Week 11 - Internet: Online Reading Comprehension

The first article of this week Exploring the online reading comprehension strategies used by sixth-grade readers to search for and locate information on the Internet, written by Coiro and Dobler there is the detailed findings and information on a study of the nature of reading comprehension.  The study used a small number of sixth graders, who were considered to be at the highest reading skill level as well as those students  having the most experience using the internet.  The study noted that although students may be "book smart"  it is important to consider that hypertext on the internet requires a different kind of literacy.  The ability to navigate online for information takes different skills then just reading for content, students need to learn how to utilize search engines and critically analysis the validity of a source. 

The next article, New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension, is written by a collaborative effort to research instruction and assessment for the New Literacies of Online Reading.  This article offers a lot of information pertaining to the utility of using the internet as a resource for reading comprehension and reading for information.  The article offers advice and tips for educators about how to instruct using the internet in reading for information.  It suggests small group instruction and scaffolding along with other methods to help reading strategies in general, not just in the Web 2.0 world.  There are also warnings and information about the public domain and public policies that educators need to take into consideration when utilizing the internet as well.

Our final article for the week, Expanding New Literacies, is another collaborative work which discusses what should be included in an understanding of the internet, which comments on the analysis of internet components being limited.  It focuses the importance of how the internet is a new tool that is shaping our world and the languages we speak and read.  The internet is indeed a tool for new literacy and collaboration toward information and learning.

I like the idea that strength can be given to weaker readers, if they are educated in online reading skills.  It helps to even the playing field, regardless of intrinsic levels of skill, any student can effectively utilize the internet as a tool for information and collaborative learning.