Word Processing and Online Learning

In a technological classroom, The written word becomes much more important, as it is usually a very common way for a student to interact with a teacher.  Most assignments will involve some sort of writing, and will then be delivered to an instructor for evaluation.  These assignments will take many forms, including essays, short answers questions, or even blog entries.

Students will need to become familiar with word processors in order to make these interactions successful.  This will start with the earliest grades, as students can start completing vocabulary and reading assignments on a computer.  As they progress, there will need to be more emphasis on sentence structure and grammar.  Finally in high school the students will need to understand how to construct a logical written argument and present a compelling document that will hold a reader's attention.  The student will need a knowledge of word processors through all of these stages.

Of all of this weeks assignments, I especially enjoyed our group discussion of "What constitutes skilled writing in a technological classroom?" We started by talking about how technical knowledge of word processors was a requirement, but that many student use this knowledge as a crutch in place of having good writing skills.  They will use poor spelling, grammar, or will not construct logical documents in support of their ideas.  They may instead use technical jargon or abbreviations for their texting experience, instead of correct English.  Word processing will increase the need for students to be coached in proper writing skills.  I also very much enjoyed the reading from the book, specifically using technology to foster critical thinking skills in students.  I think this is one area where technology could easily lead us away from the desired goal.  Namely, too many exercises will only involve the regurgitation of information.  As teachers we will also need to make sure that our lesson plans allow students to come up with new and creative ideas.

Curriculum and Computers

This class is a change from the previous one.  While the last class was mostly about technology, this class is really getting into the details of how to use that technology to help students learn.  It is more about the considerations that a teacher will need to address when designing technology based activities.  These include making sure that all students have access to the technology, and evaluating the effectiveness of the tools in aiding learning.  Another one of the key topics that we discussed in our study group was how computers should be laid out for a study environment.
Although I am very comfortable with technology, I am less familiar with these concepts, and I am looking forward to learning about these considerations, and incorporating them into the classes that I teach.   I am especially interested in all of the roles that technology can play in the learning process.  From helping with scheduling and goal setting, to assessing student skills, to engaging students and providing methods for research, and finally to evaluating students and how well they have retained the material.  It will be very interesting to try and create content that will achieve all of these goals.