Connecting the Old to the New: What Technology-Crazed Adolescents tell us about Teaching Content Area Literacy

Abstract

This article describes a study where Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were integrated into two eighth grade social studies classrooms to create a bridge that connected traditional textbook teaching with new technology. This article will explore the motivation for this type of integration, give specific details about the study, and share what we learned from students about how using the technology gave them control over their reading, connected to their lives, and gave a new spin on the old in terms of content area literacy strategies. Finally, this article will conclude with future directions for educational implications for research and practice. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR