The Digital Crossroads
Inspired by Robert Frost & Yong Zhao
Two roads diverged in a digital world
And knowing I could not follow both
And be but immigrant, the die I hurled
And spied to see which way it curled,
Toward nation’s fall or nation’s growth.
Then took the path that led uphill
Resisting pressure to conform
And test each child against its will.
Instead, I led them to fulfill
The odyssey to which they’re born.
And both paths lay wide ope’ to all,
Though one led forward, one fell back.
The ascending way, the young did draw,
Whilst natives watched their elders brawl
Disputing skills these youth might lack.
And one day this shall seem tall tale
That anger swirled about this choice:
Constrain what’s learned to keep school stale
And guarantee our students fail,
Or help them to achieve their voice.
----by June Hurt
Inspired by Robert Frost & Yong Zhao
Two roads diverged in a digital world
And knowing I could not follow both
And be but immigrant, the die I hurled
And spied to see which way it curled,
Toward nation’s fall or nation’s growth.
Then took the path that led uphill
Resisting pressure to conform
And test each child against its will.
Instead, I led them to fulfill
The odyssey to which they’re born.
And both paths lay wide ope’ to all,
Though one led forward, one fell back.
The ascending way, the young did draw,
Whilst natives watched their elders brawl
Disputing skills these youth might lack.
And one day this shall seem tall tale
That anger swirled about this choice:
Constrain what’s learned to keep school stale
And guarantee our students fail,
Or help them to achieve their voice.
----by June Hurt
- The author of this poem was in my very first graduate level course. She shared this poem with the class and it truly opened my eyes to the importance of being an innovative teacher by utilizing technology. This poem is one of the reasons I geared my compelling question towards supporting student literacy skills with technology.