While technology and organizations are fun to hear about, getting to know the people that make it all happen is far more inspiring. That’s why, in our “We Celebrate Learning” series, we like to feature some of the awesome minds behind education technology and share with you a peek into their worlds.

Today, we get to share with you a look into the mind of Vicki Davis, the person behind the Cool Cat Teacher blog that is always providing useful information for educators, especially those excited about using technology in their classrooms. We had the chance to ask her a few questions. You can read the questions and her responses below!

1.) How did you get to be interested in education technology?

I have been using computers since I was eight (a TRS-80) and my Mom was a teacher – she taught me typing in elementary school and I have used computers ever since. When she put her new computer lab in the school in 1991, we had to raise money to pay for the computers, so although I was in school to get my business degree, I helped her teach classes in Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, etc. and loved it. Although I’ve taught at the high school level for 7 years, I’ve worked with adults and technology since the early 1990’s. The transformative power of technology has kept me coming back – people’s lives are improved positively when they know how to use technology to accomplish their unique goals in faster, easier, more useful ways. That is the power of edTech!

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I truly enjoy hearing people present interesting ideas, but I can’t say I’ve loved every 60-minute lecture I’ve ever sat through.

Apparently, course designers from San Juan College, a community college in Farmington, N.M., agree with me. They’ve been experimenting with “microlectures” for certain online classes. These audio or video lectures last just 1-3 minutes and focus on introducing key terms and concepts. The details are left for the students to discover on their own through assignments and discussion.

This short-form pedagogical tool is designed to remove the instructor as the center of attention, increase active learning and speed up course development time. San Juan administrators say the program is a success, citing increased enrollment in courses using microlectures.

While the idea is intriguing and certainly time-efficient, I wonder if microlectures are simply pandering to students with short attention spans at the expense of a rich learning experience. Increased enrollment may indicate that students enjoy these brief lectures, but are they learning more?

In a recent interview, author Nicholas Carr suggests that offering less information may actually increase critical thinking.

Do you believe that intelligence is a matter of tapping into huge amounts of information as fast as possible — being “more productive”… — or do you think intelligence means stepping back from that information, thinking about it, and drawing your own conclusions in a calm, thoughtful way? My own feeling is that I’d rather have less information and more thoughtfulness.

On the other hand, I wonder if microlectures are shortchanging students, distancing them from their expert instructors who have a wealth of information to share. Learners undoubtedly benefit from discussing, researching, experiencing and contemplating information. But we can’t discount the role of a knowledgeable mentor, who is trained and motivated to empower her students with information and passion.

What do you think? Is this an innovative teaching format, or an excuse for expecting less out of students and teachers?

Last week, with little fanfare, the Sony Walkman turned 30. To celebrate the anniversary, the BBC gave the device to tech-savvy, 13 year-old, Scott Campbell to see what he thought about it. Campbell criticized the devices “size, appearance, functionality and the hissy backtrack and odd warbly noises,” but the real money quote comes at the end of the article where Campbell asks “Did my dad … really ever think this was a credible piece of technology?”

It’s easy to laugh now, but many educators are still using technology that makes the Walkman look modern and that is a problem. If we want to connect with students we can’t expect to use technology from the past. Students have Xbox, PlayStation and iPod and use interactive websites and HDTVs every day. Students aren’t interested in technology for technology’s sake. Student’s merely expect that technology in the classroom will live up to the standards set by technology they use in their personal lives. Students don’t necessarily criticize outdated technology because it is old, but they do get frustrated with technology that does not function correctly, has limited capabilities or is substandard to another technology they are familiar with. Why would Campbell be excited about a Walkman when he already has an iPod?

The same logic applies to technology we use in our classrooms. The challenge for us as educators is to find ways to use modern technology in the classroom despite our limited budgets. One thing is certain, though, using a Walkman won’t help.