The Tech Savvy Teacher

A colleague of mine is finally testing the idea that if all students have a computer then they will find avenues for learning that, through traditional teaching methods, cannot be found.  Some might think that students should just have access to computers and the Internet, but in many schools that is not the case.  Some might think that students have too much access, but that is not always the case either.

I wonder, though, when the smoke has cleared, what role does the teacher play in this 1:1 teaching scenario?

In a recent video on www.edweek.org, Karen Cator, the Director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, says that teachers don’t need more professional development to learn how to use “new” technology in the classroom.  Teachers “are tech savvy” and need to begin using the same technology they use in their personal lives in their classrooms. 

Cator continues by saying that professional development should help teachers to develop new assignments that engage students and use current technology as the vehicle through which students will learn. 

I couldn’t agree more!

My colleague, knowing that every one of his students has a laptop, is able to teach students to write differently using blogs.  He is able to provide links to videos, podcasts, music, and books.  And this is just scratching the surface. 

In my own classroom, I watch my students go to the laptops and, with the click of the mouse, create dynamic presentations using research skills that they didn’t know existed.  What do I do?  I watch them create!  For a tech savvy teacher, using the same technology I use in my own life has opened my classroom to wonderful new ways to teach my students. 

So what does all this really mean?  Well, I think it’s the tech savvy teacher that will find ways for his students to engage the world and learn from it.  Traditional teaching will only show the students how much of the world fits on one page. 

To view my colleagues blog and hear more about his 1:1 teaching, go to http://teacherstalkingshop.blogspot.com.

To view the entire Karen Cator video, go to http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/video-galleries/october05-event-edtech.html.

Should Classic Novels be Re-imagined?

I'm a lover of the classics; To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men are favorites of mine that I re-read each year and find something new to love each time.  However, as this generation of learners is more demanding of interactivity, should classic novels such as these be re-imagined? 

If you follow my blog, you may have noticed that I enjoy playing a few video games now and again.  I certainly feel that video games possess elements of storytelling that sometimes surpass novels.  In most cases, the level of interactivity allows the player to take part in the fictional world in ways a novel can never do.  And it is with these ideas in mind that I re-imagine the classics. 

Imagine Atticus Finch as a video game hero!  Imagine George and Lennie's relationship put into the world of a video game!  While these are just a couple of fun examples, there is an endless number of ideas available.  But would it work?

I think the opportunity to interact with these novels and the characters in a new way would be beneficial to my students because gaming is something that many of them spend a lot of time doing.  Reading, for many students, seems like a boring, tedious, and forced process.  Why not bring these classics to a game world where the students are already comfortable?  Teachers could still focus on ideas such as characterization, theme, setting, and conflict.  Moreover, why not have the students play the game while reading the novel? 

However, with the amount of controversy surrounding the recent changes to Huck Finn, I have to assume that making these classic novels into games would cause just as much controversy.  Although I don't see schools using the games instead of classic texts anytime soon, it is difficult to deny the power of interactive storytelling and the unbelievable experience a gamer may have interacting with a game.  I guess I can still enjoy the idea of my favorite classics gracing the Wii, PS3, or Xbox 360! 

Take a look at this excellent documentary on Interactive Fiction that informed this post: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/02/01/new-documentary-takes-a-look-at-interactive-fiction.aspx

Happy reading...or gaming!