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GAFE sessions 2014

The Horizon Report is a 46 page document produced by 3 organizations: the New Media Consortium (NMC), the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).  The report is part of a larger project that examines technologies that are emerging or are predicted to emerge within the next five years in education.  Three reports are created each year: Higher Education, Primary and Secondary Education (K-12), and Museum Education.   In the Primary and Secondary Education (K-12) edition, there are six key technologies mapped out in three categories.  The first category, "Near-term Horizon," includes devices, apps, and tablet computing.  These technologies were indicated to be implemented in education within a 12 month period when this report was published last year.  The second category, "Mid-term Horizon," is indicated to be two to three years away, and includes Game-based learning, and Personal Learning Environments (PLEs).  Finally, the report includes two sets of technology in the "Far-term Horizon," which are plotted as four to five years out.  These technologies are Augmented Reality (AR), and Natural User Interfaces.   This comprehensive report outlines not only these emerging technologies, but also addresses the trends and challenges in educational technology at the time of publication.  It will be very interesting to see what technologies are reported on when the 2013 edition is published this June.

In this article, Dr. Teresa Franklin, discusses the importance of being mobile in today's society and how technology is shaping our beliefs and the way we learn. By using mobile devices our learning is not limited by the time of day or our current location. If and when we want to communicate with others or research information about a topic, we can. Today, the importance of being mobile has gotten to the point that it has become an "epidemic". Throughout the article, Franklin, defines many concepts. To ensure common understanding by all readers she explains the following terms: mobile learning, mobile devices (including, highly mobile devices, very mobile devices, and mobile devices) learners, social networks, apps, and the tipping point. In addition, Franklin, explains what it means to be a mobile user and why it is important in today's society.  The article focuses on three complexities that need to be considered when using mobile devices in an educational setting. The first complexity looks at the area of pedagogy and how it relates to the use of technology. Next, Franklin writes about the need for institutions to have the correct infrastructure in place to support these devices. The third complexity she explains is the challenge that schools have to create effective ways to communicate when using mobile devices. Franklin thinks a practical, collaborative approach with incremental steps is the key when creating a mobile delivery model. Lastly, the author looks at the role of the teacher and the concerns that technology creates for staff and students. She believes educators need to shift from traditional teaching practices to incorporate more relevant skills that will create positive citizens and prepare them for the ever changing workplace. In saying this, Franklin understands that there will be

This is an article a colleague sent me that is very interesting and relevant to our use.

This is a full list of resources from the google summit. Enjoy!

Although we all weren't there, the good thing about technology conferences is that you get the resources anyway! :)