eReader Convert

Screen shot of books I'm currently reading using the
Kindle app on my iPad.

Reading books on my iPad has changed me as a reader. I have always been a big nonfiction reader, mostly professional books and procedural texts. But since getting the Kindle app, I've read more fiction  in the last two months than I have in years. I can finally see the text big and crisp and back lit. I don't have to turn my head from side to side to find the sweet spot in my bifocals. I can feel my eyes relax and I know I'm reading faster. Maybe I just think I am reading faster. Funny, even as an adult the idea of reading faster makes me feel more proficient.

As a kid, I struggled with reading, at least that is what my one of my teachers thought. I didn't like reading because I wasn't good at it. I remember my second grade teacher would let out this audible impatient sigh every time I couldn't remember the difference between "there" and "where" and "were." I hated the Sally, Dick, and Jane books. Those books weren't anything like the books at home. I much preferred Madeline and Curious George but I couldn't read those either. I loved books but I hated reading. From this former struggling readers point of view, reading is more appealing with my iPad.

In my mind's eye, I see eReaders the same way I see classroom amplification systems. Classroom amplification systems increase student attention and the redundancy of the auditory signal. This means that it is easier for students to pick up on sounds and words and the subtleties of oral communication that carry so much meaning. For example, I love reading aloud using a REDCAT because I can change the intensity and cadence of my voice in ways that hold the attention of a large group of children. And classroom amplification systems are especially effective for children who have had multiple ear infections or attention and learning difficulties. A device such as the REDCAT amplifies the teachers voice so that background noise is less distracting. For me, the iPad works in a similar way. It enhances the visual signal and helps me focus on the print. Reading feels easier. I'm not overwhelmed by the amount of text on the page and I feel like I'm reading faster even though I'm probably not. I am also less fatigued when I read.

I would love to get more eReaders or iPads into the hands of kids, especially struggling or disengaged readers. I would be fascinated to hear what children have to say about their own reading experiences when using an eReader. Hopefully, major studies will quickly appear to show what impact these devices are having on young readers. I wonder if reading using an eReader changes reading process. I created the Lino It canvas below to save links to articles I have been collecting on the this topic. Select the the icon of the canvas below for a larger view.

Using eReaders with Students

On Knowing Failure

I flunked out of college my freshman year. And when it happened, I wasn't surprised. I excelled at skipping class, getting to know the local bartenders, and generally avoiding all responsibility other than maintaining my part-time job waiting on tables. I failed myself. Luckily, I had a great step-mom who took me aside and said, "This isn't you. You aren't a failure. You need to get your crap together." And with those words, I began to turn myself around. I crawled out of a deep academic hole and managed to find a major that motivated me. I even won an award for my student teaching.

I had to deal with academic failure again in graduate school. And that experience obliterated my self-esteem. I think there were 12 people in my program. I remember the faculty brought all the grad students in for an initial meeting before the semester officially began. We were all sitting together in a classroom. I could say we were bubbling with excitement but that would be a lie. In truth we were sizing each other up. My graduate program was very competitive and we were all well aware that every year, at least one person in the program didn't make it past the first semester and at least one more person failed their comprehensive exams. These statistics were often recited as a point of pride by the chair of the department.

The year I did my master's, I wasn't the one who didn't make it through the first semester. I remember that student because she had come all the way from Boston. I was the one who failed one of the comprehensive exams. All the grad students had mailboxes and if you failed your exam, you didn't get a letter stating your results in your box. I didn't get a letter in my box. All my fellow students were also aware that I didn't get a letter in my box. In fact, most of them knew I had failed before I did. I understood what I had to do next because the department chair had discussed in detail the procedures to follow in case we failed our exams. 

Blogging and Reading Process

Jumping into blogging has required me to do plenty of reading and re-reading. It has been a struggle for me to understand directions when I don't understand all the blogging vocabulary.

The syntax of bloggerease is also a challenge. Lots of acronyms and unfamiliar verbs. Figuring out what the acronyms stand for isn't always helpful. I am working to apply all of my reading strategies but sometimes I am unsuccessful.  I'm guessing struggling readers probably feel the same way. The only reason I'm sticking with it and pushing myself to comprehend is because I want to understand blogging. No one told me I had to. I chose to. Sort of like giving kids a choice about what they want to read and write.

I have many questions about the blogging process but I'm not sure who to really ask. If I spend time talking with seasoned bloggers, it might help. And just like the kids, I'm fine with pretending that I understand, at least for now. I figure as I add to my understanding bit by bit, my pretending will decrease. Is that what struggling readers do? Do they hope that everything will just come together for them like the kid that sits next to them in class devouring book after book. I'm curious about what my running records would look like as I read Blogger's help menus. I wonder if I am over-relying on a particular reading strategy.

My blog represents what I understand about blogging today. But honestly, I have gadgets on my blog that I don't fully comprehend the function for. I need to talk to bloggers that are willing and able to translate bloggerease into english.  And the whole trying to have a conversation with someone you aren't face-to-face with thing is time consuming.

It probably sounds like I am complaining and maybe I am. I have a lot to learn. Blogging has been successful at bringing my awareness of my own reading process to new levels. In a very short time, blogging has given me new insights into what it is like for children who struggle to read and write.