Podcast Reflection: Is In-Person Better?

EduNationCast #28: Is In-Person Better?
http://edreach.us/2012/04/29/edunationcast-28-is-in-person-better/

This podcast was not what I expected at first, and to be honest I thought I did something wrong when I clicked on it.  When the podcast started it seemed like a cheaply made, boring conversation that I was eavesdropping on.  Once I realized this was indeed the podcast I intended to listen to I kept listening.  Each person in the podcast shared different videos, websites, links, etc. I thought this was kind of pointless at first but then I started listening and I got really interested in what they were talking about.  Each person contributed something really interesting.  For example someone shared zootool.com and someone else shared nuance.com.  They would talk about each program and why they like it and show actual examples.  It was really interesting and gave me great ideas for my classroom.  The sharing of different websites lasted almost 50 minutes and the round-table discussion was about 20 minutes.  The discussion focused on whether kids are being negatively affected by so much technology.  In other words, is communication etiquette being tarnished because of technology.  It was interesting to listen to because all parties brought up valid points.  I agreed with one of the speakers in that everything needs to be in moderation.  So, if someone is speaking to you then you should make eye-contact and be respectful.  However, if you are on the subway or in the car it is okay to play on your phone, ipad, etc.  There is a time and place to use technology and kids need to be reminded of that.  Another speaker brought up a good point about how communication via technology can be beneficial.  For example, skyping with long distance relatives or friends, or finding people that are interested in the same things you're interested in.  Technology can be a resource or tool, but we cannot forget about the importance of face-to-face communication.