Week 11

In the article, Exploring the online reading comprehension strategies used by sixth-grade readers to search for and locate information on the Internet consisted of information about a study that explored the nature of reading comprehension processes while reading on the Internet. The study consisted of eleven sixth graders with the highest reading scores, reading report card grades, and Internet reading experiences. Students met with the researcher individually two different times and were assigned one task each time. The students task was to read a website that consisted of a multilayer website or a search engine. When the students were finished they were then asked to answer specific questions about their strategy used in an interview that followed the reading session. According to the authors, “reading Internet text prompts a process of self-directed text construction that may explain the additional complexities of online reading comprehension.” I found this study to be very knowledgeable since I am going into the literacy field. Especially since technology and the Internet is becoming such a useful tool for elementary level students.

In the article, Research on Instructional and Assessment in the New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension consisted of information pertaining to the Internet as a tool for information regarding reading comprehension learning. I found this article to be very intriguing and resourceful. I particularly liked the section of the article about “What Might Classrooms Look Like In The Future?” As a future educator I feel that we need to be ahead of the game when it comes to technology and the Internet. According to the authors, “it is also likely that students and teachers will engage in important online reading projects to advance content area learning while they also develop greater proficiency with online reading comprehension.” I see this happening already in classrooms. Teachers are having their student’s set up blog accounts and then having them answer questions about a passage the students may have read online. This also creates interaction and discussion amongst the students.

In the article, Expanding the New Literacies Conversation consisted of information about building the importance of good theory building to inform understanding of the Internet in the schools. I think the article made a great point about Internet usage. 63% of children coming from homes where their parents make $75,000 or more annually used the Internet at school compared to 36% of children coming from households where their parents make $15,000 or less annually. Therefore, students in richer school districts have more of an advantage navigating the Internet in school and at home compared to those students who are in less privileged school districts.