Team 6
From Instructional Technology Wiki
Paper 1 - Educational Computer Games - Games in Education
Paper 2 - The Future of Technology in Education - (Below Paper 1)
Introduction
We are researching the historical development of educational games. We have discovered that before games came to entertain and enlighten students, there were significant coevolutionary military uses and medical tutorial applications. The central issues involved with this topic include: the shift from entertainment to education, the implications for educational frameworks and game developers, the issue of gender, and computer game content regulation.
Historical Practices - Medical Simulations
Medicine is second only to the military in directing the development of educational games. In 1967, the Tutorial Evaluation System was competetively developed at Oregon State University, Massachusetts General Hospital Laboratory of Computer Science and the University of Illinois. Due to the initial prohibitive cost for any single medical institution, the National Library of Medicine addressed this problem in 1972 when it sponsored the creation of a nationwide network for CAI (computer aided instruction) in medicine.
In the mid-1980's a simulation based serious game designed to teach cardiac auscultation (heart sounds) was developed by DSG called HeartLab. HeartLab was the first commercial multimedia patient simulator on a microcomputer and one of the first serious games in clinical medicine.
Whereas the initial simulation game attempted to accurately replicate the visual and audio components of a real patient encounter, the company has made strident gains.
On February 14, 2005 - Heartlab, Inc. and FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc. announced that New Hanover Regional Medical Center of Wilmington, N.C. was the first site to benefit from the integration of Heartlab’s Encompass Cardiac Network and Fuji’s Synapse® PACS.
The Heartlab / Fuji integration provides cardiologists with seamless access to a patient’s cardiology or radiology images and corresponding report information from the Encompass application. While reviewing a patient’s cardiac catheterization exam, the cardiologist simply clicks a radiology tab within Encompass, which automatically opens an embedded Synapse folder containing related studies available on Fuji’s radiology PACS. When a patient’s radiology study is selected, the Synapse viewer launches to provide the needed capabilities to work with the entire radiology exam including images, notes, reports and other related historical exams. The cardiologist has access to all the needed information from a single workstation. “Having integrated cardiology and radiology data means that we don’t have to search for patient data on different computers located in different parts of the hospital,” said Dr. William R. Holt, Jr., staff cardiologist at the Coastal Heart Center. “The integration saves tremendous time and makes us more efficient, and that translates into improved patient care and better workflow.”
Historical Practices - Military Simulations
The U.S. Department of Defense defines a war game as “a simulation, by whatever means, of a military operation involving two or more opposing forces, using rules, data, and procedures designed to depict an actual or assumed real life situation.”
In the 1970s, sophisticated war game designs had been created in the commercial sector, beginning with the founding of The Avalon Hill Game Company by Charles S. Roberts in 1958. Roberts’ Tactics (1952), Tactics II (1958) and subsequent Avalon Hill titles established conventions of the modern war game. . . . these games shifted the mechanics of game design from abstract strategy or, alternatively, chance to an emphasis on historical realism defined by systems of rules and data, that is, to simulation.
In 1976, SPI published Firefight, a game that simulated Soviet and U.S. small unit tactics and the first important title in a series of games that examined the “future history” of potential NATO-Warsaw Pact conflict. . . .The Firefight game system had been conceived and designed for the U.S. Army Infantry School before its release as a commercial game; it probably represented the first collaboration between Dunnigan [Jim Dunnigan, of SPI] and then Lt. Col. Ray Macedonia of the U.S. Army. Macedonia was determined to invigorate military war gaming by injecting the design advances, research standards, and modeling of SPI’s historical simulations into a revived War College system.
Dunnigan and Macedonia forged the military’s first concerted efforts to tap the potential of computer-based war gaming.
By the late 1970s, the Army was pushing for more use of computer technology in war games generally, and it turned outside its ranks for fresh ideas. At the behest of the Army Chief of Staff, Edward C. Meyer, Macedonia took on the task of producing a new architecture for computer-based games. . . . The resulting “McClintic Theater Model” (MTM, programmed by Fred McClintic), another conversion of one of Dunnigan’s older manual designs, was applied to simulation games sponsored by Army Chief of Staff by November 1980 and became the basis for a series of computer-based theater and operational simulations during the 1980s.
The prototypes and early experiments with SIMNET elements were carried out between 1987-89, and the system was made operational in January 1990. The Army bought the first several hundred units for the Close Combat Tactical Trainer CCTT system ...
The value of the SIMNET as a training system for preparing units for battle became apparent almost immediately during the Gulf War. Hailed as the most significant victory of the war, the Battle of 73 Easting took place on February 26, 1991, just three days into the ground war, between the U.S. 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment and a much larger Iraqi armed force (armed elements of the 50th Brigade of the Iraqi 12th Armored Division). The battle was named for the location at which it occurred: 73 Easting is the north-south grid line on military maps of the Iraqi Desert.
It was immediately appreciated that 73 Easting had potential as a simulation for network training on the military SIMNET.
Early military simulations incorporated very rote behaviors. They did not capture “soft” characteristics well. An effort to go beyond this was taken by the IDA in their effort to construct a computer-generated “magic carpet” simulation-recreation of the Battle of 73 Easting, based on in-depth debriefings of 150 survivors of a key battle that had taken place during the Gulf War. The goal of the project was to get timeline-based experiences of how individuals felt, thought and reacted to the dynamic unfolding of the events—their fears and emotions as well as actions—and render the events as a fully three-dimensional simulated reality which any future cadet could enter and relive.
The history of military simulation has of course led to more recent projects that cross over from military training to videogame entertainment, such as America's Army and Full Spectrum Warrior. However, these simulations were not the first to put narratives about historical events and player exploration of a game-based possibility space in the same package. As Dunnigan pointed out, "The object of any war game (historical or otherwise) is to enable the player to recreate a specific event and, more importantly, to be able to explore what might have been if the player decides to do things differently." The player's role became one not only of re-experiencing history but also of performing, that is exploring counterfactual moves and even changing history. For Dunnigan and SPI, the advantage of the "simulation game" allowed, "within well-defined limits, a great deal of variety in an otherwise strictly pre-determined historical event." Digital, networked simulations like 73 Easting incorporate massive amounts of documentation, data, and recorded memory to create a sense of historical place, but also of space. They encourage re-creation that animates that space through the agency of players, who surf, fly through and visualize it in ways that generate new and valuable experiences of their own.
Positive Uses
Major strengths of computer games in education include their ability to bring new and important skills into the learning environment, skills which already are, and will continue to be of massive benefit to students growing up in our increasingly informational and technology-driven society. Academics currently researching the convergence of computer games and education are suggesting that such games could play a significant role as an educational medium. Technology has the capacity to engage students. The important consideration, for gaming or for any form of ed-tech, is that the educational content be solid. It needs to be well researched, curriculum driven, and in alignment with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). According to many people, this is what the administrators will be looking for before they can or will sanction educational gaming.
Abuses (Negatives)
A weaknesses of the relationship is that the convergence of computer games and learning is a relatively new phenomenon, and one with still not enough solid research and theorisation. Much more needs to be understood about computer games and the child audience, before education is recognized as being a valuable role of computer games in the same way entertainment has already established itself. There are other important areas to consider. Some of these issues include the gender imbalance within various aspects of games/gaming and the stereotypical gender representation of game characters. The types of games that appeal to each gender (and examining them in the context of the specific game content and its educational value)is another issue which will need to be resolved. Another negative that has been raised is that games may impact negatively on the role of teachers.
Summary
Back in the 1980s when computer games had all the sophistication of hitting a plate with a brick, it was already clear that, where post- war parents had been captured by passively staring at a glowing TV screen, the generation that followed them were captivated by actively using and controlling that screen. A generation of passive couch potatoes struggling with the TV controller were being superseded by a generation that would grow to become active cyber-athletes who in their turn would control TV.
Game play is about problem solving, applying ingenuity, anticipating the programmers’ challenges, and their humor, in a tough cycle of “observe, question, hypothesize, and test”. These are process skills that any science teacher would be ecstatic to see evidenced.
So, by the end of the 20th century we had on the one hand a games industry rich with collaborative endeavor, with active challenge, delight and ingenuity, while on the other hand we had an education system dangerously close to moribund, where conformity and individual endeavor were rewarded and “passive” was all too often a desired state. The 25 years of clear research evidence that game playing had a role to play in learning had had about as much impact on policy as throwing pebbles at an asteroid.
But then, something changed. We entered a new millennium, a new century. Education began, slowly, to realize that many of the attributes of great game playing, from the intellectual challenge to the provision of multiple learning styles, had an immediate part to play in learning. At the same time, the games industry began to realize that for many players cerebral = cool. We love to learn and overtly cognitive games are delightful to play and to share. So, rather helpfully, just as education started to take seriously the weight of clear evidence that this report admirably chronicles, the games industry too started to look at learning’s movement towards personalization, at its clearer understanding of brain-science and of learning styles, and at its new found fervor to rekindle a love of learning throughout life. Suddenly they need each other.
Works Cited
The Battle of 73 Easting, Gulf War: papers concerning the simulation project, M1451.Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Binmore, Ken (1992). Fun and Games. Heath.
Dixit , Avinash and Susan Skeath (1992). Games of Strategy. W.W. Norton.
Emrich, Alan (December 2004). The Charles S. Roberts Awards. Retrieved June 9, 2007, from The Alan Emrich homepage Web site: http://www.alanemrich.com/CSR_pages/CSRawards.htm
Foley, Dannii (2004). "Computer games - education overview." M/Cyclopedia of New Media. Retrieved June 10, 2007, from http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Computer_Games_-_Education_-_Overview
Gibbons, Robert (1997)."An Introduction to Applicable Game Theory". Journal of Economic Perspectives. Winter, inclusive 127-149.
Joint Chiefs of Staff, (1987). (1rst ed., Vol. 393). Washington, DC: GPO.
Kreps, David (1990). A Course in Microeconomic Theory. Princeton.
Lowood, Henry + Lenoir, Tim (2007, May 24). 73 Easting. Critical Studies in New Media, Retrieved June 09, 2007, from http://humanitieslab.stanford.edu/NewMedia/279?view=print
McMillan, John (1992). Games, Strategies, and Managers. Oxford.
Schelling, Thomas (1980). The Strategy of Conflict. Harvard.
Information for further research
Publications:
"A Brief Biography of Computer Games," in: Playing Computer Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences, eds. Peter Vorderer and Jennings Bryant. (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006): 25-41.
"Computer and Video Games," "Computers-Personal," and "Technology and Leisure," Encyclopedia of 20th-Century Technology, ed. Colin Hempstead. (Milton Park, Eng., and New York: Routledge, 2004): I, 180-181; I, 206-208; II, 789-791.
"Death in the City: Computer Games and the Urban Battlefield." Urban Trauma and the Metropolitan Imagination conference, Stanford University, 6 May 2005.
"Electronic Game." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 16 July 2004. <http://search.eb.com/eb/article?eu=1566> With side-bars on "Zork," "Pac-Man," "The Legend of Zelda," and "DOOM." To appear in 2004 print edition.
"The Future of Digital Education," (panelist), MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning panel, held in Second Life, 13 Nov. 2006.
"Game Studies Now, History of Science Then," Games and Culture 1 (Jan. 2006): 78-82.
"History of Science, Technology and Medicine," in: The Best in Science, Technology, and Medicine, ed. Carl Mitcham and William F. Williams. The Reader's Advisor, 14th ed.; 5. (New Providence, N.J.: Bowker, 1994): 23-58.
"Impotence and Agency: Computer Games as a Post-9/11 Battlefield ." published in: Games Without Frontiers - War Without Tears. Computer Games as a Sociocultural Phenomenon, ed. Andreas Jahn-Sudmann & Ralf Stockmann. (Palgrave,Spring 2007).
"Life with the Sims: Games, Libraries, and Research." University of Arizona Libraries, 18 Jan. 2006.
"Video Game Programs Look for New Ways to Use Games," NPR Morning Edition, 14 Nov. 2006. Includes excerpts from interview by Laura Sydell.
"The Obstacle Course: Documenting the History of Military Simulation," in: America's Army PC Game: Vision and Realization, ed. Margaret Davis (Monterey, Calif: U.S. Army and MOVES Institute, 2004): p. 18.
"Video Games in Computer Space: The Complex History of Pong." To be published in: Videoludica Vintage (1971- 1984), eds. Ian Bogost & Matteo Bittanti (Edizioni Unicopli, exp. mid-2007) Online version available via "pong.mythos: Ein Spiel und seine Geschichte," accompanying exhibit of the Computerspiele Museum (Berlin), 11 Feb.-19 March 2006.
"Virtual Reality." Encyclopædia Britannica (2006). Available via: Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service (7 June 2006), http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9001382; Encyclopedia Britannica Academic Edition (7 June 2006), http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9001382.
Questions
In what other fields could computer simulations have a beneficial effect?
What detrimental outcomes could occur using computer simulations?
Will children weaned on video games view sims as seriously as those individuals raised prior to the advent of the video game age?
How can sims be used in the training students for future jobs?
Will the financial burden of using sims be an inhibiting factor?
Could sims be used as an assessment tool for teachers?
Will administrators and other top education officials "buy in" to the positive aspects of using simulations in the classroom on a more regular basis?
Paper #2 - The Future of Technology in Education
School in 2020--How Might it be Different from Today?
A new partnership will evolve between technology and pedagogy, creating a new education paradigm. Increased broadband Internet capabilities and the emmergence of immersive technologies will increasingly create this new paradigm for K-12 education by the year 2020. Stimulating classroom experiences will be made possible, regardless of a student's location. Classroom walls will "fade" as teachers and students are brought closer together by high-res video and shared 3D environments that allow a multitude of interactions. The ongoing transformation of the Internet will bring massive amounts of online archives of past lectures, interactive presentations, simulations, problem scenarios, etc. Currently used textbooks and workbooks will be replaced with technology to fuel this new content as learning becomes more customized. Current periodic testing will be replaced with automated tracking of students' progress will provide more instant feedback to all stakeholders on progress or problems in the curriculum and its presentation (Neumann & Kyriakakis, 2002).
Future Learning and the Role of Teachers
Teaching and learning will very well see a dramatic transformation by the year 2020, given effective and aggressive investment and management. Students will have new tools and learning systems to explore making learning more productive, personalized, compelling, and interesting. These systems will be able to showcase their talents as well as provide multidimensional assessments of each learner's ability to accomplish complex tasks. New learning systems will also abound and change teachers' roles. However, they will not replace the need for human teachers. The following are some highlights of the possible changes of the teaching profession in post-secondary as well as K-12 education: (The Learning Federation, 2002)
- Learning will substantially shift from "teacher push" to "learner pull"
- Learning systems will be comprised of powerful tools allowing teachers to go from concepts to operational systems
- Interactive simulations will produce assignments where learners learn and test their expertise against various problems
- Teachers & learners will be able to contact a variety of human tutors and experts as well as a variety of automated help systems. Note: Some say that while technology will be in place to contact experts, it won't happen, because the experts won't have the time for it.
- Automation and tutors will be able to quickly adjust the pace and style of learning to better customize the learning experience for each student.(The Learning Federation, 2002)
- Printed textbooks will eventually disappear in favor of electronic books
- Multi-tasking will become more common
- Virtual reality will be present, but may not be used frequently due to costs of developing content matter, not the technology itself
- Geography will become less relevant
- Language will become less relevant (Pausch, 2002).
Implications for Teaching and Schools
- Teaching will become much more personalized
- The varied tasks of today's teachers are likely to be delegated to other professionals or automated systems
- Teachers and tutors who work with students will work as a sophisticated and dynamic team
- Professionals at all levels must continuously upgrade skills (The Learning Foundation, 2002).
- Parents may be able to "tune in" to their child's classroom via remote video/audio technology
- Children will still physically go to school because many students require that "physical touch," proximity, motivation, and social interaction to absorb the material (Pausch, 2002).
Technology and Education in the Future
Do you know who Karl Fisch is? Karl Fisch put together this wonderful PowerPoint titled “Did You Know?” “Did You Know?” is a powerful presentation of where we are headed as a country and what our youth are facing in the global market place. Karl Fisch is not a famous author, nor a credentialed professor, or published educational theorist; Karl is a simple ham & eggs type teacher at Arapahoe High School in the Littleton Public School system. He prepared this for his talk at the beginning of the 06-07 year staff meeting.
Here is an excerpt from his blog: My administration asked me if I wanted to speak at one of our beginning of the year faculty meetings. I often provide updates on what's new and different with technology in our building and what teachers need to know to get the year started. But this year I'm really focused on staff development and the "vision" of where we should be headed, so I wanted to do something different.
I was hoping by telling some of these "stories" to our faculty, I could get them thinking about - and discussing with each other - the world our students are entering. To get them to really think about what our students are going to need to be successful in the 21st century, and then how that might impact what they do in their classrooms. I remixed content from David Warlick, Thomas Friedman, Ian Jukes, Ray Kurzweiland others, added some music, and came up with the following presentation.
I left the PowerPoint in its original format so the information is geared for Karl’s school. I did this for a reason. There are many versions of this PowerPoint out there today. I wanted you, the reader, to imagine the feelings the original must have invoked at that beginning of the year staff meeting less than one year ago.
The information on each slide is documented and from a trusted source.
Wrap your brain around these facts from the presentation and then envision the future.
• 2.7 billion searches are performed each month on Google.
• 40 exabytes of new information will be generated this year (4.0 x1019)
• The amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years
• By 2010 it will be doubling every 72 hours
• Fiber optics currently push 10 trillion bits per second down one strand of fiber
• That’s 1500 CDs or 50 million simultaneous phone calls every second
• Currently that figure is tripling every 6 months and is expected to so for the next 20 years
• By 2013 a super computer will be invented that exceeds the computing capacity of the human brain
• By 2023 that computer will cost less than $1000
• By 2049 a computer will be invented that will have more computing capacity than the entire human race
By the year 2010, scientists predict we will be immersed in a sea of miniature computers. Many of us will carry three or four digital devices with us, according to Simon Moore of Cambridge University's Computer Laboratory, but soon that figure will be in the hundreds. "They'll be woven into our clothing as identification markers during manufacture," he said. "They might tell your washing machine what cycle to use, or monitor bio-signs to alert us to impending illness." You might stop to consider what the world might be like, if computers the size of molecules become a reality. These are the types of computers that could be everywhere, but never seen. Nano sized bio-computers that could target specific areas inside your body. Giant networks of computers, in your clothing, your house, your car. Entrenched in almost every aspect of our lives and yet you may never give them a single thought.
My childhood friend, Duane L. Marcy Ph.D., with whom I played baseball, was in Cub Scouts with, and grew up to drink a lot of beer with, is now involved with semiconductor manufacturing, processes, and devices; molecular electronics using the protein bacteriorhodopsin with applications of volumetric and holographic memories and thin films for semiconductor-protein based devices at Syracuse University’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science in Syracuse, NY. Don’t ask me what it is; the best I can summarize is Duane is developing biological nanotechnology sized processors.
I e-mailed Duane over the weekend and asked him about nanotechnology and where it is headed. I received the following quote from him today. “Building things on a nanoscale is the easy part. The true power of the modern micro/nano industry has come from the ability to interconnect the small things together in a random pattern, not from being able to make small things. The technology for nano-interconnects is much farther behind the technology for nano-fabrication and this is where the challenge lies for engineers.
It is apparent we already have the ability to build computers at the molecular level; the question is how we are going to use them. To answer this question I read two books; one is Neuromancer by William Gibson and the other is The Web: Gulliver Zone by Stephen Baxter whose subject is technology in the future. They are both obviously works of science fiction but as in so many instances from the past today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality. I hope to be able to provide some useful insights into technology of tomorrow from these works.
The Web: Gulliver Zone was first published in Great Britain in 1997. What attracted me to this book was a Glossary of 59 words “from the future”, 15 of them are words we use daily now in the computer field. The book is about the adventures of a teenage girl on Sunday, February 7, 2027. She is awoken by a computerized assistant, her choice of news is broadcast on her bedroom wall, her mirror is programmed to show her how she wants to look versus how she actually looks, and her father gets his daily newspaper on the side of the toaster. Quite typical sci-fi stuff really, the fare found on the cartoon “The Jetsons.”
In chapter two Stephen Baxter’s genius begins to show as his main character dons her websuit (An all over body suit lined with receptors which when worn by Web users allows them to experience the full physical illusion of virtual reality) and spins into the Web. Everything she feels, touches, sees, and hears when she is in “Webtown” comes via her websuit; through the places it touches her skin, the little screens over her eyes, and so on. Upon entering the Web she heads to the GulliverZone, in her words “the best theme park in the Web."
The Web in Stephen Baxter’s future is full of 3D Virtual Reality that a user can totally immerse them in without ever leaving their home.
Neuromancer by William Gibson portrays a darker vision of technology in the far distant future. His book has the obligatory corporate wars destroying the world with the classic class struggle between the Haves/Have Nots. Gibson’s book fascinated me not because of the plotline; I have seen similar storylines in several other books, but for the lurid descriptions of technologies used by the characters. The following passage describes the main protagonist; “Casey operated on an almost permanent adrenaline high, a byproduct of youth and proficiency, jacked into a custom cyberspace deck that projected his disembodied consciousness into the consensual hallucination that was the matrix.” The matrix had its roots in primitive arcade games, in early graphics programs and military experimentation with cranial jacks. We follow Casey through the matrix as he pursues streams of consciousness through the matrix while callously referring to their and his own body as “meat” and of little consequence. Molly, his protector, had glasses that were surgically inset, sealing her sockets. When Casey jacked into the matrix and flipped the proper switches he could see what Molly was viewing through her glasses.
Gibson, who wrote this book in 1984, vision of Cyberspace is a consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators in every nation, a graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity
66.44.248.199 IP Address CJ Flay
Using technology to teach science
Online teaching and learning can only be done with high quality if new approaches are employed which compensate for the limitations of technology. The “cyber” teacher will be challenged to make the effort to create and maintain the human touch of attentiveness to their students. Online courses like Blackboard may be appropriate for both traditional and non-traditional students; they can be used in K-12 education, undergraduate education, continuing education, and in advanced degree programs. An entire course online, even for graduate students, seems unconventional. A mix of face-to-face with the virtual instruction is vital. Without the ongoing physical and even emotional interaction between teacher and students, and among students themselves, the learning process is disadvantaged.
Because high quality online teaching is time and labor intensive, it is not likely to be the income source envisioned by some administrators. Teaching the same number of students online at the same level of quality as in the classroom is difficult. High quality teaching online requires smaller student/faculty ratios. The shift from the classroom to online has been described as a shift from "efficiency to quality." ASU closes online classes when they reach 23. Most are closed below 20. When was the last time you taught in a classroom of 23 students?
All research models suggest that effective hands-on inquiry involves a series of steps that builds students’ investigative skills. Educational excellence in science begins in the elementary school classroom. When teaching science, teachers will use these recommended steps: questioning - problem is introduced that incites curiosity or draws on memories of an experience with a natural phenomenon. Discussion includes what students already know or think they know and what questions they have, observation – data is gathered and a question to probe is formulated. Hypotheses are propose leading to more focused observation to test, organizing data – overlapping observation, this focuses on looking for patterns and differences, explanation – causes or theories may be used by students, reading, textbooks, teacher’s expertise may be welcomed, reflection – through reviewing the process and how any obstacles were addressed, students become more aware of the concepts they’ve learned, taking action – either by action in the larger community or with further learning.
We believe that authentic assessment will replace the paper and pencil method state mandated end of course tests. Assessment must cause students to use thinking skills in experiential work. Authentic assessment with effective evaluation tools (checklists, rubrics, observation lists) must be used and are more reflective of how they will be evaluated in the work place. [1]
The low socioeconomic "gifted" students
I think it is hard to talk about what will happen in the future without mentioning what is happening now. As current trends become more popular and accessible, that will be the future. While researching the future of gifted education, I found an article debating textbooks being replaced in the future.
The future of our country’s workforce is being shaped with new trends toward improvement. Microsoft has a model for preparing our students to succeed called the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This model is a partnership with educators, government and business leaders. Their goal is to help out future graduates to compete globally for the jobs of the future by providing them with communication and problem solving skills.
Another program is the Partners in Learning Program. One highlight of this project is the collaboration with the Philadelphia School District and building a “School of the Future”. The purpose of this project is to redesign high school including changes in instruction and technology integration. This school has a partnership with Microsoft and the company has supplied laptops, electronic displays, Internet access and videos. One would think this high-tech school would be created for the elite, but this school is set up to cater to low-income families.
The curriculum is set up to be project-driven. The students are encouraged and expected to investigate and do original research. Each student is issued a laptop which can be checked out and taken home.
If this doesn't seem cutting edge or futuristic to those of us in this program think about this. Low socioeconomic students, like those who attend my school, would think that they are part of a dream come true. In my vision for future technology options, the future must address how to close the gap for the lower socioeconomic groups.
Virtual schools and their fight to propel traditional schools into the future
As usual, many people who do not understand the benefits of a new direction hold up progress. In Pennsylvania, they have had a surge of students enrolled in cyber charter schools. The state leads the nation in cyber charter schools. Along with leading the way in modernization, they also have a great deal of debate. Cyber charter schools give students a chance to have on-line curriculum that is accessible at all times. They do not have to be at school to access their school work. These cyber charter schools eliminate the need for a costly school building and can focus their resources on providing the best curriculum and ensuring the quality of their teachers. These schools have the ability provide a range of new educational opportunities to students. Sadly, more than 100 of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts have joined in lawsuits challenging the validity of their program. If decision makers could think outside of the box, education could be revolutionized. The future only knows if this will happen.
References
Fertig, Carol (2006). Retrieved June 18, 2007, from Will Schools of the Future Replace Textbooks for the Gifted? Web site: [2]
Gates, Bill (2007). U.S. Senate Committee Hearing. Retrieved June 20, 2007, from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Web site: [3]
The Learning Federation (2002). Next generation learning systems and the role of teachers. [Electronic version]. Visions 2020: Transforming education and training through advanced technologies, 1-3.
Neumann, U. & Kyriakakis, C. (2002). 2020 Classroom. [Electronic version]. Visions 2020: Transforming education and training through advanced technologies, 2-3.
Pausch, R. (2002). A curmudgeon's vision for technology in education. [Electronic version]. Visions 2020: Transforming education and training through advanced technologies, 1-3.
Snell, Lisa (2007). Reason Public Policy Institute. Retrieved June 25, 2007, from Virtual Schools are the Future Web Site: [4]
