#edtech #edchat #elearning  The big buzz right now in education is the new movie Waiting for Superman which puts a spotlight on many of the problems with education today. Since I am a geek, and I look at everything though my geeky glasses, I see a lot of the solutions to the problems with education using technology. Today I would like to talk about two problems that are presented in the movie and my technological solutions.

Problem Number 1: A Bad Teacher.
A high school student I know had a bad Spanish teacher last year. By bad, I mean a Spanish teacher that refused to speak Spanish. She would have the students learn Spanish using textbooks and worksheets, and not by speaking it even though she was fluent in the language.

Tech Solution: Buy Some Apps.
By spending less than $10, this student was able to make up for the inabilities of her teacher and buy some Spanish apps for her Smartphone. Apps that not only spoke to her, but also listened to her speak Spanish and compared her spoken words to native Spanish speakers. She also bought a flashcard app that helped her pass off all of her “textbook” work that her teacher assigned.

This is one example of one subject in school, but trusts me, if there is a bad teacher, chances are, there is an app to replace him/her.

Problem Number 2: A Bad School
Let’s say a student has more than just one bad teacher, instead she has an entire school that is bad.

Tech Solution: Take It Online.
Today there are incredible online alternatives to brick and mortar. Companies like K12 offer a solid curriculum that in most cases is free and sometimes the school district will even provide a laptop.

So perhaps instead of waiting for Superman, maybe we need to download him, or install him, or log-in to him.

Of course I am not saying that all of the educational problems of our country are going to be solved by technology, but a few of them could.