Focusing on reading in the 21st Century

Off to a great year at ISB. I find myself starting our fourth week of school and still standing...which is a good thing.

The elementary school is focusing on two content areas this year. Reading and Science.

What does reading look like in the year 2008-2009?

As I've been training students on the new laptops these first couple of weeks I ask them a set of questions that to most probably seem out of context with a focus on reading.

How many of you have your own cell phones? (At least 3 in every class 3-5 grade)
How many of you have your own laptop? (At least 3 in every class)
How many of you have access to the Internet? (100%)
How many of you have a Nintendo Wii? (By far the leader in the gaming console category)
Play station 3?
Play station 2?
Nintendo Cube?
XBox 360?
PSP?
DS?
GameBoy?

By this time most teachers are looking at me like I'm speaking another language. Then it gets really interesting.

How many of you play Club Penguin? (About half of every class 2-5)
How many of you play Webkinz? (About 30%)

The students then get all fired up and start shouting out different websites and games that they love to visit.

What does this have to do with reading?

Everything!

More to come......