| Literacy is not a static concept; definitions of literacy have changed throughout history and will likely continue to shift. As conceptualizations of literacy have changed, so have instructional practices in the classroom. In particular, technology has fundamentally transformed the nature of literacy practices in education, as well as society in general. This expanded, broad conceptualization of literacy in the context of new technologies is New Literacy.;The purpose of this study was to explore how middle school teachers are using the Internet to teach and assess literacy concepts. The teacher participants studied were middle school master teachers, selected because they were recipients of district level awards in teaching with technology. The mixed methodology design allowed both quantitative and qualitative data to be triangulated, creating a rich description and exploration of classroom practice. Data collection included a teacher survey administered to 26 teachers, as well as teacher interviews and classroom observations conducted with seven of the teacher participants.;Findings showed that teachers shared common practices with Internet literacy: committing to literacy instruction, planning for literacy instruction, selecting technology tools, engaging students in Internet activities, teaching reflectively, and using formative assessment. Findings included specific teacher procedures with Internet literacy instruction that occurred in three broad domains: literacy skill instruction, content skill instruction, and technology skill instruction.;Other findings showed what students bring to New Literacy classrooms: confidence with using the Internet, skills for Internet use, enthusiasm for the Internet, social interaction when using the Internet, and occasional disengagement when Internet learning became difficult. Student strategies included: making predictions, reading orally, using on-line reference tools, rereading texts, and making inferences. Findings included teacher challenges with using the Internet for literacy instruction: physical challenges, instructional challenges, and societal challenges.;Conclusions include: a constructivist learning environment forms the basis for technological learning, new literacy practices are developing in New Literacy classrooms, the Internet is being used primarily for information rather than communication in classrooms, and literate citizens require equity in instruction and in the provision of technological resources.;The study revealed a need for further research in how teachers are creating appropriate classroom learning environments in New Literacy times. Future studies should examine how teachers can develop a set of practices that encourage student engagement in learning, explore how student learning styles impact Internet literacy instruction, study the effect of the Internet on instruction of students of diverse backgrounds, and determine how to provide equitable technology instruction for students of all backgrounds. |
