Presentation for Emerging and Future Technology

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/Applesed1-1598251-emerging-future-technologies/

Red Queens and Increasing Returns – Week 5 Blog

Reflecting on everything you learned in this module, respond to the following:

• When you decided to obtain a DVD for your science fiction assignment in Module 4, where did you go to find a movie based on a Philip K. Dick book? Did you rent or purchase a DVD, or did you view it digitally on your computer using Netflix or a similar vendor of video-on-demand? \

We found the movie online through Google play. 

• Is the current competition between DVDs and video-on-demand an example of increasing returns or Red Queens? Justify your response with sound reasoning and specific examples.

I think that it is an example of increasing returns because everything is digital.  You can download it and watch it on a variety of devices rather than be tied to one specific machine.   A case in point is the demise of Movie Gallery and Blockbuster which have now been downsized to machines like the Red Box or the Blockbuster vending machine. 

• Where do you think DVDs and video-on-demand are on the four criteria of McLuhan’s tetrad?

            

Enhances – It allows you to use a variety of devices in order to view the movie.	Obsolesces  - Digital movies (on-demand) obsolesces the delivery system of having to view the movie through a disk.
Retrieves – It rekindles a time when I was younger and could view pictures through a view-o-scope.	Reverses – It is setting the stage for the development such devices as Google Glasses which allow you to record video as you walk down the street.

 

The Disruptive Power of Second Life - Module 4 Blog Posting

According to Cerf (2008), Social networking allows people with a common cause the chance to connect with others who have similar interests. Unfortunately, this does not come without consequences; now more than ever we are susceptible to people whom we are willing to share personal information with, but yet never make personal contact with. The program is also quite time consuming.  Like many of its counterparts in Facebook, it absorbs much of your time. Due to the nature of the Second Life program, you spend more time exploring the islands instead of collaborating with others in the program.  Instead of personally calling or writing someone, you can participate in “virtual conversations” with the participants.  With the rapid advancements in technology, I feel that it will not be long before another virtual program will come along to replace it. Or has it already? 

Rosedale (2008) reminds us that the virtual world was created for those of us who “crave the idea of creating an identity where anything is possible.” The social benefits would be that you can converse with others without leaving comfort of your own home.  For people who are shy or don’t like to go out or who cannot due to physical disabilities, it is a way for them to stay connected to the real world.  In education, it would be a way to stay connected with other educators from across the country or around the world; however, due to the time needed to devote to the program in its current state, I doubt that many educators would be able to devote that kind of time to a program such as Second Life. 

 http://youtu.be/lHXXsEtE3b4
 

References:

Cerf, V.G. (2008). The disruptive power of networks.  Forbes.com. Retrieved on October 25, 2012 from http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2007/0507/058.html

Rosedale, P. (2008). Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.

Module 3 Blog Post – Rhyme of History

In his speech, “The Next 5,000 days of the Web,” Kelly (2007) alludes to the impact which the web will have upon our very lives through embodiment, restructuring, and co-dependency.  He reminds us that these machines are merely “portals to the web” which has allowed us to transform from linking computers, to linking data.  As with any technology there is a price;  being so connected also makes us transparent. 

During his speech, I was suddenly reminded of the Star Trek movie, “Voyager” where the Voyager satellite went around collecting information until it was finally ready to come home and share the information it had collected to its creator.  When Kelly kept referring to the web as “the one” and that we are the web, I began to wonder if that has not already happened to us.  Our co-dependency on our portable devices has begun to take over our own lives. People are calling, texting, tweeting, sharing pictures, videos, etc. at the blink of an eye. 

One of these forms of technology which falls in this category is the ability to use a touch screen device to record your thoughts using digital text such as with my I Phone.  This is reminiscent of the notepad, or as one of my former colleagues called it, his own personal palm pilot.  It is portable thus allowing you to have easy access to it when needed.  Even on my I Phone I have a memo pad app where I can create my grocery list.  Now with the emergence of the I Phone 5, I wonder where the next I Phone will take us? 

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Emerging and future technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Kelly, K. (2007, December). Kevin Kelly on the next 5,000 days of the Web [Speech]. Speech delivered at the EG 2007 Conference, Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html

 

Module Two - September, 27, 2012

 

Enhances – Transistors created electronic circuits to open information  pathways electronically.

Obsoletes – The mechanical pathways/sorters in card punched computers, as well as tubes to transfer “electromechanical” signals.

Retrieves/Rekindles- Portable device that could be carried anywhere to listen to music and news.

Reverses – The recorded message in an analog form, like a record. 

References:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/transistor.htm

            When does technology become obsolete? Your answer probably depends upon on your perspective on how the technology is used and if it is still being used.  As an educator, having traveled through the past three decades, I have been exposed to a plethora of technological devices.  When I first began teaching, educators were still using the chalkboard, ditto machines, and filmstrip projectors.  Over the years, technology has not only transformed the way I teach, it has transformed my life.        

            In the 1950’s Roger Appledorn, a 3M research scientist, designed a machine to project writing from transparent film. Educators who saw its potential began to use them in the classroom until the emergence of LCD’s in the 1980’s (Morgan, 2012).  Due to its size, weight, and portability, teachers could easily transport it from one location to another. An attachment of transparency film made it easy for teachers to turn the handle to expose a clear piece of film for instruction. The emergence of Vis-a-Vis markers allowed teachers to clean off the film with just water and a paper towel.  In 1969, an inventor named Gene Dolgoff was searching for a way to design a projector with a brighter display; fifteen years later he achieved his goal by designing a display unit using clear liquid crystal. Four years later, this technology began to emerge (Tsivkin, R 2012).  With the emergence of LCD projectors in many of today’s classroom, this emerging technology has quickly replaced the overhead projector. 

            LCD projectors work in tandem with interactive white board, such as the SMART Board and Promethean Board which allow teachers and students to be able to actively engage in the lesson.  Other devices which also give the LCD projector some versatility is the document camera and student response systems.  With the document camera, you can project an image so that everyone in the classroom can see what you are looking at.  This is extremely useful for science labs, analyzing student work, and projecting images – such as a photograph from a textbook.  The student response systems allow students to get academic feedback quickly as their answers are projected onto the interactive whiteboard; from there, she can quickly monitor and adjust the lesson as needed based on the data that is received. 

            Dr. Thornburg (2009a) reminds us that the awareness of the emergence of technology must also come with the awareness of how it will impact instruction.  Another factor which must be considered is the cost; technology that is just emerging is significantly higher than technology which has already emerged.  In the end, no matter whether the technology is obsolete or emerging, the “landscape of educational technology” will have forever be changed (Thornburg, 2009a).  

References:

Morgan, H. (2012). History of the overhead projector. Retrieved on September 14, 2012 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5345030_history-overhead-projector.html

Thornburg, D. D. (2009a). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Thornburg, D. D. (2009b). When is a technology emergent? Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Tsivkin, R (2012). About LCD projectors.  Retrieved on September 14, 2012 from http://www.ehow.com/about_4740803_lcd-projectors.html

 

EDUC - 7108 - 1 - Blog for Emerging and Future Technologies

This is my first blog for my class, Emerging and Future Technologies.  I will be posting a new one soon which will be a response to our first assignment.

Module One's Blog Assignment

          Module One's Assignment

For most of us, technology is a way of life.  We get up and turn on our electronic devices which connect us to the outside world in the blink of an eye.  In the field of education, current technology that has emerged in the last few years that has shaped learning has been student response systems or e-voters.  For the past six years, I have had the opportunity to work with both SMART Boards and Promethean Boards. While the both have their strengths, one thing they have in common is their ability to be compatible with student response systems (e-voters).  With the SMART Board, students had the ability to cast their votes on a variety of assessments.  They also worked in tandem with programs like Study Island. After the assessments were given, I was able to synthesize the data to guide the next day’s instruction.  With the Promethean Board, if I pre-programmed the questions and the correct answer, then a bar graph would appear on the screen which showed the percentage of students who chose which answer.(A,B,C,D) The correct answer would be in green and the wrong answers would be in blue, so they got immediate feedback to their responses.  Then we were able to discuss their responses.   I was also able to import their answers into an excel document which gave me a running record of their assessments. 

E instruction (2012) has now updated their student response systems and now offers a package which includes an interactive slate for the teacher, student response systems, and an a set of interactive slates for student groups.  

http://www.einstruction.com/                   

In the past problems associated with these devices were the life expectancy of the batteries; they now power down automatically if left on for too long.  From time to time, they did freeze up, and I had to shut down the assessment and reboot the test, or the students had to reboot their devices.  Assessments had to be multiple choice only, true-false, or yes/no questions.  However, it does provide immediate feedback for both the instructor and the students.  It offers 26 different reports, including an item analysis and an standards analysis.  With the original set of e-voters, I had the ability to track their answers as they were taking a quiz.   Students could progress at their own pace if they all had a hand held copy of the quiz; that way, they would not have to wait for the problem on the screen to change. They were quite user friendly for the students.  They were all pre-assigned, so when the kids walked in the door, and saw the bag on the desk, they knew to take one to their desk.  With the new device, e instruction has tried to streamline their new devices. You can now sync them with the new Common Core Standards by downloading the standards from the company’s database. They are also compatible with ExamView and in some cases (depending on your grading program), you can download their scores into your grading program.

Dr. Thornburg (2009a) reminds us that the landscape of educational technology is in a constant state of flux.  Whether it’s through the use of flash drives, SMART Boards, net books, or IPads, the fabric of education is changing due to the influx of technology.  No longer are we satisfied to use computers just as a means of gathering information and for entertainment. We want to touch it, to talk with it, and to interact with it.   

References:

Einstruction (2012). Retrieved on September 12, 2012 from http://www.einstruction.com/products/student-response-systems#cps-pulse-tab

Thornburg, D. D. (2009a). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.