The Value of Vision- Near and Far

Vision is a necessary part of any journey. Close your eyes and walk to the door of the room that you are in without stumbling over or walking into anything. Now, keep your eyes locked on an object that is right in front of you. Without taking your eyes off of the object, ball up a piece of paper and try to throw it in the garbage. Next, stare out of a window and name everything that is in the room. How did you do?

The exercise above is an example of how important vision is in everyday life. When planning for technology, vision is critical for success. Near-sighted vision prevents large outcomes from occurring by placing too much emphasis on small accomplishments in growth. Far-sighted vision negates the importance of having important elements in place that ensure success.

Vision, expectation, and planning must co-exist for technology integration to be successful in education. 'Techno-mania'(rushing into technology) is tempting but also part of the recipe for failure. A new computer, device, gadget, or peripheral may be exciting to watch or use but effective integration requires more than just placing technology into the hands of unskilled users who have not yet analyzed the anticipated result they hope to achieve.

Technology is a tool, not a toy...

Time 2 Blog!

It is not that I have had nothing to blog about during my hiatus but more that I have not TAKEN the time to blog. After relocating to Chicago at the end of August, my life has been spinning faster than I can run! A new position as Technology Coordinator has been wrought with challenges and successes that are too numerable to list. I believe that the next blog entries that I make will be a glimpse of the struggles and triumphs of this era of my life. My new motto: Time 2 Blog!

Art Education + Technology =???

This claymation movie is an interesting use of technology. What is it communicating to us?

The Future of Educational Technology

A middle school in Boston is already using educational technology to boost student attendance, motivation, interest, and academic performance. This article details how technology will become an essential component of the public and private educational system by 2020. According to the article, the number of teachers expected to be employed as classroom teachers will fall but the number of high school students enrolled in online classes will rise.


http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-usa-education-technology.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Google vs. Brain Use

I recently read an article about how much of our brain is no longer used as a result of Internet use. Since we know "if we don't use it, we lose it", we must find the balance between technology and cognitive processing. We do not want to become so dependent on technology that we are no longer able to process information or problem-solve without technology. This article addresses the problem but does not really offer solutions. I guess that is up to us to figure out...

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google

Technology Challenges

I have been visiting friends and family this week and am amazed at how we learn to live with the problems and challenges of technology. i have spent endless hours clearing malware from the computers of my friends and family. Living with a slow computer has become acceptable by many people. I take it for granted that everyone is knowledgeable about computers and networks since they have been a part of mainstream society for about two decades.

This raises a few questions. How do we know when we are getting the maximum benefit out of technology? Also, how can we share technological skills, knowledge, and expertise on a wider scale? Can technology be a limiting factor when applied to education?

I will seek out the answers to these questions during this year.

Lessons Learned

I feel as though I am writing for the last time but I realize that I have only just begun. I have learned so much about existing and emerging technologies. I have come to understand the collaborative benefits of blogs, wikis, and Skype. I have made friends with classmates that I have never met. We have laughed, shared, and experienced a bit of each other's life over the last twelve weeks. I plan to remain in touch with my classmates as a result of my new-found technologies. The sense of community is mind-boggling, yet real enough to feel.

I have learned that blogs are for more than keeping up with your favorite celebrity or hobby club. I have learned to trust wikis as a reliable source built on intelligence and integrity. I have learned that there are technological advances are being made in education but are not reaching the classrooms of our country in large enough numbers. I have learned that many people are afraid of the change that technology can bring to the classroom and may refuse to give it a try out of fear. I have learned that there are ways to incorporate iPods and cellphones into the classroom experience that embrace technology rather than resist its presence. Most of all, I have learned that I must stay abreast of new and emerging technologies, read the research reports, and familiarize myself with these technologies so that I can emerge as an expert in the field of Educational Technology.

No, this is not my last blog. Now I will post because I want to add meaningful reflections and input for the purpose of Collective Intelligence...