The Final: What I Learned Through Eng 625

I guess I've been living in the nineteenth-century when it comes to the applications, both social and productive, that can be used in a composition classroom. I suppose I could list the programs that I liked using and plan on using in the future, but more important is the fact that I know many of these programs exist. When our students begin to outpace us in the use of technology then I feel that there is a certain disconnect that occurs where we may be viewed (along with those gold nuggets of knowledge that we are trying to pass on) as outdated or of lesser relevance in a technological world. It may seem weird to say that we owe it to our students to keep up with them instead of the other way around, but where technology is concerned that is often the case. I would like to have a minimum of a basic working knowledge of the most likely applications that students will use and like to use.

One of the most interesting things I learned about distance learning was that it does not work to take traditional teaching styles and lesson plans and simply put them out there in a virtual classroom and expect the students to "get it." It takes a lot of work, planning, and practice to get it mostly right. How the dynamics of the virtual classroom work sounds like something that I would like to experience as a teacher. It can only make us better teachers in an online environment and in a brick and mortar setting as well. In addition, there are a lot of issues that need to be taken into account for an online environment that we often take for granted in a brick and mortar classroom (ethical, personality styles, learning styles, etc.). I look at online learning like a submarine. These vessels can navigate as well as any ship on the ocean without the benefit of visual sight to aid them. With online learning we have to use our radar and sonar to "ping" our way through to recognize how we can establish the best path for a student who needs to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way.

Finally, I love the multimodal assignment. I would definitely use this in a composition classroom. I'm not sure it would work in an online environment because students would often need hands-on assistance with programs and applications they are trying to use. But the really nice thing about it is that it gets students thinking about composition in ways that they never dreamed. It also gives students the flexibility to decide the direction they want to go with the project. It's something they can take ownership in. It still allows the teacher to slip in traditional forms of composition (composing, drafting, citing, etc.) without it being a painful process for the student. The only problem that I see, and one that would take a lot of planning, is grading the projects. Coming up with a rubric for projects that may be all over the board in complexity and creativity may be a challenge. It wouldn't be impossible but I wouldn't do it without a lot of deliberation on what students may come up with. Students have a knack for surprises that are both delightful and horrific.

Although I have always leaned towards more traditional forms of teaching because I was terrified that I would show my own weakness in the classroom for not knowing how things work, or getting them to work when I want them to, I realize that we have come to a point where we no longer have a choice. The technological classroom is here to stay, in the humanities of all places! I can no longer hide behind a desk and podium, do a lesson plan, and call it a day. Being a better teacher is what it's all about, and learning new technologies that are at our disposal and may help our students is no longer an option but a requirement. English 625 probably just scratched the surface, but at least I'm on the path.