Where Does Technology Fit?
THINK LITERACY Cross-Curricular Approaches
Grades 7-12, Subject-Specific Examples
by Jenni Donohoo

THINK LITERACY is an initiative by the Ministry of Education to assist teachers in incorporating proven instructional strategies into their teaching. This initiative began with a focus on students at risk and evolved to include all students. Recently the Ministry of Education released Subject-Specific Example documents which were developed to help teachers combine the teaching of reading, writing and oral communication skills with their subject-specific content. Titles released include Business, Family Studies, Geography, History, Language/English, Library, Mathematics, Music, Science, Technology and Information Technology.

Where Does Technology Fit?
Many of the strategies that are outlined in the documents lend themselves nicely to computer applications. 'Webbing, Mapping and More', a strategy that appears throughout a number of the Subject-Specific Examples can be easily accomplished using technology. Ministry-licensed programs such as SMART Ideas make re-organizing ideas possible with the click of a mouse. Students use symbols of different shapes and colours and various connectors to show relationships among ideas and information.

Computer activities also lend themselves to become an extension of what is suggested and outlined in the documents. Ministry-Licensed programs such as Reading and Writing Achievement provide opportunities for students to read informational, literary and graphical texts. The program also contains activities for students to become familiar with and then write news reports, summary reports, information paragraphs, opinion pieces and proofreading.

If you are interested to see more examples of where technology fits, download this document.
THINK LITERACY: Where Does Technology Fit? (2.3MB, PDF)

The Information Technology, Subject-Specific Example outlines key reading and writing strategies that will assist students in becoming effective users of the Internet. The topics include 'Gathering and Evaluating Information' and 'Authoring a Website'. The activities help students to develop an understanding of the concepts of bias, stereotyping, inclusivity, and credibility of the information they encounter on the Internet. Writing activities help them to develop strategies to effectively author a website.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to attend a workshop or a keynote address with David Warlick would make a connection between David's message and this valuable document. In his book, 'Redefining Literacy for the 21st Century', David Warlick says, "The very nature of information is changing: how you find it, what it looks like, the way it behaves, where it comes from, what you can do with it, and how we as authors create it." A large majority of students are now using the Web as their main source of information. There is a need to provide students with an approach to gathering electronic information and critically evaluating what they find on the Internet. Check out both David's website 'Landmarks for Schools' and the Ministry of Educations's THINK LITERACY: Information Technology Subject-Specific Examples.