Technology and the Standards

Technology just keeps changing and changing and changing. In elementary school, going to the computer lab was a big deal. My class could go once a week, and we worked on old Macs, each one with no mouse. Now, students have constant access to computers in schools and in classrooms.

Using all sorts of different technology in the classroom is a great way to keep interest in material. Film, photography, audio, and other technological texts should be included as much as possible. This is a necessity in these everchanging times.

In a class I observed, the students wrote poetry throughout the semester. Each student had the opportunity to record their poems online to share with whoever they wrote the poem about. Students were so excited to be able to hear themselves on the internet and share their poetry with others. What a cool Christmas present, sending a link that goes to you reading a poem online?

Activities like this will adhere to the standards and will grab students' interests in English material. Think about it.