Emerging Technologies, Week 5

Emerging Technologies: How they can affect teaching and learning.

With the advancement and speed of technology today, the integration of that technology into the classroom is a must. One of the most popular forms of emergent computer technology is the Wifi capability. Wifi (wireless fidelity) allows computers to network with other computers via radio frequency at very high speeds. What does this mean? Through radio frequency, they are doing it “wirelessly” and thus cutting the need for cables. A classroom can be run without having cables run throughout the corners and students tripping over them, causing a safety hazard. Also, a computer with Wifi capability can be accessed inside, outside, or anywhere on school grounds. It is not limited to just the classroom, as well.
Wireless and handheld computers make teaching and learning much easier, as well. One can install widely popular programs on them, such as word programming, spreadsheets, educational games, and other educational media. While the children are away from class, they can use this portable computers to type their reports or analyze their data; they do not have to wait to get back to class to input their information. Another importance is through Wifi, they can access the internet and be introduced to worlds of knowledge. Their internet usage must be monitored so that they are not accessing sites that are harmful to them.
Also on a portable computer, students can purchase e-books, which are electronic books. Rather than carry a large, overweight clunky textbook, they can download their text directly onto a PDA and read their lessons on it that way. They can store and record notes on their portable computers this way.
Through voice technology, a computer will be able to take commands by a human telling it what to do vocally. Through dictation, a computer will recognize a command and act upon its user’s request, must like today’s cell phones. Some of today’s cell phones have this capacity. For example, on my cell phone, I can say “Call Mike” and my cell phone will automatically know to call my good friend Michael. In the future, it is fathomable that computers will be able to take commands, such as “start spread sheet, enter 5 in row 1, column 1, etc.”
Lastly, an accessory that almost every college student should have now is the flash (jump) drive. This portable storage device can hold massive amounts of information and is relatively cheap. It is small enough to put on a keychain and can be used on any modern day computer. It works in a USB slot, and transfers data from computer to computer. Students can easily save their files and work this way, and last time I checked, you could get a 1 gigabyte flash drive for $20 at your local retail store.
So, how can all of this technology affect teaching and learning? With the integration of all of this technology, teachers can find new ways to incorporate media into their lessons. They can visually feed the students the material and give the children a more hands-on approach to the material that they are learning. If the students can afford it, they can bring their computers to the school, or if the school can afford it, they can provide the students with portable computers and let them use them in class. Students can save their work on their flash drives and continuously add to their work week after week. Students cannot fail with technology behind them, unless they are not trying and they are letting the technology become a distraction. In that case, they are not there to learn.