I have class tonight and so won’t be able to post very much until tomorrow night, but I did want to throw two related thoughts at you guys and hopefully generate some discussion.
First, I learned that my old high school is getting ready to implement “Smart Board” technologies in some of its classrooms. Smart Boards combine a whiteboard, a computer, a projector, and some sort of touch/motion sensor to know when your hand or marker makes contact with its surface. The result:
The Smart Boards also allow you to save notes taken on the whiteboard.
Second, Ars Technica has a write-up on Abilene Christian University’s plan to give out iPhones to incoming freshmen this fall, ostensibly for academic use. Some say it’s a gimmick, others see great potential.
With those two blurbs in mind, what do you think of technology in the classroom? We’ve recently discussed blogging as a learning method. Where do you draw the line between a cool gadget and a real tool for teaching and enrichment? Could this money be better spent in other ways? Speak your mind in the comments!
P.S. — Bonus points to whoever can figure out where that guy is browsing in Google Earth. I don’t have the answer… but if you recognize the buildings on the board then speak up because I, for one, am curious!
Based on the map you can see as he zooms in and the buildings, I think it’s Berlin. There is a building that looks a lot like the Reichstag towards the end.
Nice, thanks.
My sense with a lot of classroom/academic technology, is that purchasing decisions are either made by a)tech folks who aren’t necessarily teaching or b)people who know just enough about technology to be dangerous, and get VERY excited about gizmos that are oftentimes not the best fit for a particular setting. The problem with (a) is that teachers/professors who are expected to actually USE this stuff are faced with tools they don’t understand or don’t need. Any significant utility is lost, or wasn’t actually there to begin with. The problem with (b) is that yes, an iPod or iPhone sounds like a tremendous way to connect your student body in social learning…in reality, students love a new phone or iPod but the school isn’t really maximizing their investment (unless the investment is intended to attract applicants…in which case, success).