You Gotta Make It Real

As I was reading Chapters 5 and 6 in Sara Kajder's new book, several things jumped out at me. By the time students get in middle school, they are tired of the same old writing prompts and assignments. If we allow them to use these new technologies we have been learning about (podcasts, blogs, voice thread, etc.), and use them for authentic purposes, their writing should improve greatly. Once again it hit me how important having "community" in the classroom is. If they feel this, they feel they can show what they know in different modes and media. Community fosters confidence and encourages innovation in our students. We teachers have a lot of catching up to do with this technology to keep up with our tech-savy students. If they know we are working hard to keep up with them, maybe they will work harder for us. All ELA teachers should be required to take classes like this one to stay in touch with things.