8 - Digital Divide and PowerPoint

Of the technologies described in chapter 12, I believe augmented reality holds the biggest promise for education. The text discusses the association between augmented reality and virtual reality. Both technologies allow the user to interact with the environment. This aspect alone would enhance user participation and allow students to elaborate on new information. Students can have more control over what they learn and guide the curriculum to subjects that interest them. The technology also continues to progress and prices are becoming more affordable for schools.

After listening to the "Digital Divide" podcast, I know that I am on the side with abundant computer access. I have had a computer with internet access in my home since I was very young. I do find that it is easier to use some software, like Microsoft Office, by staying at one of our school's computer labs, but overall I have never struggled to stay connected. In my future classroom I plan to be aware of the divide and to address the needs of all of my students. I will adjust lesson plans to give students time in class to work on any computer-based assignments. I will avoid giving homework that may cause some students to put at a disadvantage. Computers are becoming more and more ubiquitous, but there will always be some students that don't have the same resources at home. I will also push for school budgets to address the computer and technology needs of my classroom.

The main skill that I learned during the PowerPoint for Information Dissemination assignment was the voice-over capability. I have used PowerPoint for many school assignments in the past, but I had never created a complete presentation with the narration included. I also used the SmartArt function for the first time. These tools help make the presentation more interesting and efficient. The complete show with audio included allows teachers and students to post and share the presentation online. I plan to use the new PowerPoint skills to post notes and reviews for my students on class webpages.