There is no doubt that the internet has become a big part of
our everyday lives and has had a huge impact on how we educate our children.
According to the text, 'Children today are digital natives'. Additional
research shows that ninety-three percent of children ages 8-18 spend an average
of 90 minutes a day using the computer at home." The focus of this chapter is on the emergence
of the internet and its impact on children's literature. The chapter provides a variety of options
that can be used to enhance student learning. Some of the suggestions include:
online read alouds, interactive storybooks, virtual author visits and webcasts
of authors and illustrators. All of these options are designed to keep students
engaged and excited about learning.
In addition the chapter gives several suggestions on how to
engage students in online learning. Some
of these suggestions include online book reviews, Wiki’s, blogs, creating
online book trailers and digital stories. Teacher designed Webquests are also
another way to help student facilitate the acquisition, integration and
extension of a vast amount of information.
Internet projects such as this can also help students learn and share
information about culture and language diversity.
The book provides several online resources for read alouds, interactive
book and virtual author visits. I’ve used a a few of the suggested websites in the
classroom and am planning to explore some of those that I am not familiar
with. There is no denying that students
become engaged when learning is fun. From teaching students about internet
security to online projects as a future teacher I plan on using many of the
suggestions offered in this chapter