Bailey refers to the technological disconnection teachers are experiencing in the classroom. This is due to the students constantly being up to date on the of the latest technologies. Students are always connected to technology- it may be a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. They want to feel "connected" with in the classroom as well.
I commend Carol Olson for doing the "work" in order to connect with her students on an technological level. Her use of music videos and video games in order to "hook" the students allowed the students to view her in a different light and made her more approachable.
I liked that she didn't give up on blending technology into her classroom but she worked through the process of integrating technology into the fiber of her lessons.
During my own personal experience working with special-education and English language learner I found that the students embraced technology. It was comforting to them to work with something that they were familiar with. It built their confidence and brought them out of their shell. Once they felt comfortable we would introduce the intended lesson and allowed them to work through the process using various technologies.
In this day and age it would be naive to think that technology wouldn't be just as valuable in the classroom as pencil and paper. Carol Olson exemplifies the type of educator who is constantly educating herself to benefit the student in their classroom.
Nice job here, Tracy. I really appreciate the way you draw on your own classroom experience. As we talked about in class--I like how you are thinking critically about Bailey's arguments, and offering a different interpretation of that concept of "hooking" students than Bailey offers. Just make clear that your interpretation IS different. But overall, really nice job!
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