New Releases by Kristin Ziemke

In today's rapidly evolving world, literacy is more than just reading words on a page--it's about thinking critically, creating meaning, and engaging with a diverse range of texts and tools. Technology offers exciting opportunities for learning, yet mandates for skill practice, assessment, and data collection often overshadow its true potential. This book champions a YES, AND approach: YES to the power of print books, interactive read-alouds, and time-honored literacy practices, AND yes to digital texts, multimodal storytelling, and open-ended creative tools that amplify thinking and understanding. When students have access to both traditional and digital resources, we expand their agency, increase engagement, and empower them to develop a rich, adaptable literacy skillset. Through the lens of a diverse group of educators and the expertise of longtime teacher and consultant Kristin Ziemke, you'll discover how to create a balanced, student-centered literacy environment where traditional texts and digital tools work together to enhance comprehension, communication, and critical thinking. Get ready to reimagine literacy for today's learners--and tomorrow's world.

"The book traces an arc from (1) teaching students to make sense of today's influx of information with the help of comprehension skills to (2) broadening students' empathy and their understanding of the world by teaching them how to listen to the diverse voices that technology brings us to (3) using their technological skills and broadened understanding of the world to take action in the world"--

Getting started: developing a mindset for technology -- Journey of discovery -- Connecting technology to existing classroom practice -- Foundational lessons for independence -- Reflection and assessment -- Power up for connected learning.

Summary: "Through their celebrated Comprehension Toolkit series Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis present an active literacy learning framework that grounds students in the nonfiction reading and thinking strategies they will need throughout school and into college and careers. In Connecting Comprehension and Technology Steph and Anne invite teachers to join them in Katie Muhtaris' and Kristin Ziemke's classrooms to envision and embrace technology as a powerful tool for extending these Toolkit practices and enhancing literacy instruction and innovation. Offering the know-how born from years of classroom experience and clear steps for getting started, Connecting Comprehension and Technology provides practical lessons that teach students how to navigate, evaluate, collaborate, and communicate through digital resources. Not limited to specific hardware or software, lessons are designed around technical functions; tools readily accessible to students in their world and easily adopted in your school, whether you are taking your first steps into technology or looking to leverage existing resources"--From publisher's website.