This course has a focus on in-depth study of the teaching of reading and writing in the ESL/EFL classroom. Included in the course will be systematic study of the application of linguistic theory to teaching in the classroom, practical application of pedagogical strategies, and development of materials and tasks to stimulate reading and writing skills in L2 learners. A key component of the course is the student’s participation in volunteer ESL tutoring.
I found this article to be interesting because I have been thinking the same thing recently. As more and more devices like the Kindle, Nook, and iPad become available, it might be useful to move to digital-based textbooks. Devices that function like a tablet PC would allow students to read the text on one side and take notes on the other, or highlight and unhighlight passages at will. Textbooks could be revised and changed as a downloadable update. Students could stop suffering from back pain caused by pounds of books in their backpacks!
I think that this is still a good 5 years off, if implemented. The technology is still too new. I have played with a Nook at Barnes and Noble, and while its screen is easy to read, it still loads far too slowly to be really efficient. And the iPad's reviews have been far from glowing. I think that once this technology matures, we might begin to see a new era of teaching emerge.
I believe that this has been suggested in California as a means to cut the budget deficit ... a way to be green and save green at the same time.
It seems like a most workable idea ... and would, presumably, permit teachers to add other items to to supplement the textbooks. Or, perhaps it could be a wooden stake in the heart of the whole textbook industry. It certainly could open the door to allowing a greater variety of writing, viewpoints, and quality into the classroom.
I found this article to be interesting because I have been thinking the same thing recently. As more and more devices like the Kindle, Nook, and iPad become available, it might be useful to move to digital-based textbooks. Devices that function like a tablet PC would allow students to read the text on one side and take notes on the other, or highlight and unhighlight passages at will. Textbooks could be revised and changed as a downloadable update. Students could stop suffering from back pain caused by pounds of books in their backpacks!
ReplyDeleteI think that this is still a good 5 years off, if implemented. The technology is still too new. I have played with a Nook at Barnes and Noble, and while its screen is easy to read, it still loads far too slowly to be really efficient. And the iPad's reviews have been far from glowing. I think that once this technology matures, we might begin to see a new era of teaching emerge.
I believe that this has been suggested in California as a means to cut the budget deficit ... a way to be green and save green at the same time.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a most workable idea ... and would, presumably, permit teachers to add other items to to supplement the textbooks. Or, perhaps it could be a wooden stake in the heart of the whole textbook industry. It certainly could open the door to allowing a greater variety of writing, viewpoints, and quality into the classroom.