Final Podcast Technology in the classroom draft

Abby Stratton discusses the use of technology in the classroom on her podcast. She mentions the benefits of technology, such as interactive games and educational applications. She also talks about using an online learning platform called Kahoot for quizzes. However, she acknowledges the downside of excessive screen time and the potential negative effects on social skills and academic performance. Abby suggests implementing a balanced routine that includes interactive content, physical play, and educational content. She also mentions the importance of monitoring children's internet usage to ensure they are not exposed to inappropriate content. Additionally, she discusses the use of AI technology in writing papers and emphasizes the need to teach children critical thinking and ethical writing practices. Abby concludes by emphasizing the importance of practicing healthy media habits and teaching children appropriate media use. Hello, my name is Abby Stratton. I am a sophomore at Utah State University, and I am studying elementary education. Today on my podcast, I will be talking about the use of technology in the classroom. In today's evolving world of technology, it has played an incremental role on students today. They can be seen using it for interactive games, streaming services, and educational application. Technology brings many opportunities for young children, but also brings up the question of when, where, and how it should be used. In my Math 2010 class, which is a class that teaches elementary ed majors how to teach math, we use an application called Kahoot. Kahoot is an online learning platform where teachers can create quizzes to test the student's knowledge. This is a pro when it comes to technology used in the classroom, because it makes it easy for me as a student to simply answer the question without feeling like I'm being tested. My professor, Dr. Don Busenbart, teaches his students that teachers should provide more opportunities to test the student's knowledge in a less high stake environment. Through technology, we can also use interactive educational sites that stimulate one's ability to think and solve problems. A con when it comes to technology is the excessive amount of screen time. It is a well-known fact that too much screen time can be bad for a person. Without having set rules and standards, it can be easy for a person to overlook the time spent in front of screens. Educational columnist, Jay Matthews, shares a message to the Washington Post. Matthews says he felt he and his wife had a simple message, stay away from screens. Now they were contradicting themselves. First, get your computer and do your homework. Then get off your computer and avoid too much screen time. Matthews has a very good point. As many of the homework given to students is done on the computer through platforms such as Canvas and Google Classroom. In Matthews' article, he found a report by Helen Lebogez from a Paris-based nonprofit organization called Reboot. The report found that if devices were used on a daily basis for several hours, scores of performance lowered. I believe one solution to combat the problem of overused screen time is to have a sound and balanced routine that incorporates interactive content, physical play, and educational content. While a pro of technology can allow people to communicate with distant friends and family, the overuse of screens can have an effect on one's ability to read social situations and interact with people face-to-face. Kristen Rogers, who is an associate writer for CNN, writes, technology use can take time away from interpersonal relationships that nurture social skills since real people are more multidimensional than characters on a screen. Using technology for an extended period of time can lead to a decline in a child's ability to read and interpret social situations. If we designate time for face-to-face communication and collaboration with the students while also providing a set time that computers are used, I believe that we will find that kids will have a stronger social bond, and it will be easier for them to connect with their peers, friends, and family. Have you ever heard the expression, don't listen to everything you hear on the internet? Information shared on the internet can sometimes be unreliable or untrustworthy. Kenny Shopkins writes about a segment provided by Peter Laughan. Laughan is a founder of Crush the College Essay. He tells us that last week, a tech company opened AI and built an AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which has stunned users with its advanced functions, like generating school essays for any grade level, answering open-ended questions, and writing jokes, poems, and even computer code. The problem that Laughan is describing is that we are not teaching children how to think for themselves, or the values and ethics of writing a paper. AI does not reflect any personal feelings, beliefs, or experiences that a person may have. While AI sources need further enhancement to make sure this new technology is credible, I believe that AI can be very helpful and provide an outline for a paper. AI is a great way to gain an idea or an example of what a paper could say. The trick is to not misuse the advanced technology. Parents and educators should monitor and supervise their children while on devices. I can attest that it is very easy to access information and material that is not appropriate for children. I was not in search for this content, but it just pops up. Making sure that kids are not finding inappropriate or adult content is crucial for developing a happy and healthy kid. To end, there are many pros and cons to technology. Technology has and will continue to have an influence on young children on the daily. It influences many aspects of development. I believe that if we practice healthy habits, such as teaching the children what is appropriate media use and content, will be the key to dealing with the downside of media use.