Learning Objectives

• Identify the differences when reading print text versus digital text.
• Understand the importance of using digital text in teaching and learning.

Compare and Contrast Reading Experiences

Reading Online Text

Read the article below online before proceeding with the lesson. Don't print it.

In the New Yorker article Being a Better Online Reader, Maria Konnikova provides an overview of the struggles with reading digital text and offers some insight into becoming better. 

Reading Print Text

Print this chapter and read it before proceeding with the lesson.

The New Literacies of Online Research and Comprehension: Assessing and Preparing Students for the 21st Century With Common Core State Standards is a chapter from the book Quality Reading Instruction in the Age of Common Core Standards edited by Susan B. Neuman and Linda B. Gambrell (2013). This chapter by Donald J. Leu, Elena Forzani, Cheryl Burlingame, Jonna Kulikowich, Nell Sedransk, Julie Coiro, and Clint Kennedy explores how 21st Century literacies, such as reading text online, are supported by the Common Core State Standards. 

Analyze Your Experience

Download the Pros/Cons of Reading Print and Digital Text at the bottom of this lesson to compare and contrast your reading experiences for both of the articles. How did reading text online differ from reading a print version?

Reflecting on Your Learning

1. What did you have problems with while reading the article online?
2. What might cause your students the most problems when reading text online?
3. Brainstorm ways you support your students when they read text on a screen. This question can be answered in the Reading on the Screen Open Space group Discussions tab. Post your response to the question Supporting students with Reading Text Online. Reply to the thread and review and respond to other participants' responses.