As I reflect back on my first few weeks in the MAC program, I begin to realize just how much classrooms and schoolwork has changed since I was in middle school and high school. I may have only graduated from high school seven years ago, but it seems more like an ion in techno-time. I have always been a minimalist when it comes to technology. In most of my undergraduate years, I submitted work the old-fashion way...in paper. Now, in this program, I am being forced to go out of my comfort zone and tackle a number of new technologies. Our homework is submitted online, we have class discussions online, even this blog I'm writing (which is my first) is being posted in cyberspace for class credit. It really makes me think about how I will use technology in my future classroom.
As I sat down to draw my "ideal" classroom, I was surprised about how little I thought about technology. As a future English teacher, I really want to be able to get my students to connect what they are learning to their own lives. Most kids are using technology nearly every minute of the day, from text messages, to social networking sites, to e-mail and blogs. I hope to incorporate these technologies into my lessons to show my students that even classic literature can apply to their lives.
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Good post, Alison...I like the idea of helping your students to see where and how great literature connects with their experiences. I'm reminded that the whole matter of "thinking about what *I* think" can take a lot more practice than we might think. In that sense, one utility of a tool like a blog would be to practice that skill with an audience of peers who are working on it, too. One of the affordances that I find attractive about classroom blogging is the chance both to work on the "who do I think?" question along with practicing being a respectful and attentive audience member for the writing of others.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way! We weren't in school all that long ago, it's crazy how much things have changed. I was part of a "guinea pig class" for CTools, when they were testing out new versions of it my freshman year, and I was overwhelmed by it. (Partly because the technology didn't work that well and so it was super frustrating!)
ReplyDeleteI think you should have your students write stories by text message...
(just kidding!)