Final Reflection

Over the past several weeks I have been creating and researching a proposal for a way to build a classroom library through the use of technology, specifically the website Epic. Through five steps I have been able to develop and begin using Epic in my classroom to ensure my students have access to books at their reading levels.

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Step 1: Brainstorming

In order to begin the process I brainstormed a problem in my classroom and possible solutions, specifically through the use of technology. Looking through my classroom I noticed a limited selection of books for students to read when they come during our small group time, especially books at their level. My school has access to RAZ Kids through Learning A-Z and I know other teachers use Epic in their classes for independent reading time. I wanted to research more how I can use apps like these in order to give my students more access to reading materials. I specifically chose Epic because of their wide range of books and observing how much students enjoy having time on Epic.

Step 2: Assessing the Need

When I discovered the problem of a small classroom library I needed to think why it is important for students to have access to books. The group that I pull to work with me is a small group of students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that are reading significantly below their grade level peers. While they are still learning the basics of reading (decoding, sight words, etc.), I believe that it is still vital they have access to books at their level. I want them to learn to love reading, but I know that will be a challenge if they only see books that are too hard for them. 

I thought about how technology will be helpful to build a library rather than finding/purchasing new books. I may not be in a pull-out position next year and have my own classroom so I did not want to buy new books that might only be used one year. Using a free resource like Epic gives me access to many books without going through my budget.

Step 3: Research

Once I settled on a solution I began to research how it will meet learning theories and apply to state standards. Epic ensures that students are engaged throughout the learning process, such as established through the social constructivism learning theory. Epic will also use the cognitivism theory by having multiple ways for students to access the information. Epic has features such as "Read to Me" which will highlight and read the text to students.

Step 4: Design 

During this step in the process I started to think about how I will implement Epic throughout my everyday reading lessons. Through independent reading, guided reading, and research projects I can use Epic for multiple parts of reading lessons.

Step 5: Pilot and Peer Review

The final step of the process was implementing the plan in the my classroom and getting feedback from peers. When I started using Epic during guided reading, students were excited to read the books on their Chromebooks and see the book on the Promethean board. When speaking to a co-teacher about my plan she was able to share that she uses Epic in a similar way, especially when it comes to research projects. She loves how easy it is to assign students a collection of books that they will be able to easily access.

Overall

Throughout this process I have enjoyed learning about the new features and ways I can use Epic in my classroom. Researching the reasons why it is important to have a classroom library and how I can create that through technology has been fun and had me think about how else I can incorporate technology into my lessons.