Techlearning blog

Sheryl, it's hard to imagine such a dark confession from such a fiery advocate for Read/Write Web tools. In fact, re-reading some of your posts here and elsewhere, I am consistently over-awed with the rich variety of ideas that you share. To imagine that you have great auditory skills, and then developed your writing to match, well, that gives those of us who were bookish (I flunked reading in 2nd grade due to language cross-over but summer school helped a lot) hope to one day achieve auditory arete.

Thank you for inspiring me by unflinchingly sharing your story.

With appreciation,

Miguel Guhlin
Around the Corner-mGuhlin.net
http://mguhlin.net

I really like the new multimedia type forms of reading, I think podcasts and audiobooks are awesome when you're traveling or stuck in the car and can't focus totally on a book. I'm also a big multitasker so I almost always have a podcast on when I'm cleaning or sewing or whatever. But yeah I'm really glad that I have a love of actual page-turning type reading too. Thanks mom. :)

While reading through this post, I started thinking about my own reading habits and how I started on my reading journey. I started reading at a very young age; I was one of the only people in my first grade class that could read the text books quite easily. I loved and still love reading. I don't know why I have developed such a love for reading, my little brother is the opposite of me, he hates reading, but I simply love to read. I read too much in fact, my mother always had to tell me to stop reading and go do other stuff.

As we've become a more and more technology based society, I've started to explore all the options the internet has to offer when it comes to reading. While I love to read articles and books I find on the internet, I still love to curl up in bed with a book...although I have found myself curled up in bed with my laptop more than once recently. Even so, I can see why students today may not relish reading a traditional book. They are too caught up in the technological world we live in today to want to stop and pick up a book and read it. Why go to the library when you can go on your computer without even leaving your house? I agree with you when you say we need to start offering options when it comes to reading. Students may not want to read the traditional, old, heavy, book, but that doesn't mean they don't want to read.

Hi, Sheryl,

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful post.

I'd be interested in hearing your reactions, and the reactions of others, to a new web application called Book Glutton, and wonder if those kinds of features have the potential of providing a "digital twist" if it was incorporated into a mobile reader?

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/11/24/book-glutton-again/

Larry Ferlazzo

Very interesting article. I appreciate the statistics on the declining reading scores, etc, and I can appreciate how you might prefer reading your blogs than a book. I'm the opposite.

First, I LOVE reading my blogs, as I learn SO much each time I do. But, I don't like reading on the computer as much as I do with a book. I find that I skim MORE when reading text on the computer than I do with books. That could be my eyes and the contrast on the screens, but that's how it is.

And, I read fiction, for the most part, so maybe that's the difference. I like to read the descriptions of things and to read dialogs, etc. Anyway, the part of the Kindle book that got my attention was that it was as easy to read as a book - low glare and low contrast. Maybe THAT will make the difference for me.

Miguel,

Thanks for your kind words. I would love to hear more about this- "(I flunked reading in 2nd grade due to language cross-over but summer school helped a lot)"

I think your experiences as a child with language and reading would be very valuable to those trying to teach kids with similar circumstance today. How has technology, if at all, changed your reading habits?

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Amber,
When one looks up Netgenr in the dictionary your name comes up. I am so glad you love to read and learn.

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Isabella,

What a delightful reply, quite a pleasure to read. Your points are valid and I chuckled when I read you actually "do" curl up with a laptop sometimes!

I would be interested in knowing about the reading habits of your classmates. What are you seeing? Do you think your peers in general love reading as much as you do? And if not, why not?
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Larry,

I went to check out the site but it says it is private. Sounds like a cool idea- name needs improving from my perspective, but the idea of a ready made book club is a cool thing. Beyond students, I can see teachers from around the world reading and discussing books together as they read.

Sheryl

Jim,

Thanks for your response. Maybe fiction is the key...?

Hey I am curious- in terms of the declining reading scores- do you think there is a new literacy that can be gained from TV/Video fiction? Or is the fact that kids are not reading as much or as well from printed pages significant? Are we dumbing down or changing what it means to be literate?

Sheryl,
Its ok to tell the world you don't like to read...I agree with you it comes from childhood, and I did the same with my kids that my parents did with me...READ practically 24/7, both my kids think the coolest thing to do is hang out at Barnes and Noble..(two geeks, yep!) I adore reading, and I've been known to get waaay too excited when I see my favorite author has a new book out...and my dark secret, before my tech career, I was "Library Lou" on Planet Fun Radio station, I used to read books during the noon hour...tee hee!! I see the KINDLE as a tool for people such as my father-in-law. . not tech savvy, but able to read books and ENLARGE the print so he can see...It would be a great service for the older population!

Cindy,

How cool is that? Library Lou! You make such a wonderful point about the elderly. Kindle, or another reader, would work really well!

I followed your link and see that you support inquiry -based instruction. I would love to hear more about how inquiry is used in the schools you serve and how you see, if indeed you do, that approach being received by students in the 21st Century.

Inquiring minds want to know...

I am a reading nerd. I'm usually reading 6-10 books at any given time. I use digital e-book readers, computer readers, paper books, audiobooks, books on tape/CD, podiobooks--whatever--and I couldn't be happier about it. I almost never watch TV, am not addicted to videogames, and don't even care to listen to the radio much. So I can't wait to get my hands on a Kindle, which will probably be sometime after Christmas because, even though I think $400 is not an outrageous price for this device, I still need to scrape up $400 right in the middle of Christmas season--definitely an unbudgeted expense.

I do think that the key to turning a person into a life-long reader is to let them read what they are interested in. For example, this is part 1 of a three part (I THINK) article about how this woman turned her students into readers: http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2007/09/05/06millermentor1.h18.html

Here's part 2: http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2007/09/12/06millermentorii.h19.html

I didn't link to part 3, but I THOUGHT there was one.

In it she talks about how she allowed her students to read whatever they wanted (that was appropriate, of course), and her success is notable. I didn't read in high school, either. It wasn't until I read, "The Stand", by Stephen King, that I began to enjoy reading. Granted, it's not War and Peace, but it got me to enjoy reading.

Sherry,

Thanks for including me in this conversation. You're a blessing!

I too identify with your comments concerning reading. The first book I read, from cover to cover, was Jack London's "Call of the Wild." I was captured by Buck's loyalty to his master. Besides, I love dogs.

My idea is that since we are moving rapidly into this tech. age, why not have computers which read to the student as they as following along in the text? Do we already have this type of programing?
The result will be that we are employing sight and hearing in the learning paradigm.

Blessings,

Terry Shiver

Hi Sheryl,

Great blog post.

I think a lot of the points you made apply to learning, information sharing, interaction, and communication in general. Take the newspaper for example; we've come to readily accept that online news offers a number of benefits over the printed version and as a result the paper version of the newspaper is a dying business-model.

As one of the other comments noted, reading on a computer screen is different than reading on paper -- this is a documented phenomenon. However, once technology has addressed some of the fundamental user experiences around interacting with a screen instead of a printed piece of paper (like the Kindle tries to do) I think books are going to go the way of the newspaper. There are countless advantages to having a digital version of a book, many of which you've called out already, but I think the biggest is that digital technologies allow learning to be an individual experience. Books are printed one way and everyone has to interact with that book in that one way. This may work for a fiction piece where the author is guiding you deliberately through a story, but I think it's a fundamentally flawed approach in educational contexts. People learn differently, have different ability levels, and need different sorts of resources to support their individual characteristics.

What I really hope happens is that we promote the love of learning, of which reading is a critical component, and we use digital versions of paper materials to enable an individualized learning experience for students so that they are able to grow, develop, and foster their interests in a way that is appropriate for each individual.

Hi, my name is Nate and I'm a reader.

("Hi, Nate")

I started young when I realized that the bubbles in the Sunday funnies were actually telling a story that went with the pictures. I figured out that every letter had a sound as well as a name and that an "S" sounded like "ssss."

Before long I moved up to the books on my mother's book shelf. At first it was just to see how many of the "ww--oh--rrr-ddd--ssss" I could figure out just from the letters. After a really short period of time I got to where I actually was finding ideas when I strung the words together.

Then I started school and they made me start over again with Dick and Jane. While that was fun and all, I found the engagment level to be really low. At that age, I didn't know nothing about engagement level. I just thought it was boring. Ya, ok. I'm seein' Dick run. Why is he running? Where is he going? Why is he catching the ball? Why isn't Spot on a leash and how come Jane is always wearing a dress? Did she do something wrong?

It wasn't long before school taught me that reading was boring, pointless, and completely lacking in any kind of merit. I was snatched back, temporarily, from the precipice of literacy.

Eventually, in spite of all my best efforts, I made it to second grade and as a second grader I was granted access to the library.

("gasp!")

Yes, I know. Mainline. Tap the vein.

At first I didn't realize what was going on. I was required to take out a book, but I could take out anything I wanted. I picked a dinosaur book. Why not? Wasn't gonna matter.

Ya, right. That first one is always free and then they start chargin' ya.

The dinosaur book wasn't bad, in its own way. So I finished reading it on the bus on the way back to school next morning and went back to the library. Oh, those librarians loved to see me come in. They knew. They knew I was hooked then.

I traded the dinosaur book for another dinosaur book.

Next day, another.

You know the story from there, right.

("general mumbling of assent")

From dinosaurs to Egypt. Egypt to World War II histories. Yea, even in the elementary libraries we had books about history and music. I got introduced to biographies about then.

("uneasy murmurs")

And by the time I got to Alexander the Great, it was summer vacation and I had to go cold turkey!

It was hell. No library. No books. Nothing to read. All summer.

Well, I broke into my parent's stash and hit the hard stuff. Fiction!!

("gasps and murmurs")

Mary Roberts Rhinehart, Mary Stewart, James Michener. You know the names. Heady stuff for a nine year old. Too strong. Mom whacked me good for it.

But she also sent me to my Aunt's house. Aunt Pat read science fiction. I know, I know. Crazy stuff. Asimov, Lem, Heinlein, Nourse. Gods! Every one of them. She had these great books ... Ace Doubles I think they were called. Two books in one. Read from one side to the middle. Turn the book over and read from the other.

That summer, that was when I got the monkey on my back. That's when I knew nothing else was gonna matter. Reading. All. Summer. Long. When I ran out, Aunt Pat had another paper grocery bag full for me to devour.

School started again and I ran full out into the Man. They took my books away and gave me stuff that bored the hell out of me. They tried to cure me of the addiction, but they couldn't pry the monkey off my back.

They tried everything. Language classes to teach me how the sentences went together. They tried to confuse my with all the different little parts of speech. Pfftt! I went home at night and read under the covers with a flashlight, or used the magnifying glass to concentrate the full moon beams into enough light to read by.

They tried literature. Stultifying, horrible stuff, with the juice sucked out of it by having to read this much and no more, then tell somebody what you thought about it so they could tell you how wrong you were until all you wanted to do was figure out what the heck they wanted you to say so you could say it and they'd leave ya alone.

I had it bad.

All through school. I snuck books into my back pack. I read them behind the texts. I read them on the bus rides to and fro. I stole the time away from them, yes, and they couldn't kill it.

They thought Tom Sawyer would do it. They threw in Moby Dick. They gave me Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe almost did it, then they messed up and gave me Shakespeare.

Ooh, ya. The Good Stuff. They tried to make it boring. They did their damnedest to convince me that it was too hard unless they were there to tell me what it meant. Heck, I knew a good fart joke when I read it, even if it were in iambic pentameter. Wind, my butt!!

Eventually they stopped trying to break me. I got too old, too derelict, too clever in hiding the books from them. I did what I needed to do to keep them happy and quiet and I kept emergency novels in my jacket pockets. My mother found the stash of Larry Niven, but she missed the Michener that I hid on her own bookcase.

Now, god help me, I read all the time. My wife, she's a little upset with me. But i've put audiobooks on my mp3 player. It only LOOKS like I'm mowing the lawn. I'm reading. My kids, bless 'em, they've seen me (sob) and they're following in my downward spiral into literacy. My nine year old is reading on the tenth grade level and her teachers are in profound dispair. My twelve year old, have mercy on my soul, is reading everything she can get her hands on.

I know, I know. I set a bad example and they're following in my foot steps. Seeing their little faces a glow with plot twists. Hearing them acting out stories they've read in books. Watching them as they critique the Japanese graphic novels that their mother supplies them with all the time ... well, it was the last straw. I knew I needed to get help. That's why I came here to Reader's Anonymous.

My name is Nate. I'm a reader. I need help.

Doug, thanks for sharing this. Scary is right. Bush's policies are fascist, and I'm grateful that smart folks like Naomi are writing books and speaking up. I wouldn't have seen this if you hadn't blogged it.

Grateful,
Miguel Guhlin
Around the Corner-mGuhlin.net
http://mguhlin.net

Heck, I accidentally pasted the wrong comment on this blog entry. I'm referring to Doug Johnson's entry at:
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2007/11/26/end-of-america.html

Read the book. Literacy is key to maintaining our freedom as Americans. (will that work for a relevant connection to this conversation?).

I used to be far too impatient to read. I too wanted to "unlock the secrets" more quickly. Actually I really wanted to live the book, not read about it! Now I can see the beauty of listening to a story unfold inside my head. It is an extraordinary experience and like you Sheryl, I wanted my kids to absorb the wonders of reading so I amassed a varied collection of children's books and read aloud to them until they reached middle school.

My first impressions of Kindle, from what I can tell by its' size, shape and concept are appealing. The preview, however, reveals a black and white screen and I recoil slightly wondering how I would manage to live without seeing the book cover in color. It occurs to me that the new book smell would also be absent and while this could be remedied with a spray my reluctance festered. The texture of cold plastic, versus the feel of soft, smooth paper sheets made me wonder how comfy I would be propped up on my pillow viewing a screen like the one I stare at most of the day. The words organic and sensual came to mind. Not that I read lurid, torrid tales, I prefer engaging tales of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The kind with human struggles, drama and hard won happiness.

No, Kindle holds little interest for me. I like variety in my modes of reading from cereal boxes to traffic signs to computer screens to good old fashioned paperback books. I hope I don't offend anyone if I admit that I prefer the real thing in bed. (books that is) Recently I wrote about an electronic magazine medium which I do think has promise. It is every bit as satisfying as a high quality glossy magazine. See what you think. http://preview.tinyurl.com/3834c7

The surveys quoted perplex me. I wonder how they account for the text messaging explosion. If all of the messages could be converted to book quantities then would we find a decrease in reading and writing or just a change in the way we read and write? If literary readers are more likely to engage in politics or volunteering then how do we account for the recent Pakistani protests coordinated by massive texting networks? Things are changing, shifting and the quality is changing. If people decide they love the Kindle then it will continue to be on Christmas lists for years to come. If not then it may just become kindling for a bigger fire.

Sheryl, You are not the first person whom I consider highly intelligent that doesn't like to read fiction! My brother, for one, hates to read. My test scores for college entrance did not come close to his overall score! He is now a doctor. He talks about how much he hated all of the reading he had to do while in pre-med and medical school. He is like sponge, remembering everything he reads, but he doesn't like reading at all. One of the most intelligent people I know was a reading coach for awhile. She will readily admit that she reads only for non-fiction to gain information and has never read a novel. Yet, like you, she has a rich vocabulary and an analytical mind.

I love the story of Ben Carson, a successful pediatric surgeon. His Mom made Ben and his brothers read every night and turn in book reports to her. What they did not know is that she could not read! She knew that education was the only way out of the poverty in which they lived.

I totally agree with this statement, "Teachers have trained their brains to feel most comfortable reading through a traditional means, so there is a disconnect between an educator's personal schema and what they are seeing in their students. The natural assumption is kids today do not like reading or are not reading as much. When in actuality it might simply be that they are not reading in ways we recognize or legitimize (books)."

My own son was a struggling reader and yes, college life would have been easier for him if he were a strong reader. However, I've always believed that it's our weaknesses that force us to develop our strengths. He read mostly magazines about the outdoors, hunting and fishing. He has a rich vocabulary and his writing is interesting and descriptive. He struggled through high school English, but in college at UA, his English teachers could not believe that he had a learning disability. He wrote many entertaining and funny essays. During his junior year he decided that writing was his strength and he was fortunate to be introduced to a newspaper writer who took him under his wing and served as a great mentor. He is completing the last of his journalism classes this semester and will have a minor in journalism.

Having one child that learns so differently than the traditional methods has made me more aware of the differences in children and how they learn. There are so many factors affecting children's reading habits. I do love to read. When I was coming along, there were no after school activities and no computers. There was nothing left to do but read.

It does bother me that some students today seem to only want to read for "points". I do think it is more difficult for kids to focus on reading just because other things demand so much of their time. When I was in school all I wanted to do was read, but couldn't because I had other subjects that were equally as important. Now, students read a good portion of the school day and those who are the weakest in reading, read even more of the school day. Can you imagine spending most of your day doing something you're just not very good at? (I know, don't end the sentence with "at", but you get my point.)

When I mention some of the classic children's literature titles, students don't know what I'm talking about anymore. But, I've noticed that when I read a book to them introducing a topic we're discussing or they read an interesting story or article on the Internet, they are able to carry on deep conversations about what they have read.
Like you said, Sheryl, "If we want to remain relevant in the lives of our learners then we will need to use strategies and materials that fit their learning styles, not our own." I'm in favor using anything that can get students thinking and learning!

Oh come on: You write "I do not enjoy reading books." and then you write "I usually have several nonfiction authors going at a time." And yet reading is a pain. If it is such a pain you'd be listening to podcasts on an mp3 player. Wise up, get a life, stop winging in your blog!

Great post.

I don't know that your deep dark confession is that uncommon from a lot of people. I think all too often we were told what to read as developing readers, and the element of passion and choice are key elements of what drives me to read today, but when I was learning to read those things were somehow left out of the equation.

I think what you said about readers like Kindle doing something different than what an analog book has done throughout history is a really important observation. New technologies catch on because they somehow innovate or improve upon a process that is in some way cumbersome. While an electronic reader might very well eliminate the amount of paper, make carrying it convenient, what do they really do to change the reading process.

One of my favorite ways to read is to get an audiobook. This reminds me of your comment about "James and the Giant Peach" being equated with storytelling. I was reminded by a colleague--who I consider to be an expert in literacy--that I needn't clarify "I just listened to X book" vs. "I just read X book," because no matter how I'm interacting with the words, I'm still reading and still being literate.

With that said, I think the best innovation in reading is the idea that there is a choice in whether to read a printed page, read an electronic page, or listen to an audio version of the work. A reader like Kindle simply adds another choice to the equation, but doesn't really change what reading is.

Thanks for stirring my thinking.

As a children's librarian I am inwardly screaming, "No! You can't take our books!" I LOVE the smell, feel, paper, pages and the whole book selecting process - going to the library or a book store and searching the shelves until that "gem" glows among the others and I get to take it home. I was a child that wouldn't loan my books to anyone because I was afraid they would get messed up. However, I admit to changing my acquisition and purchasing practices to include MANY more graphic novels and audio books. We can't keep the graphics on the shelf and our "listening" corner is one of the hottest parts of our school. (Granted, I ask them to follow along with the book when they listen.) Students are requesting shorter books with larger print- and I am seeking those out. I am, however, conflicted. I want to meet each child's learning style, but I'm not willing to give up my goal of developing life-long readers. I believe that there is a perfect book for everyone, and if you give me enough time, I'll find it for you!

I wanted to just respond briefly to Sheryl's commentary on a declined interest in reading and lower reading levels among youth. To encourage reading among students born into the online, media-dominated world, parents and educational organizations need to harness the benefits of Web 2.0 -- the next-generation of internet use, social networks, online communities, etc. E-learning solutions, an aspect of what we can call "Learning 2.0," unite collective intelligence and rich media mash-ups to meet students on their own turf and encourage reading and enrichment in the preferred medium of delivery –the Web.

I work with a company called Agilix (www.agilix.com) that has developed Learning 2.0 solutions that integrate Web 2.0 tools – e.g. social networks, podcasts and online videos. The key to these tools is engaging students and encouraging them to do additional reading outside of class. With e-learning, students will read more because they'll access the material in a format they are more comfortable with. Interfacing with the material through dynamic activities and exercises encourages addtional reading.

So in short, e-learning can help with students' aversion to reading. If you're interested in specific solutions, definitely check out Agilix.

As I read this, I flashed back to a conversation that made it's way around the EduBlogs a few years ago about the relevance of books and whether you would find any paper at all in the Classroom of the Future (whenever, wherever that might be).

The truth is, I don't think the Kindle is going to do well. I get how cool it is, and I'd love to have one. But even as a gadget freak, I'm balking at paying $400 for a device that displays my $6.99 books (and a few other things).

As to books themselves, they aren't going anywhere just yet, but they will. In my opinion, the majority of us still do most of our reading on paper, whether it be newspapers, magazines, or books. Once we get a generation that does the majority of their reading electronically (and we're getting close), then paper books will be on the endangered list. Pure and simple, there is a tactile sensation that I associate with reading in a pleasurable way. Watching a book scroll by does not give me the satisfaction that flipping pages does. Getting to the end of an eBook and closing the file does not provide the same sense of closure that closing a book does. These are personal feelings that have become a part of me, that I've grown up with. However, I'd bet that my son's son or daughter won't associate those physical characteristics with reading. So s/he won't get nostalgic over books and may just see them as a waste of resources and space. Who knows?

BTW, I think your personal admission and ideas about child rearing are inspiring. I'm an active reader and I see my son already gravitating towards books. However, most evenings we watch TV instead of "celebrating literacy", as you put it. Of course, he's only 10 months, but it really impresses the point that habits are easily created and yet hard to break.

One last thought. You open the post with some statistics about reading today versus 10-20 years ago. However, the world has changed quite a bit in the last half decade or so. Do you think those comparisons truly hold up? For example, less than 1/3 of 13 year olds are daily readers, a 14% decline from 20 years ago. I'm surprised that number isn't higher! With the advent of computers, video games, digital cable and multiplexes, I'm amazed that two thirds of 13 year olds ARE daily readers!

Be curious to hear your thoughts.

Dear Larry,

Thanks for adding to the discussion. You are a 21st Century reader! You read in all modalities. Thanks for sharing it helped to broaden my thinking.
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Jim,
Maybe that is why it never caught on- no one ever appealed to my passion. But even now, when I am surrounded by books that interest me- and I want to unlock what is inside- it is more of a "do this because it is good for you" kind of thing rather the love affair so many of you seem to have with books.

I am VERY interested in the links you provided. Thanks!
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Terry,

You are a blessing too! I agree the more modalities the better. I know no one knows this better than your household having produced how many brilliant mathematicians?

Hope you will stop back by.
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Avichal,
You said, "I think books are going to go the way of the newspaper." That is profound and an excellent example of what I was trying to illustrate. Reading is not what I struggle with- I love reading. I struggle with books in their current form.

Your point about individualized instruction is the key. Thanks for your comment.
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Nate,
If everyone wrote like you--books would be a snap. Gotta appreciate a man who can make you laugh! Thanks for your humorous but enlightening tale.

Kathy said, "I used to be far too impatient to read. I too wanted to "unlock the secrets" more quickly. Actually I really wanted to live the book, not read about it!"

Man oh man! I stood up when I read that comment. How provocative! That is me- it is all about doing! As a kid I remember not wanting to go to bed because I might miss something. There wasn't anything special going on, but I knew time in bed would exclude me from drinking life in.

I really enjoy your writing style. I hope you will write more and often.

As to the comment about the stats- I agree that there is much that wasn't taken into account. You are so right, "Things *are* changing, shifting and the quality is changing."
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Annette,

I so relate to the stories you tell in your comment. I think your son and I and many others like us, some in the classrooms of those reading this, read conversations and experiences.

My vocabulary and high standardized test scores (Although, I made lousy classroom grades)are the direct result of being so auditory and kinesthetic in my learning style. I am a social learner. I read my environment, other's conversations, experiences, and I know other students do too.

That is exactly why we need to teach like you do- from an inquiry driven approach where kids learn by doing and reading. That way, kids like me will not have to wait until age 26 to realize they have any intellectual potential.

Thanks for your provocative thoughts. As always, I continue to learn much from what you share.

Dear Mr Cynic,
I'll make you a deal. I will quit "winging" in my blogs when you get brave enough to start signing your name to yours.

Seriously, if you reread my post (the lost art of reading) you will see I never said I didn't like reading, what I said was I didn't like reading in the form of a book. It is the book I feel needs to be reinvented, not the exchange of ideas expressed in writing.

But I do need to work on the "getting a life" part. All work and no play might make Sheryl cynical too.

Tim said, "I think all too often we were told what to read as developing readers, and the element of passion and choice are key elements of what drives me to read today, but when I was learning to read those things were somehow left out of the equation."

There it is again. I think you guys are onto something. Passion-based learning is a powerful form of instruction. Maybe the reason as educators we assign books in class rather than letting students choose what they would read is because we feel kids "don't know what they do not know" and it is our job to cultivate their literacy pallet. Maybe a better approach would be embedding the skills they need to know within the self-selected materials in the way of student driven products.

While we are reinventing the book.. let's also reinvent school. Check out this school shared with me by Aimee Smith and educator in Alabama. No classes, no teachers, no hierarchy, no walls, not even a janitor!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15322289

Jennifer, a librarian, said, "However, I admit to changing my acquisition and purchasing practices to include MANY more graphic novels and audio books. We can't keep the graphics on the shelf and our "listening" corner is one of the hottest parts of our school."

Well there you go- need I say more? The 21st Century learner speaks.
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Hi Steve,
The discussion about the stats is one we need to be having. We need to look at all research with a researchers eye. Is this study reliable and valid? What does it not cover? Most research only examines a tiny piece of any pie. A slice. A sliver. Then it is up to those who are studying the phenomena to connect all the slivers together, much like a MRI scan does. Replication studies are important as are other studies that cover the same topic but another slice, taking into consideration the very things you and others have mentioned.

Sheryl asked:
What do you think of Kindle? When the price goes down, I will probably purchase one (or ask for it as gift!); I love reading in any and all forms--online, newspaper, books, cereal boxes, etc.

Is reading changing from a text to digital format and is that ok? I hope it can be a both/and rather than either/or situation. I love the smell and feel of an actual book, and I particularly love the beautiful artwork in children's picture books. Somehow it just doesn't look as lovely to me on a screen.

How has your love for books manifested itself in and out of the classroom? I am a book nut, I freely admit it. My home is overrun with books, and so was my classroom. Now that I'm not a classroom teacher, I've been lending my books out--I'm sort of an auxiliary librarian. I am one of those readers who will get so caught up in the world of the story that I actually resent it when "the real world" intrudes. I (and my brother, too) have been known to stay up all night reading a good book--in childhood, I did it under the covers with a flashlight. As an adult, I simply park myself on the couch, with the cat in my lap and a delicious beverage by my side. Through books, I have had some amazing adventures and traveled all over the world. My students discovered early on, and often caught, my fever for books. In my final classroom year, I was introducing a book to the class, and I said, "I just love this book. It's one of my favorites." One of my students said, "You say that about LOTS of books." Well. He was right! Rather than fearing the digital impact on the written word, I am excited about the possibilities. I will continue to collect beautiful children's books, personal reading materials (I'm partial to fantasy and historical fiction), but I will also be looking to expand my digital reading experiences.

My two sons, despite (or maybe because of) having a reading role model, do not read books for pleasure. But they do read books for information, participate in web chats, and read magazines (like Sports Illustrated and Car & Driver) for pleasure.