Tech
Strategy

Technology-themed stories for elementary students

Here is a list of fun stories to help balance our obsessed plugged-in students!

Students love everything about technology – and they can quickly become tech-obsessed. Students (and adults!) can’t resist one more scroll down, one more video clip, one more video game, and one more text. As educators, how can we facilitate open honest discussions about when and how to use technology? Here is a list of books and corresponding videos to jump-start these discussions.These books use adorable characters to poke fun at our plugged-in lives as these books cover real-life issues.

Educators can incorporate these tech-related stories into the classroom by:

*Note: Many digital picture book formats are not accessible with a screen reader. (Example: If You Give a Mouse an iPhone in iBooks is not accessible with VoiceOver because the book pages are images, not text.) Check Bookshare and other digital options. Currently, three of these books are available in Bookshare (see details below).

Stories

If You Give a Mouse an iPhone by Ann Droyd, cover; Cartoon image of a mouse tapping away on a phone & boy juggling a plateful of cookies

Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd, cover. Nighttime room full of plugged in tech and wires everywhere.

What does it mean to be safe? by Rana DiOrio, cover. Boy sitting inside at a computer with a thoughtful look & friends playing outside his window.

The Technology Tail: A Digital Footprint Story by Julia Cook, cover. Girl with a long tail behind her with wrapped presents & items on the tail.

The Internet Sleuths by A. M. Marcus, cover. A small cartoon boy & girl sitting on a tablet that is in front of a Christmas tree.

But I Read it on the Internet! by Toni Buzzeo, cover. Cartoon teacher at a computer in an active discussion with her class.

The Berenstain Bears Computer Trouble by Jan and Mike Berenstain, cover. Mama & papa bear look confused while three baby bears sitting in front of their computers.

Bully by Patricia Polacco, cover. One unhappy girl standing in front of three mean girls who are talking about her.

Cell Phone by Julia Cook and Anita DuFalla, cover. Face of a cartoon girl; in the background, three images of her being becoming the face inside the cell phone.

4 book series: Webster's Email, Webster's manners, Webster's bedtime, Webster's friend by Hannah Whaley, covers. Webster is a cartoon spider.

Once Upon a Time. . . online: Happily Ever After is Only One Click Away by David Bedford, cover.Little Red Riding Hood and a wolf are sitting with tech in front of Jack in the Beanstalk's vine.

Ten the Modern Cave Boy by Patrick McDonnell, cover. Cartoon cave boy madly typing away on phone with dinosaurs in the background.

Dot by Randi Zuckerberg, cover. Spunky cartoon girl wearing a flowing polkadot dress holding a tablet with her scruffy dog sitting behind her.

Dot has a wonderful series of brief videos (Do’s and Dots) about using tech. (Dot: Ask for Permission, Dot: Use Clean Hands, Dot: Volume Control, Dot Technical Difficulties, and Dot: Time’s Up. Catch Dot is an original TV series on Sprout. View the series trailer video here.

When Charlie McButton Lost Power by Suzanne Collins, cover; Cartoon image of boy screaming and pulling his hair out, dog barking, in a messy computer room.

Goodnight Selfie by Scott Menchin, cover; cartoon girl with huge smile using her phone to take a selfie.

Credits

Thank you, The Techie Teacher, for compiling this list of books! For more information, go to her Top 10 List of Technology Themed Books.

Be sure to look at The Techie Teacher’s activities  – Incorporating Fairy Tale Elements with Technology in the Classroom – that accompany the book, Once Upon a Time Online.

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By Diane Brauner

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