Yesterday, in our Literacy class, we discussed the pros and cons of reading online, which stemmed from the New York Times artice: Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?. I had watched the video A Family of Readers mostly, because I enjoy the New York Times videos, and it was easier than reading the article... (Uh-oh! What does that say about my online reading.)
Anyway, in class I thought that a really good point was made that any reading is good reading, especially if it is making reading more enjoyable for young people. Also, I think that reading online can help to expose the reader to many different sources on many different topic with relatively little effort.
However, that being said, I am wary sometimes of reading online, because the source could be totally whack or it could encourage bad writing. Working in a school, I encountered several papers that were written as if they were texting the essay to a friend. Yet, perhaps with the exposure to both online reading and hardcore literature they can hopefully better determine what is good writing and what is a valid source.
On a side note, how do I post a video on my blog?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Row or Not to Row
This April, I started a new sport... Rowing! I was never the athletic type (sometime I would skip PE in high school to go to the library). Anyway, it has been both really fun and challenging. I forgot how hard it is to learn something totally new. It has also introduced me to some really cool people. This weekend I will be rowing in my first race! I am really excited....
Anyway, that being said, I have to decide whether I am going to keep rowing this year once school starts. I really can't decide... I won't be able to row during the evening practices because we have class, which means that I would have to row at 5:30 am. (And only on days when I am not going to Wayne Memorial High School, because I have to be there even before practice is over). In addition, it is a pretty big time commitment and I am not really what one would call a morning person.... However, rowing does make me feel really good and energized, which would be a reason to give it a try. Yet I don't want to be over committed, with school and boyfriend and friends and dog and rowing, oh yeah and sleeping!
Well, I guess I don't have to decide for a month... so we will see!
Anyway, that being said, I have to decide whether I am going to keep rowing this year once school starts. I really can't decide... I won't be able to row during the evening practices because we have class, which means that I would have to row at 5:30 am. (And only on days when I am not going to Wayne Memorial High School, because I have to be there even before practice is over). In addition, it is a pretty big time commitment and I am not really what one would call a morning person.... However, rowing does make me feel really good and energized, which would be a reason to give it a try. Yet I don't want to be over committed, with school and boyfriend and friends and dog and rowing, oh yeah and sleeping!
Well, I guess I don't have to decide for a month... so we will see!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Not a fan of Chatzy
Today I witnessed why I don't think high school students could handle Chatzy, because we couldn't. Maybe it would be useful if strict ground rules were laid out, but for me it has only been distracting. First of all, it is distracting to witness students typing away while in class and to wonder what they are laughing about. Second of all, it is distracting because I am tempted to join or to know what everyone is talking about.
Not only do I think it is disrespectful to be chatting away while a professor is speaking, I also think that the way that people are using it right now is upsetting. Additionally, I think it punishes the students who are trying to pay attention, because they are not part of the in-crowd who is on Chatzy.
This for me is difficult to write, because I am sure that some people will not be too happy about these comments, because they see Chatzy as a relief from paying attention or a way to connect. However, right now, I feel pretty cheated that the conversation in the class is being hindered by people's lack of attention. Furthermore, I just keep thinking about when I am in the classroom, and how I am sure that sometimes students won't think that poetry is the most interesting thing, but I at least hope that they will give me more respect than this.
Not only do I think it is disrespectful to be chatting away while a professor is speaking, I also think that the way that people are using it right now is upsetting. Additionally, I think it punishes the students who are trying to pay attention, because they are not part of the in-crowd who is on Chatzy.
This for me is difficult to write, because I am sure that some people will not be too happy about these comments, because they see Chatzy as a relief from paying attention or a way to connect. However, right now, I feel pretty cheated that the conversation in the class is being hindered by people's lack of attention. Furthermore, I just keep thinking about when I am in the classroom, and how I am sure that sometimes students won't think that poetry is the most interesting thing, but I at least hope that they will give me more respect than this.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Thoughts about technology in the classroom
After class on Friday, I began to think about how I would like to see technology used in my future classroom. On the one hand, technology is cool and I think that it can get kids excited about learning. Plus, they already use it so well that incorporating it into their learning could enhance their learning experiences. Moreover, the use of technology has become more and more important for the work world, thus fostering it in schools seems pretty natural.
However, on the other hand, I think that using technology can cause some problems in schools as well. First of all, if you have students of varying abilities in the use of technology that could create problems. Along those lines, I think that it is often students who are from a lower socioeconomic statues that do not have access to technology, and so the use of it might highlight their lack of a computer at home. (But then I suppose that makes it even more important for them to have exposure...) Also, I think that the use of technology can cause problems because students will sometimes steal or vandalize it. Stealing the mouse ball :) was a huge problem at a high school, where I worked.
Additionally, I am compelled by the idea that all you need to make learning happen is a great, energetic teacher, and technology might just be a distraction. However, that being said, I am very intrigued by the idea of using blogs in English classes or giving the students the options to use a blog instead of a paper journal. Also, I have recently learned how to use DreamWeaver, and I think that there is huge potential for having students create websites about the topics from class. Here is an example of a student compiled website from an English class that I took at Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/~ece/
Overall, I am unsure of the exact role that technology will play in my future classroom, and I am going back in forth between the view that technology will enhance learning and that it will just over-complicate it. However, I am really excited to learn about the different types of technology that one could use in a classroom and to see the positive effects of using this technology!
However, on the other hand, I think that using technology can cause some problems in schools as well. First of all, if you have students of varying abilities in the use of technology that could create problems. Along those lines, I think that it is often students who are from a lower socioeconomic statues that do not have access to technology, and so the use of it might highlight their lack of a computer at home. (But then I suppose that makes it even more important for them to have exposure...) Also, I think that the use of technology can cause problems because students will sometimes steal or vandalize it. Stealing the mouse ball :) was a huge problem at a high school, where I worked.
Additionally, I am compelled by the idea that all you need to make learning happen is a great, energetic teacher, and technology might just be a distraction. However, that being said, I am very intrigued by the idea of using blogs in English classes or giving the students the options to use a blog instead of a paper journal. Also, I have recently learned how to use DreamWeaver, and I think that there is huge potential for having students create websites about the topics from class. Here is an example of a student compiled website from an English class that I took at Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/~ece/
Overall, I am unsure of the exact role that technology will play in my future classroom, and I am going back in forth between the view that technology will enhance learning and that it will just over-complicate it. However, I am really excited to learn about the different types of technology that one could use in a classroom and to see the positive effects of using this technology!
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