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last.updated 10.21.07

Teaching with Technology

Purpose

Computer technologies have become the primary media writers use to compose, and, in many cases, to communicate. Therefore, some writing scholars are arguing that we cannot just teach students how to write, but we need to teach them how the technologies they use to write affect the texts they produce. In addition to this argument, we question the extent to which we use technology in the classroom and the extent to which we help develop our students' technological literacy. These inquiries, of course, beg the question whether it is the language arts instructor's responsibility to teach technology. As you answer these questions the instructor will model strategies for teaching with synchronous computer technologies, which will lead to a discussion of the practice.

Before Class

• Read Moran and Selfe, "Teaching English across the Technology/Wealth Gap" [English Journal, 88.6]
• Read Selber, "Reimaging the Functional Side of Computer Literacy" [BB]
• Read Alsup & Bush (148-155)
• English 555: Submit three entries apiece to the instructor as a hard copy at the beginning of class.
• Presentation Group 1 (Amy, Janet, Linda, Lisa)
• Note  Last Day to Drop Classes is October 23, 2007

Discussion–Selfe & Moran, Selber, and Alsup & Bush

• Login into Blackboard and go to the following chatroom:

For the first fifteen minutes of the discussion, you will be asked to address the following questions with your chatroom group members:

• What computer technologies/programs would you use in your language arts class? how would you use these technologies/programs?
• As Alsup and Bush ask, how would you evaluate the computer-mediated work that you ask your students do? (Think about a project that you may have them do and how you would evaluate it).
• How would you address issues of assess to the technology?

For the next fifteen minutes the class will virtually reconvene in the Virtual Lecture and address the following question:

• Thinking about what your group discussed, do you think it is the language arts teachers responsibility to teach students how to write with computer technologies? If so, which programs should we teach them how write with?

The class will then log out of Blackboard and discuss the following issues face-to-face:

• We will talk about the experience we has with both Blackboard Collaboration formats and how each might be pedagogically adapted.
• What were the highlights of the discussion that your group had?

Presentations–Group 1

We will be the audience for teaching demonstrations from Group 1 (Amy, Janet, Linda, Lisa).