My thoughts on Chapter 10 and Epilogue

I really liked this chapter because it put everything into context on what we are supposed to do with this new read/write web to best help our students.  It gave us ten big shifts that this new Internet is going to cause and as teachers we should help push for these big shifts and use them to help our students learn for the future.  I feel that his section had many good points to look at.  With technology the way it is today, students are not going to be learning the same ways that they have been for hundreds of years.  One difference that this book says is happening is that the curriculum and content is going to change to things that students want to learn.  This is a great idea but it can be scary to think about as a future teacher.  As you go though school people are always talking about standard based curriculum and what you need to know before you pass this grade.  It will be a lot different if students are able to learn what the want.  As a future teacher I will have to be there to make sure they learn the right things to help them in the future.  Another thing to consider is with new technology students are able to not only write in words.  They can also express what they are thinking in visual and in audio ways.  This is a great thing because it helps out all different types of learners.  Technology makes this possible for students to do.  I think this makes it easier on the teachers because it gives them more options for assignments and you don't have to make students who hate writing all the time write all the time.  I liked that we are now able to do that and technology makes it possible. Another shift that I liked and I hope happens more often is that teaching is not just lecture it is a conversation.  I feel that students can learn a lot better if they are just not only listening to the teacher but adding to the conversation as well.  This also gets them involved and helps them stay focused.  This can stop classroom management problems as well because they will be motivated to learn.  I liked many of these shifts and I am excited to see how this new technology will effect the mold of teaching as it is today.  As a future educator I will have to work with these shifts and use them to help it learning.  This will not happen over night but I think that it is already starting now.  I know that I am learning in many different ways because of technology now, then I did when I was in grade school.  We have to embrace this read/write web because this is how people are learning and communicating today. The story of the future classroom in the epilogue is a lot different then the visions that I had as being a teacher before I took this class.  I can see how it is possible but I think it will take me a little bit to get to that point.  These shifts are not going to be night and day but I feel that they are happening and it is exciting.