Using Nearpod in elementary
guided reading groups
by Stacy Delacruz, Kennesaw State University
Abstract
A student teacher placed at a school with a
high English Language Learner population used
mini iPads, and an application called Nearpod,
during guided reading instruction. Groups
of students in a fourth grade classroom used
this application. The students and the teacher
were interviewed to determine the benefits and
challenges of this approach. An analysis of data
revealed that all of the students found this type of
guided reading to be beneficial and motivating
in learning the content presented through the
application. Students also explained how they
could transfer the knowledge gained into their
independent work. The teacher discussed how
it improved organization in a guided reading
group, but how careful consideration and
planning must be done to ensure the technology
will work properly during guided reading. It is
recommended that the Nearpod application be
used in guided reading lessons because of its
user-friendliness, ability to engage students, and
monitor their progress.
Keywords: educational technology, English
Language Learners, guided reading, iPads,
Nearpod, tablet computers
L
iteracy in elementary classrooms is evolving
and changing to reflect the knowledge of
digital natives. Students who were born into
the digital world, and who are used to receiving
information at a fast pace, are referred to as
Volume 58, Number 5 TechTrends • September/October 2014
digital natives (Prensky, 2001). Digital natives
continue to gain access to the latest technology.
According to a Nielson survey of adults with
children under 12, in households that own
tablets, seven out of ten children used the tablet
(Nielson, 2012). Fifty-seven percent of parents
surveyed mention that their children use tablets
to access educational apps (Nielson, 2012).
Not only are tablets used at home, but they are
increasingly being used in schools.
Using iPads or other tablets in elementary
classrooms as tools for reading has yielded
positive results. Studies have indicated that
students who use digital tablets for reading
make reading gains, focus more attention, and
show an increased motivation to read (Larson,
2010; McClanahan, Williams, Kennedy, & Tate,
2012; Siegle, 2012). Additional research reveals
that digital tablets assist struggling readers. The
tablets support comprehension by allowing
students to manipulate the text size, use text-to-
speech options, and access a dictionary (Larson,
2010). Being able to physically manipulate these
features may help young learners understand
more of what they read.
Painful budget cuts in nationwide schools
have made it difficult to fund a classroom set
of tablets (Chadband, 2012; Hill, 2011). The
National Education Association reports that
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs have
been piloted in Ohio, Georgia, Minnesota, and
Texas (Chadband, 2012). Students are already
bringing their own device (Smartphone, iPad,
63
 laptop) to classes. Planning, implementation,
and professional development are key in making
BYOD programs successful (Chadband, 2012).
Equipping teachers and students with knowledge
about useful educational tools and apps prepares
them for learning opportunities. Teachers can
take advantage of these instructional devices
by encouraging students to download the free
Nearpod app to use in conjunction with course
instruction. Teachers who have access to iPad
carts can download it onto all of the iPads for
convenient classroom use. Additionally, if devices
are limited in a school, teachers can apply for
classroom grants that support these purchases.
Nearpod Utilization in Classrooms
Nearpod (www.nearpod.com) is a free app
available for the iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone.
Educators could use it to create interactive
presentations. These could be embedded with poll
questions, videos, slides, and quizzes. The system
works in iOS, Android, and in most web-enabled
settings. Its platform allows a secure sharing
environment. This app is used for synchronized
learning among a group of iPads in a classroom.
Teachers could assess student learning in real
time. Students launch the Nearpod presentation
through their device, but the teacher remains the
controller of the slides and presentation (Schwab,
2013). The SilverFree edition allows teachers to
create and store 10 self-created presentations for
free, while the Gold and School editions can be
purchased to give unlimited presentation storage
and more access.
Before using Nearpod in the classroom,
it is important for the teacher to visit www.
nearpod.com for an instructional overview of
the app. The overview and tutorial videos are
also available once the app is downloaded on the
device. The teacher must first create an account
with a username and password which is used
to store future presentations. Once the teacher
creates a presentation, a student code will appear
at the top. Teachers give students that code to
enter once they launch the app, and that code
will log students into the presentation.
As students login, they are asked to list their
name. This information is needed to monitor
students’ progress as they answer poll questions,
draw, or take quizzes. After the student enters
his or her name, the teacher controls each
slide by hitting a share button on the teacher’s
main device. Synchronous learning occurs as
each student’s device moves along when the
teacher shares the next slide. The Nearpod app
has been dubbed “the powerpoint on steroids”
(Emerson, 2013). The additional features,
64 TechTrends • September/October 2014
besides presenting only slides, is changing the
way lessons are delivered.
Nearpod was launched in summer 2012. It
has registered 95,000 teachers, with over 500,000
students downloading the mobile apps across
100 countries (Emerson, 2013). Despite its new
popularity, little research has been conducted on
this mode of learning for K-5 learners. Although
there have been reports on how teachers have
responded to using the Nearpod app in the
classroom, little to no research has been done
regarding how elementary students respond to
using the app within their studies. This study
aims to add to the literature base on how this
platform could be used within guided reading
groups in elementary classrooms.
Guided Reading Framework
Balanced literacy is a framework that
incorporates all modalities of reading and
writing in the classroom. Guided reading is
an instructional part of a balanced literacy
program in the elementary classroom. Fawson
and Reutzel (2000) hailed guided reading
as a best practice and discussed how it “has
become one of the most significant and popular
contemporary reading instructional practices in
the United States (p. 84).” Fountas and Pinnell
(1996) described guided reading as instruction
involving small groups of four to six children
who have similar reading strengths and needs.
Groups in primary grades (K-2) typically meet
three to five times a week for 15-30 minute
sessions. Intermediate grades (3-6) usually last
about 30-40 minutes because the texts are longer
and more complex.
The teacher facilitates guided reading
groups by scaffolding instruction through the
use of a set of leveled texts based on students’
needs and interests. Leveled texts have language
that developmentally match the syntax and
organization of emergent, beginning, and fluent
readers’ speech (Avalos, Plasencia, Chavez, &
Rascon, 2007). Teachers use running records to
assess students’ reading levels in the classroom.
Based on the results of the running records, the
students are grouped according to reading level.
This group is their guided reading group.
A key component of guided reading is
matching the text to the reader. Vygotsky
(1978) coined the term, the zone of proximal
development, to refer to the distance between
the current developmental level of the student,
and the potential development level (which is
possible with the assistance of a teacher or more
capable peer). Within guided reading, the text
“is just difficult enough to offer opportunities
Volume 58, Number 5
to learn and apply new strategies with support
from the teacher” (Schirmer & Schaffer, 2010,
p. 53). Guided reading reflects the notion of the
zone of proximal development.
Teachers may also form guided reading
groups according to a literacy need. For example,
if five students have difficulty finding the main
idea in a selection, they may be grouped together
for a guided reading lesson. A guided reading
lesson is the prime time to explicitly teach
students the comprehension, or word study skills
and strategies they need to be successful.
Guided reading has been successful in
elementary classrooms, and particularly with
English Language Learners (ELLs) (Avalos,
Plasencia, Chavez, & Rascon, 2007; Suits, 2003).
This was a consideration in the current Nearpod
study, due to the fact that four out of the nine
students involved in the two guided reading
groups were English Language Learners.
Literature also contends that guided reading
groups should include ELLs and native speakers,
and they should be flexible (Iaquinta, 2006; Suits,
2003). Guided reading groups are expected to
change throughout the year.
In a traditional guided reading lesson,
the teacher could group the students and
select the set of books that would be read. The
teacher would provide the students with a book
introduction by discussing the title, author,
cover, and then preceding with a picture or
text walk throughout the book. Important
vocabulary would be noted, and the objective
for the students to accomplish could be stated.
The students read silently in the group until the
teacher taps a child on the shoulder, at which
time that student reads aloud quietly to the
teacher, who then takes a short running record
on that child’s reading. Then the teacher moves
on to the next child as the previous child then
continues with his or her reading silently. This
process continues on until all children in the
group have read a short segment of the assigned
reading aloud to the teacher. The running records
are done to assess oral reading behaviors of each
child. These behaviors are highlighted later in
the lesson, in a general way, without pinpointing
specific children whose reading behaviors are
highlighted. A discussion is held after reading
and word work may be completed. The post
reading discussion is a thoughtful question and
answer session that promotes critical thinking
and high level comprehension in the students.
It is a free flowing discussion that the teacher
may have some specific questions she wants to
ask, but often will develop other questions based
on students’ answers, comments, and questions.
Guided reading provides for explicit instruction
in vocabulary, comprehension, literary elements,
and instruction to support fluent reading.
However, traditional guided reading lessons are
not as set in stone as some may perceive them to
be, especially when it comes to the discussion of
the assigned text reading.
Table 1 below shows a comparison between
a traditional guided reading group, and the
guided reading group conducted using the
Nearpod app.

A Comparison of Traditional Guided Reading and Nearpod Guided Reading

Component Traditional Guided Reading Nearpod Guided Reading

Preparation and -Groups of 4-6 students, each having their
Materials own book
-The teacher selects a text set written by
an author/publisher
-Magnetic letters, white boards and graphic
organizers are organized
During the Reading -Students read aloud or silently at their own
pace
-Prior knowledge is activated through oral
questioning and the teacher may not be able
to hear everyone’s response
-Prior knowledge may be recorded in a
journal
After the Reading -Word work is completed with magnetic
letters or through the use of whiteboards
-Groups of 4-6 students, each having their own tablet
device
-The teacher creates a text e-book and stores it on a
tablet through the Nearpod app
-Poll questions, the text, and quizzes are created
-Students cannot move beyond the page they are on;
they can read aloud or silently
-Prior knowledge is activated through poll questions
and each student can answer
-Vocabulary words can be illustrated using the draw-
ing tool

-A paper comprehension quiz can be given -A Nearpod text quiz can be used. Students submit
their answers and are provided with immediate
feedback.

Table 1. A Comparison of Guided Reading and NearPod Guided Reading

Volume 58, Number 5 TechTrends • September/October 2014 65

 The teacher in this study created a guided
reading text on Powerpoint slides. To better
ensure that the text was at a fourth grade level
(Level O), the teacher considered the Reading
A-Z, Level O book features. Reading A-Z is an
online reading program that has resources and
leveled books for the K-5 classroom. Level O
book features include; 20 words maximum per
sentence with 11 words on average, full pages of
text that can wrap illustrations, more complex
sentences, and more specialized (content area)
vocabulary with illustrations used to extend
meaning (www.readinga-z.com). Keeping in
mind that the majority of the students in the
two guided reading groups were ELLs, the
teacher recognized the importance of including
visual support. As Suits (2003) maintained, “In
guided reading groups, using pictures in books
as cues for unknown words can reinforce visual
support for second language learners (p. 33).
The Powerpoint slides were saved as a
PDF file and embedded into the Nearpod
presentation. Nearpod supported and
coordinated the e-book reading. Students
went beyond simply just reading the teacher
presentation supported by Nearpod, as they
used the additional features of the application.
The guided reading framework presented
by Fountas and Pinnell (1996) highlighted
extending the meaning (though assessing
students’ understanding of what they read) and
completing word work after the reading is done.
The role of the quiz aligned with extending the
meaning as students had an opportunity to
respond to the reading.
The drawing tool also supported the guided
reading framework. Fountas and Pinnell (1996)
posited that students could write or draw about
reading in guided reading groups, rather than
complete a workbook page. Additionally, explicit
vocabulary instruction was incorporated into
the lesson (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). Vocabulary
words were illustrated and labeled by using the
drawing tool.
Table 2 displays the Nearpod guided reading
lesson the teacher used to plan her lesson. The
Nearpod application was integrated with all of
the facets of a guided reading lesson. The plan
details what happened before, during, and after
the reading.

Before Reading
Selecting the Text
Text Introduction
Picture or Text Walk
Key Vocabulary to Address
Purpose of Reading
During Reading
Students Reading Behaviors
I noticed
After Reading
Extend the Meaning
Word Work
Table 2. Nearpod Guided Reading Plan
Colonial Times: The Diary of Charlotte (Level O, 4th Grade)
“We’ve been studying about Colonial Times in Social Studies. Today you are going to read a di-
ary from a little girl growing up in Colonial Times. What is a diary? What types of activities or
events might she discuss based on what you already know from our unit?”
“I want you to answer a few questions before we proceed. The first poll question asks you which
type of job you would have like to do if you had lived in Colonial Times.”
“Next, please answer the question regarding which day of the week did the people in Colonial
Times not work on.” “Let’s discuss your answers.”
“As we look at page one in the diary, it describes the work that Charlotte’s mother and grand-
mother do. How might their jobs be different in that time period as compared to today?” “In
her second diary entry, Charlotte explains her favorite hobby, which is stitching. What is that?
She mentions that she makes a sampler. Can you find a picture of a sampler that was stitched on
page two?” “On page three, the family are eager to complete work. What are some things you
are eager about? What does that mean?” “Charlotte describes a sport that the Colonial children
play on page four. What types of games do you think they played?” “Towards the end of the story
Charlotte writes about her petticoat. What type of clothing was that?”
tallow-page 1, sampler, stitch-page 2, eager-page 3, rounders- page 4, hearth, petticoat-page 5
“Today when you read, I want you to think about Charlotte’s character. After reading I want you
to be able to describe her, the setting, and the events based on her actions and thoughts from her
diary.”
Students did well understanding the vocabulary. They did not understand what a sampler was.
Student 5 scored a 60% on the quiz, while others scored 75% or above.
“Now that you have read the story, please use the art tools provided on the App to draw a picture
of what you think the vocabulary term, rounders, meant.” Once students have submitted their
pictures, share the illustrations with them on their devices.
Students will finish by taking a quiz that asks them about key vocabulary, events, and the charac-
ter in the story. Share the results with students.

66 TechTrends • September/October 2014 Volume 58, Number 5

Theoretical Framework
The research questions of the study are as
follows: 1) Do students prefer guided reading
using the Nearpod app on the iPad or using
traditional books? 2) What were the benefits of
using the Nearpod app on the iPad in guided
reading? 3) What were the challenges of using
the Nearpod app on the iPad in guided reading?
TPCK (Technological Pedagogical Content
Knowledge) was the guiding framework used
in this study (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Three
primary forms of knowledge are represented
in the TPCK framework. While this model
represents technology, pedagogy, and content
knowledge in isolation, it also highlights the
intersections between these components.
Teachers need to understand the transactional
relationship among these parts. Furthermore,
Karchmer-Klein and Shinas (2012) purport that
educators should, “recognize the knowledge
students bring to the classroom and consider
their perspectives on the complex relationships
between literacy and technology” (p. 289).
Another theoretical model used in the study
was the Experiential Learning Theory (ELT)
which involves four dimensions of learning
(Kolb, 1984). The two grasping experiences of
the model are Concrete Experience and Abstract
Conceptualization. Additionally, there are
two transforming experiences called Reflective
Observation and Active Experimentation.
Learning from experience is at the core of ELT. It
focuses on the learning process of the individual
and enables him or her to reflect on that process.
The participants in this study used the Nearpod
app in guided reading (the concrete experience),
then reflected on that experience through an
interview (reflective observation). After the
reflection, the participants thought about what
the results of the guided reading lessons implied
(abstract conceptualization) and planned to
apply the skills and knowledge acquired in
independent work (active experimentation).
Methodology
This study used qualitative research meth-
odology to provide in-depth understanding of
using the Nearpod app in guided reading les-
sons. Action research was chosen because “it
is a professional research tool that empowers
teachers in monitoring and analyzing person-
al practices with the intent of expanding their
knowledge base and enhancing instructional
process” (Schoen, 2007, p. 215). This project was
used to help inform, and perhaps change, the
student teacher’s teaching practice. Data sources
collected included student video journal inter-
Volume 58, Number 5 TechTrends • September/October 2014
views, work samples (quiz results, drawings, poll
results) from the Nearpod app, and an interview
with the student teacher.
Participants and Setting
This study took place in a suburban
elementary school in the Southeastern United
States where 60% of the students are eligible
for free/reduced lunch. The enrollment of the
elementary school is 1,467 students with 49%
White, 35% Hispanic, 11% Black, and 1% Asian.
The elementary school contains students from
Pre-K to sixth grade. Sixty-five percent of the
students within the fourth grade class in this
study were English Language Learners (ELLs).
Gallagher and Ntelioglou (2011) assert that
in order to meet linguistically diverse student
populations, teachers need to find creative
means of communication and expression.
Using Nearpod as an app allows students to
communicate through drawing, poll questions,
and quiz answers.
Nine students and one student teacher
participated in this study. Four ELLs were
among the nine students. Purposeful sampling
was used to select participants. The reading
group with the lowest reading levels in the class
was selected to participate, as well as the reading
group with the highest reading levels in the class.
The student teacher wanted to see if there was a
difference in reading comprehension, based on
the quiz, between the lowest and highest groups.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted
with the participants. These interviews were
video recorded and transcribed. The student
teacher interview was audio recorded and
transcribed. This data was coded and transcribed
to establish common themes. Using a constant
comparison method described by Glaser and
Strauss (1967), the researcher searched the
data for similarities and differences by making
systematic comparisons. Member checks were
conducted with all the participants to seek
verification about the constructions that were
developed (Mertens, 2010).
Findings and Discussion
Do students prefer guided reading using the
Nearpod app on the iPad or using traditional
books?
When asked whether the students pre-
ferred the Nearpod app on the iPad, or using
traditional print books in guided reading, all
nine students agreed that the Nearpod app was
their choice. The interactivity seemed to be the
main reason for the preference as demonstrated
in a student’s reaction:
67
 Using Nearpod on the iPad was
way better than reading from a book.
Books can be boring. This e-book was
fun because you could click on different
things. You could take a quiz and draw
a picture all on the iPad. When I read
from a regular book, I can’t click to
answer something or go somewhere else
on the page.
This response supports Schwab’s (2013)
thoughts on the how the app engages students
due to its interactive multimedia. Another
student who was an English Language Learner
commented on this same feature and how it
helped her with comprehension:
It had a lot of things that you can
do. There were quizzes and questions. It
was also good to draw what we thought
a word meant. We got to share and
explain what our picture was about.
This student’s thoughts corresponds with
Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Theory,
that students may have a visual-spatial learning
style, or they may be auditory learners. After the
students read a story that included information
about a sport played in the eighteenth century,
the teacher asked the students to draw what they
believed the game looked like. Students were
able to visualize the vocabulary word. Figure
1 depicts a student’s illustration of the sport’s
term, rounders.
Figure 1. A Nearpod Drawing
The student’s response also highlighted the
fact that sharing why they had drawn certain
items in their picture, enabled students to fully
comprehend the term and encouraged metacog-
nition. Through multimodal experiences, the stu-
dents encountered “print text, still visual images,
and the use of colors and shapes” (Brien & Voss,
2011). These multimedia features prompted stu-
dents to think more in depth about the content.
The second research question addressed
what the benefits of using the Nearpod App in
guided reading could be. The student teacher
felt that the experience was positive:
68 TechTrends • September/October 2014
The guided reading was excellent. It
was hands-on and engaging as students
were able to interact. It was different
compared to having a traditional text
in their hands. I also liked having the
ability to assess them then and there. I
feel like the ELL kids did better on the
quiz than they normally would have
done because they liked this format of
reading.
Studies have indicated that new technologies
could present better ways to serve students in
reading, compared to a traditional print book
(Robinson & Stubbered, 2012; Siegle, 2012;
Weber & Cavanaugh, 2006). Using digital
devices in guided reading for the students in
this class was a change, from the normal routine.
The teacher still planned like she could have
when using a book, but this time she created
the text herself on the slides. Additionally,
she customized the text, questions, and quiz
according to her students’ needs. Vocabulary
during the Colonial Times was her focal point
of instruction. During the individual interviews,
after the lesson, the students were able to recite
and explain the various vocabulary (tallow,
rounders, petticoats, hearth).
Fast results in real-time was another benefit
the student teacher noted. Traditional quizzes
entail distribution, collection, and grading.
This could be time consuming and decreases
efficiency. With the Nearpod app, the teacher
could also select to share the results of a student’s
grade with the student. Everyone’s poll results
could also be shared and discussed.
Figure 2 shows a pie chart that was generated
after students answered a poll question. The
poll question asked them to select which job
they would have preferred during the Colonial
Times.
Figure 2.
Volume 58, Number 5
 The fourth graders commented on how
much fun and competitive the lesson was
when they were able to use the mini iPads
with the app.
I knew after the first time that our
answers would be shown. It was like
a game and I didn’t want to make any
mistakes. When I had trouble, and I did
not know how to send in my answer, I
worked with the people beside me. They
helped me.
The above statement corroborates Hsu and
Geist’s (2012) findings that during cooperative
computer activities, students “interact socially
in many different ways without adult guidance”
(p. 385). They found that children who struggled
with an activity on a tablet asked for assistance
from peers. This same idea was conveyed in the
students’ remarks. Although the student teacher
was there to help, the students facilitated help
amongst themselves.
What are the challenges of using the
Nearpod App in guided reading? The student
teacher identified several challenges of using the
SilverFree edition of Nearpod with her students:
One of the students was dropped from the
app in the middle of the lesson. Luckily the
technology teacher was on hand to quickly log
the student out and back in to the program.
Another challenge was not having a text-to-
speech option to help students pronounce a
word. I also thought it could have been helpful
to print out the results of their quiz answers.
The School Edition of Nearpod allows teach-
ers to manage reports based on the quizzes and
information that students give in poll questions,
drawings, etc. This edition can be purchased for
a volume discount for more teachers to use at
a school. Having access to the School Edition
could enable teachers to print out the quiz re-
sults of the students.
If the app cuts out in the middle of a lesson,
then the student must press the iPad home
button to close the application. After waiting for
a few seconds, the student could then return to
the Nearpod app, where he or she will need to
type in the student code once again. This will log
the student back in and the current slide will be
displayed.
Unlike other e-books that may have a
dictionary, highlighting tools, or text-to-speech
options, the slides on Nearpod do not have
those features. Slides are uploaded as PDF files.
The student teacher had created the book as
Powerpoint slides, then saved it as a PDF. This
was then loaded into the Nearpod presentation.
Volume 58, Number 5 TechTrends • September/October 2014
The students addressed challenges related
to the size of the print on the pages they were
reading. The student teacher noticed a few
students were holding the device very close to
their face. She instructed them how to enlarge
the print. One student mentioned this during
the interview:
At first it was hard. When I first
started, it was really small and hard to
see. But then you showed us how to
move our fingers around to make the
words bigger. This helped me read better
and see the pictures more clearly.
Another student had to use an iPhone and a
stylus at the beginning of the lesson until another
iPad was available. She found it difficult to read
on the smaller device and harder to manipulate
using the stylus:
Well I had to use the pen thing on
the phone, it was hard to handle. But
then when I switched to a larger iPad it
was much easier. It was easier because
I could see more on the screen than on
the phone. I didn’t have to use the pen
either.
Overall, it was difficult for the students to
think of any challenges as they used the Nearpod
app in guided reading groups. In fact, all of the
students hoped to use it again in instruction.
Implications and Conclusion
One important point to note was that the
student teacher discussed the possibility of using
Nearpod beyond guided reading groups. She felt
that the graphs and charts the app generated
as students answered poll and quiz questions
could be related to math. As students answered
questions during their lesson, the student teacher
asked them questions related to fractions, which
is what they were studying in math. Nearpod
gives teachers the ability to integrate information
across the curriculum.
The Gold or School editions of Nearpod
could enable teachers to embed video clips on
particular science or social studies concepts.
For instance, the teacher may include a life cycle
video into the beginning of a presentation. This
video may be used to spark conversation and
access prior knowledge on the topic.
The student teacher also suggested that
her fourth graders could use the app to publish
informational texts the students had been
working on. She felt that with appropriate
support, her class could work in teams to
create presentations on Nearpod that could be
69
shared with other groups in the class.
Karchmer-Klein and Shinas (2012)
concurred that “students must be
encouraged to use the capabilities
technology affords them to develop
rich, dynamic forward-thinking
presentations of their knowledge”
(p. 292). Presentations could also
be shared beyond the classroom by
sharing them with others around the
world.
She also considered using the app
at a global level. Nearpod allows users
to publish and share presentations.
A teacher overseas could use the
same presentation with his/her class.
Students could compare and contrast
the way concepts are similar or
different depending on the geographic
location. International Journal of Business and Social
A library of presentations is
available by going to the Nearpod
store. By selecting this feature on
the app, you will see various titles of
presentations as well as appropriate
age groups. Clicking on the title you
want to learn more about will generate
a preview. It will also give a summary
about the presentation and show the
cost, many of which are free.
Mobile devices and tablets have
potential in reading instruction. The
results of this small study indicate that
using Nearpod on the iPad for guided
reading groups could be incorporated
with little effort and increased student
engagement. Teachers are encouraged
to explore with this app and others that
are similar to integrate technology in
meaningful, student-centered ways in
the classroom.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to acknowledge and thank
Mr. Izell McGruder, Mrs. Donna Glandorf, and
Mrs. Jennifer Elie for their university-school
partnership.
Stacy Delacruz, sdelacru@kennesaw.edu, is an
assistant professor of language arts in elementary
and early childhood education at Kennesaw
State University. She teaches undergraduate
reading courses and is the ECE TOSS program
coordinator. Recently, she received grant funding
to purchase mini iPads and apps which are
integrated into reading instruction at area after
school programs. Her research interests include
digital literacy, differentiation for English
Language Learners, and content area literacy.
70 TechTrends • September/October 2014
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Volume 58, Number 5
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