Why is So Much of Your Class Web-Based?

Maybe after reading my last post you are thinking: 'Wow, that is a lot.  Having so much of your class online just seems like a lot of extra work for me and my child.  Why not do things the more traditional way?'  That would be a good question to ask, because in some ways, it is extra work.  But there is a reason for it.  I hope this post helps clarify the rationale behind my emphasis on use of technology.

Students and Technology: Making Sure Your Student Gets the Most Out of High School


Caring teachers and parents alike hope for their students to get more out of high school than just a diploma. We both want our students to walk out of high school ready for the 'real world' - ready to take on college, ready to take on a good job, ready to be responsible for themselves. That, in my opinion, is a big part of my job. We also know that just about any job now relies on the use of some form of technology, and the more technologically savvy one is, the more opportunities one has as far as employment and advancement. At most colleges and universities now, a certain level of technological proficiency is assumed.  Many assignments are submitted through websites and e-mail, and not knowing how to use programs like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint can be a huge disadvantage.

That being said, I would be doing your student a huge disservice if I did not make technology a regular part of my instruction.  Using technology can also help accelerate and facilitate the learning process.  By having a class website that both parents and students regularly use, students can more easily keep up with their assignments, missed notes can be found, and important information can be more easily reviewed.  Having an student and parent e-mail list also eases communication.  Sometimes I find a resource that I think would really help my students prepare for the next test, but I found it after your child's class period is over.  Well, I can still send it out via e-mail and they are able to get the full benefit of the information. 

A lot of in- and out-of-class assignments will required web-based research.  There is a lot of information out there, and a lot of it is just no good.  Your student needs to be able to sift through the good and the factual and the biased, the helpful and the misleading.  Even if their future career does not require web-based research, many of the decisions they make as citizens may hinge on it. 

So, my reasons for having so many web-based assigments and information is not simply to save paper (though, that is a nice benefit), but to make sure that your student is able to be a leader in an increasingly teachnology dependent world.  I want their high school experience to truly prepare them for what awaits them on the other side of their diploma, and technological literacy is a key part of this preparation.