I, luckily, did not have a heart attack, though this one is about 1/8th the quality of the first one. But on the bright side, that’s also 1/8th of the quantity so it’s less for you guys to read :-D! If you want more information, the article is 34 pages long and says a whole lot more than I do.
Hope you all had nice breaks,
Nandi
The Horizon Report: 2009 K-12 Edition
Summary
The Horizon Report summarizes six emerging technologies that are potentially useful in the K-12 classroom.
The technologies are chosen from hundreds of potential technologies that have been written about as being upcoming technologies in the field of education. The researchers first read many articles and other research about each of the technologies being considered.
The emerging technologies are organized into three adoption horizons that predict when these technologies will be adopted into mainstream education.
One Year or Less
Collaborative Environments
Collaborative Environments are virtual workplaces that students and teacher can use to communicate. They range from relatively simple online tools like wikis and Google Docs to complex three dimensional virtual worlds and multiplayer gaming environments.
The value given to collaboration is increasing around the world as people are expected to collaborate across an increasing number of geographic and cultural boundaries. These online tools help support this societal trend.
An example of collaborative environments that pertains to elementary education can be found at:
http://mscofino.edublogs.org/projects
In this example, students from kindergarten to fifth grade collaborate with peers from around the world using technologies such as social networking tools, blogs and wikis.
Further examples can be found on pages 11 and 12 of the text.
Online Communication Tools
Online communication tools are exactly what they say, software or websites to communicate using the internet. Included are instant messengers (AIM), video conferencing (Skype), and micro-blogging (Edmodo or Twitter) technologies. Online communication tools put students in contact with distant family members, experts and peers. This is useful because students need social interaction and meetings with experts in the fields. This is not always possible since field trips are expensive and take a lot of time. These communication tools are usually very cheap or free and can be used from anywhere in the world at any time of the day.
An example that can be used in an upper elementary setting is Zoey’s Room. This is an online community for middle school aged girls that deals with science, mathematics, and technology.
More examples can be found on page 15 of the text.
Two to Three Years
Mobiles
Features of modern cell phones such as GPS, third party applications, and web browsing capabilities make them ideal for use in the classroom.
While many school systems ban personal cellular devices, some are learning that they can be useful, with some school systems opting for small devises like iPhones rather than personal computers for student web browsing.
An example of an activity for the elementary classroom can be found in the form of the iPod Touch Application, Kids’ Fraction Fun. This application helps students practice the skills they are learning in class.
Examples of how to further incorporate mobile phones into the classroom can be found on page 18.
Cloud Computing
The cloud refers to computing resources resulting from large “data farms,” which are data centers that host thousands of servers. Many large scale websites like Google and Amazon use the cloud to host a large amount of information that can be found relatively quickly. This requires multiple computers for data storage. This storage is usually very cheap, making the tools that rely on the cloud often very cheap or free. A downside to this is that data storage is in the hands of outside providers rather than on your own computer. So, if the providers of Facebook decided to no longer provide storage, all your data would be lost.
A website that could prove useful for elementary teachers is CloudTrip: Education. This is a directory of cloud based applications. Teachers can download cloud based applications that deal with digital storytelling, student portfolios, and many other aspects of education.
More examples of how to use cloud computing are shown on page 21.
Four to Five Years
Smart Objects
A smart object is any physical object that includes an identifier that can track information about the object. Any item can be made into a smart object by attaching radio-frequency identification tags. More complex smart objects contain computers and have the ability to sense position, light, heat, color, and proximity to other smart objects among many other capabilities. These are very relevant to teaching because any object can become a source for learning. The technology to create a smart object out of anything is not yet readily available in the mainstream for teachers.
The LeapFrog Tag “pen” (I think we talked about this in reading) is an example of a smart object tool that is useful in a primary setting. With this pen, the student can interact with special books to listen to the story, play games, and learn about the pictures.
Further examples can be found on pages 24 and 25 of the text.
The Personal Web
The personal web refers to a collection of tools, widgets, and services that handle developing and organizing online content. These tools try to take the large amount of information on the web and tailor it to an individual’s personal needs.
Many web browsers use this on a small scale by providing personalized start up pages and the technology is readily available. Policy designed to protect students from encountering harmful material on the internet helps to hinder these technologies by limiting access to valuable educational content.
The personal web can be used in an upper elementary classroom by using a custom social networking application like Elgg with which teachers can create a class-wide student network for research links, discussion, media files, and other information.
Further examples can be seen on pages 28 and 29.
Discussion
Are there any other technologies that you think would be useful in the elementary classroom?