The Last Day

Let me start by saying the guest speakers we had in class were fantastic.  Not only did we get a picture of what it is like to teach in different schools, such as charter and privates schools, we got a sense of what technology looks like in the classroom.  Our panelists used technology in varied ways and even though some panelists don't have the opportunity to use technology extensively in their classroom, it was great to see that everyone was open-minded.  From this summer semester, I've learned that it is important to be open-minded with regard to technology.  Sure, it may be a difficult change for some of us, but as technology becomes even more a part of our lives, it seems that it will become a prominent part of our classrooms.  But, it was really great to see how MAC-ers are making a difference in and out of the classroom.   

When class started, I viewed technology as to be somewhat anxiety producing--will I know how to use all technology? Am I going to completely embarrass myself in front of my students? And: what if I'm not good at it? That last question is one that has been bouncing around in my mind for a while but I have learned that technology is here for my benefit.  I may not like every program or tool I use but there are so many options that I am bound to find many that will work for my classroom. I think it's a matter of trying a lot of different tools and seeing which are the best fit for me and my classroom. 

For right now, I am happily keeping an open mind about technology in the classroom and see it not only as a resource for my classroom, but a tool for learning. 

Edubloggers

While perusing through the edubloggers, I came across a post that really spoke to me.  A post by Dana Hufff (huggenglish.com) talks about digital books and how they can shape education. While I have a Kindle and absolutely love it, I've always been worried about the future of books--how do we preserve the power of a book? How do we ensure that students have and value physical copies of books? While I am hopeful that bookstores will still be around in ten years, Huff has convinced me of the value of digital books.  She specifically discusses how digital books, such as one with Shakespeare's sonnets, provide tools for comprehension to help readers.  With the sonnets particularly, there are a number of scholars who respond to the sonnets.  This seems like such a powerful tool for high school students because the readings include tools for comprehension, which can aide in comprehension of the text.  This seems to be a great way to prevent students from using Sparknotes of No Fear Shakespeare. Wouldn't we rather give the students the tools to understand in a deep and meaningful way? I think so.

Huff also talks about an app related to a short film "The Fantastic Flying Books" (which is absolutely wonderful and I recommend watching!) Huff writes about how the reader can interact with the narration that accompanies the reading.  While this is perhaps geared more toward a young child, I love this idea that digital books let students interact with a text.  Let's think back to the Shakespeare example.  Not every student is going to love sitting down with a physical copy of Shakespeare and reading. Sure, it's a nice picture, but is it realistic? Now let's think of this interactive text.  Giving students a digital book that they can interact with and learn from is exciting. It makes learning fun; it makes reading meaningful.  And, students will hopefully walk away with an understanding. Instead of getting frustrated with Shakespeare's language and closing the book, perhaps students will use one of the text's tools--such as listening to a famous scholar discuss a sonnet. In this way, students get a new perspective and a new understanding.  

Now, I'm not saying we should do away with physical copies of books but I am saying that as future educators we need to be made aware of the tools we can use in our classroom. If digital books are a future reality in classrooms, we should take this opportunity to familiarize ourselves and realize their merits.