Electronic literacy environments differ from traditional classroom reading and writing activities. This type of environment is challenging teachers, administrators, and test makers in ways never before confronted. Students are versed in electronic literacy from their early years. As they progress through school their experiences in computer literacy become more sophisticated.

Electronic journaling creates shared and mediating learning contexts and invites multiple connections across contextualized information. Questions, thoughts, and feelings are exchanged after students have an opportunity to reflect on each class activity and assignment through electronic journals that take place beyond the walls of the classroom. Student reflections are dependent upon how important they perceive the lesson, whether they have experienced the lesson in their world experience and/or the knowledge of the facts and ideas being studied, and/or their ability to apply newly learned methods to other situations. Their queries inform us of any information that needs clarification or elaboration to which we can respond directly and, if warranted, make the rest of the class aware of an issue, fact, or concept that needs further explanation at our next class meeting.

VALUE JUDGMENTS

Value judgments are always a significant part of the process of making knowledge claims. For example, concepts are sharpened by their close connection to real events and their regularities; facts – so basic to claims – are sharpened by the explicit recognition of facts as records of events.