My First Podcast!

I have recently just completed my first podcast. Chris Essex from Indiana University's Instructional Consulting Center and Doctoral Student in the Indiana IST department hosts a fantastic blog for teachers and technology, most commonly focusing on podcasting in education called Teach with Tech. We talked about multiple ways to use technology in your classroom tomorrow. One of the main problems with trying to get teachers to adopt technology as an innovation and tool in their classrooms typically relates to a few issues:

1. Complexity - The technology has too many bugs or potential problems. Many like to call the resulting behavior technophobia, but many teachers weigh the cost versus benefit and the time or frustrations are too much of a cost for the intended outcome.

2. Meaningful - If the technology has no real relevance for their classroom, no matter how cool the technology may be, teachers will not use something they don't see directly applicable to their classroom.

3. Belief - If teachers don't believe that technology enhances education, they will not use it. Will technology really enhance this educational experience? Or can I accomplish it just as easily with manipulatives? Technology is a tool, not a solution.

If you're interested in more, I plan on submitting a proposal to the Indiana Conference for Computer Educators (ICE): 50 Ways to Use Technology in Your Classroom Tomorrow. Based on my own ideas, and my parents (both educators: Sharon Ottenbreit is a 2nd Grade Teacher at Haigh Elementary in Dearborn, MI AND Joel Ottenbreit who is a retired principal from Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan) as well as many Internet sites and conferences, I have compiled a list of 50 simple ways teachers can use technology in their classroom without a lot of work or prep. I try to target a variety of grade and subject levels, as well as ideas that are multidisciplinary.

My First Podcast!