Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach

ties and limitations of technologies; make informed, ethical choices; and communicate and
collaborate with others. The use of a particular form of hardware or software is a secondary
consideration because they will quickly become outdated (along with my Apple 2E, the mim-
eograph machine, and 8-mm film projectors).
I know it can seem silly when someone who probably knows less than you do about a
topic offers suggestions on how to teach it, but remember, 20 years from now, you will be
the one behind the times and struggling to keep up. These are my suggestions on how to
keep on top of the situation.

·Do not be afraid to learn from your students. Every year, you get older and fall farther be-

hind, but they stay young and cutting edge.

·Student expert groups will not only help you and the class develop technological compe-

tencies, but will enhance classroom community.

·My mother-in-law went online in her late 70s and is an avid user of the Internet and e-mail.

It is never too late to take a class or workshop and develop your own skills.

·Use your computer for lesson preparation as much as you can. Once a lesson is in your

database, it is easy to modify. Activity sheets and homework assignment questions can

quickly be reorganized into tests. The Web is a great source of lesson ideas with material

that can be downloaded and adapted to classroom use. Spreadsheets are also a good

way to keep track of student grades, homework, and attendance.

·Develop your own Web site. It helps build classroom community and makes it possible

for students and parents to keep track of regular assignments and special projects. A

number of teachers link their Web sites with sites they want students to use for research.

This helps eliminate problems such as students getting “lost in cyberspace” during end-

less searches or using inappropriate or inaccurate material.

·Computers and the Internet make it easier for students to “sample” other people’s work

and “borrow” assignments. There is no foolproof way to prevent this. However, if you fo-

cus on the research process, checking student notes, outlines, resource material, and

drafts, it is more likely they will do their own work. You do not have to accept polished fi-

nal reports that are not supported by interim work.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION—MRSTEINGLOBAL

Stu Stein is a high school social studies teacher who “talks” with his students online using

instant messages. He set up a separate screen name with his Internet provider

(MrSteinGlobal) and told students he would be online Tuesdays and Thursday evenings

from 7 to 8 p.m. Any student who has a questions can reach him then. At other times,

they can send him an e-mail and he responds as soon as possible. At the beginning of the

semester, most students shy away from contacting him, so he uses the time looking for

materials for lessons. However, as the semester goes on and students begin to realize

they can actually reach him with their questions or just talk with an adult, it gets busy. A

lot of time is spent helping students with Internet research, especially sorting out credible

from inappropriate sites. He also uses the Internet to post weekly homework assignments

and other class announcements. However, Stu finds the best thing about MrSteinGlobal is

that it gives him an opportunity to get to know his students in an informal atmosphere and

develop a bond with them.

LITERACY 195