Monday, September 28, 2009

Traditionalist in a Techo-Educator's Body

I hate the idea of the Kindle. I have never used a Kindle. I have seen a Kindle once (I refused to touch it) and know of a few people who own them. Yet, I still hate the idea of the Kindle. As a former journalist, I have a strict sense of reverence for old-fashioned, printed-with-ink media. As a self-proclaimed super-bookworm (reading Fahrenheit 451 gave me nightmares for weeks), I argue that nothing rivals the feeling of a book spine in the palm of my hand and the turning of pages between my fingers. While I clearly tout my allegiance to “tangible” media, I lead a double life… I think that technology is awesome! In fact, I can’t live without it. As a consumer of emerging technology, I partake in the occasional social networking dialogue (Facebook, anyone?). I regularly read blogs. I superfluously check my email. This techno-obsession seeps into my professional life in a positive way. As a teacher, I have always been a strong proponent of the usage of technology in the classroom. When I was teaching secondary English, I strived to organize my lessons so that they reflected the components of the digital world in which my students lived. To me, this translated to increased student engagement and perhaps (I hoped) intrinsic motivation. Technology in the classroom is a good thing.
Isn’t it?
Recently, I read an article (Books face extinction as schools go high-tech) about a school in Massachusetts that is embarking on a movement from textbook to computer-based class content. We can’t ignore the usefulness of pervasive online course management systems like Moodle and Angel, or the various other technologically-based instructional systems that aid educators in the most noble of tasks. They are helpful and make a lot of classroom activities much easier. Yet, while is clear that many traditional textbooks are situated around a teacher-centered view of learning, one where the teacher is mediator between the students and knowledge, I hesitate to fully embrace the idea that:
“It’s not just in [students] normal lifestyle to read from a book.”
Books face extinction as schools go high-tech

My traditional side screams, “Wait a minute! Why not?!” My techno-sympathetic side calmly says, “Well, what IS in their normal lifestyle and how can we harness that?” The article discusses the fact that going digital enabled the particular school to offer more electives, which is a wonderful thing. It also mentions the federal stimulus package that enables Massachusetts’ schools to purchase new technologies with an aim at increasing student achievement, which is another plus. My question is: What are we losing when we go all-digital? Is it realistic to want students to appreciate printed media that might not be around for much longer anyway? Where do our personal nostalgias become sacrificed for the greater good of the students? What gets lost in the process?




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2 comments:

  1. Andrew NeelySeptember 30, 2009 at 2:24 PM

    It's so funny that you began this post by sharing your reservations concerning the Kindle. I've actually been exploring the possibility of obtaining a class set of Kindles when I return to the English classroom next year. I understand your reservations, and I echo some of them. I imagine these are the same feelings many music listeners have about the differences between vinyl records and digital downloads.
    My reason for considering Kindles for the classroom stems directly from a desire to provide greater choice to my students. With Kindles teachers can download "class sets" of books or stories at a much cheaper rate, allowing for greater choice to both teachers and students. I do not believe we can allow our nostalgic feelings for "books" stand in the way of something that may be better. After all isn't the message the same, just a different medium?

    After initially reading your post, I came across another blog post from a colleague that seems to fit nicely into this conversation.

    http://tipline.blogspot.com/2009/09/change-is-difficult.html

    This video is also a humorous addition to the conversation.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXcj6Naq2h4

    What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
  2. nolceseOctober 29, 2009 at 9:43 PM

    Andy,
    Thanks for your response. I apologize for the delay in my own response. I agree that the choice and availability of texts that the Kindle might offer trumps the nostalgia associated. Making a variety of books available, especially to students who lack resources at home, is important.

    Have you contact or knowledge of a teacher/school that is using Kindles presently? I wonder about the logistics of it all. Will the students be allowed to bring them home? What potential technical glitches are there? A plain old textbook won't run out of batteries.
    To that end, I found an interesting site that discusses Kindles and educational usage:
    http://www.edukindle.com/category/the-kindle-in-the-classroom/

    Conversely, here is a progressive (grain of salt) take: http://prorev.com/2009/10/kindle-in-classroom-gets-poor-review.html

    Thanks for the video! It seems like you might have some of the frustrations as a CFF rep. Eh?

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