Module 6



I think that as a leader in educational technology I can help make emerging technologies valuable to others while maintaining gender, cultural, and socioeconomic sensitivity by showing my own excitement about the emerging technology and with that excitement comes the need to share it...with everyone. Within my own school where I teach I have demonstrated how to use the original software that came with our Activboards and now that there has been a new software upgrade I have held mini courses on how to use the new software for anyone interested in learning. Also, as I learn about what technology is around the corner I will continue to blog about it to the world.

Module 5 Red Queens and Increasing Returns

For the module 4 Sci Fi assignment I already owned most of what was on the list. While I do download music from iTunes I tend to like to have a "real" copy of my movies, espically on BluRay. I do have a Netflix account and actually hooked up my laptop to my HDTV in my living room so we can watch stramed movies on a large screen. I would say that the current competion between straming videos and BluRay (not DVD) is an example of REd Queens because looking at the sales figures of BluRay players within the past two years and the sales figures on iTunes alone they are passing standard DVD by, yet are in a competion for the marketplace. I think that both BluRay and streaming videos are in the enhancing section of the tetrad because they are enhancing the home movie viewing experience.

Module 4 7108 Disruptive Technology

Second Life is an online virtural world where people can build their characters and world. It has become a disruptive technology because so many individuals have invested into the program that it has created a need for online communities that surpasses even the World of Warcraft in terms of size. It has created a fanatasy world where individuals can meet and socialize without really having to leave the house or feel the uncomfortable tension of networking in the real world. I know of no emerging technology that can replace Second Life unless a true three demensional virtural world is created. I can see how this can be used in the industry of education by allowing students to create a social system in order to learn and share ideas with each other and build on their inquiry.

Module 3 Rhymes of History

After viewing the Rhymes of History video from Dr. Thornburg I thought of how I use to play various games as a child with my friends. My friends and I use to get together and play board games all the time on weekends. In order to play the games we would have to meet up and decide what to play. This was a common human interaction for years. However, when I was a child I also had an Arari 2600 and eventually a Nintendo. When my friends could not come over I could interact with a game and play against the computer. Now people can play games with their friends while sitting in front of their own tv or computer via an Internet connection. There is even electronic versions of the board games I grew up on that can be played not only with your friends, but anyone online throughout the world. Here is a website for playing Monoploly (my favorite board game) online. http://videogames.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Play_Monopoly_Online

Module 2 iPad Tetrad

Module 1

For your first Blog Posting, reflect on the following:
In his article “Current Trends in Educational Technology,” Thornburg discusses the transformations that are taking place in society as a result of new technologies. He provides a variety of examples in which he shares how a new technology was shaping society, as well as any problems associated with that technology. He then proposes various ways to make these new technologies better.
For your Blog Posting, you will play the role of a futurist and provide another technology example for Dr. Thornburg’s article.
Utilizing Thornburg’s format, respond to the following:
Identify a current technology that has emerged in the last few years that shapes learning or productivity in your industry.
What problems or challenges have been associated with this technology?
What societal need does it meet, and what are its benefits?
What would make this technology even better, avoiding the pitfalls you identified?
Include a graphic and a link to a Web site where your chosen technology is featured and discussed. Be sure to create tags for your keywords so that others are able to locate your blog if they are interested in this topic.



A current technology that has been introduced into the school system is the Activboard. The Activboard is an interactive tool that has replaced the chalk board for many teachers. A problem that has arisen with the Activboard is that while many younger generation teachers are using the boards to their full potential many older generation teachers are not using the boards for anything except a fancy white board. The benefits of the boards are that they can be used to not only write on without getting your hands covered in chalk or dry erase marker, but they can be used to show streaming videos, take interactive quizes on, flipcharts can be created for small group instruction or even centers. The boards are great for both visual and auditory learners. What would make these boards even better would be if more teachers were willing to share some of their ideas for how they use the boards or even put some of the flipcharts that they have created on the web (Promethean Planet has a building wealth of these).

website for Promethean Board http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jigsaweducation.com/media/186683/activboard_crop_302x243.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jigsaweducation.com/reviews/january-2009/promethean-activboard-2.aspx%3Fsection%3DPrimary&usg=__FVLgBG0edmW3tdcmvfVXe53PBoI=&h=243&w=302&sz=11&hl=en&start=11&sig2=57nvzxqLA8fzwtB_0bSuOQ&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=ppfGUcDgKwSKIM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dactivboard%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4GWYE_enUS309US309%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=6F2RTJDALsOB8gaUr6WtBQ