Using technology as a catalyst for change

Electronic books or E-books can indeed be a catalyst for change in motivating both students and teachers in traditional classrooms, to use technology to enhance teaching and learning. In fact, I am of the view that e-books are the most palatable form of technology for use in our classrooms. E-books, because they add the dimension of multimedia to traditional storybooks, make reading appealing and engaging to students. The use of sounds and animation to accompany text facilitate the learning styles of various learners in our classroom.

Milby and Rhodes (2007) article, ‘Teacher-Created Electronic Books: Integrating Technology to Support Readers with Disabilities,’ outlines the many benefits of using e-books. They submit that e-books allow the readers to reap the many benefits of traditional storybooks, while adding an exciting dimension to “capture student responses to engaging children’s literature.” This article endorses the use of e-books for repeated text reading. This is especially useful for teaching fluency and scaffolding struggling readers.

E-books can be used to teach any phonic element in the curriculum due to the added sound and animation component. Moreover, I can easily create an e-book in a matter of minutes based on the specific needs of individual students in the classroom. Creating an e-book is simple and can truly act as a catalyst for change since it does not pose a great challenge to traditional teachers who are reluctant to use the technology because they perceive themselves as incompetent. The e-book is a great way for teachers to get acquainted with technology since its benefits as a form of assistive technology are very obvious.

I intend to copy this article for my staff and engage them in a discussion with the aim of highlighting the tremendous value of e-books in improving fluency, comprehension, phonics and developing a love for reading among our students.