Assignment #1 - Literacy

Ten remarkable middle school language arts teachers
Mary Mercer Krogness. English Journal. (High school edition). Urbana: Jan 1998. Vol. 87, Iss. 1; pg. 98, 4 pgs

This article outlined ways in which these ten middle school teachers excelled in their field. I related these ideas to how this translates to the field of technology. Some main ideas I came away with are:
1. Start at the students' confidence level and not at their frustration level. Bring in literature that they feel confident in reading and understanding and build them up from there. This includes using technology that the students are comfortable with and are used to using regularly.
2. Immerse the students in literature-based programs - poetry, plays, music composing and performing, dramatic productions, etc. These can be found online and the performances the students make up can be videotaped and even posted to a class blog.
3. Help them tap into their own creativity and connect to real-world experiences.
4. Connect yourself to other professionals in your field through dialogue and reading about current issues and theories. Many schools have a technology consultant on staff, so regular meetings to learn new skills and keep up with technology would keep you connected.
5. Be willing to make a paradigm shift from outdated modes, constantly evaluating your style and self-reflecting on its relevence. This especially applies to me as so much has changed in the past 10 years in the area of technology that is used on a regular basis. I need to be willing to try new things and get rid of old modes if they are not effective any more.
6. Be an "expert kid-watcher." Meet them where they are. Get to know the students. Know what kind of technology they use; find out the songs on their ipod, who they IM with, what they look up on the computer, and be ready to engage them in conversation about these things.

I came away from this article with ideas swarming in my head on how to implement these ideas in my future classroom!

Since I want to teach in middle school, I have been observing students at that level and the technology they use on a regular basis.
- cell phones and ipods
- computers (popular websites, gaming, social networking sites, blogs, research)
- game systems (portable and stationary)
Kids these days are plugged in to the world around them. They are familiar with "buttons" and gadgets of all kinds and would adjust easily to using them in the classroom. My challenge as a teacher is to connect those experiences to learning in the classroom. A computer would be the easiest as it is an instant source of information. I could guide them in effective research, show them sites for educational games, help them connect to classmates through blogs and social networking sites. We could start a class blog to discuss topics we read about in literature. I still have to do some brainstorming for how to use the cell phones and ipods in the classroom, but I'm sure with enough research I can come up with something.
The NETS standards for teachers are extemely important as a compass for directing our classroom experiences and setting goals for integrating technology into our lessons. We should seek to adapt our plans to include multiple levels of technology and model the appropriate way to use them. The standards for students set them on a real-world path of creating, connecting, researching, and problem solving. All of these ideas will be found in future careers they choose, so starting in school will prepare them adequately for their jobs. Our world is focused on improving what we have and developing new ideas on the foundations of old ideas. Engaging our students in updated technology will help them be responsible citizens in the future.