Podcasts and Professional Development

I'm relieved that I don't have to have a Smart Board in my future classroom, even though I think it's cool. If you grew up in the chalk-board era and had the pleasure of banging erasers at the end of the day, you recognize the brilliance of this fun device. BUT, James O'Hagan, the commentator in Razor's Ed, contends in The Death Throes of the Interactive White Board that the Smart Board is on its way out unless it can evolve into a technology that allows kidS to interact with one another; coming to the front of the room won't cut it anymore. The Ipad was the game changer, in his view, because it meant every student could have their own screen. Then Apple came out with a device that could project images from any Apple device onto a screen. Next came Reflection software that could be installed on any Apple device, which allowed multiple students to project their work on a large screen at the same time. With a $500 projector, a laptop already in the class, $15 for Reflection software, and a $600 Ipad, students can take control of the class, making it really interactive. He thinks it's a much smarter and cheaper investment than a Smart Board, which costs $5000 and doesn't allow for student collaboration. I love the idea of students having their own tablets because they truly are the "textbook" of the 21st century. It's another means to harnessing creativity, attention, and our basic desire to share with one another.

Will I use podcasts for professional development in the future? Hmmm, isn't Steve going to keep us plugged into all the amazing tech tools coming on the market for years to come? No? OK, then I have to use podcasts. Through this assignment alone, I've discovered some really impressive tools, like educlipper and storyjumper.