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The article focuses on the use of graphical representation in the preschool to grade three texts. It discusses concepts which are required to understand the graphics in text including action, representation and relevance, cites a study conducted with 60 children to understand these concepts. It mentions that the study demonstrated variation within grade levels in children's understanding of the concepts and illustrated the understanding of graphical representation by different age groups.

The Common Core State Standards place unprecedented emphasis on visual text-appropriately so, as visual components are increasingly ubiquitous in many kinds of text. This shift in emphasis requires substantial changes in our teaching. Concepts of print need to be expanded to include concepts of graphics, and specific graphical devices, such as diagrams, timelines, and tables, need to become the focus of systematic instruction. This article shares research-based instructional practices that may support children's development in this increasingly important area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the initial learning trajectories of 13 upper elementary teachers as they developed technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) while participating in a 7-month professional development program focused on integrating technology into their classroom practice. The program was collaborative and non-prescriptive: teachers worked on self-chosen summer projects with flexible support from a university-based partner. A descriptive multicase study design was employed to track teachers' learning progressions. Data included interviews, surveys, digital artifacts, and researchers' notes and memos. During the program, teachers developed varying degrees of TPACK. Analyses distilled six initial TPACK learning trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning with technology during primary school years will equip students with dispositions to continue learning with evolving technology throughout their lifetime and it is the responsibility of the teacher to develop this digital competence (DC) in the classroom. The aim of this research was to investigate Maltese primary class teachers’ DC and to recommend new training on technology integration in teaching practices. Semi-structured individual interviews with 26 primary teachers (23 females and three males) and the teaching material used in the classroom were the sources of data in this study. Directed content analysis was applied, where a new area in DC,the creation of modes of communication, was revealed. Recommendations for teacher training in the areas of DC are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]