What do you consider to be the cutting edge, the new frontier, in Educational Technology? For each school or District it may be something completely different. Some schools are already one-to-one computing. Others are using PDA's or iPods. While many are just trying to replace 5-year-old computers. For me, Today, and I say today with a capital T because I don't know what the challenge will be tomorrow, it is online software programs. That is, software that resided on the internet with a database that remains with the company. My students sign on via the internet and save their work in the company database.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? Obviously one of the pluses includes no tech support. This can be a big plus if, like me, you have struggled with software on your server. Another is that students have access from any location where the Internet is available. One of the major disavantages is the cost. These programs are costly for a small school district such as mine. Another is the need for staff development, but this isn't necessarily a new need.
For me the jury is still out as I have only just begun to use these programs. Is it the future of skill-based computing?
Have you tried any of these new software programs? What do you think?
1 comment:
Hi Sue-
Your posting is interesting... could you please tell me which hosting sites you are using ? off-site is ok to me at kawachi@open-ed.net.
I am using blogs from today (little t ok) the first day of lessons for university students new academic year.
Though our college is reluctant (read 'will refuse') students to sign up in-class for any outside websites... I registered them collectively on one gmail address and same password, and same blogspot name. So they can work together in small groups - they are all Japanese and a bit shy individually - to post up under a Groupname or Pseudonym, for other groups to read, and me, and for others and me to comment on. This technology is free. It is the first benefit I have got from this course. I don't expect my lesson to be transformed magically into a collaborative productive writing class, but it should give them a 15-minute break in the middle of my lesson, to chat on a blog with each other, and learn from each other. It is really easy for them to edit each other rather like working on a wiki, and for me to comment and assess.
Let's see what tomorrow brings !!
All Best Wishes
Paul
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