Emerging Technology and Education
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Increasing Returns: Video Stores Still Exist
When I read the prompt for this blog I initially thought I would be
writing an obituary for the dead video store.
However, after thinking long and hard about the situation I discovered
that the video store is not dead, simply working part time and staying away
from Facebook. Of course I am
personifying the video industry, but when one looks closely at the progression
of the video store, there is evidence that it is still a viable option when
searching for movies to watch. I must
admit that my family no longer looks to movie stores as a means of watching
movies, but there are those families that do.
In the last module we had to acquire a movie to be able to meet the
requirements of an assignment. Without
hesitation I fired up the Apple TV and went to searching the Netflix app to
find the movie. Using this technology
has become such second nature, I did not give any thought to finding the movie
any other way. It’s a good thing for me
because the town I live in lost its Movie Gallery about three years ago. The only option to rent in this town is to
visit the movie renting machines at the grocery store.
When trying to decide if this was a situation of increasing returns or
a situation that exemplifies the Red Queen hypothesis, I decided that this was
a situation in which the video on demand companies and digital media companies
were increasing returns. Sure, one could
make the case that video stores did not adapt and change, thus falling by the
way side, but there are examples of video stores that did make changes and have
become ultra-successful in face of the digital age. (Read this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/08/blockbuster-die_n_4235344.html). This is a demonstration of how some companies
did adapt.
The digital movie companies and the video on demand features of cable
providers meet the needs of a certain niche.
Those with access to the Internet and wireless functions have the
ability to meet their needs using Netflix or Hulu. However, there are still those people that
rely on videos without the use of computers.
While it may be due to financial means or lack of technology, they do
exist and still find a way to access the media they desire. Again, it would be easy to say that the
situation of the video store is that of a victim of the Red Queen, but in fact
that is simply not the case.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Second Life: A Disruptive Technology
According to Thornburg (2009), a disruptive technology is any
technology that has a dramatic effect on the path of other technologies. After interacting with Second Life and
exploring its capabilities, I am firmly convinced that it is a disruptive technology. To support this claim, Rosedale (2008) stated
that Second Life has the potential to change the way people interact with the
Internet. It has also changed the way
that people interact with each other.
Second Life is a virtual, 3-D world that allows people to create an
avatar and interact with other people.
However, this is not the extent of the power of Second Life. Participants can enter customized worlds or
worlds created by others and interact with people, music, and merchandise. In fact, Second Life allows people to go
shopping in virtual settings and interact with the people that inhabit those
worlds.
Second Life was unveiled in 2010 and has changed over the course of the
past four years (Wikipedia, 2010). While
I did interact with Second Life, I cannot attest to the way it has changed, but
it appears that the graphics and the capabilities have been upgraded as
technology has become available. As I
explored the various worlds, I noticed the number of users worldwide and
realized that this technology is here to stay.
As a first grade teacher, I see the benefits that this technology could
have on my classroom. Students are
always interested in interacting with other students, probably now more than
ever. Creating a virtual world that
provides meeting places for students and provides boundaries that make
interactions safe would give students unlimited collaboration power. It would also give students the opportunity
to travel uninhibited around the world.
Rosedale, P. (2008). Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.
Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Disruptive Technology. Emerging and future technology.
Baltimore, MD: Author.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Printed Materials: Rhymes in History Technology
Being married to a history nerd, and I mean that in the absolute nicest
way possible, often gives me access to pieces of information that I may have
never known otherwise. As I think about
rhymes in history and the relationship between technology of the past and
technology of the present, I immediately recall one of my husband’s nuggets of knowledge. The printing press, most commonly known to
have been developed by Johann Gutenberg, is one of the most influential and
profound advancements in history. After
doing some research I found that the Chinese actually perfected the art of the
printing press long before Gutenberg, but the effect of the Gutenberg printing
press is immeasurable.
David Thornburg (Laureate, Inc.), a leading futurist and expert of emerging technology,
contends that all technology is inspired by themes and ideas of previous technological
advancements. I mention the Gutenberg
printing press because it is an example of a rhyme of history. Since the development of the printing press
the ability to produce and distribute printed material has improved and
advanced exponentially. From the
printing press with moveable type, technology to produce printed material has
included the earliest typewriters, advanced typewriters, the development of
computers and word processing applications with attached printers, to the
ability to produce printed text in eBook form.
While the technology has changed, the theme and the idea has remained
the same: print material as quickly and efficiently as possible.
While I do give my husband quite a hard time for his interest in
history, this activity has brought about an appreciation for being able to
trace things back to the root of the innovation. Understanding the profound effect of the printing
press and connecting its solution to a problem to the modern ability to print
on command has been enlightening and interesting.
Thornburg, D. (Producer). (nd.) Rhymes of history. [Video podcast].
Laureate Education, Inc.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Module 2: Enhancing Communication Through Video Conferencing
The
ability to communicate has changed so much in history that distances between
people have become nonexistent. Because
of technology, people around the world can communicate at any time regardless
of how far apart they are. Most
recently, video conferencing has added to the applications that can be used to
communicate. This includes technology
specifically set up for video conferencing in board rooms all the way to smart
phones that now have the ability to run video applications. In fact, video conferencing has made
telephone calls and cell phone call obsolete.
Communicating via phone allows for auditory communication only. Therefore, video conferencing technology
enhances the ability to communicate, but it also makes phone technology
obsolete.
The idea for video conferencing
recalls the idea of the traditional faculty meeting or staff meeting. In traditional meetings participants were
able to interact face-to-face and present materials that could be seen by all
of those in attendance. Video
conferencing incorporates all of those qualities while using technology to
diminish any distance barriers may present.
Even more than video conferencing, the future of conferencing may reside
in Telepresence conferencing. A Japanese
firm is developing the technology to make conferencing life-like as
participants will feel as if they are all in the same meeting in the same
location. Obviously this technology is
in its infancy, but it has the potential to improve the quality of video
conferencing. (http://www.conferencetech.com/news/what-will-future-videoconferencing-look)
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Module 1: Tablet Use in Education, Emerging Technology
The proliferation of tablets on the market suggests that
their popularity and need have skyrocketed.
It is worth mentioning also, that the development of touch screen
technology has also facilitated, if not started, the growth of the tablet. Thornburg (2009) mentions touch screen
technology as a technology that has emerged in the last few years and has
drastically changed the way people interact with technology. From its early beginnings in the 1980’s, touch
screens have developed into a wide range of ways that people can interact with
technology. This brings me back to the
wide spread use of tablets.
It would be an understatement to say that technology has
advanced at warp speed, and the need to access information through
technological applications has necessitated a shift from cumbersome desktop
computers, to mobile laptops, to completely portable and lightweight
tablets. I would exhaust all of the
bandwidth of this blog detailing the history of the tablet, but in short it has
developed as way to accommodate the need for constant access to information,
applications, and other people. The
obvious benefit of tablet computers is the ease of use and the ease of
travel. Tablets contain the power and
applications that desktop computers contain, yet portable. In the classroom, tablets have the ability to,
and will one day potentially, replace all printed textbooks. Instead of accessing static print material
students would have access to dynamic information in large amounts. This creates a classroom with active learning
where students become more self-directed and involved in the learning process.
There are however, challenges presented with the tablet
use. For me personally, the cost of
tablets is the main inhibitor to being able to use them in the classroom. As a first grade teacher, the dynamic effect
that tablets could have on my classroom is immeasurable, but the cost of
purchasing them is a deterrent. Also, from a network standpoint, the
bandwidth available could cause trouble browsing the Internet and other network
accessed applications. Because wireless
access to the Internet is the main mode of browsing, as more students access
the network it depletes the available network space. Finally, the prospect of damage to devices is
a major concern when it comes to student use.
While the desktop is cumbersome, its size provides a measure of security
from damage. However, the fragility of
the portable tablets raises the questions as to whether replacement costs will
also be a deterrent to having students use and travel with tablets.
Cisco does a great job of outlining potential problems associated
with tablet use, and they can be accessed using the following website. http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns170/ns896/cisco_edu_tabletsin_whitepaper.pdf
More information can be found about tablet use in the classroom
using the following links:
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le21/le39/docs/tdw_184.pdf
http://www.districtadministration.com/article/racing-ipad-k12-education
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le21/le39/docs/tdw_184.pdf
http://www.districtadministration.com/article/racing-ipad-k12-education
Resources:
Thornburg, D. D. (2009a). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.
Thornburg, D. D. (2009a). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Welcome to Emerging Technology in Education
I would like to take this time to welcome you to my blog. I am honored that you would explore my blog, and I am equally excited to participate in the discussions concerning emergent technologies. I am a first grade teacher, so I am especially interested in any emergent technologies that can have an impact on my instruction.
Again, welcome all.
Again, welcome all.
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