Emerging Technology

Emerging technology is exactly what it says it is: technology that is emerging.  In the 2010 Horizon Report, it was indicated that electronic books would become more convenient and more popular in the next two to three years.  With the release of several new electronic book readers, I can see how this may be true.  Can you imagine going to class with only an iPad, Ipod touch, or an iPhone?  The weight would be lifted tremendously, as the student wouldn’t have to carry heavy books.  That is one convenience to the iPad or other electronic readers.

The impact it could have in the future is unbelievable.  Reports show that owners of electronic readers download more books per month, compared to the average person purchasing books.   As a student, I believe this would be helpful.  I could have all of my books with me in my purse carrying less than 10 pounds.  There wouldn’t be a need to wait for the book to arrive in the mail, or go to the store to purchase the book.  Accessing the book online, and downloading it would be extremely quick and save time. 

Watch the video about the iPad.

More information is available on the iBook at:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibooks/id364709193?mt=8 

Assistive Technology

There are many benefits to having a new school, yet there are a few drawbacks.  Walls seem to be without insulation, and having a large gym with no soundboards, the noise level in my school can be extreme.  At times, it is difficult for students to concentrate because of the noise levels in the gym or the other classrooms.  For a student who struggles with a hearing loss, a personal FM system, also called an Auditory Trainer, with a transmitter, receiver, microphone, and headphones may just be the answer.  There are many sites that you are able to purchase the units, however, at one location in Idaho, opportunities to “try before you buy” are available.  

When a student suffers from a hearing loss, unlike glasses that corrects vision making it perfect, hearing aids only amplify the sound.  If during a lecture, background noises are present to a student with a hearing loss, the hearing aids only make the sound louder.  Imagine driving down the highway listening to your favorite song on the radio as you slowly go out of range of the radio station.  The station begins to get fuzzy.  But you love the song, so you turn the volume up, which only turns the fuzziness up as well.   That is what a student with a hearing loss experiences.  By using an FM Receiver or also called an Auditory Trainer, a student is able to hear isolated amplification.  The teacher wears a speaker which sends the sound to the student.  The student wears a necklace-type apparatus that transmits directly to hearing aids or headphones.  During lectures, the student is able to focus on the teacher speaking to assist the student in becoming more successful. 

For more information, visit the following website:

https://www.idaho.at4all.com/items/ItemSearch.aspx?Search=fm%20system&CategoryID=0

 To watch a video about the FM System, visit the following website:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4lBkdRereE 

Educational Podcasts

Have you ever bookmarked a website on your home computer, then needed the website at another location away from home?  The podcast, http://coolteachers.org/?p=44  on is about Google Bookmarks.  Students are able to begin developing and nurturing a list of resources and keeping it on Google Bookmarks.  You are able to create a list and share it with other people.  Suggested in the podcast was to do a YouTube search. The following is has the YouTube video to learn to use the Google Bookmark as discussed,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WedMuGnWLQI or go to www.google.com/bookmarks to learn more about Google Bookmarks.

My students are required to do a research project, then present to the class on an aspect of Driver Education that was discussed in class.  The purpose of the project is for the student to pick a subject they are interested in, and learn more about it and teach it to the class.  If the students found a YouTube video and bookmarked it using the Google Bookmarks, they could share it with me prior to their presentation.  I could preview the video to make sure it was appropriate.  There are many uses for Google Bookmarks.  

Web Sites for Education

          As a teacher and a student, I enjoy giving and receiving immediate feedback on assignments or quizzes.  www.4teachers.org is a valuable resource for both teachers and for students.  When you log onto the site, a list down the right side of the page comes up.  There are 15 different pages that can be logged onto.  The one I would like to discuss is the Quiz Star application for teachers.  Quiz Star allows teachers to put quizzes of all types into the program.  Quizzes could consist of multiple-choice, true/false and short answer.  The teacher marks the correct answer while inputting the test questions.  Upon completion of the creation of the quiz, the teacher can assign the quiz to a class or multiple classes.  There is an option to assign a quiz to open on a certain day, and to close on a different day.  The results of the quizzes that are taken are available in a report form.  The teacher assigns a user name and password for students to use.

          For students, Quiz Star is very user-friendly.  The student is given a login name assigned by the teacher with the password.  The student can then go in and will see the assigned quizzes.  Students are also able to review the quizzes to identify what they missed.