David Carrillo, Jose Milla

Current technologies in schools Computer use in class CCTV (for monitoring) Virtual Learning Environment Wireless access to internet Podcasts for University lectures Smart boards and projectors Web 2.0 tools

Technology in classroom teaching

Technology in classroom teaching Use of laptops in class

Allows students to use word processing programs to organize better their ideas and produce more visually appealing work.

Students can access the internet to do research while in class.

A broader variety of educational software such as LoggerPro are available to students. For example, this software will aid students in scientific research, serving as a data-logging tool.

Virtual Learning Environment Wikis allow students to organize and

share their ideas efficiently by setting up special sites in which any student can upload and edit information about a particular subject.

Moodles

Will these technologies continue to be used? When the internet first appeared, it

completely revolutionized classical educational methods.

With the increasing use of internet and laptops in classrooms, several issues arise: Are laptops necessarily more efficient?

Students are more prone to procrastinate in class.

Anyone can upload information to the internet, making it an unreliable source. Even sites such as wikipedia.org are not safe anymore.

Some universities are starting to ban the use of wikipedia.org as a research tool for students, arguing that information is unreliable.

Many educational institutions (high schools and universities) have even started to ban the use of laptops in classrooms.

On the other hand, the use of technology in classrooms has been rising at an exponential rate; there are even programs which incentivate the use of technology in education:One laptop per Child: the aim of this

program is to provide third world countries with low-cost laptops which can reinforce classroom education.

Changes in Technology

Before technology, students had to work with notebooks only

Laptops and computers were not integrated into schools (when computers were first being developed)

As computers and technology were progressing, computer labs were eventually integrated into schools

Later on, Laptops were becoming affordable and individual students or schools could decide if they wanted to integrate them in education.

Smart boards and online tools (e.g. web 2.0, virtual learning environment) began to used in schools, too

New Upgrades?

Technology would continue to progress over time

Mobile phone usage PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) More Web 2.0 usage (e.g. cloud

computing, social networks, wikis, blogs, YouTube, etc.)

Touch technology (e.g. Microsoft Surface) Upgraded laptops Holographic projections

MS Surface

Touch technology could be implemented in schools

RFID

RFID is the use of an object incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification and tracking using radio waves.

In schools, this could be used as an automatic register every time the technology identifies the RFID tag.

Upgraded Laptops

Laptops could replace notebooks and textbooks

(Laptops could take the role of notebooks, where students can input data via touch)

Holographic projections

New projectors could display holographic images

Stakeholders and their use of technology Students

Touch technology such as Microsoft Surface will provide an interactive tool to students. The learning process will become easier and more dynamic; for example students will be able to perform realistic virtual scientific experiments by touching the screen.

The use of cellphones and PDAs may become common. Students will stop using laptops and instead use more portable devices which may fit in their palms and perform word processing tasks, run educational programs, etc.

Smartboards and projectors will be employed by both, teachers and students. These devices may simulate realistic situations were reality merges fantasy. Interactive holograms may help to perform realistic virtual scientific experiments; experiments which can be dangerous in real life may be performed with cvomplete safety in the virtual world. Or in a history lesson, students will be ‘transported back in time’ by hologram ilusions.

Upcoming challenges

Controlling technology (already a challenge with laptops)

Some Web 2.0 sites can be very distracting (e.g. YouTube, blogs, Facebook, etc)

RFID – how reliable would it be? Mobile phone usage: How would the

teacher know if the student is using the phone appropriately?