Chapter Nine Response: Technology in English and Language Arts Instruction

At the beginning of the chapter, the author makes a valid point in stating that “the way we were taught and the way they learn have changed significantly during their school lives” (Roblyer 291). Today students engaged in reading and writing from electronic forms more than traditional forms. The majority of work completed for classes is done so using some form of technology.

I enjoyed learning about the writing process using word processing and various writing software. Teaching writing using the pen and paper format of my generation has emerged into a technological revolution. A friend of mines husband teaches Middle School Language Arts in Wisconsin and he has twenty-one computers in his classroom. All assignments are completed and saved into a student file for him to access and review. The idea of mapping your writing on the computer is a great approach. Students can easily refer back to their work and not worry about losing their mapping plans. It seems that many of these programs aid the student in directing their overall writing process. Also the various ideas about publishing writing were extremely informative. Using blogs, emails, discussion boards, and word lend valuable support. This gives the writer various formats in which to publish their work. Many of these publications allow children to receive responses from various parties across our globe. As Best Practice states the best learning occurs when students attempt actual communication and see how real listeners/readers react (Zemelman and et al, 87). I believe that children love to share their work and are more open to listen to their peers with suggestions about their work.

The reading/phonetic activities available to lower elementary grades in remarkable. Taking this hands-on approach and formatting to the computer is a wonderful way to engaged children. This tends to make learning more enjoyable, especially for the struggling reader since most programs are designed to format to meet the needs of the child. I personally shared this information with our lower elementary teachers since they focus on reading development. The important fact is that teachers must always work to meet and challenge the needs of the child. By using technology, students are engaged in what they enjoy using and are learning at the same time.