Week 6

I really enjoyed the readings from this week and continue to find myself shocked daily on just how much information is available free to the public online. First of all, I don’t think I realized how valuable a resource The Chronicle of Higher Education truly was. I know I have read articles from the site before but it has never clicked to be a resource for me before. I have tagged it on my delicious account and set myself up to receive occasional e-mail updates.

The Internet has changed the way we view and access information in ways that I don’t even think could be listed. I hear jokes about people saying the “internet fad will pass” and I know that this was a true belief at one time. Now, the idea of being without the Internet leaves me with an almost hopeless feeling. I feel like I restrict myself way too much though. My first reaction to signing online is to check my e-mail and then go on facebook. After scrolling through the most recent updates I will sometimes tap my fingers and feel almost bored. The fact that the world is at my fingertips sometimes doesn’t occur to me. My newest obsession is stumbleupon.com. This website lets you choose what you want to see and then introduces you to thousands and thousands of things that you WANT to see, to hear, to play with. It’s one of the biggest enablers to my procrastination I’ve ever had to face. But, at the same time, I learn constantly through using it. Despite the fact that Stumbleupon.com deters me from wanting to do my homework, it’s way better than watching TV because at least it makes me think.

I am so excited for the shift that I am sure is going to come with digital textbooks. It’s so frustrating sometimes when I want to read an article on the UF website but can’t because it’s not available online. The idea of having to get up, get dressed, gather my stuff and go to the library is almost funny. I’d rather spend that time looking for a new article that does apply to what I’m investigating. I know it’s lazy but it easily puts into perspective what I value most, and quick and easy access to material is at the top of my list.

One aspect of the reading that I want to reflect on is the idea of self-grading digital texbooks . I’m not sure that this promotes active intrinsic learning and participation. What motivation do students have to do well if they’re only working for the grade that the computer will give them. I cherished the comments that my teachers wrote on my homework, especially if they were assignments that I had spent a long time completing. Making grading 100% digital takes away the personal aspect and seems like an unreasonable choice for valuable assessment methods like short answer or essay questions. I would hate for a digital grading system to replace the use of these assessment methods because they require the most complex thought processes and critical thinking skills.

An aspect of digital textbooks that I am really excited about using in my future classroom is the ability that students will have “to jump around in their e-textbooks. From any homework problem, for instance, students can click to the relevant part of the text, or can jump to a part of their professor's recorded lecture that touched on that concept (if the professor makes use of that feature).” (Yonge, 2009). I feel like this tool would be the ease of access that students need to push themselves the extra step to understanding material. It can be annoying to have to go and find a topic that you don’t understand in a book that you don’t like reading.

Overall, I am very excited about the future of digital textbook technology and can’t wait to see what they come up with next to make learning easier and more fun for students!

Resources:

Yong, J. R. (2009, September). New E-Textbooks Do More Than Inform: They'll Even Grade You. The chronicle of higher education. Retrived from http://chronicle.com/article/New-E-Textbooks-Do-More-Than/48324/?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en