to looking for ways I can incorporate a similar system with different subjects. 

References: 

Cassidy, K. (2012, June 2). IPads in Primary: Does 1-to-1 Make a Difference? Retrieved October 20, 2017, from http://plpnetwork.com/2012/07/02/ipads-primary-1-to-1-difference/

Klein, A. F. (n.d.). White Paper: Providing Differentiated Reading Instruction to Meet the Individual Needs of Students. Learning A-Z. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from https://www.raz-plus.com/updates/reading_az_white_paper.pdf

Rose, D. (2004). The Role of Technology in the Guided Reading Classroom [Abstract]. Wiggle Works: Guided Reading Edition. Retrieved October 16, 2017.

Lang, & Vockley. (n.d.). Deepening Connections: Teachers Increasingly Rely on Media and Technology. PBS. Retrieved October 20, 2017, from http://www.grunwald.com/pdfs/PBS-GRUNWALD_2011_ANNUAL_ED_TECH_STUDY.pdf