The introduction of the Internet and its hyperlinked content made easily accessible with portable digital devices like smart phones and tablets, posed challenges to the traditional linear and print-oriented notions of what it means to read and write. Now that these traditional notions of read and write literacy have been breached by these technologies, schools that are the formal institutions responsible for literacy instruction are caught between teaching traditional literacy--read/write pedagogy and curriculum and the new content and sense-making that mobile devices offer and potentially can offer. In this study, I review the literature about the debate on literacy education on three fronts: the tradition of print literacy and its read/write pedagogical assumptions, the re-thinking of the definition of literacy to include its plurality, and the role of technology in literacy practices. Using a variety of approaches--archival, theoretical, ethnographical, and quantitatively where relevant, I looked at the experience of one school in Silicon Valley, California, caught in the tide of digital adaptation. An observation of literacy practices was conducted over 3 months on a Grade 4 class that used a mobile device and then compared to a Grade 3 and Grade 5 class without the device. This comparison was analyzed within the framework of literacy instruction (traditional and digital) and theories of learning within the socioeconomic context of a region known for its information technology and wealth. Data sources comprise school CST scores, teacher/staff interviews, school and classroom work products, time use survey, and direct observation. Third- party data sources were also employed to provide a meta-profile of Silicon Valley school children. Digital literacy remains largely underresearched, especially when social issues and the technology environment are factored in. Recommendations for future research and administrative practices are presented. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]