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>.