Although it’s obviously dated, this reading is still highly relevant and important. Technology is the issue; as technology advances, the way we live changes dramatically. Twenty years ago, daily life was different; we weren’t texting, sharing our weekend plans on Facebook, or taking virtual classes online. Students will not engage with same lessons presented in the same traditional ways. We shouldn’t expect them to conform to an outdated mode of learning.
Traditional “Englishy” skills and core ideas are still essential; however, we have to make them relevant to a generation that is used to having everything they want in real time. We have to get their attention and put things into a context that they value. We also have to get real with them (crap detecting), relating our lesson plans to real-life situations so they can see the connection between their studies and their future.
Even with the budget cuts and worries about the future, we live in an exciting time for teaching. Technology continues to offer us thousands of new ways to conduct our classrooms and structure our lesson plans. The potential to take education to a much higher level is a real possibility for our generation.
I enjoyed this reading; it raises a lot of new questions for me.
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