Research on Technology and Literacy
Educational researchers and practitioners alike assert that the potential of
new technologies for learning is likely to be found not in the technologies
themselves but in the way in which these technologies are used as tools for
learning (Means & Olson, 1995; Owston, 1997; Valdez et al., 1999). In literacy
instruction, technology has both traditional and authentic uses (see Singh &
Means, 1994). A traditional use of technology is skills reinforcement; for example,
students who need additional practice in reading might work individually on
computers equipped with reading-comprehension software. An authentic use of
technology is using it as a tool to accomplish a complex task; for example,
students who are creating a written report might use the Internet for research,
word-processing software to write and format the text, and hypermedia software
to add images. Therefore, it makes sense to consider the variety of uses as
they illustrate best practices.