Distance Education

Pros

• Students who miss class can still get all the information as if they were sitting at their desk
• Parents can check in on what their students is doing in the class. This can be especially useful in high school when students stop communicating with their parents
• Students can link with other schools around the country, a new form of pen pal
• This can be a great supplement to parents who choose to home school their children
• Another great way to get students to collaborate with their classmates and a new spin on group work

Cons

• Not all students have computers and Internet access at home
• Some parents may not be comfortable with their child’s image on the Internet
• Who pays for this type of technology and will it only be available in districts that have more privileged families?
• May eventually take away from the tradition classroom feel we are all familiar with
• May require training for teachers how will teach in a virtual school and this can be costly to the school district

As you can see there are good and bad elements of creating a virtual school system. It just depends on what the ultimate goals are. For students in the younger years they would definitely need a parent that could help them to use the computer and also manage the mouse. Very young children are still refining their fine motor skills and the mouse may be difficult for them to maneuver. Another element that is imperative to the success of a virtual school would be the computer access that students have at home. If the district can not afford to set children up and they do not already have Internet capabilities then it would be nearly impossible to have a successful program. As far as the teachers go they need basic knowledge of a computer in order to successfully operate an online classroom. There may also be a requirement of extra training for the teachers and this would take time and money. The biggest thing is the commitment to teaching in a non traditional way and striving to make it work for the students. Getting over the fact that you will not have a group of students in your physical presence everyday may seem odd but this could mean being available to the class at other times in order to accommodate their schedules. A virtual school may take a while to adjust to but if the families and the teachers are committed to making it work then there is a large chance of success for all those involved.

Emerging Technologies

As we know technology is everywhere and it is changing nearly every second. Most people can not manage to keep up with it while others try hard to stay afloat. Even in the realm of education technology is taking over. As a prospective teacher I must be aware of what some of the new technological advances are and how they can affect my class. Technology can be a scary thing to introduce into the class because it may require some expertise and training that may not be accessible. On the other hand technology can also be a blessing because it can allow for a lot more possibilities in the classroom for either the teacher or the students.

For instance, one new advance is the creation of Hand Held computers. These new devices were originally developed for the working force on the go. This way companies can be in touch with their employers not matter where anyone is. According to wikipedia.org these devices have input and output capabilities to suit all needs. For a classroom teacher this can mean checking up on parent email from anywhere or updating class websites on the go as well. This addition can be very beneficial but be careful that it does not get rid of the face to face contact that I necessary to establish relationships with families. As far as the students are concerned PDA’s (personal digital assistant) can also keep them connected and have loads of information available to them at any moment.

Another device that is taking the school system by storm is EBooks. These devices are electronic copies of books and other print material. Also looking at what wikipedia has to say about this device they say that it has a lot of different uses making this a very valuable device to have. For a teacher it can allow for a different type of reading and reading on the go. If there is research a teacher needs to do and they can find information on the web and take those references with them they can stay on top of their reading. However I feel that this device has a lot more positive qualities that the students can benefit from. This device has the ability to enlarge the print of the text and even change the text style to make the reading of the material a lot easier. This can be very useful if you have an individual with vision issues and this way they can better see the text that the class is working with and they can keep up with the class and not fall behind.

One really cool thing about the EBooks and the hand held computers is that they are used together to create a functioning device. EBooks require a hand held device in order to have something to display the text on. So in order to use these devices effectively you need them both. It can be expensive at first to get these technologies up and running but they are worth it in the end. These devices allow teachers and students endless possibilities of uses and constant access to text. Also you can also fundraise in the community in order to raise the money need for these devices. Or you can apply for grants for your school or look to companies who may be willing to give schools a discount. It would be great to give the ability to read at any point to children who would usually have trouble doing this. Children with special needs long to be just like everyone else and this would put them that much closer to the “normal” level.

Another cutting edge technology that can be very useful in an education setting is a voice command device. This is an electronic device that is commended by human voice. This allows for hands free operation of the device. For a busy teacher this means being able to use the device and manage another task with your hands so that things can get accomplished simultaneously. Not only can a voice commanded device make multitasking easier it can also allow for use with students who have limited to no motor control. Many different devices can have voice commanded capability because you can put the software on that device and it easily makes it voice commanded. For instance you can put the software on a computer and a child you does not have that muscle control to use a mouse can now tell the computer what to do or what the answer to the question is. This way the child gets the practice in the area they need even though they are not able to physically write it out or control the mouse. Also some software is not voice sensitive so they can be used with different people and even different accents and dialects making them recyclable.

As you can see technology has many positive qualities that can be used to enhance the educational experience of students. Even though technology may be a scary thing at first, I know this fro first hand experience, once you practice using technology it becomes like second nature. The best thing about these types of technologies is the fact that they provide opportunities for students with special needs to be accommodated in a classroom setting. It can sometimes be a struggle to find ways to tailor instruction in a way that meets the needs of those with special needs and the rest of the class as well. These devices can hopefully make that struggle just a little bit easier. Having another option can sometimes save the day because lets face it eventually you will run out of creative ways to reach every child and you need something to help with the creative block. I think that if you have the ability to take a chance with a technical device do it and see how it can enhance the experiences of the students.