Curriculum

Books’ Digital Features Enhance Reading Experience

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo — November 23, 2009 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The International Reading Association convened a small group of educators in Washington this month to discuss how carefully designed digital features can engage students in the content of the books they are reading and motivate them to learn more. They also provide a bridge between students of different backgrounds and cultures.

The panel, which I moderated, included Katie Smith Milway, author of the children’s book One Hen:How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, and Sakil Malik, who directs IRA’s Reading Across Continents program.

Milway, who is a partner at the Bridgespan Group in Boston, demonstrated how her book’s online activities can help to reinforce its lessons. The story describes, with vivid illustrations and compelling text, how a microfinance program in a small village in Ghana helped its residents become economically self-sufficient.

The games and quizzes on the accompanying Web site explain concepts related to microfinance, test students’ understanding of the story, and promote financial responsibility, global awareness, and philanthropy toward microfinance initiatives. She offered data showing that students who read the book and used the online tools reported an increased understanding of the topic, but also a greater appreciation of the value of entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

“The goal is to help kids become global citizens who succeed in school and beyond and marry that success to giving back,” Milway said.

Malik described the Reading Across Continents project that connects students in a public high school in the District of Columbia with their counterparts in Ghana and Nigeria in a cross-cultural book study group. The students read three texts, one that reflects the culture of each of the participating countries, and then discuss the plots, characters, and themes through blogs, author visits, and in-person school visits.

“The connections these students make between the texts and to each other would have been almost impossible without technology,” Malik said.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Digital Education blog.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Curriculum 7 Curriculum Trends That Defined 2024
From religious-themed mandates to reading to career prep, take a look at what EdWeek covered in curriculum in 2024.
9 min read
Student with books and laptop computer
iStock/Getty
Curriculum Inside a Class Teaching Teens to Stop Scrolling and Think Critically
The course helps students learn to determine what’s true online so they can be more informed citizens.
9 min read
Teacher Brie Wattier leads a 7th and 8th grade social studies class at the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School for a classroom discussion on the credibility of social media posts and AI-generated imagery on Nov. 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C.
Teacher Brie Wattier leads an 8th grade social studies class at the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School for a classroom discussion on the credibility of social media posts and AI-generated imagery on Nov. 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of Dylan Singleton/University of Maryland
Curriculum Inside the Effort to Shed Light on Districts' Curriculum Choices
Few states make the information easily searchable.
4 min read
Image of a U.S. map with conceptual data points.
iStock/Getty
Curriculum Texas Students May Soon Be Reading Bible Stories in English Classes
The state has advanced a controversial curriculum that includes Christian teachings in K-5 lessons.
5 min read
A Texas flag is displayed in an elementary school in Murphy, Texas, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020.
A Texas flag is displayed in an elementary school in Murphy, Texas, in 2020.
LM Otero/AP