Emerging Technology

Technology is everywhere in today’s society and it will continue to materialize for time to come. Teachers have an important role in this because they will have hands on experience teaching the youth new technology. A teacher will be allowed to help students learn technology and help them use that technology to be a valuable part of society in the future. Three forms of technology that are emerging in today’s society are virtual classrooms, podcasts and mobile learning labs.
Virtual classrooms are great for students who feel they would like to get ahead in their education. The goal of using a virtual classroom is to give students the opportunity to move forward with their education or to improve on their education. Virtual classrooms are emerging in the world because students can take classes that may not be offered in the public schools. Some of the classes that are offered on a virtual school range from Chinese to Japanese to AP classes that smaller schools could not afford to have.
Virtual classrooms are all over the United States in many states. Many states offer their own virtual classrooms that range from many subjects. Information on these classes can be found online by looking at search engines. This will help impact future students by allowing them to decide on their educational fate. They will allow students to participate in many classes that they feel they are not getting in public schools. This will impact my teaching because I can encourage students who do not achieve in a class or students who do achieve to take classes online to further their education. It will be helpful to allow students to make this choice in their life at a younger age so they understand that they will be making choices like this for years to come.
Podcasts are a new product of technology because it requires students to have access to computes as well as an mp3 player or Ipod. A podcast is a combination between an Ipod and podcasts. A podcast is a form of broadcasting over the internet. Using podcasts in the classroom will allow teachers to post homework or notes recorded online and let students look over the homework or listen to the notes as they please. This will also allow for teachers to put all late work online and let students download and complete it at their leisure.
Information on using podcasts in the classroom is found at apple.com as well as all over the internet. Using podcasting is as easy as posting information from the class online and having students download it at their leisure. Podcasting will have an impact on my teaching when I am in a health classroom I can put instructions on CPR online and have students download the information and use it to practice the correct procedure before the exam. Podcasting will affect the future of students by letting them use their Ipod, something they use everyday, for educational purposes.
Mobile learning labs are a great technology because if schools have the money, or grant money, they can bring laptop computers into the classroom. Mobile learning labs help teachers bring many online experiences into the classroom. Students can go onto the internet, use encyclopedias and do labs and lab write ups in the luxury of the classroom. Students can also check out computers to use during the day incase they do not have internet access at the home. Having a mobile learning lab will impact my teaching by letting me use them during labs in the classroom. Instead of having students write up lab reports or complete labs that take time and money students can do those labs on the computer and then print out results very easily.

Distance Education Activity

Distance Education

5 Pros of virtual schools

1. Take variety of classes most likely not offered in a standard school
2. Money invested is re-invested into maintaining the program
3. Numerous awards bestowed on program means schools is up to standards of state and national level of education
4. Works in cooperation with local schools
5. Classes offered year around and have extended time for completion

5 Cons of virtual schools

1. Costs money when going to local public school does not
2. Diminishes the relationship between student and teacher
3. Answers to questions could take days to get a response instead of having the teacher answer the question in class
4. Student just reads book, does not obtain knowledge with retention
5. Classes are offered but not affordable to those students with financial needs


How would you determine the readiness of students to participate in distance delivery?

I would asses their pervious work throughout high school and middle school and give this information to the parents. Ultimately I feel it would be the parent’s decision if they want to pay and let their child participate in a class where the student is solely responsible for their actions. This could lead to some children not being ready for this commitment and failing at this which would lead to a drop in the students self esteem. Overall I feel that the student has to prove himself to classroom teachers and parents in order to be accepted or be able to apply for a distance delivery education.

What would you need to do to be able to tech in a virtual school?

I would need to be computer literate more so then I am now. To teach this type of class or program I would need to have a full lesson plan devised and reformatted to work with a distance delivery setting. I feel I would have needed to teach in a public classroom for a while which would allow me to get myself situated with a real classroom then I would move on to an internet classroom. I feel it would be hard to teach online because at most the teacher would present the material and expect quizzes and tests back in a timely manner. I want to be a teacher, not a webmaster. Overall I feel that if I got offered the opportunity to teach a class on the internet, I would decline