How Can Digital Personal(ized) Books Enrich the Language Arts Curriculum?

Abstract

Digital personal(ized) books are a relatively recent addition to the rich repertoire of literacy resources available to pre‐K and elementary school teachers. This article summarizes the key ways in which personal(ized) books can enrich the language arts curriculum, drawing on a series of empirically based examples. The value of personalization in the digital stories is explained theoretically using the framework of five As: autonomy, authorship, authenticity, attachment, and aesthetics. The five As apply to personal(ized) stories created for, or by, young students and are used to generate some practical suggestions for future use of touchscreens in the classroom.

Percolating spaces: Creative ways of using digital technologies to connect young children's school and home lives

“…Practitioners in preschool settings have little awareness of young children's home use of digital technologies and indeed, their media‐related lives in general (Aubrey & Dahl, ; Plowman, McPake, & Stephen, ). Some educators find it challenging to cope with the fast pace of technological change themselves (Kucirkova, ) and others are concerned that digital technologies may have adverse effects on children's learning (Wolfe & Flewitt, ). This lack of awareness extends in the other direction too, as across Europe parents report knowing little about their children's digital activities in the nursery, kindergarten or at school (Livingstone, Mascheroni, Dreier, Chaudron, & Lagae, ; Marsh et al, ; McPake, Plowman, & Stephen, ).…”

“…While inequalities continue in the diversity and quality of access by young children, an important issue for Early Years education (up to 8 years old, Year 2 in primary schools in England and Wales) is a frequent disjuncture between home and school practices with digital technologies involving young children. change themselves (Kucirkova, 2017) and others are concerned that digital technologies may have adverse effects on children's learning (Wolfe & Flewitt, 2010). This lack of awareness extends in the other direction too, as across Europe parents report knowing little about their children's digital activities in the nursery, kindergarten or at school (Livingstone, Mascheroni, Dreier, Chaudron, & Lagae, 2015;McPake, Plowman, & Stephen, 2013).…”

Connections and disconnections between home and kindergarten: A case study of a 4‐year old child's digital practices and experiences in early childhood

“…Research points towards a digital disconnect between the experiences of young children at home and at school. On one hand, educators in preschool settings have little awareness of the multimodal lifeworlds inhabited by the children (Aubrey & Dahl, 2014; Plowman et al., 2010) and find the fast pace at which technology changes as challenging (Kucirkova, 2017). On the other hand, parents too reported knowing little about their children's digital activities in kindergarten (McPake et al., 2013).…”