Twenty-first Century Literacy and Technology in K-8 Classrooms
by June Brown, Jan Bryan, and Ted Brown
Using technology to enhance literacy has been viewed in different ways by educators. Some teachers believe
that new developments will fundamentally change literacy instruction; others think that technology is simply a
new tool to use with old teaching methods. The latter group views technology as merely another example of
the education pendulum swinging back and forth—but rarely creating new tracks. Likewise, some
researchers claim that technology essentially redefines literacy while others believe that it acts as a vehicle to
restore established concepts of literacy (Bryan, Merchant, and Cramer 1999).
The question of how new technologies impact literacy instruction in K-8 classrooms is particularly significant
today. Historically, definitions of literacy were grounded in ancient Greek tradition, in which like-minded
teachers and scholars gathered as communities of literates to share oral and written discourse and explore
topics for further study (Heath 1991). For example, Aristotle taught by asking questions and having learners
share their knowledge orally in the absence of technology tools. Similarly, in America early educators in
one-room schools challenged learners to read, write, and recite memorized passages orally.
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