New Teacher Panel

In this weeks Monday night seminar, we had three new teachers come speak to us. All three were Luther grads and were either in their first year teaching or were in the first couple years. I thought what the panel talked to us about was helpful, however I felt as though it wasn't a representation of the "real world" of teaching. in our group meeting the next day, we talked about where or what size school we wanted to teach in. Although small schools were a popular choice, all of us agreed that we were not staying in Decorah. The teachers in the panel all grew up in the area, went to Luther and then didn't leave. It seems that the "Luther bubble" stayed with them. I think that it would have been more interesting to have teachers from all different sized schools, Although I know that it was a Monday night, maybe teachers from Rochester schools could be added to the mix for next year.
Another interesting point that was brought up by the teacher panel was the use and reliance on technology in schools. The teachers in the panel made it clear that technology was used in curriculum on a daily basis. I think that incorporating technology in the classroom is needed in our society today, however, it shouldn't hinder the learning of basic skills (like using a dictionary, penmanship, and so on). I think that technology and computers can be a real asset in the classroom, but not at the expense of learning how to write in cursive, or find information in books and not using google.