Blog Post #14

Write a post in which you discuss if texting should be allowed in the classroom for educational purposes. If you think it should, explain how you would use it if you were the teacher. If you think that it should not, give a reason for your answer.

1. read 12 ways to text message
2. watch Is texting killing our language?   a ted talk by John McWhorter
3. Answer the question below.  Use a bold header
     a. Should texting be allowed in the classrooms as a learning tool? Why or why not?
4. Include a link and a picture in your post.

Should texting be allowed in the classrooms as a learning tool? Why or Why Not?

My major is Elementary Education. In my opinion, texting should be allowed in the classroom because I think that it will enhance learning. I think if used effectively, texting can be a great learning tool. The reason why I say yes to texting is because it will capture the students' attention therefore engaging them in their learning. With a well structured curriculum stating when to use texting, I think that teaching by texting will work. For example, the teacher can ask and answer questions via text messaging scheduled at a certain time during the class period. The teacher may also want to break the class up into small collaborative groups and assign part of the group to ask questions pertaining to a particular assignment and the other part to answer the questions. The roles can also be reversed during the class period or on the next class time.

In giving his ted talk, Is texting killing our language?, John McWhorter stated that texting is another way of speaking. In other words, texting is not writing at all, it is speech. Therefore, we shouldn't concern ourselves about texting ruining our language because speech was here long before writing was and will be here long after writing is gone. From my aspiring teacher's view, I think texting will not only serve as a communication tool but as a teaching tool as well. I think it will lead to teachable moments regarding spelling, grammar, punctuation and the use of language.