Online Learning

When I got my first Kindle (because books weigh down suitcases and I was sick of paying extra for flights), I wasn't impressed. I missed flipping back a few pages to some passage I must've misread or loved. I missed the smell of the pages. I even missed the weight of the book falling into my face as I nodded off. And as an English teacher, I thought there was no way to digitalize what I do. So here I am, being asked to create an online course.

Even with my desire to integrate technology in my classroom, I could never imagine trying to create a course online. There is something to be said about tackling a tough text with a room full of teenagers and actually being able to see them light up as they figure it out. In light of this, and in light of the fact that I will still actually see my students every other day for 80 minutes, I decided to take more of a blended approach. Most of the learning and activities will be done online, but there will still be time to have discussions, conferences, and classroom activities. Rather than completely transforming what I do, I look at this as more of a way to break down the walls of the traditional classroom.

I still haven't given up on my good ol' "real" books, but I do wind up reading more on my Kindle - I've also run out of shelf space.