Cool Tool Review #1~Read&Write for Google Chrome
Cool Tool~ Read&Write for Google Chrome
Critical Review:
General Description: Read&Write for Google Chrome is an app available in the Chrome store. There are many solid features to this app to assist in fluency and vocabulary acquisition to ride along a text while reading a text on the Chrome Browser. Text augmentation via definitions, illustrations, narrations, and text highlights are some of the helpful features.
Tool Features: This particular feature of R&W is the Collect Highlight. The reader is able to highlight text in 4 different colors (yellow, green. blue, and pink) and export the text into a new Google doc. With the proper framing of target words during a reading of a text, word patterns and author strategy and style can emerge easier through this tool.
Affordances: Cited by Castek, the study of Fadel and Lemke observes that, "there is support for the direct manipulation of materials, especially when the learning is complex." By color banding and exporting the words, such manipulation uncovers the functionality of the words. In our assessing of Pragmatic Principles, this is a form of the deep processing as the application and function of the words are easier to understand during and after export. This feature also allows for the generative in the sense that we can bank these words according to a particular theme and apply them to writing tasks in the near future.
Constraints: As this is a Google feature, non-Chrome classes can't participate. It appears that the highlight and collection feature can work on any text from Chrome browser. Using a Google doc of the copied text from an article/ reading can initially frame a key for targets while reading. Using a key(like in this example) immediately creates a category title upon export into the new Google doc.
Application Plan
Context: A continued study of vocabulary to find the "compact and precise expression of ideas" is applicable at all levels of high school. I have used this particular reading in the past to highlight specific tone and genre-specific words during a unit analyzing syntax and word command of professional reviewers in AP Language and Composition. This particular exercise will be the first step in in a series of close readings to have students independently analyze several reviews in a medium of their preference and continue to acquire vocabulary for tone and unique to the genre. The bank of words will be directly applicable to their own original review that they write for a summative assessment.
Digital Instruction Practice: Student will read independently Weekend~ End Times Album Review. Using the highlight feature of Read&Write, students will identify all words and expressions that indicate the mood of the reviewer (yellow) and any unique vocabulary that fits this medium of music (green). Let's target four samples from each category so that we can see a pattern. Once the reader feels that they have exhausted all examples from this sample. Click the Collect Highlights button. A new Google doc will be generated and will export all the highlights. This will serve as the first "deposit" of a bank of tone words and medium-specific words that will expand upon student reading more work independently. Again the goal is for the acquisition for vocabulary and comprehension to be intrinsically motivated and this close reading of reviews of a medium of their choice using this tool will provide the generative opportunity to layer these expressions into their own writing. Perhaps this leads to the final phase, independent inquiry, from the 3 components of reciprocal teaching.
Learning Objective:
Teaching Learning/Digital Example: Here is an example of an annotated review and the exported Google doc generated after clicking the Collect Highlights. Here is the Screencast of the Cool Tool review.
General Description: Read&Write for Google Chrome is an app available in the Chrome store. There are many solid features to this app to assist in fluency and vocabulary acquisition to ride along a text while reading a text on the Chrome Browser. Text augmentation via definitions, illustrations, narrations, and text highlights are some of the helpful features.
Tool Features: This particular feature of R&W is the Collect Highlight. The reader is able to highlight text in 4 different colors (yellow, green. blue, and pink) and export the text into a new Google doc. With the proper framing of target words during a reading of a text, word patterns and author strategy and style can emerge easier through this tool.
Affordances: Cited by Castek, the study of Fadel and Lemke observes that, "there is support for the direct manipulation of materials, especially when the learning is complex." By color banding and exporting the words, such manipulation uncovers the functionality of the words. In our assessing of Pragmatic Principles, this is a form of the deep processing as the application and function of the words are easier to understand during and after export. This feature also allows for the generative in the sense that we can bank these words according to a particular theme and apply them to writing tasks in the near future.
Constraints: As this is a Google feature, non-Chrome classes can't participate. It appears that the highlight and collection feature can work on any text from Chrome browser. Using a Google doc of the copied text from an article/ reading can initially frame a key for targets while reading. Using a key(like in this example) immediately creates a category title upon export into the new Google doc.
Application Plan
Context: A continued study of vocabulary to find the "compact and precise expression of ideas" is applicable at all levels of high school. I have used this particular reading in the past to highlight specific tone and genre-specific words during a unit analyzing syntax and word command of professional reviewers in AP Language and Composition. This particular exercise will be the first step in in a series of close readings to have students independently analyze several reviews in a medium of their preference and continue to acquire vocabulary for tone and unique to the genre. The bank of words will be directly applicable to their own original review that they write for a summative assessment.
Digital Instruction Practice: Student will read independently Weekend~ End Times Album Review. Using the highlight feature of Read&Write, students will identify all words and expressions that indicate the mood of the reviewer (yellow) and any unique vocabulary that fits this medium of music (green). Let's target four samples from each category so that we can see a pattern. Once the reader feels that they have exhausted all examples from this sample. Click the Collect Highlights button. A new Google doc will be generated and will export all the highlights. This will serve as the first "deposit" of a bank of tone words and medium-specific words that will expand upon student reading more work independently. Again the goal is for the acquisition for vocabulary and comprehension to be intrinsically motivated and this close reading of reviews of a medium of their choice using this tool will provide the generative opportunity to layer these expressions into their own writing. Perhaps this leads to the final phase, independent inquiry, from the 3 components of reciprocal teaching.
Learning Objective:
- Students will identify specific vocabulary themes from the selected text.
- Vocabulary acquired by students will move from partial knowledge to full knowledge in the continuum cited by Johnson of the Beck, McKeown, and Kucan work. (46)
- Students will implement these expressions/words into future review drafts.
Teaching Learning/Digital Example: Here is an example of an annotated review and the exported Google doc generated after clicking the Collect Highlights. Here is the Screencast of the Cool Tool review.
Comments
Post a Comment