Reflections on BEDUC 566 #2

Last night our discussion about what technology is/isn't was beneficial to me. I could see that I was not the only one who was having problems comprehending this idea.

After class I looked at the American Heritage Dictionary Online under "technology" and got this: "Noun: 1a. The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives. b. The scientific method and material used to achieve a commercial or industrial object."

Pretty vague, huh? It makes sense that as a class we would bring in more abstract understandings of the word and that we couldn't come to a general consensus. When we talked about technology as being more of a tool to do something, rather than just a thing, it helped me see that we need to focus on the use of technology (not necessarily focus on using a certain type of technology). If we cannot use a certain type of technology in the classroom, that is fine. What really matters is that students are learning.

An idea that was sort of new to me, that I got from class last night was that technology could be harmful to student learning. If technology does not enhance student learning, I need to find another way to do so. I like the idea of the classroom experience as being a process of learning for the teacher. I must be able to adjust my curriculum to fit the needs of the students.

A question that I had from last week and that was posted in my first reflections blog was: how do I use technology in a literature class? I am starting to see that it may be easier than I had initially thought. Working on digital stories last night was a bunch of fun and I could definitely see using photoworks 3 in a high school class. What a great way to let students express themselves! It could even be used for a senior project. It would be kind of like an Art class combined w/an English class.

I would be interested to know what other types of technology might be used in an English Lit/Lang Arts class room....interactive/creative possibilities.