“Readers read for different purposes.” In the same Kevin Hodgson article this prompt is based off of, this quote struck me as very applicable and true. The readings for this module are research-based materials mixed in with this Hodgson article. I agree that many times I see kids flipping back and forth between sites and I think to myself, “You haven’t even read the material!” This frustrates me because many times the students will turn to me and say they don’t like the sources I gave them and there’s nothing there for them to use! However, I am reluctant to let them browse the internet alone (see my post from last week’s module)! In this certain case I will force them to go back and re-read the material knowing that they probably just don’t want to complete the assignment because it’s “schoolwork.”
On the contrary, when students are browsing the internet as the Hodson article was referencing, they are most likely searching something they are interested in - just as Hodgson said his son was doing! In this case, I believe kids are reading and comprehending. They are searching for answers to their own questions! I think readers do read for different reasons, and those reasons are not always reading for pleasure, as much of our generation is used to!
While I prefer to read an actual book as opposed to an e-reader, I will admit I read on my Ipad Mini. Mostly for convenience, I enjoy being able to download a book and begin reading without even leaving my couch. I like the dictionary and bookmark feature! However, when it comes to reading other material, for our classes for example, I do not print out the readings! I am learning to “online comprehend.” I like to skim material that is applicable to my assignment. This is much easier in an online format. However, I do have a book for another class that I enjoy highlighting and writing directly on the pages. When quoting material for Ian’s class, it is quite annoying to have to go back and forth to quote material. These are little things that affect online comprehension for me.
I agree that the validity of a source can be based on appearance. The Leu article, “What is New About the New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension?” looks as if it would be more reputable simply because it is a formal paper. I found the Hodgson article the most useful and informative, and it’s format was a website article. The challenges of the formal papers include the small font and constant citations. When there are challenges such as those, I tend to do more skimming while the other formats, including videos, I tend to comprehend more deeply based on the accessibility of information. The Coiro article, “Exploring Literacy on the Internet” offered that reading is changing to “interacting with technology in a meaningful way.” I agree that while I may skim formal papers, and Hodgson’s son quickly hits links and peruses the internet at a fierce pace, we are both comprehending. We are learning while we are interacting with those texts.
When thinking about how this relates to my classroom, I believe the same is true. As long as my students are comprehending, they way in which they interact with technology to comprehend is not a major issue. However, as mentioned before, if students are giving up before they even try to interact with the technology or text, that is not acceptable. That is one reason I like to give my students sources I know are useful for the assignment. I avoid that response from students that they “can’t find anything” on this site or article. I also will allow them to use one of their own sources, but only after they have cited something from the sources I provided.
When I have online reading for students, I try to give them graphic organizers that are based on the sub-headings of the material they are researching. This strategy directs them to a place to read, instead of reading the whole article for one piece of information. “Readers read for different purposes.” In the same Kevin Hodgson article this prompt is based off of, this quote struck me as very applicable and true. The readings for this module are research-based materials mixed in with this Hodgson article. I agree that many times I see kids flipping back and forth between sites and I think to myself, “You haven’t even read the material!” This frustrates me because many times the students will turn to me and say they don’t like the sources I gave them and there’s nothing there for them to use! However, I am reluctant to let them browse the internet alone (see my post from last week’s module)! In this certain case I will force them to go back and re-read the material knowing that they probably just don’t want to complete the assignment because it’s “schoolwork.”
On the contrary, when students are browsing the internet as the Hodson article was referencing, they are most likely searching something they are interested in - just as Hodgson said his son was doing! In this case, I believe kids are reading and comprehending. They are searching for answers to their own questions! I think readers do read for different reasons, and those reasons are not always reading for pleasure, as much of our generation is used to!
While I prefer to read an actual book as opposed to an e-reader, I will admit I read on my Ipad Mini. Mostly for convenience, I enjoy being able to download a book and begin reading without even leaving my couch. I like the dictionary and bookmark feature! However, when it comes to reading other material, for our classes for example, I do not print out the readings! I am learning to “online comprehend.” I like to skim material that is applicable to my assignment. This is much easier in an online format. However, I do have a book for another class that I enjoy highlighting and writing directly on the pages. When quoting material for Ian’s class, it is quite annoying to have to go back and forth to quote material. These are little things that affect online comprehension for me.
I agree that the validity of a source can be based on appearance. The Leu article, “What is New About the New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension?” looks as if it would be more reputable simply because it is a formal paper. I found the Hodgson article the most useful and informative, and it’s format was a website article. The challenges of the formal papers include the small font and constant citations. When there are challenges such as those, I tend to do more skimming while the other formats, including videos, I tend to comprehend more deeply based on the accessibility of information. The Coiro article, “Exploring Literacy on the Internet” offered that reading is changing to “interacting with technology in a meaningful way.” I agree that while I may skim formal papers, and Hodgson’s son quickly hits links and peruses the internet at a fierce pace, we are both comprehending. We are learning while we are interacting with those texts.
When thinking about how this relates to my classroom, I believe the same is true. As long as my students are comprehending, they way in which they interact with technology to comprehend is not a major issue. However, as mentioned before, if students are giving up before they even try to interact with the technology or text, that is not acceptable. That is one reason I like to give my students sources I know are useful for the assignment. I avoid that response from students that they “can’t find anything” on this site or article. I also will allow them to use one of their own sources, but only after they have cited something from the sources I provided.
When I have online reading for students, I try to give them graphic organizers that are based on the sub-headings of the material they are researching. This strategy directs them to a place to read, instead of reading the whole article for one piece of information.
I still struggle to get students to use information from videos I show or require them to use. They simply don’t mention anything from those sources. Ironically, they love to watch the videos! Again, I think this has to do with interest. If they are interested in the topic, they would probably use the video more appropriately. Any ideas?
I still struggle to get students to use information from videos I show or require them to use. They simply don’t mention anything from those sources. Ironically, they love to watch the videos! Again, I think this has to do with interest. If they are interested in the topic, they would probably use the video more appropriately. Any ideas?
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