Challenges of the Technological Age
Many of us English teachers and future English teachers feel intimidated by technology in our field. It’s not only the challenges of incorporating technology into our classroom instruction–which include lack of equipment and unpredictability of equipment performance in the classroom–but it’s much more, and much larger than those particular headaches. The technological, or digital, or information (take your pick) revolution that we are currently in the midst of is changing the way we write, speak, and even think. For example, we have students who claim not to want to write in English class, yet they are “published” and eager writers in places like blogs, websites, and Myspace pages. Some of us gripe about using technology in our field, some of us are excited about it, and I think most of us are somewhere in between the two extremes. However we feel about it, technology is here to stay and will continue to change the ways we communicate. Our challenge is to keep up with the wave and remain capable of helping to mold capable and accomplished communicators in the new technological age.
on November 15th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
Jim- I am totally with you as far as recognizing the kids who “hate to write” are some of the more prolific bloggers. How do we, as teachers, change the perception that WRITING is the act of penmanship? How do we explain to these kids who pass 4 pages notes to their best friend in class that they are, in fact, WRITING?
on November 26th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
Jim, Mandy–I too agree with you about drawing out the “e-writers” and linking this writing to the classroom. One possible way would be to allow them opportunities to proofread, edit, and perfect entries within the class, recognizing that one day they will likely have careers that will involve heavy, if not sole uses of technology. I would add however that an even bigger challenge is when schools do not “keep up with the wave,” and the access to or experiences with technology are difficult for students and teachers. As one who clearly falls into the “early adaptor” category, a greater challenge for my students has been limited access to technology.