2016 and Beyond: The Future of Classroom Technology

By Melanie Nathan

     It is difficult to believe that in my lifetime - a span of almost 25 years - my community has gone from very few people having a home computer and even fewer people having an internet connection to worldwide high-tech classrooms that connect nations that are separated by thousands and thousands of miles. In this article, Melanie Nathan discusses four major innovations that are imperative to the modern classroom and what will continue to be important as technology develops or becomes more common in the coming years. For those of us who are in the educational field, technology is increasingly important to our classrooms and in the coming years will be the main focus of our curriculum. Knowing this, being aware of what technologies are becoming available to us is imperative to having not only an updated classroom but one that gives the students the tools they'll need to be successful in the ever growing technological society we live in today. 
     
     The article hits on points such as 3D printing and new platforms that teachers and districts will be using in order to share information with students but the most important point I found was that of the mobile classroom. Going on numerous job interviews, one of the first questions that I ask districts is whether or not the school is headed in the direction of 1-to-1 classrooms, meaning that all students have their own computer or device. I have yet to get  a no from an interviewer. Across the nation and more increasingly the globe, classrooms are going nearly paperless with all students connected together on the school network and learning technology as it becomes available, unheard of in prior generations. 

     Global and mobile classrooms are on of the most exciting things about becoming a teacher in 2016. My possibilities for lessons and teaching are virtually endless. However, while this is an exciting time in education, it can also be  trying one as new sources of distraction are available to students. With the rise of the mobile classroom, I imagine more and more teachers will move to the back and play more of a "man behind the curtain" role in the classroom. How else are we going to make sure that all of our students are on task in the classroom if instruction stays at the front of the class like is the norm. Overall, though, I believe that the new technological innovations in the classroom can be a great thing for students and teachers alike. Students will take a greater amount of accountability in their learning than any previous generation and teachers will have more resources at their fingertips than the educators that came before them.

     

http://www.teachercast.net/2016-and-beyond-the-future-of-classroom-technology-by/

Should Elementary Students Have 1:1?

The article that I found is called "Pros and Cons: Is Elementary Too Early For 1:1 Technology?" This article talked about the pros and cons of technology in elementary classrooms. One of the pros to 1:1 technology in elementary is students get a more individualized education. One of the cons to 1:1 is students won't use paper books as often, so many students don't know how to hold or use paper books. Personally technology is going to become more and more popular in classrooms, so as teachers we should start incorporating it as soon as possible. It is important for teachers to realize that technology is a tool, and should not be used all the time in school.


http://gettingsmart.com/2012/01/pros-cons-is-elementary-too-early-for-11-technology/

Bill Gates explains Why Classroom Technology Is Failing Students And Teachers

http://qz.com/634289/bill-gates-explains-why-classroom-technology-is-failing-students-and-teachers/

Bill Gates explains Why Classroom Technology Is Failing Students And Teachers.

By: Amy X. Wang

In this article Bill Gates is posted a question on Reddit to the effect that although technology has improved it seems as though K-12 education has remained the same; how should schools adapt with technology to meet the needs of future? Bill Gates response was seemingly well thought and developed explaining that technology has been helpful to students who don't struggle with traditional learning. Gates claims that the modern teacher is not often told what they do well. Gates explains that many new cutting edge gadgets (Ipads) can be helpful but are often misunderstood how to be implemented. Gates states that effective use of technology should be personalized towards the student engaging for the struggling learners. Gates goes further stating, “If they don’t feel the material is relevant or they don’t have a sense of their own ability they can check out too easily.” Gates although a rich silicon valley tycoon is seemingly very cognizant of the state and pitfalls of education. I think that all educators need to go out of their way to show students that the material is relevant and useful in real life. Technology should be personalized to engage all learners!

How Slang Affects Students in the Classroom

This article discusses how this new technology era is taking over student's language. It discusses how due to texting, twitting and face booking- students use a lot of slang to communicate. This has become an issue since a lot of these students don't seem to know how to write a proper sentence. The article discusses that a lot of college admission offices have seen a big difference in the writing samples they receive. With all of this technology being used so frequently, it has become very easy for slang to be the only way they know how to communicate online. What is worse, sometimes people are actually speaking with all these abbreviations as part of their daily speech. I think this is very important to teach our students, we need to teach them that just like anything there is a time and a place for everything. There is a time and a place to use slang and abbreviations such as "idk, btw" when they are texting their friends. However, when it is time to be serious and professional they must be able to write well written papers to show their vocabulary.

http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2011/06/13/how-slang-affects-students-in-the-classroom?page=2

School Technology Support is "Horrible"

According to Hernando County schools superintendent Lori Romano, the support for technology is "horrible."  When initially seeing the headline of the article, I was intrigued that someone would think technology in a classroom is a bad idea.

After reading the article, I was glad I stumbled across it.  It gives a great example of a school that has bought into the idea of technology in the classroom, but they don't have enough money to buy good enough technology that works.

If a school system is going to invest in technology, it must make sure to test equipment, receive advising, and run through a pilot program before making a giant purchase that will influence the future of the community's youth education.

Although it's a little dramatic the reporter focuses on one quote about computers smoking when they are turned on, it paints a picture of technology being a waste of time if the proper funds aren't able to buy workable technology in the classroom.  A classroom would ultimately be better off without the technology.

If I were Romano, I would push the state legislature and/or the school community for more public education funding.  If technology is not current in a classroom, a group of young people will fall way behind in their education.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/floridas-support-for-school-technology-is-horrible-hernando-superintendent/2270309

8 Engaging Ways to use Technology in the Classroom to Create Lessons That Aren’t Boring

This article by Kelly Walsh lists eight different ways you can use technology to create engaging lessons for students in schools.

Her first way was to gather student input on different assignments. Her second way was to make it into more of a game, her third way was for students to create things, her fourth way was being interactive with it like using online whiteboards, her fifth was having students collaborate more, her sixth was project based learning, her seventh was simulations, and her eighth was live guest speakers via Skype.

I really liked this article. I found some of her ideas quite intriguing. For instance, I like the idea of setting up a Skype with someone from the outside world that would have great information on a subject. Another way I liked was her idea about simulations. Those seemed like cool ideas that I would want to potentially look into. Finally, I like the student feedback. I think it is always important for you to stay up to date on practices, and students can tell you if they are engaged or not.

http://www.emergingedtech.com/2014/10/technology-create-lessons-that-arent-boring/

Advantages of Using Technology in the Classroom

"This increasing focus on technology use in schools and the shifts in ways that modern-day learners communicate have impacted how computers are used in the classroom." This article talks about students coming into school more knowledgeable and capable with technology; this stat just keeps getting bigger. To deal with this statistic, technology is being added to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. We have to add more technology into our core curriculum to prepare our students for the 21st century and where it is heading with technology. "For example, modern-day education is not focused on simply learning concepts or facts as they are laid out in a curriculum. Instead, it is about the process of building connections." As teachers, it is important to make sure the students are receiving our messages, and we have to pique their interests to do it. This not only puts the student in the driver's seat, but it also shows them the importance of correct information and building relationships. Using technology in the classroom allows us, as teachers, to teach the way the student learns. This article definitely gave a lot of benefits of using technology in the classroom which fits right into what this class has been showing us.




Source: Boundless. “Advantages of Using Technology in the Classroom.” Boundless Education. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 28 Mar. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/education/textbooks/boundless-education-textbook/technology-in-the-classroom-6/edtech-25/advantages-of-using-technology-in-the-classroom-77-13007/