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Sure, kids are writing a lot, from regular updates on their Facebook pages to an incessant stream of text messages, but is all that writing helping them to become more literate? Or is being AATK -- always at the keyboard -- leading to a generation that is stuck in the n00b (newbie) stage when it comes to reading and writing skills?

"I tell them I find that annoying. If they can't take the time to write a full word, don't write to me." The ease with which young people communicate, though, can help in advancing literacy in a digital age. "In one sense, when you try to get a kid to sit down and write an essay, to write something more substantial, they have a lot of difficulty with that," Hargreave said. "I think we are getting a little bit of a loss when it comes to creating longer-form, story structures and paragraphs. "But on the flip side, with young people having to tighten up what they say, they are learning to write very precisely, to focus on what they want to say."

What? Kids are reading and going to the library? Yes! For the last three summers middle school learners have challenged the summer reading loss, as reported by R.L. Allington and A. McGill-Franzen, and continued engaged reading through the use of e-readers and other technology. The Cyber Cafe Summer Reading Program has grown over the years with varying themes but consistent in digital reading and discussion, collaborative response projects, and communicating with authors and others online. Its success relies on great books, the collaboration of a public middle school, library, and university and the integrated use of multiple technologies.

We started with 25 e-readers, new to most, so we learned the features and functions. We read a common book, a dystopia novel, The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman and discussed it online using VoiceThread. Preservice teacher mentors from the university participated online and also met with students three times over the summer at the downtown public library.

Year two we paired a science fiction, First Light by Rebecca Stead with Seymour Simon’s non-fiction Global Warming. We added color e-readers to experience the beauty of Simon’s book and search for background information while expanding the number of students participating. We discussed our readings online through Wiggio and Stixy.

One of the additional things he discussed in this talk was that we often say, “These kids do not read,” but he quickly dismisses this as a fallacy.  In fact, Crystal goes further to say that kids that text read more than what we did as children because they have more access to writing.  Simply put, they do not read and write the same things that we did.  Looking at my own situation, I have actually read more “books” in the last little while than I ever have, as I carry around a huge book collection all the time on my iPhone and/or iPad.  The ease of access makes it a lot easier for me to read whether it is blogs, books, or yes, text messages and tweets.