This commentary explores a central issue for our times, online reading comprehension. It first defines three issues that have largely gone unnoticed as the Internet enters our classrooms: 1) literacy has become deictic; 2) effective online information use requires additional online reading comprehension practices, skills, and dispositions; and 3) misalignments in public policy, assessment, and instruction impede our ability to prepare students for the effective use of online information and communication. It analyzes the Common Core State Standards for Reading and Writing in the U. S. and the Australian National Curriculum in relation to elements of online reading comprehension. It argues that continued misalignments especially jeopardize opportunities for those students in districts that are economically challenged.

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What affordances do multimodal and digital information provide to the student and teacher with regard to responding to and writing poetry? This question juxtaposes one of the oldest literary genres in human history (i.e., poetry), with some of the newest technologies available. To enrich the content and effect as students experience poetry, technology may seem like an unwelcome stranger. Research has found, however, that “multimedia texts and multimodal composing may actually shift classroom culture toward a more learner-centered paradigm” (Chandler-Olcott & Mahar, 2003, pp. 381-382). This chapter explores the integration of technology with both response to poetry and authorship of poetic works as a means to enrich English classroom experiences. In the authors’ view, important work in this arena must not use technological tools for the sake of using technology in the classroom, but, rather, for the sake of enriching literary experiences. Ultimately, by connecting response, authorship, and multimodal technologies, the teaching of poetry may be enhanced by the teaching of 21st century literacy skills. Toward these ends, the authors share opportunities for intertwining multimodal text with the teaching of poetry to enrich literacy and literary experience in middle and high school classrooms.