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.
We had a good discussion about what constitutes skilled writing in a technological classroom. Allie made a great point about how students want to use the same non-skills that they use in texting, and then question her when she wants the correct spelling. I wondered about that, because they do it on facebook as well. In the elementary school I haven't noticed it as much. Maybe it is because they just haven't gotten into the social networking scene yet. But I agree that the word processor is an important tool in schools, and the children have to be taught that correct grammar and spelling are not an option.
ReplyDeleteI too enjoyed the reading. It is great to know that technology can be used for things like fostering critical thinking and not just "entertaining students" so we can get things done. The one thing that I've come across when it comes to thinking about new and creative ideas is that students have a hard time thinking outside of the box. Maybe it's because they aren't always allowed to do so. One would hope that as technology evolves we can start to open students eyes to the greatness around them, but to still implement the basic skills, especially spelling and grammar!
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