Technology in the classroom

The blog I would like the comment on is the 2 cents blog by Dave. In the blog post on 9/18/08, he was in a teaching conference in Shanghai (which I thought was quite interesting) and summarized some important points. One being-

"Teacher now talking says that for it to be about the kids, "it’s got to be about me first." The teacher has to understand the value of the technology, and then the professional can figure out or invent ways to take into the learning experiences. She says that wikis are easier to maintain in the classroom than blogging with students. Also,
lots of talk about people Skyping into classrooms and talking about stuff with they’re doing."

I found this post important because we have all these sources of technology out there for use, and it sometimes can be overwhelming. We have to choose what is best for our students, and in turn find out which type of technology fits into their learning style. For example, if students are more auditory learners, podcasts might be a valuable tool, or if they are more visual/hands on, a blog is a nice way to foster that learning style. We can't let the technology be the "creative" aspect, but instead we need to take what we have to work with and use it in creative ways for the students. Also, the "value" of this technology is worth more than tearing down the classroom walls. It allows students to think outside the box and exposes students to different kinds of technology they might encounter in the future in their careers. In conclusion, we can't just throw that technology out to the students and tell them to pick one. It is the teacher's responsibility to tweak what we expose them to and make sure it makes the most of the way they learn and the material they produce. Teachers need to "monitor and adjust", even with technology choices.