Link Between Literacy and Technology

For this week we all had to read a separate article. The article I read is entitled, "Reading on the Internet: The Link Between Literacy and Technology," by Elizabeth Schmar-Dobler. I was immediately intrigued as to what this article was going to entail, mostly because of my own struggles with technology. The article first describes a couple of students and their separate dealings with the internet. It then goes on the say that "new forms of literacy call upon students to know how to read and write not only in the print world but also in the digital world" (p. 81). I found this very interesting because quite frankly I had never thought of it in this particular way. However, the more I think about it, the more I would have to agree. There is so much text as well as an abundance of distractions on the internet and it is important for students to learn how to use these technologies to their advantage.

The article also provides seven strategies students use when reading both print as well as internet text. Some of these strategies entail different aspects when dealing with print versus internet text but for the most part they are extremely similar. The strategies include:
-Activating prior knowledge: In both books and internet the "reader recalls experiences and information relating to the topic."

-Monitoring and Repairing Comprehension: In books, the "reader adjust reading rate depending on the purpose of reading" while internet reading entails "skimming and scanning."

-Determining Important Ideas: In both books and internet the "reader analyzes text to determine which parts are important."

-Synthesizing: In both books and internet the "reader sifts important from unimportant details to determine the kernel of an idea."

-Drawing inferences: In both books and internet the "reader reads between the lines, using background knowledge and text to help fill in the gaps."

-Asking questions: In books, "questions give purpose to reading by motivating the reader to continue" while in internet, "guiding questions must be in forefront of reader's mind or getting lost or sidetracked is likely."

-Navigating: In books, the "reader uses the feature of print text to search for information" while in the internet, the "reader figures out features of the internet in order to search for information."

Overall I found this article to be interesting and engaging. It has made me think of my field expereinces with my kindergarten class and watching them grow as both readers of print and internet readers.