EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH PAPER

Emerging Technologies Research Paper

Angelina Tang
College of Southern Nevada
September 25, 2016

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH PAPER

Abstract
As we all know, there are many forms of technologies that are taking over our lives. The
purpose of this paper is to identify the technologies that are emerging in the classroom. To
determine how they are beneficial to the learning process, and what some of the best ways to
integrate them into the different grade level classroom. There are many different forms of
technology out there, but for the sake of this paper; only three (3) will be presented. Some
which currently exist but to a certain extent, and others are still in the process of the
classroom dependent on them. One day, we will see the classroom being dependent on these
sorts of technologies and hopefully it is for the best interest in both the teacher and the
student.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH PAPER

The first form of technology that is going to be presented is one that many of us are
all very familiar with. Cloud computing is beneficial in many ways. According to the article
8 Technologies that will Shape Future Classrooms in the future classroom, students may just
need an electronic device to access all their homework and all other learning resources in the
Cloud. With cloud computing being available so easily, it makes sharing and storing files
and programs that much more easy. It has become beneficial to teachers because they are
now able to share resources, programs, and assignments with the entire class as opposed to
doing it individually (Lever-Duffy, p. 134). With the click of a button, as long as students are
connected to the Internet, they are able to pretty much access files and software that may
become available. Another use of cloud computing in education is for hosting learning
management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard or Moodle. Nowadays the E-Learning is
widely used to different levels of education: lifelong learning, training for companies,
academic courses (Isalia, p.100-103).
Online computing also allows students and teachers as well to have access to it no
matter where one may be. Some just need a password and an Internet connection and you can
access it just about from anywhere. In the long run, having access to online computing has
become beneficial and saves time. Nowadays it can be accessed even on a mobile device and
not just from a school computer. It cuts down on the excuses a student may come up with
since they have the accessibility to go online and find their assignments and also turn them in
online.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH PAPER

The second piece of technology that is going to be presented is online social

networking. Many people confuse the online computing with online social networking.
Although the names sound familiar they do different things. In the higher education levels,
online social networking has become crucial to the their education. It becomes an online
classroom where students can have discussions with one another and also post questions that
they may have for others to respond to (Smith, 2007). Since students are not physically in the
classroom, it lets them learn and figure out that learning is a personal responsibility and not
just the teachers job to do (Hongkiat). We need to teach kids the powerful ways networking
can change the way they look at education, not just their social lives (Smith, 2007). We are
now living a world where you need to be social to get things that you want or to find answers
to certain things. The way we prepare our students for that is, we provide these online
classroom settings to have them feel comfortable while they learn along the way.
It may not be the easiest way to teach because sometimes you may want to show
something on the board or show a small clip and you really cannot do that online, but there
are ways to go around it. There are forums, discussion boards, Uploading useful information
and external resources, weeding out the inappropriate websites. According to Higher
Education and Emerging Technologies: Shifting Trends in Student Usage, more students have
shifted their interest in using online social networking, not just because they can chat with
their friends online but they can also do it while they are learning just like if they were in a
normal classroom.
The last and final piece of emerging technology that is beginning to be used in a
classroom is the use of touch screens. Touch screens have become all too familiar nowadays
from mobile phones, to touch computers, and to tablets. Kids from the young of 2 years old

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH PAPER

are now using them like they were born with them. The easiness to use for children is a
reason as to why some teachers want to use them in their classroom. Students with special
needs are now able to use them with more ease. Those who have a hard time holding a mouse
or a keyboard can now just simply touch the screen and work alongside the rest of their
peers. A study in the UK however has found that there are some issues with using touch
screens in the classroom. They found that many students finished assignments faster than
others and that they could not tell when a child was actually working or when they were
being distracted from their work (Kelly, 2013). This is a teachers responsibility to monitor
the class when they are working. Nowadays, many of the touch screens come with monitor
sharing capabilities. Meaning with some external cables teachers can easily connect their
tablet or touch computer to the TV and be able to share videos and graphics with the entire
class.
Researchers also recommend that the apps add more flexibility so that teachers can
control, change, and pause the lessons (Kelly, 2013). It is important that everyone realize that
technology is not going away. As a matter of fact it is only progressing further and it is
something that needs to be integrated into the classroom. Educators need to take the
responsibility to teach their students and prepare them for the changes that the future holds
for them. There are still a few issues out there. Some educators say they cannot tell the
difference when children are working or when they are being distracted. It is an educators job
to help keep the class on track.

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Conclusion
As previously stated, technology is something that is not going anywhere. Technology
is only advancing further and needs to be integrated into the classrooms. Kids who are not in
school yet know how to use it so it only make sense that students in all grade levels know
how to use it. There needs to be an understanding that there has to be a balance between
normal teaching and with integrating all sorts of technology and just heavily relying on one
type. With a good balance comes a good well-instructed classroom. Technology is a form of
the future and our students need to be well prepared to face it. There is no other way to say it.
These are only a few of the different technologies that exist out there and that are already
being used in classrooms or are simply still being tested.

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References
Cassidy, E., Colmenares, A., Jones, G., Manolovitz, T., Shen, L., Vieira, S. (march 2014).
Higher education and Emerging Technologies: Shifting trends in Student Usage. The
Journal of Academic Librarianship. Vol. 40 Issue 2. 124-133
Isaila, N. (2014). CLOUD COMPUTING IN EDUCATION. Knowledge
Horizons.Economics, 6(2), 100-103. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1537380863?accountid=27953
Kelly, H. (May 8, 2013) Testing Touchscreen Tablets in Classrooms. CNN. Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/08/tech/testing-touchscreen-tables-inclassrooms/index.html
Lever-Duffy, J., McDonald, J. (2015). Techonlogy in the Classroom. Teaching and Learning
with Technology. 5th ed. 119-143.
Lightfoot, J. M. (2005). INTEGRATING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES INTO
TRADITIONAL CLASSROOMS: A PEDAGOGIC APPROACH. International Journal
of Instructional Media, 32(3), 209-224. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/204276761?
accountid=27953
Poh, M. (n.d). 8 Technologies That will Shape Future Classrooms. Hongkiat. Retrieved from
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/future-classroom-technologies/
Smith, F. (April 20, 2007). How to Use Social-Networking Technology for Learning: Why
Teachers Should Embrace Networking and How they can use it to Improve Education.

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Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/how-use-social-networkingtechnology