Growing up, I lived in a house full of music and I remember my mother blasting ABBA, The Carpenters, Kenny Rogers, Juice Newton, Simon & Garfunkel, and a host of other albums on our stereo system. I remember the clicks and pops of the needle on the record while the turntable turned. I remember looking at the album artwork and pictures while the music played and wondered how the vinyl actually created music. This was in a time of walkman's and CD players, so I wondered why my parents would opt for having to change the sides of the record when it was so convenient to just put in a CD and play the album all the way through. Vinyl seemed like a lot of work and I just didn't get it. That is, however, until I started my own vinyl collection as an adult. A local record store had opened up and I was hooked the second I crossed the threshold of the door. Not only did I rediscover all of the old records my parents used to play, but I also found the records of my youth. As I rummaged through the bins trying to find the perfect albums for the beginning of my collection, I realized that I was drawn to these relics because because they fit my style and because I know they will work.
I'll confess that I love technology. My bride typically refers to me as a "gadget guy" who always has to have the latest technology tool even though I probably don't need it. I'll admit that I find myself buying technology that I probably don't need just because I think it is cool or because there is probably some obscure use that I will need it for. I'm guilty of occasionally not looking very deeply into the purpose of the technology for the sake of just being on the cutting edge. Ultimately, I am sometimes left with a heap of outdated technology that I have no use for other than to remind me that just because it is the latest and greatest, doesn't mean that it is going to work.
Too often we are bombarded with the latest gadget and the next "big thing" in education that we sometimes lose sight of what actually works. There really isn't going to be any new technology that will allow us to build better relationships with students and get to know what makes them tick. A smart board, document camera, learning management system, or any other technology may help us become more efficient in our jobs, but they will never be able to replace actually sitting down with a kid and engaging them in the process of learning by actually speaking to them and finding out what they need. You see, for all the technology in the world, you still need to have a person who knows how to make it work and that is exactly why teachers are needed, because they work and we all need to trust what works.
I don't want to be a broken record here (pun intended), but we all need to look back on tried and true measures of the past that actually make teaching and learning work. Just because it is old fashioned, doesn't mean that it needs to be relegated to the annals of history and my record collection is proof of that. While I certainly have the hits of the 70's, 80's, and 90's on vinyl, I also have new releases from the artists of today, because they are still cutting vinyl albums. Why you might ask? Because they work and I trust what works.
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