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Brown and his colleagues invited 15 year old digital learners to participate as researchers at Xerox’s research center, and identified, through observations of their work, some dimensional shifts in their literacy practices. For these digital learners, they found: Literacy involves image and screen literacy: “The ability to ‘read’ multimedia texts and to feel comfortable with new, multiple-media genres.” “The new literacy, beyond text and image, is one of information navigation. The real literacy of tomorrow entails the ability to be your own personal reference librarian—to know how to navigate through confusing, complex information spaces and feel comfortable doing so. ‘Navigation’ may well be the main form of literacy of the 21st century.” Learning involves a shift from learning in an authority-based, lecture oriented environment to learning that is “discovery-based”– e.g. web surfing for both entertainment and information. Learning is active, involving mucking about vs. being told, and requires making good judgments as you find what you need and build on it. Learning has a social as well as a cognitive dimension.

“It was as successful as it can be on one or two platforms,” he said. “What we wanted to do was be as effective on the digital realm as we were on TV. You need to have reach and you need universal access.”

Burton wanted to bring the program, which features unlim­ited access to children’s books and video field trips, to classrooms and on as many digital devices as possible, including tablets, cellphones and video game consoles.

But others say the Internet has created a new kind of reading, one that schools and society should not discount. The Web inspires a teenager like Nadia, who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write.

ven accomplished book readers like Zachary Sims, 18, of Old Greenwich, Conn., crave the ability to quickly find different points of view on a subject and converse with others online. Some children with dyslexia or other learning difficulties, like Hunter Gaudet, 16, of Somers, Conn., have found it far more comfortable to search and read online.

What is different now, some literacy experts say, is that spending time on the Web, whether it is looking up something on Google or even britneyspears.org, entails some engagement with text.

Dyslexic students struggle with word formation, and as a result, often cannot express themselves fully in writing, and demonstrate their true level of knowledge. Teachers are thus unable to assess their work correctly, as the writing difficulties pose constraints to the students’ ability to show their knowledge and comprehension. Technology can greatly improve the education of dyslexic students. It can allow them to reach their full capabilities, and to overcome the learning difficulties that arise from problems with handwriting. In general, having an access to computer can greatly improve dyslexic students’ academic results, creating a level playing field among all students. As keyboarding has become a wide-used skill in today’s educational practice, more general introduction of keyboarding software promises great benefits for dyslexic students. Features such as standard letter fonts, automated editing, spell-check, and word processors with text predict all simplify writing for dyslexic students. Devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, e-book readers and tablets/laptops have been increasingly used in education. The level of their usefulness for dyslexic students depends on their built-in features, including text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionalities, format of the text, the screen resolution and memory, connectivity for connecting external devices such as higher quality microphones, and ability to run multiple programmes at the same time. The use of computer technology further extends to a growing number of software specifically designed for students with reading and writing difficulties.

Prior to the 21st century, literate defined a person’s ability to read and write, separating the educated from the uneducated. With the advent of a new millennium and the rapidity with which technology has changed society, the concept of literacy has assumed new meanings.

Perhaps literacy, and numeracy for that matter, have never really been optional for fully functioning members of society. In our 21st century society—accelerated, media-saturated, and automated—a new literacy is required, one more broadly defined than the ability to read and write.

Speaking of textbooks, ebooks are becoming more prevalent in schools with the advancements of e-readers and tablet computers.  I think in the near future that students won’t carry around big bulky backpacks filled with heavy textbooks.

I’m not sure if this is directly connected to learning, but we don’t pass notes in class anymore.  Students text one another instead. It's just another funny way how technology has changed education.

Much attention has been placed on interactive gaming as a powerful platform for student learning. Every day, new programs and web-based tools are teaching our students content that was once paper or chalkboard based.

“What we’re labeling as ‘distraction,’ some see as a failure of adults to see how these kids process information,” Ms. Purcell said. “They’re not saying distraction is good but that the label of ‘distraction’ is a judgment of this generation.”

The surveys also found that many teachers said technology could be a useful educational tool. In the Pew survey, which was done in conjunction with the College Board and the National Writing Project, roughly 75 percent of 2,462 teachers surveyed said that the Internet and search engines had a “mostly positive” impact on student research skills. And they said such tools had made students more self-sufficient researchers.