I chose to read my e-book, A House for a Mouse by Rebecca Westberg, on my iPad and computer. I read the book first on my computer because that is originally where I found the e-book. I really enjoyed reading it on the computer because it was easily accessible, flipped pages like an actual handheld book, and because the words and pictures were very clear. However, I had a very similar experience with my iPad. If I had to choose which device to read it on, I would most likely choose the computer simply because I know it can be quickly connected to a SmartBoard or other board device where I could easily project the e-book to a classroom full of students.
After having this experience with reading an e-book on a device, I am sold on the e-book! Don’t get me wrong I love print text, but I now love e-books simply because they are user friendly, easy to access, and there is an unlimited supply of them. They also don’t require storage space in a classroom or school media center. Last but not least, I love e-books because they are free! There are hundreds and hundreds of books that are influential and beneficial for the classroom, but finding the money to pay for all of them can be very difficult for teachers. Having access to free e-books gives teachers the opportunity to incorporate those influential texts without having to pay money out of pocket for them!
As a reader, I did not feel that my experience with reading an e-book was much different than my experiences with reading print text. Once I got past the fact that I had to click a button to change the page rather than flipping an actual page, it really didn’t feel that much different. I did not feel that the e-book hindered my reading comprehension in any way. The e-book I read was set up like a book, with text and pictures on all pages. In fact, I felt it supported my reading comprehension because I was able to read the book with expression, view the pictures, and turn the page when I was ready to move on. As a future teacher, I think that this way of storytelling could be even better because by having the book on the screen, I will have both hands available to read aloud with expression, walk around the room, and interact with students all while reading the book.
Although I did not use any tools or settings when reading my e-book, as I read I noticed words that would serve as great vocabulary words in a 3-5 grade classroom. Words such as terrain, beneath, racket, shuddered, cautiously, and suspicious are all words from the e-book that could potentially become vocabulary words for students. If I were to read this e-book to students, I could use the highlighting tool to focus their attention on the words and use them as class discussion tools.
Free e-books open a new door full of opportunities for teaching reading skills and strategies in the classroom. As mentioned earlier, a teacher could begin by using the e-book to read aloud without being tied down with a handheld print book. It also provides opportunity to explore and learn new terms and vocabulary from the e-book. Teachers can also teach the importance of using context clues when reading different texts. E-books could also be used to teach other important aspects of literature such as the setting, the plot, the tone, and about the different characters. Another way e-books could be used in the classroom, specifically for the more intermediate grades, could provide each student with a reading device and allow them to choose a book to read and dissect from a list of free e-books the teacher has previously made. By doing so, the teacher is providing a new and unique way of reading for the students while giving them book choices that they would not have from the choices of printed text.
After reading this book, I do not think that this book would be an appropriate choice for literacy grades 3-5. In my previous post, I chose a standard for my placement class in the lower grades (on accident of course!) The standard I previously chose was CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.7 which states “use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events”; I feel certain that this book would serve as a useful tool to teach this standard. However, when working with literacy grades 3-5 I would most likely choose a more challenging book to teach a similar standard.
As a future teacher, I plan to use e-books for various literacy lessons in my classroom. As mentioned earlier, I believe e-books give students more opportunities with influential texts that cannot be purchased or provided via print text in the classroom or school media center. It also gives students more choices and variety in the texts they read. The concern I have with e-books, especially with older students, would be the availability of such text. There is a countless amount of digital books available online by a few simple clicks of a mouse. It would be very important to limit the selections and be fully aware of what my students would be reading on personal devices. Also, I would want to be very aware of the websites that my students would be using to read the e-books from. I found through this experience that there are several websites that say FREE E-BOOKS, but somehow find a way to charge the user by forcing them to make an account or through some other sneaky way. I would hate for a student to find the perfect e-book, and then realize it would have to be purchased to read! I feel sure there would be several other concerns and “bumps in the road” to deal with while dealing with e-books in the classroom. However, I am now a firm believer that the benefits of e-books outweigh the concerns!
My attitude toward e-books has absolutely changed from this experience. Before working with e-books, I was not fully aware of how to search for them and use them. However since finding an e-book and reading it on a computer and an iPad, I have found that they are extremely user friendly and easily accessible. I now feel much more aware of e-books and feel more educated on how to use them efficiently. Thanks to this experience, I now am definitely planning to use digital text in my future classroom!
Katie Shytle 
Katie,
I really enjoyed reading your blog post about your experience with you e-book. I am happy to read that your experience went so well. I feel that they can be very beneficial to teachers especially the ones that teachers can get for free. They can be easily accessible from other technology sources and like you said, there is an unlimited number of them. I also feel that the generation of kids that are in elementary schools now are being introduced so frequently to new technology, it would be easy to introduce reading through e-books. It is something that is different and provides a lot of opportunities for both students and teachers.
Hi Katie! First off I loved how excited you are about implementing e-books in your future classroom. I really enjoyed reading about how positive your experience with this assignment was for you. Like you, I see the many benefits that our future students can gain through introducing them to books and texts in a new way. Since I used an iPad to read my e-book I gained a lot of insight from reading about your experience with using e-books through a computer. I loved your idea of being able to display the e-book onto the SmartBoard through your computer. This was a benefit would allow students to read along and view the illustrations of your book. This would be a great addition for a class read aloud book!
I am glad that a closer examination of the book and the standards you have discovered that the book may not be appropriate for older students. No harm though, you have certainly opened your eyes to the potential of using e-books in your classroom.