Last week I commented in a thread about the Lord of the
Flies and shared my opinion on the most significant Biblical allusion in the
novel. I attempted to give an answer that was different than the answers that
members had previously given. Unfortunately, my comment did not receive any
feedback. I assume this is because five members had posted in the thread before
me. I have found that threaded discussions seem to lose their hype quickly in
this forum unless some sort of controversy is sparked.
I decided that I would start my own thread this week in the
“General Teaching” discussion section. I wanted to ask fellow literature
teachers their feeling about a topic that they would be passionate about. This
was the question I posted: “I have a question for all of my fellow literature
teachers. What are your thoughts on transitioning to ebooks in the classroom?
My school is in the process of adopting tablets and I am having to decide how I
am going to require students to purchase their novels next year. I personally
love holding an actual book, but I realize ebooks may be cheaper for students.
What are your thoughts?” Since posting this question on Sunday night, I have
received two responses. One teacher said, “The transition to ebooks has been
amazing! Students rarely come to class without a way to access the text and
they are able to easily refer back to texts that we covered earlier in the
school year. Paper books are the way of the past.” I was encouraged by the way
this teacher shared their experience and opinion with me in a positive way.
Another member, who I am assuming is a teacher, said, “I will NEVER allow
ebooks into my classroom. They will have to throw me out with my paperback
novels.” Though this user disagreed with my opinion, I felt they were able to
share their thoughts in a comical and non-threatening manner. I feel that both
of these forum members demonstrated positive digital citizenship. I am excited
to see what other members will have to say about this issue.
I'm having the issue with responses in my forum too. I think your right when we post on a thread it gets overlooked or members look at it as old news and don't take the time to look at it. It's a bummer you didn't any replies on the Lord of the Flies post, I think that one would have been interesting to see how they would respond. It is awesome though you already have hits on a post you created on your own. I think you posed a very crucial question and its interesting to hear what people have to say about transitioning to eBooks. It's interesting how your two replies were complete opposites. After starting this technology program it has really opened up my eyes to the benefits of implementing tech into the classroom. I'm multiple subjects, so my kids would be reading novels, well maybe forth and fifth grade, but I think the idea of eBooks is awesome, but I also agree with you, it isn't the same not holding the actual book in your hands. I think this is a total toss up question, and I have a feeling those who oppose are probably veteran teachers.
ReplyDeleteWow what interesting responses to your post! I also found that posting in threads seems to get lost and that initiating a thread is more successful. I think you posed a very interesting and somewhat controversial topic, and it seems that you are already receiving a wide range of responses. I can see where both teachers might come from with the topic of ebooks. They are definitely a big transition, and they break my heart a bit because of my love for a paperback. However, the unique benefits of e-books, especially for special education students and those with reading difficulties, seem undeniable. It will be great to see what other responses you receive!
ReplyDeleteLord of the flies is a really great book. Although i must sure it is my second favorite book that starts "Lord of the" because I love Lord of the Rings. A literature forum would be really fun to be apart because there are so many different books out there it would be good to hear which other people also enjoyed
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