Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Response to Visions of our Future Students

The first video I'd seen, as people mentioned in their blogs (Ryan specifically), but paired with the second video, it brought up an interesting thought. Sure, technology is great to use in the classroom, and I fully support that idea. The question is, how? How should we use technology in a classroom. We are (to-be) English teachers. For math and sciences, it is much simpler. Use the highest-tech calculators, the newest technology to synthesise experiments, et cetera. There are a hundred different ways for other subjects to use technology in the classroom. What are we, as future English teachers, to do about it?

Thinking back on my own experiences, I would love to incorporate technology into my classroom, seeing as I enjoy using it myself. Quite personally, I don't really think slide-shows, and overhead projectors are quite up-to-date anymore.


Ryan suggests digital peer editing. I like it. Of course this depends upon the nature of the school in which I will work, and if I will have a computer lab to which I am able to bring my students.

Online supplementation is another good idea, brought up by Caleb. However, like he stated, that is 'safe.' However, like I mentioned previously, having the means to enact this type of proposal during school hours might be hard to manage. Even today, or five year's time, it wouldn't be fair to expect every student to have a computer in his or her home to use, if this type of thing were to be implemented outside of school hours.


A big problem with this problem is the fact that no one seems to have any solutions. Even the videos don't propose any solutions. I find it, frustratingly so, like many of our problems. We have a method that works. It may not work well, but it works. People see problems and point them out, but they don't offer any solutions, so all it brings is more frustration. Ideally worded, Danielle says, "Overall, the use of technology married with a pledge to create strong teacher-student and student-student relationships will help better educate today's students." I'm not criticising her in the least (I really like what she said), but she, like the rest of us, isn't really sure how to solve the problem either. So we're stuck with a problem and no sure-fire solution.


As for myself? Well, I'm no better than the rest of them. I have no solution either. A class website, interactive homework, a class wiki? I really don't know what solutions to offer. The only ideas that I can offer are what I've previously listed, and the idea of creativity in teaching, using technology, in order to help students become engaged in the material and in the classroom.

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