Standard of Learning Focus

This semester, I plan to focus on the standard of learning that relates to how students explore and respond to texts. In particular, I am interested in using technology to expand upon the ways students can "determine the various influences on authors and analyze the impact of those influences on the text." (Taken from: http://ctcurriculum.org/list_standards)

There is such an abundance of imagery, history, art, and audio available on the Internet. Having students access this information to make text more real, more relevant to their lives, is one of the great benefits of technology in the classroom. For instance, while reading The Grapes of Wrath, high school students could find pictures of the dustbowl or migrant farmers to more fully understand the setting and experiences in the story. They could find both photographs and artistic representations to supplement the reading, and in turn, better understand the circumstances that influenced the author. They could find first-hand accounts, newspaper articles, even sound clips to help bring the text to life. By understanding the events surrounding an author, students can more fully appreciate the texts created by him or her.