Change in 21st Century Technology Integration

It wasn’t that long ago, in Georgia and in other states, that integrating technology into the classroom was the highest priority for educators. Perhaps it is still. However, we see more discussion in the direction of future technology globalization for teachers and teacher educators. In a recent report, The Horizon Report: 2009 K-12 Edition “an ongoing research project that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teach and learning…” has identified six areas to consider, three of which are important to our discussion; Collaborative Environments, Online Communication Tools, and The Personal Web. This alone creates a huge challenge for pre-service teachers, classroom teachers, and teacher educators. Now during a moment of change that challenge will be to not only integrate the technology into the classroom but teach teachers from a wider range of backgrounds, age groups and ethnicity. http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf

Visit the Horizon Report website and read the "Executive Summary." What changes to you see in online communication tools for the k-12 classroom in the next 3 years, why? What support do you have for your comments? Create 1 post and at least 2 responses to other posts during the week.

Technology Literacy

Ethics play a role in the development of information literacy. Students must understand the ethical issues raised by the use and misuse of the Internet. In addition to plagiarism, slander, and pornography, ethical issues include unlicensed copying of software (theft); flaming via e-mail (poor netiquette); hacking into school records (unlawful entry); and creating viruses that corrupt files (destruction of property).

What must the role of the teacher or instructor be in helping students understand ethical issues when using the Internet?

Education for Tomorrow's World

The terms and circumstances of human existence can be expected to change radically during the next human life span. Science, mathematics, and technology will be at the center of that change--causing it, shaping it, responding to it. Therefore, they will be essential to the education of today’s children for tomorrow’s world.

What should the substance and character of such education be?