Course Reflection 10/25/09

Rooney says, “Just as Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press transformed the process of learning, digital technologies are revolutionizing the way people read and write (Rooney, 2009). As an English teacher and a lover of books, I want my students to share this passion. Sadly, many do not, so while they may understand how important reading is to me, conventional reading does not appeal to them. Yet, what a lucky time to live in! These same students who find reading a book a bore may be exactly the ones who will be reached through new technologies and innovations. When a student is engaged in finding information to create a podcast or webpage, he or she may not notice how much reading is accomplished.


Becoming a “guide on the side” intrigues me. The more I learn about the power of technology to help students make meaning in their education, the more excited I am to hand over the reins (in a sense) to my students. Of course, my students need me to set the context for the learning, whether it is for background information for an author or novel study, a research question to determine a humanity issue, or determining both sides of an issue before choosing a side to argue. As an English teacher, they also need me to teach them the mechanics of writing.

During my master’s course of study, I have created individual lesson plans and an extensive unit plan that encourage and expect the use of technology. I am excited to use these new plans. Last year I incorporated wikis into my classroom with limited success, but learned a lot in the process. In the last few weeks I have acquired strategies and innovative materials to teach my students to be more effective researchers and website evaluators. I need to stop thinking of the things that can go wrong, the difficulty of reserving computers, and the problematic logistics that occur with technology use and, as the Nike company says, “Just do it!”

One personal professional development goal is to take the mandatory tasks included in my district curriculum and incorporate 21st century skills into them. Initially, I must try to do two things: incorporate the use of a class wiki for students to use to publish their writing and incorporate a unit project that requires students to do online research with a choice of project product. I have most of the necessary skills to do this and my students probably have (or will figure out) the rest. I need to take the attitude of Vicki Davis who urges teachers not to worry about knowing everything before teaching it (Edutopia.com, 2009). As I found when I introduced the wiki to my students, we experienced a few difficulties, but the student interest and excitement made up for any struggles. I must remind myself that “The process of learning is more important than the end product…” and enjoy the process of teaching my students to be 21st century learners (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007).



References:

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Edutopia: What Works in Public Education. Harness your students' digital smarts (Video). Retrieved on 10/23/09 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis



Rooney, J. (2009, March). Teaching two literacies. Educational Leadership, 66(6), 92–93.