Reflection on Emerging Technologies

            The NMC Horizon Report illuminated the changing aspects of formal education, regarding both the use of technology in the classroom and broader changes that schools hope to implement. One among these changes I found particularly compelling as a future English teacher: that of the initiative to connect more fluidly one subject matter to another with a focus on project and challenge- based learning. This would result in a more comprehensive understanding of subject matter on the part of the students.

            Works of literature must be understood not just from an aesthetic point of view, but also within a historical and cultural context. We can appreciate the beauty of language in any work of literature, but it is also necessary to understand the setting in which it was composed. Might the "powers that be" have had any influence on the work? What were the prevailing social norms? What was occurring at the time that the work was composed? "The Crucible", for example, "literally" is a play about the Salem Witch Trials, but may also be seen as an allegory for the "McCarthyism" movement of the 1940's and 1950's (during which time the play was written). If these two topics, "The Crucible" and McCarthyism, were taught simultaneously in English and history classes, students would gain a deeper understanding of both. Teachers of different content areas could work together to further students' understanding by creating projects and challenge- based learning experiences that integrate both the literary and historical aspects of the content being taught. Teachers could also utilize social media (i.e. Twitter, class blogs) to direct students to virtual learning opportunities outside of the classroom. This integrated learning style would meet "the need for learning design that better connects each class and set of subject matter to each other (NMC, 3)."

Learning with Technology

              For our first foray into "Ye Olde English Literature", my tenth grade English teacher, Ms. Walter, assigned our class a group project that my classmates and I fondly remember as "The Beowulf Movie". This project, a significant part of which involved the use of technology on our parts, was one of the most not only useful, but fun projects I completed during high school. The assignment was simple: make a movie based on the epic old English poem "Beowulf". As such, it could more accurately be referred to as "technology integration outside of the classroom", but the same goal, namely a better understanding of the subject matter, was accomplished.

            "Beowulf" was the first text we tackled that year, and our first exposure to epic poetry. A daunting prospect, to say the least. After we read the poem, we separated into small groups of three to four students and were given the assignment. We were given no real guidelines; our only instructions were to film our interpretation of the text. In my group's case, this culminated in a memorable weekend spent scouting locations, script-writing, and finally filming. Filming took us all over my small town, from the nearby river (location for Beowulf's arrival in Denmark) to my own cellar (the mead hall, "Heorot") and many places in between. We all had different "roles" to play: director, editor, actor (I got to play Wiglaf and help Beowulf slay the dragon!), prop master, etc. The result was a film certainly not worthy of any Oscars (maybe a "Razzie"), but one that allowed us to dig deeply into a text and creatively demonstrate our understanding of it.

            After the fun of filming, we were in for another, and possibly more important, treat: seeing our classmates' work. On a literary level, this allowed us to see other interpretations of the text and ultimately learn from each other. It also allowed us to see how much more technologically savvy our peers were; we were equipped with a simple video camera (that used a VHS tape!) and a boom box. Other groups had DVD recordings complete with special effects and clearly audible soundtracks. While I would not concede that our technology was "outdated", some of my classmates' technology was certainly more innovative. One group's film featured a "Beowulf" version of the famous "Star Wars" introduction, as did ours. However, that group utilized a computer editing program that resulted in a nearly identical introduction to its inspiration, while we just handwrote our "Beowulf" introduction and scanned the camera down the sheet of paper (while playing the "Star Wars" theme on the boom box of course).

            Ms. Walter could just as easily have shown us a film version of "Beowulf", or a documentary about the epic poem. Instead she chose to challenge us to be the filmmakers and demonstrate what we understood from the text, thus making it an active, as opposed to passive, learning experience. In giving us this assignment, Ms. Walter also showed us that she had confidence in our ability to translate our understanding of the text into a creative medium using technology.  It is learning experiences like this one that I hope to integrate into my lesson plans, as I know from experience that they are effective!

            "The Beowulf Movie" was one of the most memorable experiences I had in high school. Not only did it provide hours of fun and countless memories, but it also fostered peer collaboration and encouraged creativity. The use of technology outside of the classroom was integral to this project, and it resulted in a better understanding of the subject matter. And while our film did not win us any Oscars, it did earn us an 'A'!  

 

Technology used during this learning experience:

http://www.mediacollege.com/equipment/jvc/camera/gr-sx/grsxm320u.html 

Flipped Classroom

Lesson viewed: "Insults by Shakespeare"

This video lesson addressed one of the reasons why Shakespeare remains popular with audiences today: namely, his use of insults! The narrator used two examples from two well known plays (Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet) to illustrate how Shakespeare's choice of words, foreign as they may sometimes seem to us, could really "burn"! (I'm saying that in Kelso's voice from "That 70's Show"...) The process involved examining the word or phrase in a literary and/ or historical context. Multiple choice and open- ended questions followed the video: the multiple choice questions were recall questions related to the video, while the open- ended required the viewer to come up with his or her own ideas and relate the content to modern- day examples.

As a viewer, I felt this was an effective use of technology! It utilized both visual and auditory teaching methods, humor (useful for keeping students engaged!), and application of an important skill (using literary and historical context clues).

As with any new method, there are both possibilities and limitations when it comes to this sort of teaching technology. On the positive side, there are so many videos and activities on the Internet allowing teachers to create fun, interactive lesson plans. Without falling asleep to a boring textbook, students can come to class already familiar with the material. Thus, the teacher does not have to spend as much time introducing the topic as he or she ordinarily would. Essentially, students get extra (pre) lecture time! And therein lies the potential problem: this extra lecture time is one- way. Students do not get the opportunity to ask questions of the teacher, and may come to class under a misapprehension, or already frustrated with the material.

Used judiciously, I feel that the "flipped classroom" can be an effective teaching tool for the modern student.