One thing that really stood out from reading these first three chapters is the discussion about teachers being behind their students in terms of being technologically savvy. I see this a lot even at the University level: I am the only one whose noticed that most of our professors can't use powerpoint correctly? Many of the classrooms I enter are the same way- I find it particularly frustrating when a teacher I am filling in for insists on showing me some software or program to use for a lesson that he/she hardly knows, though I can figure out in a heartbeat. Looking over the national TESOL Standards I find it amusing that the first "Goal" is for language teachers to gain and maintain technological knowledge. Through first hand observation of the gap between teachers and students I fear that one day I may become that teacher; that technology will advance too quickly for me to keep up and my students will suffer the consequences. Therefore, my first step towards utilizing technology as a professional teacher is maintaining my know-how while at the head of a classroom.
A great online tool I have seen utilized in the field of teaching is a teacher home page which is linked directly through a school district's website. Students sign onto the district site, locate their school, from there choose their teacher, and are then taken to that homepage. Most often students, as well as parents, find postings on the days homework, upcoming tests, special events or announcements, and links to educational websites and online games. This sort of practice has become standard in my eyes and is therefore something I cannot imagine working without.
Using blog posts for educational purposes is not something I've ever considered. However, after reading through these first few chapters, I can see how blog posts can be immensely beneficial to students of all ages. Some of the examples presented in the text such as: Asking students to respond to a though provoking question, or post about a picture you've posted, are great ways to get students to write under minimally controlled conditions- a practice I fear we have strayed far from.
Scary how the knowledge of technology differs from generation to generation huh? We think we know so much but then 10 years from now, some 8 year old kid will upstage us with crazy knowledge of something that we thought we knew about.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that blogging is a good way for students to write under minimally controlled conditions. As a French teacher, I would try to let the blog posts be more of an area of exploration, rather than a grammatically correct specific answer. I like the idea of letting students play with the language and explore different facets of a topic.
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