POINT/COUNTERPOINT
Yes As a teacher, I want just one thing
year in and year out—more time. More time in the
classroom to have conversations, to cover interest-
ing content, and to help students understand the
course material. For years I had been searching
for a method to free up time so that, as a group,
we could gain deeper comprehension. But the struc-
ture of my classes—providing new content through
lectures and assigning homework—was keeping
me so busy that we could not get to the important
questions; there was always more content to cover.
I needed a way to quickly convey the information
to my students so I could
find more time for those
important questions. It turns
out that the answer was right
there in front of me—poking
out from my students’ shirt
pockets: the ubiquitous iPod.
Podcasting is the perfect
tool for sharing information.
I can prepare material and
Brian Hatak deliver it to students outside
NoThough critics often argue that
lectures are not the most contemporary way to address the needs of all learners, it is not yet time for
teachers to do away with lectures altogether. When
used judiciously, lectures still serve as effective ways
to not only engage learners, but also to develop
positive relationships with students by tapping into
their various emotional and cognitive intelligences;
attending to unanticipated student concerns in
a timely manner; seasoning lectures with timely
questions to keep students active and attentive; and
creating positive, academic, democratic, and supportive group environments where students listen
to us as well as one another.
Effective lectures possess several positive charac-
teristics that many podcasts
do not. They are live, three-
dimensional, synchronous
events; most podcasts are not.
Lectures are often spontane-
ous, adaptable, nonlinear, and
unpredictable; most podcasts
are not. Lectures are often
interactive; most podcasts
are not. And lectures are
John J. Sweeder communal by nature; most
