Chap 3 & 4

     There is no doubt that the Perez Hilton and Smoking Gun websites are popular among teenagers.  Let's face it, most teens are rebellious by nature. These less-than-classy websites are likely to be used as a social tool rather than a means to enhance literacy. Trashy topics and slang words more than likely feed the gossip at the lunch table.  Students probably dont give literacy a thought in the world as they browse these sights.  As a teacher, I would naturally worry about the material that my students would be viewing on these websites.  I'm not sure you can even call it news really. Not all of the information presented is valid or even credible.

     The websites that were safe for teenagers put forth an obvious effort to stay within the realm of things that are age appropriate. They used whole sentences, no slang words, correct spelling, etc.  They also only presented material that was wholesome for tennagers.  I would not have to worry about having an angry parent if I let my students view these websites. 

     While it is important for teachers to find literature that is appealing to students, there has to be a happy medium between the boring and the garbage.  Teachers should always encourage literacy in and outside of the classroom. A tiny little part of me feels that whatever my students read out of the classroom is none of my business and I should be happy they're reading at all.  Atleast the gossip websites aid somewhat in word recognition, scanning skills, etc.  However, the greater part of me feels that I should supply my students with literature to take home or website suggestions outside of the classroom.  I still think it's important for students to be exposed to wholesome, age appropriate, and grammatically correct material.