Emerging Technology

The field of technology has always been very rapidly advancing. New ideas, new gadgets, and new programs that allow innovative ways in which to solve old problems can catch on in the public like wildfire. Especially in the last few centuries, with the development of electricity and the creation of the computer, technology has grown exceptionally fast. Educators need to be aware of the significant technological advances of their times, and should be prepared to teach their students the most current and most beneficial ways in which they can use technology. One type of emerging technology that I feel may become very significant for science education in the next few years is the virtual lab.

Virtual labs are computer programs that replicate much of what occurs in a real life lab. They can cover nearly any science topic and can provide safe and easy ways for students to learn scientific concepts. One of the main benefits of virtual labs is that they replace the need for physical resources (such as dissection specimens, chemicals, or building materials), which can really help to save money. Also, they can help simplify and clarify the complications that are inherently involved in using real life materials and can save time by making labs easier to complete. Any lab that could potentially be hindered by weather or time of day (such as an astronomy lab) could be replicated at any time on a computer. A virtual frog dissection could be more effective for education than a real dissection  in that it could serve to eliminate odors, decrease excessive costs, and abolish the need for live specimens. The possible benefits of virtual labs to scientific education are endless.

There are a few drawbacks to virtual labs, however. The main issue is that they are not guaranteed to prepare students for the real world. A medical student studying to become a surgeon cannot be expected to work with an actual patient without first obtaining a large amount of authentic, real life practice. While virtual labs have many benefits, they can not replace true experience. They may be able to take the place of most labs a majority of the time, but they cannot completely eliminate genuine experience. Regardless, I believe that their benefits will make them a fine candidate for "a technology of tomorrow" since they really can help to improve education in innumerable ways.

Here are a few examples of helpful, virtual labs produced by New Mexico State University:

Bacteria Sampling
Gram Staining
Using a Microscope

And here is a video example of a virtual lab from the Instructional Technology Resource Center at Western University:

Assistive Technology

One inherent quality of widespread education is diversity among students. Students can be diverse in vastly numerous ways: in their learning styles, in their skill-sets, in their personalities, in their cultures, and in their capabilities. Some students have a harder time learning than other students do because of their disabilities. Whether students struggle from mental, physical, or emotional disabilities, special education is designed to meet the needs of students who require additional help when compared to the average student. One way in which students needs can be met is through assistive technology. Assistive technology is any kind of technology that helps meet the needs of a disabled student. Hearing aids are an example of assistive technology since they assist deaf/hard of hearing students to be able to hear instructions from teachers who don't know sign language. The assistive technology I would like to focus on in this blog post is a braille display.

A braille display is a device that allows blind or visually impaired students to read and write on electronic sources. Braille has been a great help to blind students over the last couple centuries, but until recently, it has been limited to paper. Braille books are very large in size and are often difficult to access since they are so rare and since few people can read braille. Also, hand-writing braille is fairly tedious and time consuming. A braille display helps make braille much more useful to visually impaired students in the modern age. Most braille displays are composed of a braille typewriter (usually with 6-8 keys for each of the dots composing all braille symbols) and a braille reader. This braille reader (the actual "braille display") is a strip of dots that can be electronically manipulated to change shape, allowing any configuration of braille dots to be pushed up out of the display for reading.

Through the use of a braille display, students can type on a computer, read electronic print, edit their own writing, and keep notes in an easily portable format. Internet access is huge to education, as are reading and writing, since they help each student develop individually. Braille displays can benefit students far beyond the benefits of traditional braille. Braille displays don't waste paper, are more efficient for writing, and connect visually impaired students to the ever-growing electronic world. If I were to have a blind student in my classroom, and if I had a braille display, I would certainly use it as often as possible. I would try to find electronic copies of textbooks so that my student could use the same material as his/her classmates. I would have my student use the braille display for reading, writing, homework, note-taking, and maybe even projects. I think a braille display would be a great help to my student.

Thank you for your interest in assistive technology! Feel free to check out this video to get a better idea of how a braille display works to produce refreshable, tactile information:

Professional Development Web Resources

While teaching is obviously very important for any kind of educator, few people often realize that learning can be just as important for teachers. Professional development is key for anyone who hopes to be a good teacher. I have created a list of professional development webpages that I believe can be particularly helpful for education. In my list are a few types of websites including blogs, newsletters, and discussion boards. Some of these websites offer information about technology education while others are focused on biology education. All of them are well made and include new posts of some variety (approximately every week) in order to keep their content and advice adaptable to changes in technology and education. Feel free to check them out; I hope they serve to be very helpful for you!

Professional Development Web Resources

Digital Citizenship Presentation

Prezi is a rather unique, online presentation program that allows a user to create an interactive presentation from scratch or from a variety of templates. In recent years, PowerPoint has been used by many people to present information, but Prezi offers an equally professional alternative to this common presentation software. Prezi is very visually appealing and allows its viewer to see all of the presentation in one large view. As the viewer looks through the presentation, their screen shows different segments of the overall presentation that can include graphics, videos, text, and more. Multiple layers of size can be used in Prezi to organize information in a format unique to its presentation style. If I were to use Prezi in my classroom, I would use it for many lectures, for instructions on assignments, and I might even assign students to form their own presentations using Prezi.

This Prezi is a presentation on "How to be a Good Digital Citizen". "Digital citizenship" describes one's identity as an individual engaged in technology and its advancements. A digital citizen uses technology often and uses it effectively, for the benefit of society. This presentation discusses qualities of a good digital citizen and gives advice on how one can work to become a better digital citizen. Please feel free to view and enjoy my presentation!