Research Article #1

I decided to search google scholar for an article that examined the relationship between technology and improved literacy. The article that I found to read is dated (probably because this issue was studied when computers were being used more often in classrooms as part of instruction). It was written in 1999, but I feel that the conclusions of this article are still valid today. We have more technology available now then when these authors addressed categorically the writing process using word processing, electronic literacy environments, and electronic portfolios. However, our new technology can still be used to engage students in meaningful instruction, as Fisher, Bean, and Flood concluded 10 years ago.

According to the authors the research suggests that using computers in the writing process:

1. Helps children to focus on content rather than mechanics
2. Encourages the production of more and better developed essays
3. Reduces the drudgery of editing

The authors review of the research regarding electronic literacy environments found:

1. Increased specialized vocabulary and coherence
2. Wide ranging possibilities for communication and expression
3. Improved mechanics of writing

They also reviewed the research regarding electronic portfolios and found:

1. They encourage students to align their work with performance standards
2. They Provide an opportunity for students to share literacy development with others
3. Their use leads to an increase in knowledge of technology
4. They improved literacy overall

Fisher, D., Lapp, D., & Flood, J. (1999). Technology and literacy: Is there a positive relationship? The California Reader, 32(4), 35-38.

This article would have been helpful to me when I was in the classroom, because, as I stated before, there was virtually no technology available in the schools where I worked. This article would provide a rationale for spending a portion of the budget to improve available technology.