Posted by: lauriefowler on: October 6, 2008
What do we mean by new texts for the 21st century?
First of all, the addition of new text formats does not diminish the need for all of our students to be proficient readers. Our students will still read traditional print from textbooks, workbooks, newspapers, magazines, and other classroom materials. However, these same students will also be using texts delivered in digital formats whether as online text, audio files, or video files. We need to be sure that we prepare our student to interact with texts in any format. We also need to explore these new texts with our students.
One type of new text being used more and more in the 21st century is the audio book format. Although we have had books on tape and even on compact disks for many years, with the advent of mp3 players like the iPod, many students have personal access to an audio player all the time. This means that they can take their audio books of texts we assign with them anywhere and have 24/7 access. Many students for whom auditory learning style is the most prominent can use this format to build better comprehension skills.
eBooks are books that are found online in their entirety. Most of these books are classics that no longer fall under US copyright law. There are a few authors, however, that publish eBooks and allow anyone to download them for free. This format allows students to download the texts they need and mark on them if necessary without defacing a textbook. These texts also allow students to cut and paste certain passages from books that they may want to explicate in an essay. These books save students’ money because they don’t have to purchase individual paperback novels for study. They can also help schools by preventing students from marking up textbooks.
Online picture books are great resources for students. They can be used as a reinforcement of skills learned in class, or by a special needs student who cannot hold a traditional picture book but who can use a computer. Many of the online picture books also have an audio component so these texts can be very helpful for struggling readers, too.
