Podcasts are very useful, especial to review information. I am a learner that needs to have the information repeated. Podcasts, voice recordings, and written materials are nice to have for references, especially when studying for tests. Having the podcasts takes away the guessing of what was said or if it is a video podcast then the "special test" of the shoulder can be reviewed. I want to flip my classroom and utilize either podcasts or voiced powerpoints for the students to review on their own and then use the classroom for projects and discussions of the material. Technology is going to give students a more hands on classroom experience.
I have noticed a huge shift in the way students engage now compared to the 90's. Technology is everywhere and access to the internet and social media is readily available. I have noticed that the attention span of the students are much shorter and their desire to research topics more in-depth is not there. I have found myself utilizing the internet for quick references. I now feel that with quick access to information that I do not need to memorize facts. I have also noticed that I skim a lot more and do not read everything. It is great to have all of this information easily accessible, but I fear that it is going to create a society with no patients, small attention span, little face-to-face communication skills, and too much reliance on technology for information. I would hate to see what the world would do if we had no more power.
Educators should progress with society. Technology is a large part in people's lives today. Just about everyone is on some form of social media. It would only make sense to incorporate technology into the classroom. The help students learn, class needs to be interesting. Since technology is interesting to students, use it as a tool to educate them. The article Social Networking in Undergraduate Education, reviewed the usage of social media among students and if it was used in the classroom. With the high volume of usage by students, educators would benefit using social media as one of the tools to learning. I agree with this and I am excited to try some of these different technologies and social media in the classes that I will be teaching. http://www.ijikm.org/Volume7/IJIKMv7p063-090Buzzetto611.pdf
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