Young Writers Create Digital E-Books Using Nooks

Abstract

This chapter presents the details of a year-long qualitative study that investigates the literacy development of a diverse group of second graders as they engage in digital writing experiences at school using the Barnes and Noble Nook e-reader. Twenty students, including eleven English learners whose first languages were Spanish, French, and Korean, immersed themselves in reading e-books and then, wrote and narrated their own digital books using the available tools from the DrawWriteRead app and the Tikatoc.com Website. The findings reveal students developed a sense of agency while developing new literacies through interactions with others. The chapter begins with an introduction to the use of technology with diverse students. Next, an overview about the theory associated with digital and new literacies is discussed. The chapter continues with a review of current research studies focusing on digital writing with young students across a variety of contexts. Finally, this particular study is detailed through a description of the methodology, findings, and conclusions.