Literacies Before Technologies: Making Digital Tools Matter for Middle Grades Learners

This practical book brings together coauthors Troy Hicks and Jill Runstrom with the voices of ten additional educators (Grades 4-9) to explore applications of NCTE's Beliefs for Integrating Technology into the English Language Arts Classroom position statement in real classrooms. It follows a year in the life of Runstrom's ninth-grade English classroom amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the many changes that remote learning necessitated. With specific lesson ideas and examples of student work, the book brings the entire Beliefs statement to life while also foregrounding the primary goal that we should consider "literacies before technologies," creating rich opportunities for reading and writing, enhanced with digital tools. Part of the Principles in Practice imprint, this book includes chapters and vignettes that explore:How remote technologies can enhance in brick-and-mortar ELA instructionLessons and technologies for close and critical reading for literary analysisRecommendations for teaching writing to inform and argueConsiderations for remote and hybrid learningThe authors' insights and recommendations will help you use technology to enhance your ELA teaching across remote, hybrid, and in-person settings.