Out of the couple of podcasts that I listened to, Chris Lehmann's input on education and technology stood out to me. He had some very good opinions about how technology should be used in education. He emphasized the importance of integrating technology into a classroom, and educating teachers on how to do so. He voices his opinion on the importance of "bringing the world into the classroom" with technology, such as Google Docs. Resources and tools such as Google Docs allow for a new way of learning and collaborative writing.
The most influential thing that Chris mentioned was that teachers need to interact more with students because today's parents are so busy (a two-income household is now the norm), that kids lack adult interaction. This is why it's important to get teachers away from the typical front-of-the-room teaching and into more one-on-one learning with the student. I really like this idea for a few reasons. First of all, as teachers we cannot control the environment in which our students are brought up in. There is a reason teachers refer to their students as their kids, because we care about them and develop such a close bond. For some students, school may be the only place they get one-on-one interaction with a caring adult. That is both a very sad and very intimidating thought. I think it's crucial for teachers to take advantage of these opportunities and teach students material that is not only in the curriculum, but also life-long skills that they can take beyond the classroom.
I must admit that this is the first time I have ever listened to a podcast. I think they definitely have a place in a classroom and could be utilized by students in many ways. I believe the best thing a teacher can do it give students choice in how they present their material. A podcast is just another option for students to have to express themselves.
Feel free to check out the podcast for yourself at the link below:
Chris Lehmann, on teachers and technology
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