Integrating for Learning

Image: "Newspaper v. Internet"

A Classic Tale of Google:

Teaching Deep Reading With Google Docs

@joe_edtech

It's really not about all the flashy Apps available. It's about connecting students and providing them with a variety of learning opportunities. 

DHS English Teacher David Hirsch has taken the opportunity to use instructional technology to open our students to a world of Classic Literature. Faced with the daunting challenge of teaching freshman A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Mr. Hirsch decided to use technology to meet kids where they are. In addition to providing the traditional paperback novels to his students, he copied the text provided by Project Gutenberg into a series of Google Docs, and he made a recording of himself reading the novel and made that audio recording available to the students as well. 

His students read the book, using the format they chose, and then annotated the readings together on the Google Doc that had been shared with the whole class. Mr. Hirsch calls this "Social Annotating." His students were going online to help each other understand Dickens. 

Mr. Hirsch explains the activity and the success his students have had in the video below (part of the Innovation in Education Series in the Principal's Newsletter):

               DHS English Teacher explains "Social Annotating" to Principal Audris Griffith

Innovation without flash, and based on very sound teaching philosophies. The best teaching rarely comes packaged in a premium subscription. When I first asked Mr. Hirsch about this project, he told me, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done..." Well, he didn't say that; but it would have been funny.

To learn a little more about this process, please take some time to visit Mr. Hirsch's Blog, linked here.

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I would normally try to end my blog post with a probing question, or a challenge. However, my principal, Audris Griffith, is retiring and this is her last monthly newsletter as Principal of Deerfield High School. I have only had the privilege of working with Audris for a short time, but I wanted to take this opportunity to say that it has indeed been a pleasure. I am certainly not alone in saying you will be missed, and we wish you the very best!