Blog Post #14

Teacher Knows if You Have Done the E-Reading

"Big Brother" is the best way to put it. This article discusses how teachers can easily log in and see if and when students read the E-Readers. It debates the "Big Brother" effect being appropriate for students. Students have different personal lives, different study habits and different schedules. Throughout this article debates are heard from a variety of students with these same issues. Teachers are confused because a number of students who don't open the E-Reader make passing grades whereas a number of students that visit E-Reader have failing grades. How can this be regulated? After all the students that show that they have not logged into E-Reader may study from different sources.

As a teacher I think the E-Reader is a good source to use when looking for techniques of teaching for the classroom. I would first look at the data given study habits vs. test scores. Once I go over these I then would know what needs to be discussed in class. I would maybe assign a certain passage from the E-Reader and have specific students tell about the passage during class. This may help the students participate and read about the topics.

As a Student I would appreciate the E-Reader. Yes, it may be a "Big Brother" system but this only weaves out the students that are not up to par in assignments. Just like the "Big Brother" system on our red lights, this is only an advantage to the people that obey the rules because it punishes the people that disobeys the rules. I feel this would be the same concept. I wouldn't not care if the teacher sees what I do as far as studying because I will do whats necessary to learn the information so I have nothing to hide.

Questions I would ask the teacher in article:
1. How did you approach the situation when you noticed that the student was not studying from the E-Reader?
2. Did you change your teaching habits after you realized that a number of students was not benefiting from the E-Readers the way they should?
3. Did you encourage the students to use the E-Reader before your discovery or did you believe the students would take it upon themselves to study this?
4. Does the E-reader really make a difference with your teaching or do you feel your job would require the same from you with or without the E-Reader?

Questions I would have for the students in article:
1. After the teacher confronted you did you change your study habits? If so, did you see a change in your grades after the change?
2. Do you feel you could learn just as much from the internet as the E-Reader and is it fair to have a company play "Big Brother" and decide if you have good/bad study habits just because the E-Reader shows you haven't logged in?
3. What is the Advantages/Disadvantages of the E-reader?

The comment I would leave for this post would be:
This is DEFINITELY "Big Brother". Looking at the "Big Brother" approach what exactly is the results of it? I believe it only points out the students that are behind on class reading/work. So as long as you accept the role of a student and know that you are responsible to complete assignments. Even if the only way reading is regulated is through the E-Reader a student should want to read the information for lesson. The reading offers topics that may not be covered during lecture so the student would only be cheating themselves.