EDLD5370+Week+2Educational+Technology+Vision

Educational Technology Vision The “classroom” is an ever evolving definition. As technology becomes increasingly ingrained in the current student population, the picture of the classroom of the future morphs and redefines itself almost daily. My position goal, once my master’s is obtained, is to teach at the college level. But what will that teaching look like? Will the majority of my students be allowed to wear their fuzzy slippers and bathrobe to my class because the class will be held online? Perhaps. Regardless of its appearance, I will be well equipped to preside over the classroom of 2012 and beyond. As a technology leader, it will be my responsibility to guide and create opportunities for online learning for both my students and colleagues. I believe student buy in to this concept exists. My role as a technology leader will be to create educator buy in as well. The 2011 Horizon Report suggests that currently, “[p]eople expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want.” (Horizon Report, p. 3) The dine in area of the local coffee shop will suffice for a classroom, if the classroom is held online. Although I believe the online learning environment is more widely embraced by the post high school graduate population, I do envision a trickle down effect for the non traditional high school student looking for an alternative learning environment than the one that is also bombarded with popularity contests and pressure to compete with one’s peers. But how will the two classrooms (four walls versus virtual) mesh? That question is yet to be fully answered. According to the 2011 Horizon Report, “a growing number of institutions are finding ways to take advantage of a technology that nearly all students, faculty, and staff carry.” (Horizon Report, p5) If this is the case, then the next few years of the education field are on the cusp of exploding with new and innovative methods of teaching, and I am ready for the challenge. The most intriguing finding of the Horizon Report was the prediction regarding gesture based computing. Currently only widely utilized in game based applications such as the Wii, gesture based computing could be a godsend to the special education population. Time will tell if the potential for gesture based computing is fully reached.

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K., (2011). //The 2011 Horizon Report. The 2011 Horizon Report.// Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.