Plugged . . . or Unplugged. Either Way, It's All Good

When I taught in the late 90s, we had very little technology. I had an ancient Apple computer to do my grades on, but I could never count on it to work—either it or the printer always crashed right before grades or progress reports were due. I did most of my work on my personal computer at home (which also almost always crashed or had issues right when grades were due).

I also had an even older computer that the kids could play games on if they had free time—but we usually couldn’t get it to work. I did have a great overhead that I used a lot . . . I loved that thing. I had access to a computer lab that I managed to get my classes into at least once a marking period.

Last semester, I was talking to another teacher before one of my classes started. She had had a rough day because her computer and smart board were down, and she didn’t know what to do and had a brief panic at the beginning of the day—how was she going to teach? I was shocked to be honest—if you’re that dependent on technology to get through your teaching day—and don’t have a backup plan—then maybe your technology isn’t working for you.

I thought of that interaction when reading the Tate article when he mentions that there isn’t really any proof that technology helps kids learn. For years, teachers have managed to teach without the aid of computers, smart boards, or remote control clickers, and they have done quite well. That’s not to say that there is no place for technology . . . I love the tech toys as much as the next person and can definitely see their place in my classroom. But an overdependence on them isn’t good for anyone. I often joke that all I really need to teach is paper, pencils, access to books and other materials from which to pull models. Of course, having access to word processors is nice . . . but not required.

Regardless of the place technology may or may not have in the classroom, it definitely has a place in the lives of our students. Tate mentions one of the most important things with regard to technology—that students need to be taught evaluate critical thinking skills to navigate the waters of the web and other sources. They need to learn how to evaluate links . . . where are they, who’s providing information, and so forth. I can’t agree more, and it’s one of the reasons behind my belief that teaching critical thinking—and reading and writing—is so crucial.

And there’s a lot to be said for unplugging and turning off the tech. I really like the assignment in the George article. Her visual argument was an intriguing project, and I could see using it as an assignment as is on its own or as a prewriting activity or a companion to a written piece. George quotes Selfe’s suggestion that “teachers of English composition have not, until very recently, had the means to produce communication that went very far beyond the word” (1444). I think it would be an interesting assignment to request that final draft with no guidelines regarding form. Students can pick the font, the size, the color, the layout . . . everything. They could then explain why they made the choices they did—kind of a blend of the visual argument and creative desktop publishing.

Unfortunately, until all schools are created equal, students are going to have different and varying access to technology. For me, I’ll use it if I have it and enjoy it, but I’m happy knowing that if push comes to shove and I don’t have access to all the fun tech, I can still plan engaging lessons and get some good teaching going.