Labrador's IRA Newsletter Project: Effective Literacy Website 5: “Literacy Shed”

                                                                                                                             

“Literacy Shed” (http://www.literacyshed.com.) is a website that provides a unique teaching method involving a combination of literacy and media visual resources.  The home page automatically offers a list of media sources that educators can navigate through to match their content area.   The website has become so popular that its resources are used in over 150 countries.  The founders of the site are also willing to offer workshops and training to improve standards in the classroom, as well as utilize their website for academic achievement.   In end, the resources will help improve student literacy and critical thinking.

There are so many great resources in this website it is hard to determine which to review.  As a video game enthusiast, the “Video Game Shed” seems to be more appealing.  In this section, the developers introduces five video games; “Angry Birds,” “Temple Run,” “Epic Citadel,” “Bike Baron,” and “Theme Park.” Each game has a brief video and list of activities that educators can utilize in their classroom. For instance, if you want them to write a descriptive easy, the students can write in the role as a bird or a pig in “Angry Birds” and describe their experiences either flying, or explaining how the birds damaged the pig’s house. The list ranges from literature to even the arts.  Just by reading through the list of activities, educators creatively explore ways to teach other types of video games into their lessons. This is such an innovative approach to learning.

Aside the video game aspect, “Literacy Shed” offers a long list of literacy and visual resource assimilations such as “The Film Trailer Shed,” “The Music Video Shed,” and “The Fantasy Shed.”  The concept behind this assimilation allows educators to explore their imagination and the possibilities in applying other visual resources necessary for an interactive classroom activity. 

Perhaps, the most interesting thing about the website is its workshop packages. Although pricey, the workshops allow educators to explore other uses of technology in the classroom. They have workshops ranging from “iPads” in the classroom to blogs.  They also have a list of computer simulations/games that educators can use for any grade level.  I highly recommend others to navigate through this site as its resources are genuine and creative. I will definitely offer this resource to my Fine and Practical Arts department.