My choice is the use of mobile devices and tablets in the Adult ESL classroom. The Horizon Report shows that mobile devices and their apps are the emerging technologies most likely to be effective in the classroom within the next year. I have found myself using both of these technologies on a daily basis over the past year, and would like to officially incorporate their use as part the curriculum I teach.
Horizon Report > 2012 Higher Education Edition
NMC (New Media Consortium)
http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2012-horizon-report-HE.pdf
Report on the emerging technologies for education in the next one - five years. Compiled by a collaboration from New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), an EDUCAUSE Program consisting of educators from around the world.
Three Year Horizon Report Comparison
Time to adoption
|
2012 Topics
|
2011 Topics
|
2010 Topics
|
One year or less
|
Mobile devices & apps
|
Cloud computing
|
Cloud computing
|
One year or less
|
Tablet computing
|
Mobiles
|
Social computing
|
Two to three years
|
Game-based learning
|
Game-based learning
|
Educational gaming
|
Two to three years
|
Personal learning environments
|
Open content
|
Mobiles
|
Four to five years
|
Augmented reality
|
Learning analytics
|
Augmented reality
|
Four to five years
|
Natural user interfaces
|
Personal learning environments
|
Thin screens and flexible interfaces
|
Source: http://www.centerdigitaled.com/policy/6-Emerging-Technologies-2012-K-12-Horizon-Report.html
The rationale for choosing technologies in 2013.
Each of these articles point to use of handheld devices and ubiquitous, or personalised IT, approaches to education. Students already come to the classroom holding some kind of device usually in the form of a smartphone or iPad. These devices give students immediate access to translators, dictionaries, thesaurus, esl texts, esl websites, youTube, and so many learning tools that have previously needed to be provided by the institution or the educator. There is enormous savings to be made by utilising a resource that students are familiar with, love to use, and are going to use regardless of the teachers personal preference.
Edudemic
“Personalized IT-based approaches to education are emerging that allow learner-centerd education, critical thinking development and creativity. Rapid developments in social media, open courseware and ubiquitous access to the Internet are facilitating outside classroom and continuous education.”
Source: http://edudemic.com/2012/09/10-emerging-education-technologies/
Examples of use of these technologies in 2013.
As the teacher using an iPad gives me access to the plethora of websites and free apps while in the ESL classroom. This means that in real time I am able to provide learners with resources that fit their personal and academic needs.
Examples
Dictionary.com gives students the meaning of the word, its use as an adjective, noun, verb. Examples of how to use the word in a sentence. If there is a slang use for that word. The origin of the word. Synonyms for the word and links for those words.
Google Images helps move understanding along simply typing the concept into google images and allowing students to view the pictures.
Google Play - allows me to store and have access to any number of teaching texts that I have purchased. I can take these resources into the classroom via the iPad connect to a larger screen and everyone has visual access to the resource.
My students are using smart phones and iPads during class time, allowing them access to the internet throughout the lesson. They have a tool that can be adapted for their personal and academic needs.
Examples
Online translator apps that are constantly being improved and updated. There are some now that are able to deal with slang, colloquialisms, and so on with surprising accuracy.
Note taking apps that allow them to jot down questions about English ‘curiosities’ as they find them and bring the questions to class.
Cameras to take pictures of things that are confusing (signs, menu items, pages in books) and again bring these into class for clarification.
EmergingEdTech
http://www.emergingedtech.com/category/future-of-education-technology/
Online education journal for technology use, collection of articles that are relevant to making technology decisions for the classroom.
Envisioning Tech
http://envisioningtech.com/
http://envisioningtech.com/envisioning-the-future-of-education.pdf
graphic/visual aid for emerging technologies
No comments:
Post a Comment