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Technology moves the educational experience beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom. Through the internet and the unique visual opportunities afforded by digital projection, slides, and audiovisual content, students are connected to the world via material that need not replace the textbook (an important and interesting technology in itself), but that makes it come alive.
There are many reasons I use technology in my classroom. The reading, writing, and critical thinking skills I challenge my students to engage are all forms of communication, and the modes by which that communication is carried is just as important as content of the message itself. Using computers, internet, and digital media in the classroom provides a forum for students to consider the changing nature of language and the role technology plays in those changes.
In keeping with these ideas, I often ask my students to discuss the effects of different formats for communication on the audience: how do writers develop a message specifically for a certain audience? does that audience only passively receive that message, or do they co-create it? does this change with different types of arguments and presentations? To spark discussion on these topics, I have shown the following video clip demonstrating how the internet itself, which has been created by its audience, is changing the ways we communicate.
Teaching with technology allows me to include organized visual examples to enrich class discussions. By teaching in a technology classroom whenever possible, I have been able to use the networked computer and digital projector to provide my students with vivid examples and presentations that invigorate the course's subject matter. For example, during a unit on cause/consequence analysis, I show my students the film "The Confederate States of America," a fake documentary that outlines a vision of what the U.S. would be like if the South had won the Civil War. This brings the term "alternate history" to life in a way that is very different from text, compelling the students to reexamine how they think about history and how it is shaped.
Another technology I use in the classroom is the PowerPoint slideshow. I use PowerPoint presentations most often when I need to introduce new concepts or present definitions to the class. Slides break up the monotony of a boring lecture and save the time it would take to write out lengthy sentences on the chalkboard. Here is a sample slide from an introductory lecture on the basic rhetorical principles:
The internet is also a valuable teaching tool in my classroom. I frequently integrate online resources to enhance class discussions that might benefit from a visual component. For example, we rhetorically analyze advertisements, commercials, and webpages online to consider the effects of elements such as layout, graphics, or fonts on the user. Resources such as Slate magazine's slideshow essay by David Segal titled "The Strange History of Racist Spokescharacters" is useful for initiating discussion about the cultural effects of media portrayals both historically and in the present. Here is a sample slide from the essay, and you can view the full slideshow by clicking the link above:
In addition to using these media in my presentations, I also encourage students to use technology in their own writing projects. For example, in my English 15 courses, several students have chosen to create websites to submit for the revision assignment. Using a website compels the students to focus intensely on their audience, considering both visual and written rhetorical choices as they present their arguments. Here is a screen capture of one former student's website revision (the url and identifying information have been removed to protect the student's privacy):
I use several different technologies to communicate with my students and provide opportunities for engaging with the course material outside of class. The most common of these is email, which my students know is an easy way to reach me at almost any time of day. I use email to answer questions, keep students updated on syllabus changes, and remind them of important deadlines. I also frequently have students submit assignment proposals via email or Angel so that I can respond with feedback in a short amount of time that doesn't require them to wait until they get to class the next day.
Angel, Penn State's online course management system, is an essential component of every course I teach. Not only does it allow students constant access to an updated syllabus and course roster, I also provide a section of useful research links on Angel to give them additional resources for research, documentation, and writing elements to keep in mind when they are writing their papers. Here is a sample screenshot of research links for English 15:
And here is a screenshot of some of the resources available on Angel for the same class:
Additionally, I use Angel to provide assignment sheets, lecture notes, and message boards where students can ask questions that are visible to the entire class. Instead of solely using Angel as an out-of-class resource, I frequently use the digital projector to go over the Angel materials in class. For example, as an introductory assignment for my 202A (Writing for the Social Sciences) class, I asked each student to post a list of subcultures they belonged to on Angel. Not only did this assignment allow the students to introduce themselves to me and each other in a non-intimidating forum, it gave them a list of example subcultures to refer to for their first major paper, in which they were asked to choose a subculture at Penn State to research. We also used the list of subcultures on Angel in class to brainstorm possible approaches to writing about a subculture for their first paper. Here is a screen capture of the prompt for this Angel assignment:
Although I have used Angel in all of my courses, I have also explored other online avenues for providing 24 hour access to course information, such as a course website (e.g., see the sample English 15 syllabus on my "Courses Taught" page) or a course wiki. The wiki in particular is an avenue I wish to continue exploring, as its multi-user editing functions make it an interesting alternative to the traditional in-class draft workshop. Please follow the link below to see an example of a wiki I have used for PREF (you may view online readings, course information, and useful links by clicking on the links in the wiki's sidebar):
[PREF 2006 Wiki]
The following links provide additional resources for teaching with technology in Literature and Composition:
An excellent site for any humanities instructor, this site was designed by four college English professors to provide an online resource for teaching literature. In addition to online teaching materials for a number of literary genres, it also contains an extensive list of resources focusing on technology, including articles, activities, and many useful links for teaching with technology in English.
This site is designed by Western Michigan University, and contains a number of specific literary articles and projects for classes in addition to discussions of digital media and the changing nature of literary scholarship.
A free quarterly electronic journal for teachers of English interested in using computer technology in their teaching.
Although most of this site’s resources for teaching about and through online media are designed for high school students, many can be adapted for the college level.