EED 509 Module 1 Assignment

Module 1 - Part 4 21st Century Tool Review: "EPIC!"

I first became familiar with EPIC! through a Facebook group for teachers. Like many ELA educators, I was searching for tools that would motivate my students to read. I believe that EPIC! Is a terrific resource that not only engages students, but effectively integrates technology.   

EPIC! Is an online reading library that provides students access to over 25, 000 books. While is best used for reading, also has numerous nonfiction titles that can be used for research in other content areas. Epic! is free for educators and easily connects to Google Classroom. Any teacher who has experience with Google Classroom would be able to set up a class in Epic! without support. The app is very easy for students to navigate as well. My five year old is able to select books based on topics that interest her and track her progress through the Epic! app. 

Student Profiles on EPIC!

This program is a valuable instructional tool for educators for many reasons. It provides content specific technology because students can search for and access a multitude of topics. It also gives teachers technological pedagogical knowledge because teacher’s can assign books to students based on reading level, interest, or need. Teachers can also differentiate by assigning books that can be read aloud to struggling readers, as well as track their students progress based on hours read, books completed, or success on comprehension quizzes. This app would be very useful if a teacher wanted to assess students’ ability to complete a graphic organizer, determine theme or main idea, or analyze characters because he or she can assign the same text to all his or her students. 

Other benefits of EPIC! Include:

• Students can access through any device - they always have their books available
• Students can set up their library based on interest (this is helpful for students that struggle with choosing books)
• Students can “level up” and receive “badges” for completing books. 
• Over 25,000 books available - includes popular characters, series, and high interest non-fiction texts. 
• Motivates reluctant readers

I hope you will consider adding EPIC! to your “instructional toolbox.” It is an excellent resource for 21st Century Educators! 

So many titles available through Epic!