What do you see when you imagine “The future Iselin Middle School”? Probably different teachers. Maybe more classrooms, but do you know how the teachers here in the present do? About the technology and their classrooms? Maybe not. Well now you know how Mrs. Hilarczyk would, a sixth-grade language arts teacher at Iselin Middle School.
Panther Press: What do you dream about when you think of the future of our language arts classroom?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: More books, of course. She says that she wants the biggest library possible.
Panther Press: How do you think technology will help us improve our reading and writing skills in the future?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: Access to articles and information is really a big advantage. When I was young, I had to look for books for hours so that I could get the information I needed. But, today there are chromebooks for all the students.
Panther Press: What new topics or literary genres do you think we might explore in the coming years?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: I think that authors are always being creative so they might find more genres.
Panther Press: How do you believe our needs as language arts students will change in the next decade?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: The focus of the students, having each kid do different things might be a thing. Being able to differentiate more easily and have students working on different things according to their needs.
Panther Press: What skills do you think we’ll need to develop to succeed in future writing and communication careers?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: Collaboration is the key. The ability to work in a group and to work with others will really help us in the future; it doesn’t matter what our job is.
Panther Press: How can we prepare ourselves for all the new educational technology that will be introduced?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: I can’t tell because I don’t know what kind of technology will be in the future.
Panther Press: What are your thoughts on using robots and computers to assist us in learning language arts?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: They can be helpful.
Panther Press: Can you picture us using virtual reality for immersive experiences in literature?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: Yes, I think that could be good.
Panther Press: How could social media platforms enhance our learning and engagement with texts?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: It helps having access to them.
Panther Press: What do you hope we’ll carry forward from your lessons as we grow older?
Mrs. Hilarczyk: That you can pick books and love the books you pick.