An e-book can be defined as an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device. They are a form of multimodal text which have many advantages including them being small portable and being able to work in a range of environments (Jarvis, 2015).
Being a multimodal text means that e-books can be extremely within the classroom as the Literacy and English framework mirrors the use of multimodal texts and electronic communication used by children in their everyday lives. They allow teachers to make their lessons portable, for example taking learning outside. They also help children experience hands-on learning and helps children gain a better understanding of the subject they are learning about as they are learning in a way that is best for them. ICT also provides an outlet for children to document their thoughts in a range of ways, including being able to write, draw, record both sound and video depending on their age and ability (Beauchamp, 2012).
Today in Digital Technologies we were looking at e-books and the benefits they have in the classroom. We had two assessment tasks to complete today, the first being a group task. We were to create an e-brochure about life at UWS. Using the iPads, our group went around campus and took photos and videos to use within our brochure. We had a lot of fun engaging with the outdoors and seeing how this could be beneficial in our own practice. To complete this task, we used book creator. The end result was a multimodal e-brochure that would hopefully encourage people to study at UWS.
The second part of the assessment was an individual task, which involved writing a summary of a book. I used the book creator app to write a multimodal e-book summary based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. By using more than two semiotic systems, I was able to do this. Taking pictures, videos and incorporating text, I was able to tell the key points of the story.
E-books are a resource I would consider using in my own classroom as a way of engaging children with multimodal texts and helping create cross curricular activities, for example; literacy, health and wellbeing and technology, to help with combatting the attainment gap.
References
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson.
Jarvis, M. (2015) Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom: A Very Practical Guide for Teachers and Lecturers. Routledge.
