Lessons From History: Teaching with Technology in 100 Years of English Journal Response

As a student, I personally have always preferred the "old-fashioned" methods of books, paper, and pens. For my part, I absolutely love books, turning the pages, the smell of them. And, as much as I do love my laptop, I also enjoy picking up a pen and writing my thoughts on paper. To me, there is just something about holding a physical book or handwriting something that is irreplaceable. Although I see some of the benefits to eReaders, I have always been a proponent of traditional books. And when my high school gave us iPads, I scoffed because I certainly was never going to use it. Unfortunately, I did have to use it and I hated it, particularly when it deleted my finished project. However, after reading this article, I can see how new media and technology can be useful in the classroom. They can provide a perspective that would be otherwise inaccessible without them. Although I have always preferred a written project to one such as making a short video, there are benefits to asking students to boil down a novel to its essential components in order to fit it into a five-minute video. It's also particularly useful for students that don't like English; it is a fun way for them to learn without it feeling like the traditional English class that they detest. I think that traditional methods and new media both have a place in the classroom, and it is important to expose students to all forms of engaging with and analyzing a text.