The activity we did in class on Wednesday was
revealing of the skill set students need to have to "succeed" as a
student today. I put succeed in quotes because while it is
computer-based standardized tests that determine what success is for students
today, my version of student success could never be gauged by such means.
My mentor teacher for the summer at Scarlett Middle School, a 7th and 8th
grade ELA instructor, broke my heart last week when he told me that he finds
his job has become "more about teaching technology and less about
English" and that "English these days really isn't about reading
books anymore. It's about learning how to copy and paste links and find
credible websites." The devastation still pains me and seriously
makes me question why I am here and what my place is in this profession, which
is terrifying because I know that education is where I want and need to be.
So now the question is: how will I come to terms with the fact that the
experience of studying English as I envision it for my students is being pushed
against by technology? Truthfully, I am not sure that I ever will be able
to come to terms with it. I cannot accept that English "really isn't
about reading books anymore." I believe students in today's schools
need to be reading books more than ever - to empathize, to explore, to
understand what it really means to be human, to make sense of ourselves.
I do not like the way our world is evolving and I fear for the future.
My place in the classroom, I think, has to be to hold onto and savor
those things - such as reading books and the feeling of intimacy between an
individual and a piece of paper upon which they have brought to life with their
words - that make us human. A world in which these experiences are
eliminated is a dangerous one.
A wise teacher once told me that once you close the door to your classroom it becomes your world. You can be that teacher who is passionate about reading books and “meaning-making.” It doesn’t have to be “finding a credible link.” You don’t have to do that. You can do it your way. Don’t allow someone else’s negativity to get in the way of your dreams. Teaching students to formulate an understanding of human nature and the prerequisite knowledge necessary to reach such conclusions through your content area is the highest priority of education. It’s human and socializing at the same time. If you teach the skills required to do so by interpreting, analyzing, and responding to the wonderful novels, poems, etc., I suspect that students would have no trouble with standardized tests. Look at yourself for example. You love English, and I assume the classroom you speak of is where you came from. Somehow, you must have done well on those standardized tests.
ReplyDeleteI'm inspired by what Stephen said and reminded of my experiences in high school taking jazz bass lessons from this amazing guy Pepe. Pepe is totally passionate about jazz, and jazz from the 1960s/'70s, in particular. As a man who devotes his life to the art form, he's pretty disgusted with today's culture of digital downloads that draw attention away from the crafting of a full album. He always loved buying CDs (and vinyl); he feels these are much more complete works of art: they contain the full production of an artist from a certain period in his or her life, and they contain liner notes that describe what was going on at the time. Pepe used to convey his old-school ideology to his high school students (in addition to this love of old-school recording technology and norms, he also demanded that his students call him up on the phone whenever we needed to get a hold of him- no email, no text message) - and I think we all really respected him for it. Certainly today I use texting to get in touch with people and I download music digitally, but I also understand the superior effect of phone conversations on relationship quality over texting, and I still buy CDs when its an album I really admire. So, my point is, although his ideas and values were "outdated" technologically speaking, he got through to me (even during my immature high school years), and I think about his wisdom to this day.
ReplyDeleteI have the same feelings about the common trend that implies technology makes learning better. The loss of revealing the creativity bubbling in children because they have a screen to watch makes me sad. I am thrilled to know that you are holding onto books and the beauty of words on paper. Your teaching path may evolve to English History! One way or another, it is pleasing to know you are protecting your books!
ReplyDeleteAll of you make such great comments! I feel that I do not fit in my generation because I dislike relying on technology and would rather use pen and paper. It is still so important that we teach grammar in our classes and not just how to use technology. As a German teacher I rely on my wonderful English teachers that they have given my students a good foundation in the English grammar before I show them how to use it in German. Stay strong to your beliefs but try to keep an open mind of how you can use new things in your classroom to make it better
ReplyDeleteSamantha, I think that in every era teachers have had to engage in negotiations of certain kinds, seeking to exist in a world where top-down decrees are too often the norm, while keeping a firm hold on what made them passionate enough to choose teaching in the first place. You'll figure this out. I think that the important thing is a balance of a different kind, wherein you remain open to how things are done in the school where you teach, and you attend thoughtfully to established practice, while you keep one foot solidly anchored in your happily idiosyncratic passions, and your own attempts to attend to the nurturing of social consciousness in your students. The force of your example...like Rachel's teacher Pepe or that special teacher that inspired *you*...will drive the important ways that you make a difference.
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