SLANSW Professional Learning Summit: Digital Design & Delivery: Using Digital Technologies to Support Reading Programs

The School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW) held its second professional learning summit for 2021 and was not left disappointed by what was offerred and what I learnt from it.

I was introduced to three elements that before attending I lacked familarity with in terms of research but upon reflection was already applying or experiencing it without noticing:

• Digital ecology of teen reading
• Fan Fiction
• Micro-credentialling

The digital ecology of teenage reading focused on the use of social media platforms to promote literature. Reflecting on it, I had identified at least one situation where I had already applied it in practice - Starting a Goodreads Group for students at the MLC School in 2014. 

I think promoting and sharing content is straightforward, especially if it is curated and can be embedded into a wide reading lesson. My recent completion of the Apple Teacher courses for Macbook computers and iPads opens up scope for content to be created by the students. My view has been that recommendations by peers are more likely to encourage others to read. I should select students to record their content and then provide it through a suitable channel e.g. YouTube.

I may not have known the concept of "FanFiction" in research but have been practicing it. I consider my decisions to order literature tied to popular media e.g. Star Wars and Minecraft. I agree that it bridges popular media/culture and reading. If a person has a particular interest, it is that interest that should be used to motivate them to read.

Micro-credentialling also interested me, especially in terms of information literacy skills development because I can create a program e.g. incoming Year 7 cohorts and they can complete activities to earn certificates and attain skills in an area. I would like to investigate it further. I had also encountered tools that could support this such as badgr while undertaking a Google Fundamentals Course through Catholic Online Learning recently. 

I am currently a member of the SLANSW Management Committee and this month was re-elected for a two year term at the recent Annual General Meeting. 

The Alice Miranda Project

Author Jacqueline Harvey is behind the Alice-Miranda series. I recently heard of her interactive reading project while completing an Apple iPad course that was being facilitated by Catholic Learning Online. 

Click here to access the website.

Harvey created a learning journal that is based on her book Alice-Miranda in the Outback and was used as an example of digital storytelling. While the novel is a printed book, the activities set around the novel are digital in nature.

To maximise the learning experience, the learning journal can be completed on an iPad using Pages software. However pdf worksheets can be printed off if iPads are not available. 

I have looked at the activities, and I think you could incorporate the activities featured in the novel to any novel that is being studied in class.

Even though I may be secondary trained, there is great scope to embed this at secondary level and make the study of a novel more engaging for students.