The Horizon Report - 2011 Edition

The 2011 Horizon Report examined six emerging technologies and their potential impact on teaching, learning, and creativity through key trends that are currently affecting the practices of each. In addition, we must also consider important constraints and challenges when adopting technology into our educational experiences.

As I read this report, I was fascinated with each new technology and excited to see what is becoming available. Throughout this report the one technology that seemed to make it's way into every emerging technology was the “mobiles”. Mobiles are now in the hands of many students of all ages providing us the opportunity to integrate them into classroom activities. It offers the ability to keep in touch through email, social networks, texting, and provides us with networked information wherever we go as long as there is a cell signal. Electronic Books, Augmented Reality, Game-Based Learning, and Gesture-Based Computing mention and refer to “mobiles” with regard to engaging students with learning.

I feel that “mobiles” along with the other emerging technologies offer its own unique twist to an educational experience and as an educator feel that a variety is best when providing our digital native students the opportunity to take part in their learning experiences.

• Electronic Books provide students an opportunity to read a variety of books for less cost. With new applications emerging, it is providing opportunities for those students who struggle with reading by providing them with the opportunity to view videos, look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary, and every annotation or make comments to refer back to. 
   
• Augmented Reality is an active not passive technology that blurs the boundaries between formal and informal learning. AR is providing us the opportunity to visit a historic place, museum, street, park, coliseum and witness an event from the past. Augmented books are developing 3D characters to emerge from the pages of books which will reach students who do not like to read. It provides anticipation, like waiting for the monster to jump out when watching a movie. 
   
• Game-Based Learning is quickly moving into education providing students the ability to problem-solve, collaborate with others, and socialize while incorporating an interesting story line. Students already spend hours daily playing video games, why not incorporate them into their learning environment. Each time I pull out iPods or computers in my classroom, my students seem to disappear into their own worlds while completing their assignment whether working independently or collaboratively. They are eager to help one another and become very competitive when playing against one another. 
   
• Gesture-Based Computing sparked my attention when I watched “Minority Report”. My boys have always been interested in video games and to watch the progression of my first gaming experience with paddle ball to theirs with Kinect system for Xbox is fascinating. Oh, the places we can go!, as students will interact with the computer to build a model or perform the steps of a surgery.

We must consider all these emerging technologies as educators and acknowledge that they in fact will each contribute and influence our teaching, learning, and creative experiences. The sky's the limit and we must provide our students the opportunity to learn how to learn while mastering and truly owning, the subject matter. 

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2011-Horizon-Report.pdf