You know, as a parent and an educator I often find myself saying things I never in a million years could have imagined myself saying. For example, as a mom, counting has become a bad thing. “Don’t make me start counting.” Ooh. Scary. On being asked why…”Because I said so.” On being asked when…”When I am good and ready.”
Well, you get the idea. There are just some things we all swore we’d never say when we had kids. Then, next thing you know those very words are spilling out and you find yourself looking around to see if your mom or dad are hiding someplace and are practicing ventriloquism.
As a teacher, there are some things you just can’t imagine. I mean, literally cannot imagine. Then when you have said it, you have to just sort of stop and say to yourself, “Huh?” I had one of those “Huh?” moments last week in my classroom.
We had completed our projects with the laptops and I, with much sorrow, had to return the cart so another teacher could use the computers. We were going to read a story from our literature book and work on story elements. Pretty soon it was time for that “Huh?” moment.
“Ok, guys, I need you to get out some paper and a pen or pencil.”
Blank stares.
“Paper?” I held up a sheet of notebook paper to show them.
Blank…turning to panicked…stares.
“Ok, we don’t have the laptops right now, so you will have to use paper.”
Students searching for paper….
And that is when I went “Huh?” Who could have imagined not using paper in school? When I began teaching, paper was the only option. Now, the paper is only optional. We use wikis, social networking, online tests….who needs paper? Am I the only one who finds this…well…odd? Not bad…just…odd. Even as recently as three or four years ago the thought of a paperless classroom was a bit fantastic. Now it is the ideal.
I have to be honest. I liked not bringing home piles of papers to grade. I enjoyed the fact that my students have a higher likelihood of turning in their work when it is on a computer. Hard to lose the laptop the way they lose their papers. No ripped up, torn up, coffee stained, raggedy-edged, scribbled on, hard to read papers. The dog ate it, my brother tore it up, my sister scribbled all over it, my mom threw it away by mistake…I have not heard one of those while we were using the laptops. Amazing.
As exciting as this is, and as much as I love it, I have to confess to you. I sometimes feel as though I were living a science fiction story. I am reminded of the short story about kids in the future reading about what school was like in the “old days” when kids went to school instead of learning from a robot at home. With so many online schools available, I have to wonder, will my grandchildren or great grandchildren go to school? Or will they be learning from R2D2 and C3PO? It all seems a bit far-fetched, I know.
But just remember, when I was in school computers were the size of an entire building. My freshman year was the last year at Brownwood Junior High School and the first year of the computers in our schools. Giant, one-piece monstrosities that were high tech and used a 5 ¼ inch floppy and all we learned on those was BASIC programming. Now computers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
Still…to have to tell my classes we need paper because it’s not my turn to have the laptops? Huh?
Is Orson Welles making this up?
Christine Moore currently holds a degree from Howard Payne University and recently earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She is now working on her Ph.D. in Educational Technology at Walden University. Married with four children who attend Brownwood schools, Christine teaches 6th grade reading in Brownwood and has been working in education at various levels for the past 15 years. Christine welcomes your questions and comments and would love to hear from you!
