Emerging Technologies in the Classroom

In my exploration of emerging technologies in the classroom, I explored Smart Boards, Google Earth 5.0, and the use of Wiki Pages. Smart Boards are interactive, touch-screen controlled boards that allow students and teachers to engage with class presentations with movement and visuals. They are created by Smart Technology, and more information can be found about them at this website: smarttech.com/ . Google 5.0 is the latest in the line of the Google Earth tools, and it allows students explore the surface of the Earth, including the ocean floor. Google Earth 5.0 allows students to "travel" throughout the world without ever leaving their computer screen. Google Earth 5.0 can be accessed at this link: earth.google.com/ . I also looked at Wiki pages, and how they are used in classrooms. Wiki pages are interactive webspaces. They allow the readers of the pages to edit the content and create new content within the page. More information about Wiki pages can be found at this link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki, and you can visit wikipages.com/index.php/Home to create your own Wiki page.

All three of these technologies could have an impact on how I teach and the lessons that I design for my classroom. Smart Boards offer a unique ability for teachers and students to "go inside" a demonstration, and visually show the class how to do an assignment. There are new programs that have been created largely for use on Smart Boards that allow students to create whole worlds that they can monitor and explore, such as the Jungle Maker program at http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/jungle.htm . Google Earth 5.0 could really impact geography education: Rather than looking at plain old maps or globes, students can "visit" each location they are interested in, and learn about its topography. Wiki Pages, out of the three technologies that I examined, are perhaps the one that I am most excited about using in my classroom. Wiki pages allow students and teachers to interact and collaborate in ways that were not possible when I went to elementary school. Students can use Wikis to play an active role in sharing information, ideas, and discussion with their classmates, and teachers are able to take part in and monitor their activities. Wikis can be used as a constant means of communication between students and teachers.

The emerging technologies discussed in this post could hugely impact the ways in which students learn. Many of the technologies used in education are interactive and exciting approaches to instruction. They are able to incorporate sight, sound, hearing, and movement, allowing students of many different learning styles to flourish under the same instruction. They also allow students more freedom in directing their own instruction, a skill that enables them to become lifelong learners, rather than students who learn only in a school setting. As for meeting objectives, these new technologies provide different ways of monitoring student achievement and assessing the students proficiency. Wiki pages allow the teacher to review what each student has contributed to a project or discussion. Smart Boards allow the teacher to see what the student is engaging in, and how they are using the technology. Google Earth 5.0 is less of an assessment tool than it is a teaching tool, but it could be used as a resource for many different projects.

The most prevalent idea within these emerging technologies is that education and instruction are changing. When the Internet became more interactive and group-based, it started being referred to as "Web 2.0." Well, tomorrow's classroom could just as well be described as "Classroom 2.0." Classrooms are becoming interactive. They are empowering students to lead their own education and gather their own knowledge, and teachers better be right there with them.