Technology is constantly improving and surprising us. Gamification is brought up in the text and I believe it would have a big impact on the class. Kids are using technology at a younger and younger age. When I used to babysit a 4 year old he used to always ask for my phone so he could play games. Since kids are always wanting to play games anyways, it makes sense that we make them educational.
One future technology not discussed in the book that sounds really interesting to me is eye tracking. With this kind of technology teachers will be able to see how students absorb and understand the learning content. Also where the eye is directed throughout the documents. Another aspect of eye tracking is that disabled students can use it to control keys, generate speech and more. With this kind of technology, the education students receive will enhance.
Digital divide is a term used to discuss the gap between people with and without access to technology. I am on the digital side. I have my own laptop which I use for all my work. I also have access to two libraries and a computer room in the college of education which I am in at least once a week. In my classroom I do expect there to be a digital divide. Even though technology is becoming more and more available, I can not expect every student to have access. Students who do have technology and internet access at home have a greater advantage of educational success. To address this, I will send out an email to all the parents so i can see exactly who is divided from technology access. I will also incorporate lab days in my course were I take the class to a computer room so everyone can see how to correctly use the internet, and how to work it on their own when necessary.
I really like your blog. I think it's a great idea to make games more educational and I liked your idea for future technology.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog. I think it's a great idea to make games more educational and I liked your idea for future technology.
ReplyDeleteI agree, students with access to technology at home will experience a greater level of success in the classroom. It's important to create a bridge over the digital gap that many students and teachers are experiencing so the playing field may be evened out.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your perspective for future technology and your plan to take students to a computer lab once a week, I believe that it is important for our students to get the most out of their education and the advancement of technology will help our students reach those goals.
ReplyDeleteYes- making everyday games educational could really help kids in the future. It would be fun and they wouldn't even know they were learning when they were playing!
ReplyDeleteI agree that it would be a good idea to use games in the classroom for learning. I have three nieces and they are always asking to play games on my phone, and they each have their own personal mini tablets that they can play on as well.
ReplyDeleteThe eye tracking scares me a little but sounds like a great use, once it becomes more accessible.
ReplyDeleteGood choice in bringing up eye tracking. One component of Reading Plus, a differentiated reading software, has students press the space bar when they see the letter "c" in a field of "o" in increasing speed. Although not an eye reader, it is based on similar concepts of ocular tracking.
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