Addressing The Digital Divide

As I think of emerging technologies I think of how successful the use of technology is in the classroom when students do not have access to technology once they leave school. Throughout my coursework at Walden University I have focused a lot on collaboration among students. There are so many ways to collaborate online in groups wikis, blogs, nings, google docs, just to name a few. I have created assessments using these tools for future use with my students. I have to be creative on how I implement these technologies into my own classroom because many of my students are of low socioeconomic status and do not have access to computers at home. Furthermore education is not the top priority for my students so they are not going to make a way to a library or other access point where these technologies are available. As a leader in educational technology I must take these conditions into consideration when designing lessons for students. I realized just because many of them cannot use these collaboration methods outside of school does not mean that they have to be kept ignorant to the fact that these technologies exist. As I speak with other teachers about the usefulness of technology in the classroom they also have no idea what some of these things are or how easily accessible these technologies are. I must keep my students abreast of all of their options so that those that continue their education will have equal opportunity to succeed as those who are not as disadvantaged when it comes to access of technology. I began creating lessons that will allow my students to use technology during class when it is available. I have also created collaborative activities that encourage students to stay after school to use the technologies available for them at the school. I realized through my experiences at Walden that all students must be given equal opportunity to be successful.

Red Queens

Dr. David Thornburg suggests a red queen is a technology that comes out of no where and changes the game. The red queen creates competition for one technology until one technology is faded out For a discussion I was asked to watch a science fiction to find emerging or emerged technologies. I immediately sought out a DVD to watch for the assignment. As I write this blog I was asked to think about whether or not on demand movie rentals or the ability to watch movies over the Internet will replace DVDs. On demand movie rentals and the the Internet is certainly creating competition for DVDs. It is more convenient to hit a button on a remote to watch a movie or find a video to stream on the Internet than to leave home to find a movie to rent. As I look around I see more an more video rental stores closing. However I see more and more DVD rental kiosks popping up in grocery stores and the like. I also see the price of DVDs dropping and becoming more affordable for everyone. Although I think it is convenient for people to rent movies on demand and stream movies via the Internet, I do not think it will completely wipe out the demand for DVDs any time soon. People still like to get out of the house even if it is for the purpose of renting a movie. It is even more convenient because you can head to a local grocery store shop for groceries and pick up a movie on your way out the door. People also still like to purchase DVDs so they can pop them in at any time without having to find it. DVDs are also good for those who may not have cable or satellite television or access to the Internet. Lastly DVDs can be used during travel where there is limited or no access to on demand or Internet, and can be shared among family and friends. On demand and Internet streaming, in my opinion, just gave an alternative to DVDs. People will choose what is convenient for them at the time.

Second Life

Second Life a virtual world where anything is possible created by Philip Rosedale changed the way people can communicate via the Internet. Second life allows people to do what they want to do but cannot do in the real world. It goes beyond the standard text to text of normal Internet searches and information is presented in images. Dr. Thornburg defines disruptive technology as a new technology that has the same features as an old technology, but more efficient. The new technology comes along and changes how we do things. With this definition we can look at Second Life changing the way that we chat globally. So many users are in this world at the same time from everywhere around the globe. It allows users to chat as someone else to leave their real world and enter the world of their avatar. Instead of have linear chat with just one person or having to wait your turn to chat in a chat room you can create different conversations with people simultaneously. Dr. Thornburg also refers to a disruptive technology as a wild card that changes the nature of the game instantly, but I am not so sure that Second Life is a true disruptive technology in this since. It has taken years to grow to this level and its creator suggests it has many years and much more potential for growth. It is unclear what technology it truly displaced because chat is still available and it is still being used. I believe that Second Life has about five more years to reach it's full potential because a lot of people haven't caught on to it, or they may just not have time. I would like to see what it is like but I have too many real world responsibilities to take on a virtual world. I am not sure that it will ever be displaced by another emerging technology because people like to live out their dreams via virtual worlds. I think the more advanced the program gets the more people will stick with it because its virtual possibilities are endless. As a foreign language teacher I think it would be a great teaching tool. Students are so scared to speak in front of the class but if they could use avatars in a virtual setting I believe they would become more comfortable with the language. The only problem is my students do not have the technology at home to create virtual worlds.

Resources:

Rosedale, P. (2008) Second Life (video). Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index/php/talks/theinspirationofsecondlife.html

Thornburg, D. (2009) Disruptive Technologies (vodcast). Laureate Education Inc.

Rhymes of History

Dr. Thornburg defines rhymes of history as "the affect or impact of a new equipment rekindles something from the distant past. As I think about this topic I think about all sorts of technologies that have emerged that revisit some past idea. One technology in particular is the Nintendo Wii and the Wii Fit. This technology is relatively new but it focuses on a concept that has been around for ages, exercise. Exercise is an important part of staying healthy and different exercise programs have been in place for thousands of years. In today's busy society many make excuses for not exercising. No time to go to the gym or to run outside between work and kids. Financial struggles, not being able to afford a monthly gym membership or home gym equpment, also deter people from exercising. Most families purchase video game consoles so why not purchase one that can benefit the entire family. The Nintendo Wii has something for everyone including several exercise games that turn the video gaming console into a home gym. Once the day has settled down and the kids are asleep you can turn on the Wii and exercise. The Wii Fit is described by Nintendo as a product that "combines fun and fitness into one product." It is not just exercising but bringing in fun. It also allows you to customize your exercising experience so that when you come back to play it already knows your stats. Although the equipment may seem pricey it is a one time cost that can be used by the entire family as opposed to purchasing several gym memberships. You won't get the entire gym experience however you will get to exercise.

References:

Thornburg, D. (n.d.) Rhymes of History. Video Podcast. Laureate Education, Inc.

http://wiifit.com

Digital readers are used to read ebooks, or electronic versions of books. They replace the need for having a hard copy of a book. Multiple books can be stored on one device at a time making it convenient to have an entire library at your fingertips. Digital readers make paperback or hardback books obsolete. Students can eliminate the need for books by downloading all of their textbooks on one device. The digital reader reminds me of the electronic dictionaries, thesaurus, and translators that replaced these large books. In a handheld device you could type in any word get the definition, synonym, antonym, or translation. Essentially these devices started a movenment towards digital readers because they eliminated these type of hard copies. Reverses are very few. Some people just like to have a book for personalization. Ebooks can not be passed down to someone else. Digital readers are expensive and some can't afford them so it is cheaper to just buy or check out a book that is needed. It is not an essential piece of equipment for everyone only those that can afford it. Digital readers are a good investment and makes life easier for those that have an option to buy them.

Current Trend in Educational Technology

As we move forward to incorporating technology in to our K-12 classrooms the Promethean board is found to be a valuable technological tool. The Promethean board replaces dry erase white boards, overhead projectors, LCD projectors, classroom TVs, and in many cases the need for a computer lab. It has many capabilities rolled into one making it more convenient to switch the direction of the lesson a one click. The Promethean board has an interactive pen that allows teachers and students to write on the board just like a dry erase board. Since it connects to a computer any computer application or Internet site can be displayed immediately in front of the class eliminating the need for any type of projection equipment or a computer lab for students to see specific websites. The board also allows for sound projection eliminating the need for a TV or additional speakers. In addition the Promethean board has Activote capability which allows for students to be actively engaged in the lesson all at once. Promethean Planet has become a website that many use to share lessons created specifically for use with the Promethean board. There are endless possibilities when it comes to using the Promethean board in the classroom.
As easy as it is to engage students with the use of the Promethean board it is not as easy to get some teachers to use it. Although it has many great functions many teachers only use a few of it's functions and mostly use it as a projection tool. It is used to show notes, write notes, show films or websites, but it is less commonly used to interact with students. Part of the problem is it has a lot of functions and no one is properly trained on how to use the functions. With all that is demanded of teachers, some view it as another task to take on and not a way to make teaching easier and more interactive and interesting for students. Teachers that are not technologically savvy tend to stand clear of many of its uses, they view the technology as confusing and time consuming. Having mini training sessions on its many features could alleviate some of the resistance to this type of technology. I believe teachers became overwhelmed by the new technology because only one training session was held that encompassed all its functions at once. When schools adapt new technologies they must incorporate training into the budget that is user friendly.

New Technologies

As a high school teacher everyday we are faced with challenges on how to engage our students. Technology provides a gateway to reach our students on new levels. However I have found that teachers who do not have vast experience with technology are reluctant to use the technology in their classrooms. As a class room teacher I have limited say so in who gets technology or how it is used but I do see what happens are it is being introduced.
Recently our school received Promethean Boards in most classrooms and they provide many opportunities to create very interactive lessons for students. Teachers that have been in the school for a while tend to ignore the promethean boards and stick to traditional teaching methods. Other teachers use the boards, but only as a white board. It's disappointing to see the technology go waste. Many teachers say they are too old to change their teaching styles and they are about to retire anyway. It is very difficult to sway their mindset. Other teachers complain of not having time to create such interactive lessons. I try to share sites such as Promethean Planet that have lessons or lesson ideas that are already created, its no point in reinventing the wheel.
The ARCS Model of Motivation, created by John Keller, focuses on using active participation, specific examples, modeling tasks, making new information relevant, and allowing students to use information in authentic learning situations; among others. This model can be used to persuade teachers to create more interactive lessons with the Promethean boards. The Promethean board can allow for active participation, allow teachers to show specific examples in a variety of ways, model tasks for the entire class at once, make connections to real world experiences, and allow students to create authentic learning aids. The promethean boards provide a way to connect the entire classroom and have students teaching each other as well as showing what they learned. Introduction of the ARCS model can persuade teachers that using tools such as the Promethan board will get students motivated and learning.