Google Lit Trip and Cell Phones in the Classroom

As discussed in Suzie Boss’ article, New York Children Take a Google Lit Trip, I think that is a really interesting and different approach to catch the student’s attention. Before this article I had never heard of this before, which is why I was interesting in finding out more about exactly what it is. I went to the website, www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/K-5/K-5.html. The website explains how it is a free way to “3-dimensionalize” the reading experience by placing readers “inside the story” traveling alongside the characters”. It states how since it differs from websites such as sparknotes that summarize books and information, it “stimulate(s) higher level thinking skills and to connect the story’s themes and messages to the issues of the real world in which students live”. This seems to be an amazing way to keep the children interested in a topic and, as explained, to get them to think more in depth about the content and relate to other events.

After listening to the podcast, cell phones in learning, I am still not convinced about this concept. I definitely do appreciate and understand the idea that it will keep the student’s attention and make them want to participate more than if they weren’t used, although I still feel that it is not necessarily appropriate to encourage the use of cell phones in classrooms. As I have stated in my technology memoir and many times throughout this class, the use of technology nowadays has become such an obsession and I feel that if we as educators promote this usage, there will be too small of a portion of the day where the child is not using technology. I feel that the best approach in the classroom is still the traditional approach and not promoting the continuous use of technology.

Melissa Jurist