| When I started this new adventure in my | | | | your own, I thought it would be far more |
| professional life, I made a commitment to leave | | | | meaningful to share the themes that stayed with |
| my comfort zone and learn more about | | | | me long after I left Connecticut. |
| innovative and exciting changes in education. You | | | | Equity Issues - The internet is an important |
| know, ways to keep the spark alive, or in some | | | | context for reading. However, state reading |
| instances, bring the spark back to life. Here is my | | | | standards and assessments currently do not |
| first stop on a road trip that I hope will continue | | | | include online reading comprehension skills. What is |
| for a very long time. | | | | the relationship (or is there a relationship) of |
| A few months ago, en route from New York to | | | | reading comprehension on the internet to policies |
| Boston, I decided to try and arrange a meeting | | | | such as NCLB or AYP? |
| with Dr. Donald Leu at the University of | | | | Struggling Readers - Many students who are |
| Connecticut. After emailing Dr.Leu, he graciously | | | | traditionally poor readers with low comprehension |
| responded with an invitation to visit the New | | | | actually comprehend higher online. The format of |
| Literacies Research Lab. | | | | the internet with shorter units, multimedia, and |
| At first, I was uncertain how to approach the | | | | strategies for locating information seem to work |
| meeting. Dr. Leu is one of the leading gurus in | | | | to their advantage. In fact, slow readers tend to |
| technology and literacy. Should I record the | | | | often read better on the internet than students |
| session, bring my laptop, video camera, or quickly | | | | who are proficient readers. |
| research the latest technology in an effort to | | | | What do these two themes tell us? |
| show off my expertise? After much thought I | | | | #1: We have an education system that does not |
| decided, as always, the best thing is to bring | | | | acknowledge the internet as a viable form of |
| yourself, your ideas, and your mind eager and | | | | reading. The system also exists in a society |
| ready to learn. So equipped with only a small pad | | | | where students value the internet. |
| and pencil, I went to meet Dr. Leu. Much to my | | | | #2: Struggling and low performing students can |
| relief, he too was thinking the same way. | | | | benefit from online reading. These students do |
| As we sat on the sofa and had a conversation; | | | | not have the support of decision makers who set |
| yes, a CONVERSATION - I thought, "What do I | | | | policy regarding computer access and reading |
| want to share with my readers?" Rather than | | | | standards. |
| repeat information that you probably can find on | | | | |