Using technology to enhance literacy has been viewed in different ways by educators. Some teachers believe that new developments will fundamentally change literacy instruction; others think that technology is simply a new tool to use with old teaching methods. The question of how new technologies impact literacy instruction in K-8 classrooms is particularly significant today. Historically, definitions of literacy were grounded in ancient Greek tradition, in which like-minded teachers and scholars gathered as "communities of literates" to share oral and written discourse and explore topics for further study. In recent years, however, new literacies have emerged in association with technology. The concept of literacy has become more differentiated and more expansive in the wake of the technological revolution. In the midst of this new environment, many teachers are adopting newer literacy models for classroom instruction. This article explores 21st-century literacy and offers some illustrations of how technology may help educators and students meet the challenges of the future while also expanding the classical ideal of literacy inherited from the past.