Emerging technology 1

Emerging Technology
Christina C. Martinez
College of Southern Nevada

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Abstract
The wonderful world of emerging technology. What advancements they have brought into our
lives. There is no getting around them in this era. From the second technology arrived it has
been a growing force, like a magnet that just continually draws and pulls us in. It is the evolution
that has impacted the way we see, live, and learn. We will never be the same because of it. It is a
life cycle of technological components that keep going in a continuous circle. When one
improves and advances so must the next, like a chain reaction. The computer being in the
forefront will lead the way for change in all types of hardware, followed by devices, input,
output, and touching into software. We will explore into the change they have brought into
improving our classrooms, helping educate our students, and the advantages that have increased
the production of our educators.

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Emerging Technology
The differences between the yesterday and today has become just a click and a swipe
away. Our future could perhaps consist of no books or even maybe no teachers. Even now the
mere thought of having to ever use paper in a classroom again is starting to sound ancient and
could possibly even become foreign. So how does emerging technology affect us, what is it
exactly and where is it headed?
Hardware
I can still remember the first time I saw a computer. It consisted of a monitor, mouse, and
a keyboard. I was in the 3rd grade. There was only one in the whole entire school. When I saw the
unforgettable, rainbow, Apple icon I simply fell in love. Everything about it was oversized and
bulky. When my teacher turned it on who would have thought we would be able to play a
classroom game and on a Macintosh Computer. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago, my
first ever computer game. Still nothing back then was portable. Once you set it up that is where it
remained. The only thing we could do back then was play that one game and type. Sure we
learned how to work a mouse and learned our letters but what was the whole purpose of just
those three pieces of hardware? Steve Jobs stated, "What a computer is to me is the most
remarkable tool that we have ever come up with. It's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
(Jobs, S. 1990) A computer in the class became just that, a tool. We used it to write out our
alphabet and with that one game we were able to learn about countries, states, and forming
conclusions. I came to understand that hardware works like the body. It simply continues to
grow.
Devices

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What is a device? An invention serving a particular purpose, especially a machine used to
perform one or more relatively simple tasks. Something made for a purpose. (Farlex, 2015) We
use devices for everything but they have the potential to serve as a greater purpose. Devices in
education serve a growing need. Devices can be used as tools for learning, comprehending, and
evaluating inside a classroom. My mother, to this day, still struggles with getting on the internet,
downloading photos, and even sending text messages. What possibilities she could have had in
her adult life if only she was able to learn in school, even with just a simple computer. She might
have had a better understanding of how technology works and could have improved her
education even further.
Input
Input devices in the classroom have changed drastically over the years. We have moved
on from the simple use of the mouse and keyboard to send information. We have far more
enhanced tools to help achieve and fill the growing need for advancement in our education
system and in our students. Although there are many devices for helping students for instance, a
specialized joystick mouse called JAWS 2. This input devices can be controlled by the mouth,
cheek or chin. There are several different types of keyboards. There is one specially designed for
the blind that consists of brail on all the keys and even one for people with low vision. (Tanget,
2015) A lot of microphones now work with talk-n-type software and browsers. All have aided in
the growing majority of students with special needs and disadvantages. My two favorite input
devices for classroom teaching are the scanner and the digital camera. Teachers have been using
digital cameras to allow students to photograph their own work and art projects. They then write
and publish field guides on the web sharing and displaying their students accomplishments.
(Leaver-Duffy & McDonald, p.149) I would love to be able to set up a website and use it for my

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students to share with their families. The digital camera is not just used to take photos but to help
students explore their creative side in numerous subjects. For example, in Math, they can explore
out on the playground, looking for shapes and pattern objects to photograph. In Science, they can
photograph their experiments while using their photos for writing time in journals. In a class with
younger students digital cameras could be used for Dramatic Play and help build up self-esteem.
Every week I had to write out a newsletter and post it on our classroom door. We called our
paper, Weekly Roar with Explorers 4. I would photograph my students throughout the week
doing their daily activities. Every Friday we would sit down together and select what photos we
wanted to use and how we were going to group them. My students would share stories about the
pictures and write it out to use on our paper. Our time together gave them a chance to see how
newspapers and magazines are created. It was so neat to see how technology could join us
together and it made our time fun. A scanner would be an added bonus to any classroom.
Students could instantly use their work to venture into other activities like a classroom slide
show, self-esteem builder, scan fabrics and wallpaper for collages. An added benefit for any
teacher would be the capability to make an electronic portfolio for each of your students.
(Scholastic, 2015) Classes would be greatly enhanced if we could replace many of our basic
forms of teaching. The endless list of growth, whiteboards instead of chalk boards, touch screens
instead of the mouse, graphic tablets instead crayons and paper. How efficient our kids could
become. Especially if in class technology is the only form they are ever exposed to.
Output
We cannot have one without the other. There must be some form of output to complete
the cycle of technology. Speakers and headphones being the most basic form of output. A lot of
which have become cordless making it safer for children and making a class less cluttered. The

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more advanced output device like the data projection would be more beneficial for older
students. It is a way for the teacher to share information with the whole class making it simpler
to teach a lesson. This gives students a visual and sometimes audio idea of what the lesson is
based on. Monitors are the main form of output. They have advanced tremendously and the ease
has been highly favorable for all age groups. Touch screens are simple and fun for every age. The
response time between screen and finger have made navigation quicker. Using an art program on
a touch screen where you have to paint and draw is much simpler using a finger. Children enjoy
being hands on and touch screens have helped improved the fine motor skills in various age
groups. A scan convertor is an in expensive way for a teacher to be able to share or project
computer images to the whole class. This is beneficial for students especially if a class has
limited funds and only one computer.
Software
Software is like food for the body. If the computer is the body it can sustain itself for
some time on its own but how much better would the body be with an increasing amount of food
supply. Software can help both educators and students. Software falls into two categories
administrative and academic. Administrative software is software that helps educators with
professional and management duties within a profession. Academic software helps educators and
students in the learning process. (Leaver-Duffy & McDonald, p. 169) The growing need for more
affiant software is due to the ever changing needs in our classrooms and the increasing number
of students. Having software in the class requires our educators to keep themselves currant and
up to date on their own personal training. This will help teachers accomplish their lesson plans
more accurately and keep their classroom more organized. Academic software is software that
focuses on teaching and self-learning. It can be a fun and engaging time for students. It can also

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be an opportunity to help students with common disadvantages. There are many online sites that
offer a variety of downloadable freeware. Educational Freeware reviews the best free learning
games, software, and websites. Their categories range from; 3D, Art, Kindergarten, Languages,
Mathematics, Music, Programming, Reading, Safety, Science, Social Studies, Typing, and even
Toddlers. (Wartoft, M. 2014) My favorite software to work with is graphic software. Graphic
software is a digital visual image that can contain almost anything. There is not one thing in this
world that does not require us to use some sort of imagery. Graphics can help both students and
teachers. They help enhance graphs, outlines, and presentation slides any teacher might need to
create. Graphics are not just limited to one age group. They can be used by all levels of
education. You can start out with simpler forms for instance, coloring, sketching and taking
photos. You can even scan their work, onto the computer, and uploaded it onto the software for
them to improve upon. Maybe even turn their creations into 3D forms. They can even use
Microsoft Paint, Tux Pain and Coloring Book. Adapted Mind has a great website where they use
graphics to help teach grades 1st 8th Mathematics. It uses fun animated forms and lots of colors
to engage students while learning. There are so many downloadable programs that can help any
class. There are tons of companies, for instance, MOUSE whose main purpose is to empower our
youth to learn, lead, and create with technology. (MOUSE, 2015)

Conclusion
Technology alongside with the Web is vastly changing. It is a continual process that feeds our
wants, needs and even desires. We live in the time were we want things now and completed in
such a fast pace. Technology has allowed us to take back some of our time and run our life more
adjectively. It has required us to increase our learning capacity as individuals and keep our minds

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fed with knowledge. Could we survive without it? Of course, but who would really want to. A
great man once said, Technology is nothing. What is important is that you have a faith in
people, that they are basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they will do wonderful
things with them. (Rolling Stones, 2015) That is exactly how we should think when we are
teaching technology to our students and learning technology for ourselves. Take pride and take
value in what we do.

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References
Farlex, Inc. (2003 - 2015). Device. Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/device
Jobs, S. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/stevejobs416921.html
Leaver-Duffy, J &McDonald J. (2011). Teaching & Learning with Technology. Boston,
Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon
MOUSE. (2015) About MOUSE. Retrieved from http://www.mouse.org/
Rolling Stones (2015). Steve Jobs in 1994: The Rolling Stone Interview. Retrieved from
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/steve-jobs-in-1994-the-rolling-stoneinterview-20110117
Scholastic (2015). Snappy Ideas for Using Scanners in the Classroom. Retrieved from
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/childdev/snappyscannerideas.htm
Tanget (2015). INPUT and OUTPUT devices for physically challenged ones. Retrieved from
http://inputandoutputdevices.wikispaces.com/
Wartof, M. (2015). Downloadable Educational Freeware. Retrieved from
http://www.educational-freeware.com/freeware/