Michelle+Hocker

 Michelle Hocker FNDS 6170: Dr. Alexander Fall 2009 **__ New and Emerging Technologies in Education __** In today's society, ruling out technology is not an option. For many years we have seen the gradual spin of increase in use of technology. For students today the use of technology is almost mandatory to be used in the classroom, especially if you want to keep the student's interest and mind at work. For those of us who didn't grow up with a computer in the household it has become hard for us to make an adjustment. Now many teachers are being taught by their students on how to use technology in the classroom only because students know so much about its use. Educators are continuously being trained on how to use technology in the classroom and how to make it effective so their students can gain some learning from it. When teachers are learning and exploring the new ways to make their classrooms more fun with the use of technology, they also need to be reminded on how they can meet the developmental needs of each student within their classroom. In Daniel Pink's book, __A Whole New Mind,__ he explains to his readers why right brainers will rule the future. It states that basically the world is slowly               moving away from those who think within the box and moving towards those who think "outside the box" and can see the "whole picture". These types of thinkers that will rule our future are said to be more inventive and empathetic. As a teacher today, I even have to remind myself daily that our students are learning in a different environment. Look around us.....We are DIGITAL! As a special educator, I always wonder why my students can't tell time or count money the "old fashion" way. Simple, the use of technology has made it easier for them. However, as Pink states that we have moved away from pen and paper and moved towards a society that relies on technological services. Today, teachers are given many resources that allow their students to be creative inside and outside the classroom. This allows students to be more inspired and creative in doing their work. Let's face the fact that we are and have moved away from "traditional" teaching to a more innovative, technological teaching style. The six emerging technologies that I will be discussing throughout my paper are used commonly throughout many teachers classroom. I hope that you can find any six of these to use in your classroom and that they are effective by allowing your students to be creative in a way that meets their developmental and educational needs. 1. Digital Gaming 2. Simulations 3. Social Networking 4. Mind Mapping 5. Videoconferencing 6. Web-based Learning  1. **__DIGITAL GAMING__**  􀀥􀁊􀁈􀁊􀁕􀁂􀁍􀀁􀀨􀁂􀁎􀁊􀁏􀁈􀀁  Digital games encompass much more than your computer’s Solitaire or Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Over the last decade, the genre of digital games has exploded to include numerous platforms and designs. Digital games, whether computer-, game console-, or handheld-based, are characterized by rules, goals & objectives, outcomes & feedback, conflict/ competition/challenge/opposition, interaction, and representation of story. They are distinguished by two key elements: (1) an interactive virtual playing environment, and (2) the struggle of the player against some kind of opposition. Gaming is already a widespread activity in our culture —more than 45 million homes have video-game consoles. In a given week, the average eighth-grade boy will play video games for about 23 hours, while the average girl will play about 12—that’s even more time than they spend watching TV (Dawley, 2006). Therefore, one of the most obvious benefits to using these technologies for learning is that students are often already familiar with these interfaces and the “language” of interacting with and utilizing them. Both inside and outside the classroom, some strong examples of powerfully engaging gaming models have emerged. Some have been used quite a bit in the educational setting, while others have mainly gained popularity within pop culture.  **__CIVILIZATION __**  This commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) game originally appeared in 1991. As a result of the game’s popularity design, multiple installations in the series have been developed. The goal of the game is to successfully build an enduring empire. The latest version, CIVILIZATION IV, allows players to form teams in order to increase collaboration and strategy efforts. In this turn-based strategy game, players must make decisions for their civilization around societal development and diplomacy—including when and where to build new cities, what societal advances in knowledge should be sought (and when), and how to handle adversarial and no adversarial neighboring civilizations. At the onset of the game, players even have the choice of which civilization to play—Aztecs, Romans, Mongols, etc. As time advances in the game, new technologies emerge (such as pottery and nuclear fission) and civilization leaders have the choice to try to capitalize on these technologies or not. [|http://www.educationarcade.org] In digital gaming, such as playing video games, students can learn many things. In relation to educational psychology Maria Montessori would say, "Play is children's work" (Woolfolk 2010) and that Piaget and Vygotsky would agree. Play contributes to many aspects of the brain such as: cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of a child. The brain develops with stimulation and "playing" provides the brain with stimulation. Piaget would support playing video games that are educational because many games would cover all aspects of his four different stages of cognitive development. Vygotsky would say with digital gaming that children are forming learning and thinking by interacting socially with others. Many games allow you to interact with different cultures when playing.  2. **__SIMULATIONS__**   Although analogous to digital games and often included in the gaming spectrum, simulations are an analogy of real world situations. Simulations recreate a modeled or modified version of a real world situation. One essential aspect that separates digital games from simulations is the lack of game dynamics or the “win state” that exists in digital games. Some examples of simulations include:  <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">Simulations do a great job of helping learners to visualize and conceptualize complex phenomena. However, the learning can be even more powerful when the student is creating and altering a simulation they themselves are building. StarLogo TNG is an open-ended tool that allows the user to do just that. A 3D modeling and simulation software, StarLogo TNG is a user-friendly programming language represented by colored blocks that fit together like puzzle pieces. The programming possibilities are seemingly endless, and numerous teachers in math and science have created an array of applications with it—including a model of a health epidemic to a simulation of the dynamics between fish and plankton. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> Simulations are a lot like digital gaming but more creativity is involved with it. However, for simulation to really take effect for educational means the teacher will need to be involved as a facilitator. The effect that simulations provide in the learning environment is far greater than any digital game could provide. Simulation will and does provide more of a real life situation for students. Given that many young students do not understand what effects many real life situations will do for and to them, using simulations in the classroom as an instructional tool will open up their minds for many things. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> Piaget would love having the use of simulation in the classroom. Not only does it increase our student's cognitive development through many stages, but Vygotsky would agree also. Allowing the children to experience learning through a different role allows them to open up to see what lies ahead in certain situations. Having a "real life" affect when using simulations. Simulations allow the student to feel successful when creating a situation that they may never deal with in real life. Having the effect when using the simulation allows the student to understand what consequences may lie ahead when they do make important decisions in a real world experience versus experiencing the same situation in a simulation. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">An example of a simulation that you could view is displayed on the Army website. The Army uses simulations to "train" their soldiers for any certain situation they may face when fighting. To view that simulation just views the Army website. For other simulations you can view this website. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">[|http://www.youdagames.com] <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">3. **__SOCIAL NETWORKING __** <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> Social Networking has become more popular over the last year with growing sites such as MySpace and Facebook. There are more popular sites, but these are two that I have become the most familiar with in my life. MySpace and Facebook are similar in that they are sites that are FREE, which you can create a user profile that allows you to use photos/videos, place your information, chat with friends, and have friends from all over the world. Social Networking has become popular by allowing friends and family to communicate with one another no matter where they are located. It has actually become more popular than picking up the phone to have a conversation with someone. With the increase of the use of technology people have access to their social network websites via computer or cellular phone. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> Using social networking in the classroom allows students to have unlimited number of possibilities. Allowing such communication through social networking in the educational setting allows students to gain perspectives on different cultures and ideas. Vygotsky would have agreed with using social networking within the classroom because when students begin to understand their own cultural issues and settings it plays an important role for their development. Many students in today's society already know how to communicate and use social networking within their own home. Teachers should definitely take advantage of having students use this within their classroom. It opens up all forms of communication between teacher and students when social networking is incorporated into the classroom environment. By doing something like this in the classroom it allows students to improve their own self-efficacy by allowing a student to feel more confident in their own work. Many students have a hard time participating in group activities in the classroom environment. When students can feel comfortable in their own environment they can be and feel successful about their work. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">To see how to create your own facebook page please click on the following link: <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">[] <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">4. **__MIND MAPPING __ ** <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Modern mind mapping was created by a British psychologist named Tony Buzan. His argument is that more traditional readers scan from left to right and top to bottom when reading material. However, in a more "modern" sense readers really scan the entire page in a more "non-linear fashion". Mind maps are simply a graphical method of taking notes. We would be more familiar with brainstorming, visual thinking, or problem solving. Using mad maps allows students to be more organized in their thoughts. Mind maps can be very helpful in the classroom by allowing students to analyze the information, but also being creative when summarizing the information. In using mind maps it allows us to use both the right side and left side of the brain. To understand what a mind map could look like, there is an example above this paragraph. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Another benefit of using mind maps is that it allows for all learners to learn within the classroom. Not only do students hear the information, but mind maps are a great visual tool for students who need to see information laid out in front of them. In our textbook, Woolfolk states that mind maps are a tool to help students build relationships among ideas in a meaningful way and helps students to recall information. (Woolfolk, 274) <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mind maps allow students to work collaboratively with one another by creating their own ideas and able to share ideas with one another. This allows the students to become responsible for their own learning. It also helps them become independent in doing their schoolwork, which can create positive self-efficacy. I believe it is Vygotsky, in his social learning theory, that states in a collaborative learning environment creates high intellectual levels than when student's work individually. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mind maps can be used for the following: problem solving, outline, collaboration, visual aids, creativity, team building, and individual expression. The following link will allow you to see a video of Tony Buzan and his modern mind mapping. [] <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">MindMeister is a free website that allows you to create mind maps. This website can be used for individuals, businesses, or academic. Mindmeister is a great way for students and teachers to create mind maps and use in the classroom to share ideas for specific topics and projects. This website can be accessed twenty-four hours a day and allows for creativity and innovation within the classroom. [|http://www.mindmeister.com] <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">5. **__VIDEO-CONFERENCING __** <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> Videoconferencing is seemingly becoming very popular within the professional standpoint of the 21st century. Students who are aimed at working in the professional career field will need to become aware of what videoconferencing is. As the world moves away from a more one on one working environment, we will see the increase of the use of videoconferencing in society. In fact, we already are. Videoconferencing uses video and audio to bring people together at multiple sites for a meeting. Its technology is so "modern" that it seems like you are meeting with the person right in your office, when in actuality they may be across the sea. Besides being purposeful for audio and visual, it can be used to share documents, display information, and whiteboards. While it may not be as popular in a K-12 classroom setting, videoconferencing is very popular within the post-secondary classroom. While having the convenience of being at home on your personal computer, the classroom walls no longer exist and communication with others is endless. Videoconferencing opens the door for an array of learning and allows students to see, hear, and analyze their own ideas with others who may share different ideas. Some pros of videoconferencing use in the classroom are that it teaches and provides collaboration and teamwork. Videoconferencing is supported by Vygotsky's social developmental theory by stating that developing life-long depends on social interaction with others and social learning can lead to cognitive development. (Woolfolk 2010) We all know that in today's society student's need some array of social interaction in order to be successful inside and outside of the classroom environment. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">An example of videoconferencing is WebEx. You can use WebEx, by payment, to set up online meetings through videoconferencing. You can exchange information, make decisions, and collaborate in WebEx just as you would if you were in person. No more emails, phone calls, or travel to meetings with this videoconferencing program. With WebEx you can share your presentations through your computer, bring others in the view information, conduct regular meetings, and even make sales presentations. WebEx is only one of the many videoconferencing programs that can be offered to teachers and students. A positive impact videoconferencing can have in the educational setting is that many teachers would love to have more guest speakers about specific topics they are teaching to the students. With videoconferencing teachers can set up conferences and meetings with guest speakers without the speakers ever having to travel to a school environment. [|http://www.webex.com] <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;">6. **__WEB BASED LEARNING __** <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> Web-based learning has become more effective within the classroom. This allows use of the WWW (world wide web) to used for teachers and students to be more interactive with school subjects and have the use of technology in the classroom. Students are very familiar with using the Internet, but web-based learning allows the students to be more interactive within a class subject. Most web-based learning is self-paced and highly interactive. Web based learning has become popular in many post-secondary schools by providing online courses to many students. Webquest is a familiar website that I have come to known. It allows the students to work with information that comes directly from the web that allows and creates a learning environment for the students. Webquest was implemented in 1995 and has become a great way for teachers to engage their students to learning while using the Internet, which is how our students have come to learn during the 21st century. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> You can actually create your own webquests to use in your classrooms. Webquests requires, almost demanding, higher order thinking. Teachers could use this in order to meet the students needs which Bloom's Taxonomy discusses. It makes great use of the web and it is not completing a research project. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> Web-based learning would follow under the social constructivist theory by allowing the students to formulate their own understanding and ideas that demonstrate conceptual understanding and skill development. One of the importance of working closely with the web is having students understand how important it is to know if the information they are learning is even valid. The great thing about using WebQuests in the classroom is that many lessons can be used inter-disciplinary. It helps students with generalization, by allowing them to learn what they use in one class can be applied and used in another class. There are many webquests available for use in the classroom. As a teacher, you can search Webquest for kids to search for the grade level and subject that you would like to use. For more information on how to use or create your own webquest go to this website: [|http://www.webquest.org] <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;">We live in the 21st century which is gradually moving away from what you see above. Before long pen/pencil and paper will be banned from our schools because the use of technology will replace it. As teachers we need to realize that the students of today know more about technology than we do and we need to learn to incorporate it into our classroom learning environment. It doesn't require us to be "techno-savvy", but it does require us to be creative and innovate new ideas so our students will be estatic to learn new ideas. Many of the new emerging ideas that I discussed are already being implemented into the classrooms, but many aren't. We hold many of our children back today from the use of technology, but we need to be reminded that replacing higher order thinking will prepare our students for the future workforce and allow them to be successful when they learn. If we need to be reminded on how technology in the educational classroom can help any child, all we need to do is pick up a copy of Daniel Pink's: //A Whole New Mind.// <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;">1. Pink, D. (2006). //A Whole New Mind//. New York: Penguin Group
 * __<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Semibold;">STARLOGO: THE NEXT GENERATION (STARLOGO TNG) __**
 * __<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;">Bibliography __**

2. Woolfolk (2010). //Educational Psychology//. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light;"> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Light; mso-fareast-font-family: Osaka; mso-no-proof: yes;">