A Podcast Assignment on the Need for Brick-and-Mortar Schools

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Photo credit: Tim Wilson, 3 August 2005

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A recent podcast by collaborative webcasting community EdTechTalk entitled A Conversation with Will Richardson on Why School? discusses the need for conventional schooling in today's digital age. The co-founder of Powerful Learning Practice and a former public school educator of 22 years, Will Richardson, mentions in this podcast that "things like blogs and wikis, as well as remote collaborations and an emphasis on 'critical thinking' skills are the coins of the realm in this new kingdom." Dialogue relating to educational technology is not considering the full breadth of advantages technology can bring into education. Furthermore, our educational system does not seem to match the progressing nature of our technological society. In the field of medicine, we are beginning to embrace the notion of telesurgery. In the field of economics, computers have dominated what we now call e-commerce. In the field of mathematics, computational technology is reducing the time needed to perform computations to a much greater degree of precision. If all other facets of human society are reaping the benefits of technology, should education not follow suit as well?

Richardson makes the bold statement that traditional brick-and-mortar schools are no longer needed to access information. I will ask students to watch or listen to this podcast (both video and audio formats are available) and take notes on any claims that may surprise them. As a piece on persuasive writing, students will decide whether we should leave traditional schools for online modes of learning, or if the status quo should be maintained. Then, examining both sides of the issue, students should take a position and defend their side using facts to support assertions.

A persuasive essay will allow students to reflect upon their own educational experiences, to weigh the pros and cons of both types of schooling, and to develop an awareness for the changes that may affect them in the near future. This assignment encourages students to formulate an opinion, back their position with evidence, and write a compelling argument to support their claim. Within our lifetimes, we will begin to see a host of major reforms impacting how education is implemented. In learning about this issue, students will have an opportunity to enact agency and voice their opinions. As former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton points out, "[m]en often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike."

Word Vine: An Engaging Language Game

While researching casual games that may be beneficial to language students, I came across Word Vine, an interactive game provided by Miniclip. There is a great deal of differentiation available, as students can select between basic, easy, medium, and difficult challenge levels. This game focuses on a tough concept, namely, compound words, and makes them fun! Students are presented with an array of vines (pictured below) that become increasingly gnarly with each successive difficulty level.

Students examine the root words provided and attempt to construct compound words according to the vine layout. The layout pictured above is a trivial arrangement, but as the difficulty increases (pictured below), root words are shared, and students will have to use their deductive reasoning to string together a complex system of compound words!


For example, if the words "bulb," "house," and "light" are provided, students will pair together "light" and "house," as well as "light" and "bulb," with the word "light" being shared by the two other words. This game will allow students to practice their English language chops while thinking constructively. Students will familiarize themselves with English compound words while having fun. The game format can motivate students to partake in gameplay with the ulterior motive of encouraging language learning!

If the instructor is up to the task, he or she can encourage students to create their own Word Vine puzzles to give to other students! This will encourage students to come up with common root words and to generate as many possible permutations as possible.

Twitter in the ESL Classroom

Twitter is a versatile tool that can shape education, and even our lives. A seemingly trivial and mundane platform, this website allows users to "tweet" a short snippet regarding their lives. The uninitiated internet user might not see the charm in this technology, but upon further inspection, there may be much more under the surface.

As Steven Johnson, author of NY Times article How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live writes, Twitter possesses an "unsuspected depth" where users can get a "strangely satisfying glimpse of their [friends'] daily routines." This website allows individuals to see what is going on in others' lives, without having to physically ask for the information. Moreover, this website runs alongside a long tradition of human interaction, namely, orality. Individuals can communicate and have their voices heard from the convenience of their own homes!

Imagine the educational implications. Students can create twitter accounts to emulate historical figures, and interact according to the context of the corresponding historical period. Or perhaps students can follow important figures in the field of science and track advances in the discipline. The use of twitter can be likened to that of a condensed blog, wherein users can post 140-character messages and link to various articles, pictures, videos, and so on.

A recent article by avid Twitter user Shea Bennett entitled What I Have Learned In 4 Years And 1,180 Articles About Twitter points out the rich impact Twitter has on modern society. Social platforms such as Twitter are closing the gap between the far corners of the earth and we are seeing a digitized society that has instant access to a plethora of information. Bennett warns against some of the maladies that can come from Twitter, such as immodest browsing, and the tendency for students to come off task. However, he writes that the benefits greatly overweigh the drawbacks. Students are forging important skills that will be valuable in post-secondary study and in the workplace.

Evan Williams and Biz Stone of Twitter