Future Trends in Educational IT

If one lesson can be learned from our past, it is not to put limits on what technology can produce or permit within society; assuming that anything is possible is probably a better assumption! According to David, because the Internet is "doubling in size every year, [and] the web is doubling in size every 90 days [there is need for] a complete rethinking of education"(Thornburg). Technology has allowed us to communicate with many different people around the world and has also permitted different types of virtual learning capabilities. The future trends and expectations of online learning are limitless with regards to new technology and the Internet.

One future online learning trend would be the use of the “Kinect” technology not only in the home but also in classrooms and healthcare facilities. “The technology is revolutionizing every day life. From helping stroke patients, senior citizens at healthcare facilities, to fitness to robotics and in education” (Weiss).  The “Kinect” technology would help and assist learning within the classroom and especially help those students that are challenged and may have trouble learning at a normal and even pace as the other students. The technology would also help senior citizens or handicapped individuals learn or re-learn how to talk, walk, and/or move their bodies or limbs again whether they were born without the capability or loss the function from whatever the case may be. This technology would revolutionize the world and learning, as we know it.

Another future trend would be the extended growth and use of mobile learning. Based on growing popularity and high demand, more people will be encompassing Iphones, Ipads, and other mobile learning tools in the classroom and also in the workplace.  This will allow “on-the-go” learning and will also equip people with the essential tools necessary to learn. Many workplaces will be able to train employees by using mobile learning and also prepare them in a more enhanced and superior way. In the classroom, students would be able to do math problems or read books and interact virtually and manually. I do believe that the learning capabilities of the students will increase tremendously over the next few years.

Along with mobile learning, distance education seems to be becoming more popular as the years go on as well. The “mobile classroom” has been gaining more ground since it allows for learning across different boundaries and at the same time, it allows for people to learn on their own time and at their own pace. “Many schools have developed the idea of the virtual classroom to a high degree. One instructor located at a central location and using video equipment can teach simultaneous classes in several satellite locations. There is no limit to the distance these satellite locations can be from the instructor” (Aranda). In the near future, many schools will be online based and will be able to reach students near and far away. They will be able to guide and educate students in a new and innovative way that will even surprise the most techno-savvy enthusiast.

References

http://tinab3240.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/education-technology-predictions-to-2040/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Future-Trends-of-E-learning&id=496477

http://www.nelliemuller.com/Future_Trends_in_Educational_%20Technology.htm

Pros And Cons of Classroom Technology

Pros and Cons

Title: Love it Or Hate it...Here it Comes.

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            There are many pros and cons to having technology in the classroom. While many of those opinions are statistical and of course, can be proven with numerous colorful, yet still chaotic graphs; it still remains that technology in the classroom is here. And here to stay.

            One of the best pieces of technology (and by far the most popular) is the ipad. Goodbye 10 pound Econbook! A new slim and stylish ipad....weighinging in at .5 pounds...and has a cute cover and all the text book education you could want. Who needs to buy a highlighter and take notes in a spiral? The ipad has the capabilities to hold all school books AND allows for note taking. However, a negative with ipads in classrooms is durability. While the physics book can get heavy, it also won't cost another $1500 if coffee is pour all over it, or dropped on the ground. We love the look and feel of our ipads, but the cost of replacing (because repairing is never worth it) can quickly make you re-think that 10 pound book. (K. Walsh)

            A major pro for technology in the classrooms is the level of exposure to other cultures and environments. While the encyclopedia used to be the quickest way to research papers, this took extensive time and was outdated before the paper was finished. With technology students are able to research live events and issues, as soon as they happen. This creates a wider level of knowledge for students and teachers.

            However in contrast to having such a vast amount of technology at your fingertips- it is the temptation to plagiarize which will increase the fail rate for students. There are numerous sites with full essays on almost any topic ever assigned. While the information is readily available, technology can seem to heighten the 'copy and paste' method among students.

            The level of teacher, parent/student interaction has also increased with the level of technology. While to some (teacher and parents) this is a move in the right direction. This way the communication about the student’s education is always up front. However, to students, having your teacher email your parents after every test could pose a problem to their Friday nights. (K. Leder)

            Although all this technology is helpful and fun; sometimes it can be too much fun. Not saying it happens often, but the urge to get on Facebook or Pintrest will occur- and usually right in the middle of a rigorous lecture on something we have no clue about, but will be tested over next week. The level of distraction is huge. Though, this can be filtered for younger kids with parental blocks, most students at a university would rather just not have a lap top if Facebook was blocked.

            The overall concept of technology in classrooms has many advantages; however we must be diligent when removing distracting temptations. When deciding whether to take your ipad to class, you  have to think, “Will I be tempted to get on Facebook?” or “Will I only use this for class purposes?” If you are enrolling your child in an advanced technology school, “Are they getting enough peer/teacher interaction?” All of these questions are important and are up to us as students and parents to decide.

Works Cited:

K, Walsh. "EmergingEdTech." EmergingEdTech. (2011): n. page. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://www.emergingedtech.com/2011/06/education-technology-weighing-the-pros-and-cons/>.

Leder, Karen. "Campus Technology." Campus Technology. (2012): n. page. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2012/01/19/Pros-and-Cons-of-Social-Media-in-the-Classroom.aspx?Page=2>.

Educational IT: The College Level

Moodle vs. Blackboard

What is Moodle? What is Blackboard? Coming to college I had heard of neither, but had both at my disposal. Moodle is a software package for producing Internet-based courses and web sites. It is a global development project designed to support a social constructionist framework of education (Moodle). Blackboard is also a software package in particular a learning management system founded in 1997 (Wikipedia). Blackboard may be older than Moodle, but that does not mean it has fell asleep at the wheel. Blackboard has made many strides to stay up to date with modern technology and made it easier for students to get access to schoolwork, grades and collaborative assignments.

Educational IT at the college level has been growing and improving on a yearly basis.

Some colleges use Blackboard and other universities such as the one I attend, University of North Carolina at Charlotte are moving towards a more functional and student friendly programs like Moodle. My freshman year at UNCC we were in the transition from Blackboard to Moodle and have been using it since.

Moodle offers an easy an ideal way to post grades, forums, notes etc. Teachers are more in touch with students needs and students are more connected to their professors. Moodle was recently voted best Course Management System in Top 100 Tools for Learning in 2012 according to Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies (C4LPT). There are nearly 12 thousand registered sites in the United States alone, with over 62 million users worldwide (Moodle.Stats).  Moodle offers a secure login (https) which enables the software to be able to present grades from teachers to students without having to worry about other students seeing the grades of others and compromising privacy laws. Many students are very familiar with the benefits and working operation of Moodle, because we have been using the software for years, but if we were incoming freshman and we had to choose which software we would prefer to use it would be best to know what all Blackboard had to offer as well.

Blackboard offers many platforms for multiple Markets such as:

• ·      K-12, Higher Education
• ·      Career Colleges
• ·      Corporations
• ·      Associations
• ·      Government, Military

Blackboard Learn for Career Colleges creates a rich, active learning environment, which increases student engagement and content retention for better learning. Learn program offers access from virtually anywhere at anytime. The accessibility of discussion boards, wikis, blogs, journals, and group workspaces enables social learning and interaction with peers and professors (Blackboard Learn).

For professors Blackboard Learn 9.1 offers a new way to stay in touch with students and keep up with their rising needs of posting grades, online assessments, interactive rubrics, active collaboration, and student activity reporting to see which students could use a helping hand in some topics. The platform also lets the professor see where they can put more time and energy in class information. The semester is only so long and Blackboard helps keep everyone on track and up to date on assignments due and topics to be covered (Blackboard).

In the end both programs are great and contribute a lot to the universities that use them.
To me choosing between them comes down to preference, Moodle is ideal for me and most seniors at UNCC because we have used it for years now, but that does not mean Blackboard could not take its place in years to come. The university will choose the software which best fits the needs of students and staff.

References:

https://moodle.org/stats/ (Moodle.Stats)

http://docs.moodle.org/23/en/About_Moodle (Moodle)

http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Learn/Products/Blackboard-Learn.aspx (Blackboard)

http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Learn/Products/Blackboard-Learn/Teaching-and-Learning.aspx (Blackboard Learn)

Homeschooling and the Involvement of Technology

Technology is everywhere and anywhere, even the unexpected know how to use some sort of technological device, even kindergarteners know how to use advanced technology. Homeschooling and technology haven’t gone hand and hand until now. It’s no surprise that there are so many homeschooled children with a high capacity of the use of technology and for that reason homeschooling has become a more viable choice for many families due to the extensive range of the curriculum that can be found online.

There is nothing wrong with public schools, but in the eyes of some parents public schooling doesn’t offer the best learning experience for their children. Many parents believe that homeschooling their child allows to create a better learning environment than the traditional classroom. Even though public schools are advancing in the use of technological teaching devices there is a ratio of four students to one computer. Public schools are beginning to use whiteboards, the availability and access to computer labs are starting to increase and now some schools are even offering online subscriptions to resources and databases (Jones).

With the national average of students with access to computers of four to one machine, homeschooled students have an all day access to computers. Homeschooled children have an easier access to technology, which gives them a certain advantage. With this advantage, technology is an easy way for them to keep their children learning at home with the access to so many programs that create a different independent learning experience. There are even programs that can help with students that have a difficulty with learning, for instance Apple’s program that allows dyslexic kids learn by reading them long sentences (Jones).

With the advantage that homeschooled students have over others is the constant access to technology that allows the students to be able to teach themselves through the one-to-one programs that are offered through the net (Urrea). With these programs students have to have at least a basic knowledge of how to use a computer (ex. using a mouse, scrolling, downloading) (Jones). These programs allow the home scholars to alleviate the lack of training that some parents might have in teaching (Urrea).

Home scholars are able to find new ways of learning as well, for example they are able to use the webcam to communicate with other student around the country to discuss issues, many assignments can be accomplished with help of other students online and being able to learn a foreign language through online sources. There are about two million students that take part of the homeschooling environment and according to recent polls, about 64% of homeschoolers say that have used or are using some sort of technology in their daily studies. Out of that percentage about 87% say that there will be an increase in the use of technology by homeschoolers in the future (Jones).

If homeschooling your children is something that you are considering and you feel that your children will get a more of a learning experience if they are taught at home know that there more than enough technology to help with the leaning process. Children these days are exposed to so much technology that teaching with technology can be a more efficient way to teach them.

References:

 Jones, Kerry. "Homeschoolers May Be Ahead of The Technological Curve." About.com Homeschooling. N.p.. Web. 16 Oct 2012. <http://homeschooling.about.com/od/computersinternet/a/technology.htm>.

Urrea, Claudia. "Technologies for Learning vs. Learning about Technology." Educational Technology Debate. N.p.. Web. 16 Oct 2012. <https://edutechdebate.org/ict-in-schools/technologies-for-learning-vs-learning-about-technology/>.

Educational IT: Toddler & Pre-school

Education is one of the most important aspects of life that we begin to learn at a very early age. Some may not realize that most education actually starts in the earliest years of a child’s life. In this blog, we will be discussing toddler and pre-school Educational I.T. that allows children to begin a lifetime of learning. 

Most toddler and preschool educational I.T.’s are created through games online that are very hands on and exciting for the children. This allows the child to learn without even realizing that they are learning. Some programs use interactive characters that help the child to learn the objective, and to better understand simple concepts. These online educational I.T.’s have created a fun learning environment that makes the children stay interested in what they are doing. 

With the use of educational I.T. programs, children begin learning online at home, and get a head start on the things they would typically learn in kindergarten. Studies have shown that the younger you are, the easier it is for you to grasp new things, and retain that knowledge. This is one reason why education is pushed for at such a young age, and educational I.T.’s help to establish this knowledge.   

There are various educational I.T. that are used to help toddlers and pre-school children to begin the learning process. Some of the most common are Leapfrog and Jumpstart. Leapfrog is an Educational I.T. that teaches the very basics of education. Pre-school children can learn simple words, math skills, and spelling through Leapfrog. The devices are meant to make learning fun and also show the child’s progression.  Toddlers also use leapfrog to learn colors, respond to open ended questions, and pick out words and pictures in books. Since Leapfrog makes learning fun with various games, the children don’t even realize that they are learning valuable lessons that they will carry with them forever. 

Jumpstart is another educational I.T. that toddlers and pre-school children enjoy to play, but it also stimulates learning. Jumpstart uses online games that teach toddlers their ABC’s and other basic tools. By using Disney and DreamWorks Animation, Jumpstart has created an exciting way of interacting with the child’s favorite cartoon characters. They have made the games very accessible by using apps that can be downloaded on handheld gaming devices, and also on iPhone and Android devices. Jumpstart has also created a program called “Math Blaster”, which has been used in schools over the country, as well as online. The pre-school Math Blaster uses games such as, “connect the dots”, “what’s my phone number”, and “friend’s numbers” to make learning math more realistic. 

There are many other online educational I.T.’s that help toddlers and pre-school children learn through an exciting environment. Sesame Street, Nick Jr., and Fisher-Price are some of the smaller online education I.T.’s, but they are just as useful as Jumpstart and Leapfrog. The main difference between the smaller education I.T.’s and the most common ones are the ability to only access the smaller ones online and not use other devices. 

Educational I.T. has changed the way education used to be taught, and has seemed to make learning more fun and exciting for all involved. Toddlers and pre-school children are becoming more adapt to online learning, and are getting ahead of the game! 

Chelsea Brown

Educational Information Technology: Intro and What Is to Come

Who are we? The individuals who are writing this blog are college students. We are looking to provide valuable knowledge about information technology, known as “I.T.” for short, and how it relates to education. Technology allows for one of the most powerful genetic bias which is the preference for visually presented information. This is one of the reasons that our group believes that technology can provide great resources to educational systems. We hope to provide a better understanding of how technology is growing in education and we will give our opinions, both positive and negative, on specific programs.

The comic strip above is very simple, yet shows a great example of what is going on in several educational departments around the world. Students are becoming a lot more knowledgeable in regards to technology, like blogs, than teachers.  Most current teachers do not have the proper training for the changes in technology and most decide to stick with the things they are most comfortable with. Current students in college, that are wanting to become teachers, have to take technology  classes so they know more about it and are able to take advantage of everything that it can offer. Teachers are also expected to participate in professional development opportunities that further their knowledge about new resources available.

What exactly is information technology?  ”Information technology is defined as a branch of engineering dealing with computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data”(Wikipedia).  You may ask, how does this definition relate to education? Educational systems use information technology every day, whether it is through PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets to calculate grades, or computers to make lesson plans. Technology is crucial to our society and is becoming increasingly prominent in people’s lives. It is also used in ways you may not think of, like in toddler and pre-school systems, and provides assistance to those in need.

The topics that we will be talking about are listed below along with an outline of each topic. They are in the order of when the blogs will be posted and will include the name of the individual who will be writing them from my group of colleagues.

Blog Post #2: Chelsea will be writing about information technology in relation to toddler/pre-school education systems. Early childhood curriculum can use technology and be very powerful when it comes to early childhood development and learning. Young children learn best through interaction and using technology enables them to do so.

Blog Post #3: Jacob will be blogging about home school programs and their use of technology. Children can’t learn with technology alone and interacting with other people and having hands-on learning activities are crucial. Jacob will expand more on this.

Blog Post #4: Pressley is in charge of this blog post. He will be talking about college level programs like Moodle and Blackboard which are used frequently by students. These applications allow for teachers to post notes, presentations, and other files online for students to access. It also gives students the ability   to upload files, view grades, view discussion forums and communicate with other members.

Blog Post #5: The author of this post will be Jessica. She will handle the pros and cons of technology in educational systems in general along with the history of education systems.

Blog Post #6: This will consist of a short review of previously discussed topics as well as the future of educational systems. Cassey will be the writer of this and will provide great insight on what is to come in the educational system.

If you enjoyed this post, I would appreciate if you’d help by spreading it through email, Twitter, or Facebook. Thank you!

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This blog is for information regarding Education It systems.