Which of the six emerging technologies mentioned in the Horizon Report are you most excited about? Why?
I am most interested in the technology that allows for the personal learning experience. An example of this would be the use of an iPad in and out of the classroom with the educational applications (apps). I was thinking about this more and more and thought how great it would be if every student could have one of these in the classroom and then be able to take it home so they can experience the same classroom setting from where ever they are via 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi connection. I hope that the educational technology movement can make this happen over time. Remember to have an iPad like device it does not cost $500, in India they made the same type of device for about $40 and in the United States there are other tablets that only cost around $200. It would be great if traditional K-12 schools went digital to an extent and maybe even have a day where students go only a half day every week and then have a discussion when they got home about the classes that they are in. Also, there are a variety of apps that allow students to learn effectively. Were not in the old days of online through mail school we are at just in the very beginning of what technology has to offer us (last 40 years) and it is only going to get better. Even in a college setting why not have a device such as an iPad or other similar devices put in as tuition so then students can have the hybrid class experience throughout their entire college career. For example if it was a Monday, Wednesday, Friday class, maybe the class would be held two days out of the week and the other for self reflection and discussion on class material. Feel free to respond back. Have a great day.
Peter, you bring up a great point that technology has the potential to restructure the school day. It has been said that with so many web 2.0 tools in the classroom giving students access to assignments that snow days might become extinct! iPads have become much more prevalent in schools but for many, like you said, price is a concern. Hopefully, the prices will drop or teachers will look to other mobile devices for their classroom.
ReplyDeleteI too hope that schools can adopt the web 2.0 and educational technology principles in schools and find a way to integrate technology into their programs more. It is great that we are getting more technology into the public school system such as Smart Boards, but I believe that it is not enough and that a mobile device such as an iPad can lead the way in making a learning experience in a school setting more hybrid so the students are able to complete tasks on their own and then collaborate with the teacher when they return.
DeleteI really liked the perspective you took in this post. It almost seems unheard of to think of restructuring our school schedule from the tradition that we are used to, but I certainly can see some validity to what you propose. There is such a benefit to the use of technology in the classroom I hope it can be integrated more effectively as we continue to develop it. Whether that means restructuring our schedule, our classrooms, etc. things will need to change as we look to the future of our educational system. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my blog post and I believe that this could be a new dynamic to learning that can benefit students and teachers alike. There needs to be more people like you out there that believe that this can be done. It is true that we need face to face interaction, however this would in my opinion help students learn class materials more easily and take some of the stress out of high school and college life. How great would it be to have a class three times a week and the norm is that you don't have classes on Wednesday. This also would give the opportunity for those students who do not talk in class able to participate with the class.
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