When looking at my school I believe we are pretty savvy when it comes to using technology in the classroom. Every classroom is set up with a teaching station that includes a document camera, touch screen computer, projector that will project on at least one wall, DVD players that run through our in-class audio system, etc. As a school, we have multiple carts of 20+ laptops available, two large (40+ computers) computer labs, and our library is equipped with at least 25 computers as well. With that said, I still feel ill-at-ease when I begin the journey to incorporate more technology into my Literature world.
I’m “old school”! I love the feel of the book. Writing with paper and pen. I’m thrilled when a journal is turned in and the student has used cursive to complete their writing prompts. Where does technology fit in this with thinking? …on the other hand, I was raised in the house where both parents worked for, retired from (almost both of them) IBM. I’ve had a personal computer since I was very young and am comfortable navigating through almost anything that is placed in front of me. So why do I have such a hard time switching from the comfort of page turning to my Kindle(r)? I don’t know.
When thinking about the interaction that my students have with the literature, my “go to” method is a journal entry. In Alexandra M. Pickett’s article “50 Alternatives to Lecture” she refers to journals in option number 23, “…Journal entries provide students an opportunity to make observations and reflect on their learning or development of a skill” (Pickett). I believe that this a safe environment for students to explore the text, the author’s ideas, and the given prompts for the assignment.
I have fallen into the trap of what the authors (Greenhow, Hughes, Robelia 2009) of “Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship in a Digital Age” point out when they say “In the past decade, many studies have conceptualized Web use in classrooms as an information repository and students as recipients rather than producers of knowledge” (p. 5). My use of technology for student use has been giving information through my websites and e-mails. In looking at the possibility of student interaction through blogging I can move towards a more interactive and productive roll for my students.
What I do know is that technology isn’t going anywhere I need to embrace the impact of it in my classroom. I’m excited and fearful at the same time.
My question in relation to ISTE Standard 1 “Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity” was “How do I incorporate reflection and online tools into a very time sensitive IB curriculum?” By asking this question I was forced to search for anything that would encourage the use of a keyboard rather than pen and paper during my students’ interaction with the different texts I study in the classroom. I found an article that discusses the benefits of blogging, which is a new venue of interaction for me. My hope is, after hearing from you and more research I can update my ideas about successful analysis of literature.
boasc 