A New Way of Thinking

I can honestly say that technology has been somewhat of a life-changing force in the past year, so it's quite appropriate that we would be reading about it at this point in our Composition class.  When I say life-changing, I don't mean that I've subscribed to Facebook or any other popular social networks - lack of interest in sharing personal details of my life or hearing about other peoples'  precludes me from taking that step.  For those of you who are truly tech-savvy, the small hurdles I've overcome this year are probably laughable.  But when the school year ended in June of 2010, I left for an academic sabbatical with two goals in mind:  one to earn a writing certification; and two, to break free of my self-imposed fear of technology.  The writing classes have been truly valuable, and I'm one class away from earning the certification.  Mission almost accomplished.  However, the journey into the unfamiliar realm of technology didn't actually start, or at least become consuming, until last week when I started a digital storytelling class.  (Thanks, Katie!)  While the prospect of learning how to write more effectively, and especially how to more effectively teach writing to my students, was exciting, I put off embarking on the techno-journey as long as possible.  If Katie hadn't recommended the DS class (which is completely on-line by the way - a truly huge undertaking for me), I'd probably still be thinking of a way to get out of it!  I just didn't have any interest - and it probably showed in my frustration when I'd take my fourth-graders to the computer lab each week.  Truth be told, I wasn't a complete techno-idiot...  Obviously I had to teach lessons using the Internet, keep a computerized grade book, and I even signed up for the portable SmartBoard when it was available.  (The fact that there were no instructions or in-services on how to use it didn't help my interest level!)  But it got to the point where I felt that even if I didn't care about technology for myself, I owed it to my students to become more proficient.  So in the past eight days, on my first-ever laptop, I've worked with FotoBabble, GoAnimate!, Animoto, and I'm currently writing a digital story, all of which had to be shared with the entire class!  Talk about immersion!  I've always told my students that we learn by doing - but until now, I haven't been practicing what I preach when it comes to technology.  Come August, with a lot more practice, I'll be ready to confidently face my class knowing that we share a connection that I hadn't been able to share with any previous class.  (Plus, I can teach them to write!)  Now that's a year well spent!

So you ask yourself, "If she doesn't like sharing personal information, then why is she babbling on about it?"  My thought is that the above ties in nicely with this week's readings on several points.  In discussing emerging technologies, Moran's essay states that teachers need to know about [these] technologies so that they may incorporate them, or not, as they deem appropriate, into their classroom practice, and so that they may advise and teach those of their students who have access to these technologies and who are using them in their writing. (Tate 203)  I can't teach something that I don't know, which shortchanges students.  Additionally, George's essay speaks of the increasing importance of visual literacy.  (Miller 1435)  The connections between visuals and writing become increasingly more technical every day -  our students (and teachers) need to keep up (or in some cases, catch up) if we are to stay competitive in the field.  Finally, Miller and Shepherd discuss blogs and the importance of kairos.  (Miller 1451)  We are obviously living in a "cultural moment" which is defined by social media.  Who would ever think of a blog as its own genre? 

I can't help thinking that I'm stuck between two mindsets:  the old-schoolers who find technology detrimental to society, and those who were born and raised in this information age where technology seems to come as second nature.  I definitely see the benefits of technology, and teaching technology to our students (including composition).  But it's not second nature to me - it's had to grow on me, so to speak.  So for now, I'll be content to play around with and practice my newly gained digital writing skills, and perhaps I'll even be inclined to expand it further at some point.  There seems to be everything to gain, and nothing to lose...