For my PBI project in ECI 546 my group and I examined the use of technology in English Language Arts. The other members of my group felt more comfortable with this subject and content and so I consented, in lieu of Social Studies. In interviewing one of her students a group member noted the student felt English Language Arts was her least favorite class because they only read and took tests and they never used technology. As a result, we chose to conduct a PBI with this class with the intentions of determining how can technology increase student engagement during close readings in English Language Arts?

Overall, this lesson was designed to assist students’ in learning how to closely read and analyze an informational text in English Language Arts. Furthermore, it was focused on furthering student engagement in this activity, as a digital learner had previously stated such classroom tasks were “boring.” By using technology, we were better able to engage our students in the lesson as well as teach them how to closely analyze texts. We grounded our project in Mishra and Koehler’s (2009) idea of Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) by combining technology--through the use of the online software Formative--with our English Language Arts content knowledge of how to read informational text.

The lesson was largely a success. The digital learner who had previously stated English Language Arts class was boring told the PBI teacher that she enjoyed the class and liked getting to use technology. Furthermore, it was clear during the class discussion that students were engaged, as they participated and answered questions readily. Also, through the use of Formative, the teacher was able to see active class participation in real time; all students were responsive and participatory within their groups and with the technology.

This demonstrates that technology has the power to entice and engage students in new ways. One can easily see that these findings are not limited to Language Arts but can be extended and adapted into other areas as well. Using Mishra and Koehler’s model of TPACK, creative and effective use of technology, grounded in a deep understanding of content and effective pedagogy, creates a real winning combination in terms of student engagement and understanding.