Post 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMi13DoDBAM

Technology in education and the classroom

eLearning

There are many emerging technologies in the education scene, such as eLearning (i.e: K12). E-learning is a wonderful tool for both students and teachers that are unable to attend/teach in a traditional school setting on campus. Students can access the course work at their own pace, sometimes even finishing quicker than a traditional course because of their diligence in getting their work done. Through e-learning, students can also access their material in a more comfortable environment, such as from the comfort of their own homes. It also works excellently for students who work, and cannot attend regular class hours. With e-learning, they can go online and access their coursework during any time of the day. In essence, a huge plus of eLearning is that students get to work at their own pace. In a formal classroom some students may fall behind and need extra time with the lessons, while others may be bored because they work faster than the other students. This allows each student to work at their own pace causing them to better understand the material.

Web 2.0 Technology

Web 2.0 technologies are useful tools for the classroom environment today because they provide students with a realistic view of the modern technological world we live in. Some examples of that are podcasts, wikis, blogs, or even social networking websites such as Facebook or Twitter. In the content area of, for example, a science class, these web 2.0 technologies can be extremely useful in immersing the students in an environment or in an experience that they otherwise might not have been able to visualize properly. For example, with virtual realty environments, we can take students on virtual tours of different ecosystems. In regards to blogs, we can have students read environmental blogs from ecologists located in mangy different parts of the world. Photo sharing websites are especially useful for the students in order to get a picture of what plants, animals, and environments they read about in their textbooks actually look like. 

Devices

All of these technologies can be used or displayed on multiple devices, which should all be utalized in a modern classroom.

• computers
• laptops
• tablets
• projectors
• smart boards

How Should Technology be Evaluated in the Classroom

Technology should be evaluated based on its effectiveness and results in the classroom. One way this can be done is by using a software logistical evaluation framework.

This framework allows for both teachers and administrators to decide whether or not spending school funds on certain technologies actually reap any benefits and to answer three simple questions: “What works?”, “What doesn’t?” and “Why?”

Teachers need to make sure that they are integrating the technology and devices into the course curriculum, making sure to attach them to specific learning outcomes while using them purposefully. Be sure to not use applications or devices without making clear to students why they are using them and what they should get out of using them.