Connecting the Classroom

Computers and the internet are connecting classrooms to the real world at an ever accelerating pace, eliminating books and fundamentally changing the role of the teacher. Learning is no longer limited to the content of your books, the knowledge of your teacher or the size of the local library, but to your own imagination and desire to learn. After 25 years as an ESL teacher I can't imagine now, giving class without my laptop. Working with video and audio of current events, aside from being entertaining, exposes students to words, expressions and accents that they would most likely never hear from me. Recording students and letting them listen to themselves provide an opportunity to work on pronunciation while improving confidence in public speaking. As for the business world, the fact that your teacher is available 24/7 means that you can get that document or email proofread before sending it off.