There were quite a few points that Dr. Zhao made in the podcasts that struck a chord with me. First, he stated that policy makers are stuck in the past. I couldn't agree more. They seem to have locked onto this old way of thinking and can't seem to recognize that times have changed and therefore the educational system must also change in order to keep up. A second statement Dr. Zhao made was that our educational system is not preparing students to live, compete, and work in the globalized world. I hope this statement is not entirely true, because as an educator, I hope that I am preparing my students well for the future. However, this statement will become completely true if education does not begin to fuse with technology. We do live in a changed world, one that is digital and virtual, and ignoring or disregarding this fact is a disservice to our students. Dr. Zhao also stated that we are afraid of what we don't know. I will agree that this is true for many teachers. Many teachers aren't tech-savvy, and fear of the unknown keeps them from embracing technology. I also thought that Dr. Zhao's recognition that students should be contributing to learning and knowledge rather than simply being on the receiving end was right on. Learning becomes so much more meaningful when students feel that they had a part in reaching the knowledge instead of just being told or given the knowledge. By contributing, students feel a sense of ownership and confidence in their education which makes them more invested in what they are learning.
All in all, I enjoyed Dr. Zhao's podcasts and thought he made some interesting points.
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