Classrooms have become much more advanced in the 15 years I've been in school. I can remember 2nd grade Apple computers, the old word processing software, and now I am working on Macs, light as a feather, easy fast software, and so sleek!
However, no matter how far the classroom environment has come, students are still more technologically advanced than the majority of their teachers and professors. As a society we are discovering new tricks every day. This curve is almost impossible to stay ahead of. However, I believe classrooms should undergo an update every year to make sure students have technologically available to them that will prepare them for this ever-changing world. Most schools wait every four years, as to make sure the students aren't learning new software, but it is pointless, because students learn new software every time they purchase a new PC or Mac, buy a new cell phone, or upgrade their MP3 player.
ETEC is the first class we have used online chat in. If it is well monitored, such as on the campus website, I think it does no harm to classroom instruction. It comes in very useful for group projects, especially for those students who find it hard to schedule study sessions.
The debate among many professors is the value of an online education versus traditional instruction. Most instructors believe an online class could not possible provide all the benefit of a lecture course, but on the contrary, through online video messaging, the speed of delivering a lesson, and the efficiency of delivering assignments, the percentage of online students has increased dramatically in 5 years. These students take the same exams traditional students do, and there is no gap in their scores. I do believe, however, that online classes are beneficial to certain group of students. Unfocused, unorganized students with poor time management skills should not take online classes.
Pod casts goes hand in hand with the online instruction. I believe it is beneficial, and just as effective as a lecture, seeing as how a professor hardly lets you interrupt his hour-long presentation of historical events. Just as you can stay and ask the professor after class, you can always shoot the instruction or speaker in the podcast an email to explain or expand on a certain point if necessary.
I personally have never been a gamer. I have three younger brothers and a fiance who are all intense video gamers, and in all honesty, they did not excel in academics as I did. That could be due to other factors, sports, girls, etc., but to me, video games become a distraction, something to do OTHER than the assigned home work.
On the flip side, I do agree that video games, certain strategy ones, can hone your logical and your creative minds. Overcoming obstacles is a big part of games, and this skill can be used in real life or in the classroom, if applied correctly. I would not assign video game playing as part of my classroom instruction, but if my students were interested, and they managed their time well, I would see no harm in playing video games.
