I understand how a few of us in class the last week were arguing about how we feel the need to "make our students write a paper." I agreed when that discussion took place, and I simply feel it is because we do not want to lose the traditional ways of an English teacher. That concept is, in fact, terrifying to some of us; however, to many it seems as though that is already absorbing and is now dominating. Yes, I am scared to lose the traditional ways of the English teacher-- Reading Romeo & Juliet outloud is exactly what made me want to become an English teacher. The bottom line is, as NCTE states, "Today our students are living in a world that is increasingly non-printcentric."
This idea cannot be ignored. If this is the way to get out students to learn, and the way they will WANT to learn, then so be it. As future teachers it seems as though we need to be selfless and teach in the style that is appealing to kids. If MP3s, videos, visual art, graphics, etc. are the ways in which kids will learn then, once again, so be it. As the NCTE states, we must encourage, encourage, encourage, these ways.
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I think, overall, we as teachers need to do what is best for our students. We need to see what is going to work for our students and then we need to be flexible enough to use those methods with that particular group of students. It's a little bit like individualizing the program, yet it's doing it within the boundaries of what your school district has and what your students need. So if technology has a place, which it plainly does, or if reading aloud should have a place (dependent upon the students skill levels) then "SO BE IT," we really do need to be flexible enough to accomadate our students no matter what the learning medium.
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