EBook Technology and Gifted Readers Christine L Weber

EBook Technology and Gifted Readers Christine L. Weber Department of Childhood Education University of North Florida cweber@unf. edu Terence W. Cavanaugh Department of Leadership, Counseling, and Technology University of North Florida tcavanau@unf. edu

EBook Technology and Gifted Readers Abstract: The electronic book, or e. Book, offers students, teachers, and schools an additional medium or tool that can support or enhance the reading experience. Essential to preparing to use e. Books in educating gifted learners, as with all books, is knowledge of the characteristics, abilities, and interests of gifted readers and the wide variety of e. Book options available. This paper provides a rationale and strategies for using e. Book technology to promote reading with gifted learners including underachieving gifted readers and LD gifted readers. Information about online digital libraries and reading list books available as e. Books is provided.

EBooks • Defined – textual documents that have been converted and “published” in an electronic format that displays on e. Book readers, devices, or computers using e. Book software programs. • Common Formats – Text, Adobe Reader, HTML, Flash, MS Reader, Palm Reader, Rocket

Characteristics of Gifted Readers • Often read earlier • Tend to read independently soon after teacher instruction • Tend to be better readers requiring less drill for mastery of skills • Digest a large quantity of information about a topic of interest (Halsted 1990)

Facts About Gifted Readers • • • Gifted readers are skilled, flexible readers who read often. Gifted readers monitor their reading. Linguistically rich texts are especially suited to gifted readers. Gifted readers use other strengths in response to the particular demands of the text. Gifted readers are passionate readers who find books to love. (Abilock 1999)

EBook Technology Range • Audiobook, storybook, “text” book, specialized device (Leap. Pad) Availability • Public/School Libraries • Online libraries • Bookstores Currently over 1 million e. Books available online (for free)

Gifted Reader’s Access to e. Books Provides Access to a wide variety of books encourages exposure to • new and challenging information • varied subjects • areas of interest • difficult vocabulary and concepts • ideas and issues appropriate to their own rate of learning

Example: Wizard of Oz School/Classroom Library 1. Wizard of Oz Online Library 1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 2. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz 3. The Emerald City of Oz 4. Glinda of Oz 5. Little Wizard Stories of Oz 6. The Lost Princess of Oz 7. The Magic of Oz 8. The Marvelous Land Of Oz 9. Ozma of Oz 10. The Patchwork Girl of Oz 11. Rinkitink in Oz 12. The Road to Oz 13. The Scarecrow of Oz 14. Tik-Tok of Oz Project Gutenberg Online Library 15. The Tin Woodman of Oz http: //www. gutenberg. org/browse/authors/b#a 42

Accommodating Features EBooks Provide for Gifted Readers Using advanced e. Book reader programs: • adjustable text size • highlighting • bookmarking • note taking • interactive dictionaries • reading aloud through text-to-speech

• provide an avenue for teachers to help gifted readers grow intellectually. • create a greater diversity in the available reading material, including materials at a wide range of readability levels. http: //etext. lib. virginia. edu/shakespeare/works/ Using EBooks with Gifted Readers can:

Underachieving Gifted Readers Effective Strategies • Supportive strategies • Intrinsic strategies • Remedial strategies Using e. Books • Attractive technology

Scaffolding Techniques for Readers who Might be Reluctant or Remedial 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Offer a Wide Range of Reading Materials Use Pre-Reading Techniques Incorporate Large-Print Materials Engage Multiple Modalities Teach Important Vocabulary West-Christy (2005) • Online libraries • Embed in “book” • Variable text size • Text-to-speech • Interactive dictionaries e. Book techniques/applications

Using EBooks with LD Gifted Readers Reading Scaffolds • text-to-speech feature • synchronized highlighting of the text being read • highlight text sections • note taking • ability to create drawings within the book • interactive dictionaries • instant translation to another language • text size

Online Libraries with Books Appropriate for Gifted Readers Elementary e. Book libraries: • Aesop's Fables: http: //www. umass. edu/aesop/contents. html • Book. Pals - performing artists for literacy in schools: http: //www. bookpals. net/storyline/ • by. Gosh. com: http: //www. bygosh. com/ • Children's Books Online: the Rosetta Project, Inc: www. childrensbooksonline. org • International Children's Digital Library (ICDL): http: //www. icdlbooks. org/ • Reader’s Theater Editions: http: //www. aaronshep. com/rt/RTE. html • RIF Reading Planet: http: //www. rif. org/readingplanet/content/read_aloud_stories. mspx • Stories to Read Online: http: //www. beenleigss. qld. edu. au/requested_sites/storiesontheweb/storieso ntheweb. html • Story. Place Libraries (Elementary & Preschool): http: //www. storyplace. org/ • Tales of Wonder: http: //www. darsie. net/talesofwonder/index. html

Online Libraries with Books Appropriate for Gifted Readers General and secondary e. Book libraries: • Baen Free Library: http: //www. baen. com/library/ • Classic Book Library: http: //classicbook. info/index. html • Concordances of Great Books http: //www. concordance. com/ • e. Books@Adeliade (University of Adelaide Library): http: //etext. library. adelaide. edu. au • Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia Library: http: //etext. lib. virginia. edu/ • Making of America (MOA): http: //cdl. library. cornell. edu/moa/ • Manybooks. net: http: //www. manybooks. net/ • Page-by-Page Books: http: //www. pagebypagebooks. com/ • USGS Books and Other Publications: http: //pubs. usgs. gov/products/books/index. html • Wired for Books: http: //www. wiredforbooks. org/

Sample Titles (Project Gutenberg) Elementary: • Rumpelstiltskin (from the Blue Fairy Book) • Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women • Burnett, Frances H. The Secret Garden • Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Tarzan of the Apes • Dodge, Mary Mapes. Hans Brinker • Doyle, A. Conan. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes • Grahame, Kenneth. Wind in the Willows • London, Jack. The Call of the Wild • London, Jack. White Fang • Stevenson, Robert Louis. Kidnapped • Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island • Wyss, Johann. Swiss Family Robinson • Dumas, Alexandre. The Three Musketeers • Kipling, Rudyard. Captains Courageous • Verne, Jules. Journey to the Center of the Earth Secondary: • Brontes, Charlotte. Jane Eyre • Cather, Willa. My Antonia • Conrad, Joseph, Lord Jim • Dickens, Charles. Tale of Two Cities • Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The House of Seven Gables • Hudson, W. H. Green Mansions • Lewis, Sinclair. Babbitt • Maugham, Somerset. Of Human Bondage • Riordon, William L. Plunkitt of Tammany Hall • Shakespeare, William. The Tempest • Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde • Thoreau, Henry David. Walden • Tolstoy, Leo. Anna Karenina • Twain, Mark. Life on the Mississippi • Wells, H. G. The Time Machine • Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein

For more online books and libraries visit http: //www. drscavanaugh. org/ebooks/