TELE-Web: Developing a Web-Based Literacy Learning Environment. CIERA Report.

This paper describes the development of a Web-based literacy learning software application, Technology Enhanced Learning Environment on the Web (TELE-Web). TELE-Web was developed based on the curriculum of the Early Literacy Project (ELP), an existing literacy program for elementary school students. In describing the development of TELE-Web, the paper adopts an emerging perspective on technology and established practices in education and literacy. This perspective explores how technology is affected by literacy practices in educational contexts, instead of concentrating only on technology's impact on practice. The paper is divided into five sections: the first section discusses the established practice, particularly the literacy goals and the believed effective approach to reaching the goals; the second section describes how technology extends the existing practice; the third section examines the affordances and constraints of the technological innovation to be applied; the fourth section describes the results of the dialogue between technology and established practices--the product; and the fifth section summarizes the discussions and concludes the paper. Contains 32 references and 4 figures representing screen images from TELE-Web. (RS)