Red Queen's - DVD's v Streaming Movies

The battle between DVD’s and streaming video seems to have taken off very rapidly within the last couple of years. For a long time, DVD’s (including Blu-Ray) have controlled the market after displacing VHS’s and even with the downfall of rental stores such as Blockbuster, Netflix and Redbox brought a new level of convenience to the home movie watching experience. However, streaming movies have become very popular and has not even threatened the DVD market but the television market as well thanks to Netflix and Hulu+. Due to the rapid development of this battle and how it has highly influenced development, Thornburg (2013) claims that this phenomena can be classified as “Red Queens.” I believe that at the beginning of this battle that would definitely be true, streaming movies was not entirely popular yet 5-8 years ago though pioneers like Hulu and Redox jumped into the market early. As this became more popular, its development soared and now has become a competing way to access movies. In fact, I might say that it is on the cusp of replacing DVD’s thus making it an emerging technology and DVD’s are on the verge of being obsolete. The ability store films in the could or in applications so storage space is no longer needed is a great benefit of streaming as is the absence of movies not playing due to damages to the DVD. Yes, internet access can hamper the watching experience of a streaming movie, but as our world becomes more connected that lack of connectivity will likely diminish. The only real gap I see streaming videos having to close is in high quality films such as Blu-Rays. At the moment I have yet to see a streaming film which can rival that of a Blu-Ray. However, once that gap in quality can be closed, DVD’s may find themselves next to VHS’s and cassettes in the trash. 

References: 

Thornburg, D. (2013). Red queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Google Glass - Emerging Tech

Google Glass:

Google Glass is an incredibly innovative piece of technology which exemplifies the current trend of wearable technology which has arisen of late. Yet in many ways, Google glass represents a disruptive technology since it helped create the growing interest in immersive wearable technology. Prior to Google glass, heads up displays were already being seen in consumer products as evidenced by the number of car companies which have utilized the technology in their vehicles to display dashboard information such as speed and mileage. However, that technology had not truly been brought to a wearable consumer device until Google Glass. For this reason, Google Glass can be considered disruptive technology since there was no market for such innovative consumable wearable technology until Google Glass broke into the scene.Though it hasn’t completely done so, I think it is on the way of replacing bluetooth headsets for phones that are worn on/behind the ear. The hands-free capability of Google Glass and the ability to conduct many tasks equitable to those done on a computer or smartphone makes Google Glass very desirable and keeps the consumer connected without having to use a phone. However, there is also some possible negative social implications such as the concern of a loss of privacy with Google Glass being able to record, without the surrounding people knowing about it since there is no discernible camera. I do not know how long it will be before another technology replaces Google Glass but I do feel Google Glass is just barely emerging and has a lot of growth left before it becomes obsolete.  

The Rhymes of History - Wearable Technology and Health

According to Mark Twain, history doesn't repeat itself but it rhymes a lot (Laureate, 2014). In some ways, this can be reflected in emerging technologies because the existence of that technology can cause historical moments and practices to be rekindled. One such example can be found in the wearable technology (Fitbits and Apple Watch) that is rising in popularity. According to the CDC, over 1/3 of U.S. Adults are obese and there has been a dramatic increase in these rates in the last 20 years ("Facts", 2014). However, wearable technology has reinvigorated a healthy focus and brought back a focus on being in shape and fit which was prevalent in historical times. Yes, jobs were more labor intensive in the past and there was lees technology that automized movement, but historically people were more fit. Wearable technology such as the Fitbit and the new Apple Watch allows the wearer to keep track of his calorie intake and burn levels, and even sleep patterns. Having access to this information will motivate and help users become more mindful of their decisions and how those choices affect elements of their health. Making users more health conscious will help them become more healthy and being more healthy is becoming more popular since wearable devices such as fitbands are expected to make 24 million in sales by 2015 and 45 million by 2017 ("Wearing it Well", 2014).

References:

Facts. (2014, September 03). Retrieved October 08, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/facts.html

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014). David Thornburg: Six forces that drive emerging technologies [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Wearing it well: The healthcare potential of wearable technology. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2014, from http://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/wearing_it_well_the_potential_of_wearable_technology_in_healthcare_589546

Brain-Computer Interfaces

Brain-Computer Interfaces:

Enhances: the processing and comprehension capabilities of acquiring knowledge, understanding, and communication	Obsoletes: The traditional methods of learning Regret and caution (memory manipulation) Travel and Tourism
Rekindles/Reinvigorates : brain research	Reverses: telekinesis telepathic communication

Enhance: Brain-Computer interfaces would completely revamp a number of elements of our daily lives. How one learns and processes information could be faster and not as difficult if it were able to downloaded into the brain. Images could be projected into our brain thus making us think and feel as if we are doing something else, memories could be erased or emotions could be altered. As unbelievable as this sounds, there is already research being done which is making strides towards these concepts being a reality. Memory manipulation, gadgets which allow the user to interact with their smartphone by thought, and give the suer the ability to on/off switches are already being developed (“Computer-Brain Interfaces Making Big Leaps, n.d.). 

Obsoletes: These interfaces could make a number of thins essential in today’s world obsolete. For example, imagine how it would alter the learning process and our idea of education. Classrooms and divisions of the educational day and year would no longer be necessary if one can simply “download” information to their brain to acquire certain types of knowledges or skills. If memories and emotions can be altered then no one would have to worry about making the wrong decision or being hurt since that can simply be removed. Also, if one is able to have images projected into their mind, then vacations and trips can be implanted into the brain of the user thus making tourism as we know it nearly unnecessary. 

Rekindles/Reinvigorates: Though brain research has continued on, this type of development in technology would reinvigorate that research and open new doors relating to the possibility of the human brain. 

Reverses: This technology could pave the way for further evolution brain interaction which might eventually lead to telekinesis and/or telepathic communication. The ability to move objects with one’s minds or to communicate with people through thought instead of voice might be more capable with interfaces that allow the brain to connect with and act like a computer.

References:

Computer-Brain Interfaces Making Big Leaps. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2014, from http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/disruptions-rather-than-time-computers-might-become-panacea-to-hurt/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Emerging Technology: An Introduction

A current technology that has emerged within the last few years that is currently shaping the learning and the productive in my school district is Google Apps for Education (i.e. Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, etc.). As my school district has moved into a 1:1 technology environment with (ipads and Dell tablets) the benefits of Google’s cloud computing and their collaborative features in their products has truly begun to elevate the learning experience in our classes. Google Drive allows teachers and student to not only store files within the cloud thus taking away the purchasing of jump drives (Google Drive is free) but those files and folders can also be shared with one another, decreasing the paper trail often found in traditional classrooms. Another way this technology has elevated the learning experience is the seamless capability of fostering collaboration. Almost every Google App/Tool has the ability to not only share that product with one another, but to also work together in that platform at the same time on different devices. So students are able to write on the same document, work on the same presentation, make calculations from the same spreadsheet, but from their own devices. This has made numerous elements of our classes more collaborative and helps the teacher promote and support group structures and 21st Century Skills.  

Since the technology does require internet access, the lack of that access or schools with low available bandwidth could be a challenge with this technology. Also, the technology has stiff competition from Microsoft Office programs therefore resistance from teachers may arise trying to understand the applications of the program. Though Google Docs can be used as a word processor it has stronger applications as a collaborative learning tool. 

In a world where 21st Century Skills are more and more becoming a focus, the effective use of technology within the learning experience helps support those skills. This technology can also help improve the learning opportunities in the classroom by fostering collaborative work. This technology can also help teachers by allowing them innovative tools for collecting student progress data more easily. With tools like Google Sheets and Google Forms, teachers are able to quickly collect student data by completing these forms and that data can then be used to tailor the learning to the needs of the students at those vital moments. 

Much of the possible pitfalls this technology could face lies in the digital divide. Since much of the programming and features built into Google drive requires an internet connection, those without one will not be able to truly benefit from the features of the technology. Google has already begun to address this issue by creating the ability to work offline on drive documents and have them update when it reconnects.

Link to website with more information on Google Edu: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/

Assessing Collaborative Efforts - MD 3

Collaboration is a vital tool in online learning and distance education, but how to grade collaboration can be a tricky endeavor. For one, students bring a variety of knowledge and experience levels which can effect how one is graded, especially since that grading system must be “fair and equitable.” This can be done by utilizing a rubric so that the expectations of the collaboration is clearly spelled out and a teacher has the information and tools to know exactly what is required within the collaborative activity. Another benefit of collaboration within a distance learning environment is the opportunity for the student to build his/her professional network and extending his/her learning environment. However, what does one do with a student who is not collaborating? If the non-contributing member’s lack of collaboration is negatively affecting the group then one of them should try to contact the member (non-combatively) to discern what is wrong and ensure their hasn't been a form of miscommunication. If that does not work, then the instructor may have to intervene, which may entail removing him from the group or some other form of action so as not to punish the entire group.

Distance Education Diffusion MD 2

In reflecting on three likely elements of DE which is creating a more successful learning experience, collaborative interaction plays a vital role and has evolved greatly. In looking at a traditional classroom the collaborative structure and opportunities play an important role in offering students effective educative experiences. The issue though, pertaining to collaborative interaction as it pertains to DE, has always been the lack of a physical classroom. Yet, thanks to learning management systems such as Blackboard, collaboration within discussion forums have been able to help facilitate learning collaboratively more easily. Other programs such as Skype, a video conferencing program, can also offer methods for collaborative interaction without the necessity of a physical presence in a classroom. Twitter and blogging forums are also great places for a student to build their professional network and constantly interact with fellow students, again emphasizing the benefits and conveniences of distance education.