Considerations for Designing an English Curriculum in a 1:1 Setting

Yesterday I completed (and passed) the oral exam needed to obtain my M.A. in English from UNI (now all I have left is the research paper!). My focus was on the confluence of our school implementing a 1:1 Laptop Program and my studies in graduate school which caused me to redesign current  curriculum.  During the conversation I verbalized important components of an English classroom in a digital age. This list helps to frame my curriculum:

1. Focus on the solid foundations and theory not the tool or application.

2. Students need to be critical thinkers, understanding content/messages in all literacies .

3. Reader is at the center of the text – only when meaning from text can be applied to self does it become important and relevant.

4. Students work within the cannon of the English language not outside of it.

5. Literacy is the heart of education.

6. Reading and writing are dichotic not separate entities.

7. Writing as a form of learning and reflection.

8.  Communicate effectively in written, verbal, or multimedia forms for pleasure, education, and professional reasons.

9. Not all writing is complete or publishable, most is not

10. The art of response, how to respond effectively.

11. Understanding communication in multiple literacies and how to use different mediums to share their voice is essential part of being a productive citizen.

12. How to use technology to access information, connect, collaborate, create, and publish.

When focus is shifted to curriculum design with the aid of technology instead of a focus on tools and applications, student learning is framed within the essential skills of a curricular area not a set of tools that becomes outdated quickly.

References – Rosenblatt, Elbow, Atwell, NWP, Cope and Kalantzis