Technology is developed to make our lives easier! Just think about how many devices that the phone in your pocket replaces – camera, calculator, map, level, watch, alarm clock, scanner, weather channel, answering machine, oh yeah…and a phone!
New, disruptive technology tends to be divisive and is usually met with strong reactions. Think about when cars were first introduced – some thought they were incredible, some thought they were powered by witchcraft.
Spell check and citation generators are not new technologies, but they are very disruptive in the classroom. As a result, both categories of tools often elicit strong reactions from teachers, usually unfavorable and something like, “They won’t ever learn if the computer does it for them!”
But why do we tell our students not to use them? Let’s face it – we won’t win that battle. You can tell students not to use Easy Bib or spell check, but they will. How do I know that? Because we (adults) do it. The world is changing, and students need to learn how to use the tools available to them in a safe environment with guidance from a wise, trusted adult before they get out on their own and have to figure it out for themselves. Instead of looking down on citation generators and spell check tools, let’s teach students to use them for good instead of evil!
Spell Check
That little red underline is built into almost everything you do on any device now, calling attention to misspelled words in your browser, your documents, your text messages, etc. Resistance is futile! Normally, we notice the word is underlined in red, we click it, choose the correct spelling to replace it, and move on. But stop and think about all the skills that took place in that process.
- There was an attempt at spelling. Spell check doesn’t tell you how to write it the first time. There’s a process of trial and error. Additionally, the attempt has to be close to the actual spelling for spell check to figure out what you meant and offer you correct options.
- An error was identified. Sure the computer did it, but how different is that from a teacher circling a misspelled word in a paper?
- The correct word was selected from a list. You still have to reason through what you know about words and letters in order to choose the one you really meant from that list of very similar words.
We are firm believers that students should learn to use a traditional dictionary and be well-versed in offline tools for offline work. But when they’re working online, their tools should be online as well.
Also, it’s worth pointing out that the computer isn’t always right. Sometimes the computer decides a word is misspelled, but it isn’t. Sometimes the computer misses a word that was spelled correctly but used incorrectly. Just because a student uses spell check doesn’t mean they are exempt from proofreading! Spell check takes care of some of the mechanics of writing so students are free to focus on their content.
Citation Generators
Unless you have the MLA or APA handbook memorized (I’ll be the first to confess that I don’t!), this category of tools is a lifesaver! There are so many different rules and situations to consider when citing sources that it’s impossible to remember all of them. The bibliography part of a research paper can sometimes be even more painful for students than the actual research.
I may step on some toes here, but what’s most important: that students memorize where the punctuation goes in a perfectly formatted MLA citation? or that they actually cite their sources? I’m in the latter camp. Students may even be required to use different formats later on depending on which field they go into. What I really want them to know is how to ethically and legally use ideas without plagiarizing.
The citation generator takes the headache out of thumbing through the manual to create a works cited page. It frees up the student to focus on what is most important (citing the source).
However, citation generators can only generate based on the information they’re given. So students really do have to understand how a citation works in order to actually generate a good one. They have to know how to figure out the title of a work, where to find the author’s name (if there is one), where to look for the the publication date, etc. They have to know about all the required pieces of information and which pieces are optional. And once it is generated, there are no guarantees that it’s 100% accurate, so students still have to use their knowledge of citations to make sure it meets the teacher’s requirements based on a specific format.
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