Social/legal issues of technology in the classroom

Technology can have many positive impacts in a classroom. While there are many benefits with technology, teachers must keep in mind the impact it has on children. One of the most interesting social issues of using technology in the classroom that I found was the use of "virtual field trips". By using a virtual field trip students can "go" anywhere and "experience" anything. I think that this is a great idea in theory, but in reality the students are really missing out on reality. Students miss out on the experience to touch, taste, see, hear and smell different and unique places. As a teacher you can read and show students things all day long, but it brings a new perspective into their world when they have the opportunity to actually experience something. I think teachers should keep this in mind and only use virtual field trips when necessary.

Distance Education

Distance education schools can be extremely beneficial for many students. One pro to being enrolled in a distance education school is that a student can gain an education without ever leaving their home. Students with severe disabilities or sicknesses that are housebound could "go to school" every day. Many students who would not have the ability to leave their home to get an education could have an opportunity to learn at the simple click of a mouse. Although there are some positives to distance education, there are also some cons. The social interaction that is so important for the development of students would not occur with distance education. Students who get an education online spend no time in a classroom with other children. They miss out on important social lessons that a student would learn in a classroom setting.
In order to participate in a distance education program, a student would have to be very self-motivated. It is up to the student to sign in everyday and "go to class." In a normal classroom setting, a student would have social pressures to attend school everyday. In a distance education program, the student works independently at their education so they must be self-motivated in attaining an education.
In order to teach in a virtual school, a teacher would need knowledge about technology. The teacher has to reach each student in a very inpersonal way which can create a difficult time in creating a teacher-student relationship. A teacher should create a comfortable learning environment for their students and this would be difficult in an online world. A knowledge of technology would come in handy to accomplish this becuase of new technology such as skype. Skype could make a digital classroom more personal with "face to face" contact. A teacher should be aware of new technologies in order to better their online classroom.

Emerging Technologies in the Classroom

Technology can be used in the classroom in multiple and various ways. It is up to the teacher to stay informed on the latest technologies and how they can be used to better a classroom. Three emerging technologies that I chose to investigate were skype, document cameras, and scanners.

Skype is a visual camera system in which a person can chat live with another person all the way across the world. Skype is a great way for a classroom to connect with another classroom. A classroom could skype with another classroom in a different country so that students could interact with other diverse students. Having a program that allows students to view the world outside is a great technology. Students can see how other students go through their school days. Teachers could also use skype to have conferences with parents. If a parent is out of town or is unable to come into the classroom, skype could be a great way to get that "face to face" contact. Skype is a step above a telephone conversation because it involves audio and visual.

Document cameras are becoming vital for every classroom. They are a device that projects the image of whatever you place on it onto the overhead. They can be used in a multitude of ways, such as reading books to a class and having kids share their work with the classroom. Reading a book to a class is great, but when the students can actually follow along with the words it is even better. This helps students learn how to read themselves, and helps with spelling and grammar. Students also love to view the pictures as a teacher reads, so this is a great way to make sure that everyone is entertained. Having a document camera as a way for students to show their work to other students is a great way to foster student pride in their work. Students love showing off thier work, and students can learn from other students when this occurs.

Scanners are a great way to include documents in your classroom that might not be readily available to everyone. It is very expensive for each student to get a copy of a text, but with a scanner the teacher could scan the text and give each student their own. This could save alot of money and benefit students at the same time. Bringing in new literature from different perspectives can be achieved by using a scanner. Scanners can also be used as a form of entertainment if a teacher scans photos onto powerpoints or other visual presentations.