Horizon Report k-12 edition

1. Other Aspects of Technology in Education

1.1. Google classroom is a great new technology for teachers and students. The possibilities are endless. Google classroom is a good infrastructure for teachers to build a 100% interactive lesson plan, activities, projects, and more. Since students are already mostly aware of google and its products, it would be very easy for students to transition to this form of learning and classroom environment.

1.2. EdTech Conferences. Every year, many teachers go to EdTech conferences to keep up with the new innovation and technologies that change. It is always necessary for teachers to keep up with the new developments in schools that change on a yearly basis. Teachers seek workshops and college courses to keep up with new technologies and computer programs that come out. Top 10 Education Technology Conferences to Attend in 2018 - Disruptor Daily

1.3. Electronic Classrooms are highly incorporated in many schools today.

1.4. The National Education Technology Plan or NETP is a document policy created for the United States schools. This is to enforces equity and collaborative leadership making learning anytime, anywhere, a possibility; so everyone has an equal chance to learn in their given situation. HOME - Office of Educational Technology

1.5. Redesigning Learning Spaces has become a trend in schools. Both teachers and students have a better experience with the new technologies used, like virtual reality, and personalized digital classrooms that suits each individuals learning needs. Top 6 Digital Transformation Trends In Education

1.6. Research shows that the achievement gap can be self managed by students. Students can try to reduce the stress of what they are experiencing by meditating, talking to someone like a psychologist, making sure that they have a clear head and a quiet place to focus on their studies. Six strategies to help students manage achievement gap stress

1.7. KidBlog.com. This site gives students and teachers the opportunity to collaborate ideas and projects. Students can share their writings and creations with other students around the world to get other economic and cultural ideas and expand their creativity. This is another tool that could become very useful in the classroom, regardless of what type of classroom environment it currently is. A great opportunity for children to explore their creativity Kidblog – Safe Student Publishing

1.8. Infrastructures and outlets that allow students to learn online still need improvement. Statistics have shown that students have succeeded more in online learning but there is a huge barrier of the them being able to use this technology. Lack of digital literacy, lack of a proper infrastructure, or the lack of leadership on how to incorporate online learning prevents students from being able to benefit from online learning. 7 Telling Statistics About the State of K–12 Online Learning

1.9. Markerspaces for classrooms are a new emerging way of learning hands on experience at the same time as the information on the lessons. This type of learning has a lasting effect on students memory, and will be taken as a permanent life skill once learned. Schools are adapting to this form of learning in even the smallest ways, like making a design come to life with 3D printing. Makerspace for Education

1.10. Robotic teaching in K-12 is very beneficial to students as they advance through school and into the workforce. Robotics and coding is a good way to help student interactively learn and expand their knowledge of technology as it is a big part of the world today. Many schools offer these types of programs today. Grades K-12 Coding, Robotics and STEM | LocoRobo

2. Key Trends in accelerating technology into the classroom.

2.1. Short -Term

2.1.1. Literacy Coding

2.1.1.1. Making it so all the classrooms and student information all connects to one another properly, for effective communication and understand. Students will have overall more access to the information that they need to succeed.

2.1.2. Using STEM Learning

2.1.2.1. Stands for:, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.To build students more creative and innovative skills. To make new connections to these particular learning fields.

2.2. Mid-Term

2.2.1. Redesigning Learning Spaces

2.2.1.1. Continuing to build better digital classrooms and tools to learn, design, communicate, and better keep track of studies. Improve students learning with more student resource places.

2.2.2. Using Digital Tools to Measure Learning

2.2.2.1. New advancing tools online can help students and teachers keep track of where students need help, and what kind of learning methods are best for their students. Students have the chance to improve their own learning by keeping track of their progress.

2.3. Long-Term

2.3.1. Advancing cultures of innovation

2.3.1.1. Engaging students in becoming creative and learning about their environments and different culture. Doing project-based assignments that help students explore their creativity, and design new things.

2.3.2. Deeper Learning Approaches

2.3.2.1. Using approaches like project based learning, and creative problem-solving tools. Using a wide range of digital tools that make it easier and more effective to communicate and learn.

3. Significant Challenges with Emerging Technology

3.1. (Solvable) Authentic Learning Experiences

3.1.1. Schools are trying to incorporate a more memorable learning experience that places them in real-world experiences. Like community-based projects. This will help student to retain the information that they learn for the rest of their life, and give them a wide range of educational and work experiences.

3.2. (Solvable) Improving Digital Literacy

3.2.1. It is not always easy to ensure that students properly know how to use all the digital programs and tools that they are expected or assigned to use. More infrastructures are starting to have digital citizenship class on their learning platforms to help ensure that students understand how to use the digital tools.

3.3. (Difficult) Rethinking the Roles of Teachers

3.3.1. Teachers need to update and maintain their knowledge of the new programs and tools that are being used, but teachers are not able to research and improve on their teaching methods, due to state regulated curriculum. Schools want to overcome this and encourage teachers to learn from each others learning methods, and environment practices.

3.4. (Difficult) Teaching Computational Thinking

3.4.1. Computer Science is still not widely taught and is believed to be an essential part of learning, just as English, or Math is. Research is being done to see if it should be more incorporated into teachers knowledge requirements, and into students curriculum.

3.5. (Wicked) The Achievement Gap

3.5.1. The idea that students varying economic status, race, religion, culture, and environment has an effect on well a student does in school. When a student is experiencing issues due to one of these matters it causes stress, and lack of focus, and thus making them achieve less than they actually can. This includes teacher to student bias, which can lead to a student no receiving the same educational attention as that of others students. Schools promote and implement different programs in an attempt to combat this issue, but there is no definite solution, as racism, bi-ism, and stereo-typing will still exists.

3.6. (Wicked) Sustaining Innovation Through Leadership Changes

3.6.1. The leadership roles within a school are crucial to the students learning environment, and effectiveness of programs, lessons, and education learning approaches. Schools have hired middle-man employees, to assess and improve on teachers effective methods of teaching and being a leader to their students.

4. Important Developments In Education Technology

4.1. Adoption of Technology in One Year or Less

4.1.1. Markerspaces

4.1.1.1. Markerspaces are workplace environments. Classroom environments with hands-on workshops. Students can learn and create all at once with technology like, laser printer, 3D printers, technology to make animation, and other unique tools.

4.1.2. Robotics

4.1.2.1. The use of the emerging workforce technology involving robotic is increasing. As the world continues to advance with autonomic machines for jobs, the demand for human jobs is said that it will likely fall. With students having a better education on coding and robotic then they will have an better chance at evolving along with the demands of these jobs. Robotics will be good for incorporating interactive helpers in the classroom, and a more interactive learning resource.

4.2. Adoption of Technology in Two to Three Years

4.2.1. Analytic Technologies

4.2.1.1. A way to collect information for better research and analysis. This is the same technology that websites like Netflix use to track what you watch, and determine your movie and show preferences. Using this technology to track student performance and activity could be the path to finding better learning methods, and resources for students and teachers.

4.2.2. Virtual Reality

4.2.2.1. Virtual Reality gives students the opportunity to put their lessons into actions. Students can get a first hand experience on whatever lesson or activity that they are doing. This creates a more memorable learning experience, in which the student is more likely to learn a lifelong skill. Virtual reality has proved to be a successful learning method in medical careers and in the military.

4.3. Adoption of Technology in Four to Five Years

4.3.1. Artificial Intelligence

4.3.1.1. AI can be transformed and expanded into an educational learning resource. With vast amount of data and knowledge student can learn in new creative ways.

4.3.2. The Internet of Things

4.3.2.1. This is to promote infrastructure investments to protect everyday data, and technology systems/platforms. Advancing the internal system of already existing educational platforms would help insure their future.