Emerging Technologies

Name some emerging technologies. How might they affect teaching and learning?

Theory and reality often clash as emerging technologies are discussed within the auspices of the classroom. In fact, the rhetoric often falls short of the reality—where old habits die hard and students generally surpass teacher technological knowledge. But all is not lost in theory; there are a few “emerging technologies” which are quickly becoming ever-more ubiquitous and indispensible in real application to the classroom and education as a whole. I will mention a few here and briefly describe an example of their immediate usefulness:
Interactive whiteboards
Interactive whiteboards allow educators in all fields to more easily incorporate students in the lesson, as it applies to writing text directly on whiteboards, sketching symbols, and presenting a-hands-on approach to literacy and reading comprehension.
Wireless Networks
School districts have come to rely heavily on wireless networks, and it is really difficult to think back to a time when the situation was not as it is. Of all the advances (implementation of emerging technologies, and the interconnectivity that this technology brought forth) this has drastically changed the model of education. Students are now capable of bringing their laptop computers and to directly incorporate/apply information on the fly. Teaching how to do research on electronic databases, creating class blogs, and accessing educational links can now be demonstrated and immediately put to practice by the student. And even though there are clear are socio-economic limitations to the access of this technology, all is not lost to a polar model of haves-and-have-nots. Students from economically humble backgrounds may not have the ability to procure a laptop, or certain school districts may not be in a financial situation to invest on this technology. Fortunately, the technological model predicts a movement towards economic accessibility which will hopefully make it common place in every school.
Tablet PCs
The presentation of emerging technologies in the classroom can continue with-out end. Yet, I’d like to mention one last device that has proven successful—tablet PCs. These devices are powerful tools in early literacy. Shape and handwriting recognition make it possible to sketch symbols and links as well as write text directly on the tablet with a stylus. They essentially bring a number of the benefits of the whiteboard and laptop to individual students that are younger and whereby the technology of such devices may across as intimidating or impractical for the age group.