Emerging Technologies and their use in the classroom 1

Emerging Technologies and their use in the classroom

Arnulfo A Dauto

College of Southern Nevada

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR USE IN THE CLASSROOM 2

Abstract

There are so many new classroom aids being developed nowadays that it can sometimes seem

overwhelming or impossible to keep up with all of them. From smartphones and tablets to Wi-Fi

and connected networks. Technology certainly never stops for us to keep up with its ever

changing facets. This research paper was conducted to take a deeper look into how emerging

technology is molding our future and more specifically how it is molding our future classrooms

in the 21st century. Are we relying too heavily on technology? What are some of the positive

outcomes that can result from our use of technology? Negative? We will explore some of the

recently new technologies that are being utilized in classrooms here in the United States and all

over the world today. As well as take a look at new and exciting ones that, perhaps, only our

grandchildren will get to use in the classroom.

Keywords: Apps, Online, Class Dojo, Tablets, Augmented Reality, Gaming, Distance

Learning,
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR USE IN THE CLASSROOM 3

Emerging Technologies and their use in the classroom

In todays society it seems as if we are being bombarded with brand new technologies

every other month. Cell phone companies are coming out with new versions of the same phones

constantly. We are connected 24/4 through apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat

or whatever new cool social media is trending at the moment. The technology trend doesnt seem

to just be contained for entertainment purposes. We are seeing new technology for education

coming out today more than ever before. The future most definitely seems to moving towards

lessons be geared around technologies that will be able to assist current and future teachers in

reaching future generations of students.

Technology in Elementary Schools

As a parent of a student that is currently attending an elementary school this subject

really hits home for our family. Technology in elementary school is not something that has really

crossed my mind, until this class. My sons school uses an app called Class Dojo. Class Dojo is a

tool that schools implement to stay in contact about anything school related. We have

notifications from the school in regards to pick up and drop off times and locations, school

uniform requirements, even school days off. The tool the teachers use is really pretty amazing,

when it comes from a parents point of view. Teachers are able to post on a page personalized to

your child. Anything positive or negative that happens throughout the course of the day, parents

are able to access that in real time. Teachers use this to promote positive behaviors in the students and

to strengthen communication between school and home. This is done through Class Dojos Dojo Point

system and messaging system that helps teachers and parents get on the same page (GettingSmart).

Another technology being used to make learning more enjoyable for young children are games.

Most children play some form of video games nowadays. For teachers that are able to merge the two in
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the classroom environment they are giving children a different way of looking at learning a subject that

they may not have been able to enjoy before. Not all schoolbooks are able to capture the attention of

children they way that some games can. Some of the best games are those that make children collaborate

together.

The Future of Tablets in the Classroom

Tablets are another useful tool that is being incorporated into classrooms all around the world.

They are available through a variety of vendors. They are offered in different sizes, capabilities, and

operation systems (Duffy-McDonald,135) The possibilities of using tablets in the classroom are

seemingly endless. Just like when computers were introduced to many of us in the stone ages, games like

Carmen San Diego and the Oregon Trail helped students become engaged in learning while playing

games. They didnt even realize that learning was taking place. In recent survey by Harris Poll found that

90 percent of students thought that tablets would change the way they learned in the future and 89 percent

said that tablets made learning more enjoyable (PearsonEd).Teachers are able to take their students on

visual field trips around the world. We are no long stuck in the two dimensional world of textbooks. With

tablets we are able to use Augmented Reality (AR) right in the classroom. In one lesson the class can be

exploring the Great Pyramids of Egypt in the 3D, walking through all the narrow passages. In the next

lesson we can be traveling around Boston and Philadelphia learning about the birth of this nation. This is

made possible by Aurasma apps.

Another application in the classroom for tablets is for Astronomy lessons. Apps such as

SkySafari, Star Walk, SkyWalk and GoSkyWatch are great stargazing tools if students are studying

the pattern of the sky. You dont even have to wait for the sun to go down to be able to use most

of these apps. Which is perfect, since most classes are held during normal hours. Simply point

the tablet toward the sky and it will show the constellations as you move it around. Some of

these apps have the capability of choosing dates in history and you are able to see what the night
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR USE IN THE CLASSROOM 5

sky was showing on any particular night. The ability to show your students what Marco Polo and

Christopher Columbus had to use to navigate at night, or what the night sky looked like while

our National Anthem was being written, could make a lesson more powerful for students.

(TheGuardian)

Online teaching and learning.

Whether you like online schooling or not, its here to stay. At some point in our lives

most of us are going to take some form of online schooling. It is an extremely convenient way to

get your education donefor most of us. The main complaint against online education is that

people who dont like online courses would prefer in-class instruction. They feel as if they need

or would benefit from having that face to face or hands on experience. Many feel, as this student

has, that online courses appear to be a one-size-fits-all type of environment. It tends to be a one

sided conversation with the instructor and no real dialogue is had. There is definitely a sense of

separation between student and teacher. Even if the teacher is extremely engaging with their

students via email, skype, text or phone calls, it doesnt have the same sense of intimacy of face

to face interaction. This is particularly true of courses that seem to be prefabricated classes.

Already filmed and ready to go. Just watch the videos and take the quizzes. If you have any

questions, refer to the syllabus.

But there is the other side of the argument, however. Online learning, distance learning or

whatever you would like to call it, is being used all over the world for practicality and

convenience. Both students and educators are finding that having the flexibility to work on their

respective courses at their own time. This sort of learning is beneficial not only for the average

student but for special needs students as well. People with certain learning disabilities that

require extra time to work on assignments, may get some benefits from online courses. Students
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR USE IN THE CLASSROOM 6

that have social or behavior issues could take courses without having to worry about having an

embarrassing incident in public. Finally, for some college students that are on a tight budget,

most of us are, online courses offer us a way to go to college without actually having to take

transportation to college. This means not having to buy bus fare, or paying for gas, less

maintenance that is required on your vehicle, no sitting in traffic. All of these things save the

college student money that could be spent on other things, such as more schooling, its a win-win

situation for those of us in college that are trying to make it work out on a limited budget

(USNEWS).

There are other versions of online schooling, Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs

are a great way to get that learning completed. These courses are becoming so popular that elite

schools are even offering free online courses. These schools include: MIT, Harvard, Yale,

Stanford, UCLA, Berkley, and Duke. For institutions such as these prestigious schools to start

trending towards online schooling says a lot about the future of its mainstay (DBPA).

Online education is not only limited civilian world. The military relies heavily on online

education. Even before you join a branch of the military, you are going to be taking a test called

the ASVAB. Once you get into the military, you are not done with online testing. In the Air

Force, they what are called CBTs or Computer Based Training. CBTs are used to replace actual

classroom training. These courses vary from career to career range from Chemical, biological,

radiological and nuclear defense or CBRNE, Self-Aid and Buddy Care, Sexual Harassment and

Diversity.

Conclusion.

Since the beginning of structured formal education there have been new ways teaching,

new ways thinking and new ways of learning. New things will always be met with resistance.
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Society gets used to a certain way of doing things and if something comes along that challenges

that, it might not be met with open arms. As we have seen since the rise of computers and the

internet, technology is absolutely going to be part of our future in and out of the classroom. How

and when we, as teachers, decide to incorporate this technology rest solely on the educators

shoulders.
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