More dynamic, more engaging. This is exactly how the learning environment of a classroom with interactive whiteboards have been described by Jason Del Ray in his article, “Despite Budget Cuts, Schools Upgrade Classroom Technology.” Technology is being a proven more effective at getting students engaged and ultimately students learning better all over the country. In fact, Del Ray states that the sales of interactive white boards jumped 48% from the year 2008 to 2009. Even more interesting is the fact that funding for technology is going up despite the effects of the recession and the budget cuts for education that span all across the country. How is this possible? Well, the effectiveness of using technology in the classroom has made it easier to justify the need for funds.

Anne Marie Shaker, speaking about the Spokane Public School System in her article “An Apple for Your Teacher,” talks about how even though they have made budget cuts “in everything from teaching staff to school supplies,” they still managed to double the budget for getting technology in the classrooms and training the teachers to use it. And this is a common occurrence among America’s school systems. But unlike many other not so great financial moves in the past, these decisions are based off of proven performance and a desire to raise the quality of our education system and by extension, the quality of our children and nation. And how can anyone put a price on that? But because there is a price tag we do have to look at how it would be possible to implement more technology in an economy with a decreasing budget.

We start first with the reallocation of funds already there. Both Shaker’s and Del Ray’s articles mention lay offs and budget cuts to other departments within the education system. Next, as mentioned in Del Ray’s article, there has been stimulus funding allocation to some systems that are specifically for putting technology in classrooms. finally, as mentioned in Erik Willey’s “The Future of Interactive Technology in the Classroom,” we can look forward to the law of supply and demand. As classroom technology becomes more popular, more companies will produce it and that will drive down the cost naturally. And no more naturally than progression itself.
The advancement of technology has always been a major player in the condition of the human race. And similarly, it has always been fought against. But from the English longbow to the cotton gin, those that have embraced it have always come out on top and adjusting our budgets to embrace technology in the classroom is obviously the next way to stay ahead of the game.

I was never a fan of the pasty fingers and the annoying white marks that chalk left behind, but I am shocked to hear that many students have not gotten to experience those nuisances . Chalkboards have been replaced with the more convenient whiteboards and markers, and I must say that I prefer the pungent odor of an Expo marker over the choking chalk dust.  I find, however, that the new generation is slowly replacing whiteboards and taking the idea of convenience even further. Enter the world of Interactive whiteboards.

After walking into a 4th grade class and noticing a smart-board sitting in the corner where the whiteboard should be, I automatically became nervous. How exactly was I supposed to teach on it if I had no idea how to use it? So I sat and began to think of other ways to teach. Maybe a group game or a worksheet would be a better choice so I do not look like a fool. To my surprise, however, my eyes were glued to the board and the teacher using its amazing technology. She quickly pulled up worksheets, writing space, and pictures for examples to captivate the students. Frankly, I became mesmerized with her lesson as well. I was amazed by the things this one board could accomplish. It can be used as both a plain whiteboard and as a large computer screen as well—a combination that maximizes convenience.

Witnessing the smart-board at work sparked my research to find what exactly these machines were capable of doing. I found lists of lesson plans and ideas that these boards offer as well as videos of teachers willingly teaching how to use them. This board also allows teachers to recall pages after they have been deleted. This can help avoid having to rewrite notes to satisfy those students who may not have been paying attention. Though these machines are extremely expensive, some teachers are willing to do anything to get these interactive boards in their classrooms. According to my research, although these smart-boards come with a high price, both teachers and students benefit from the endless possibilities of the interactive whiteboard.

In this digital world, opportunities for education are available like never before. Though teachers using online tools are empowering students take part in their education, they may also expose them to inappropriate material, sexual predators, and bullying and harassment by peers.http://courses.wcupa.edu/fletcher/english121/projects/10b/jessy.htmhttp://awaitingtenure.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/classroom-technology-as-an-expensive-distraction/

Teachers who are not careful with their use of the sites can fall into inappropriate relationships with students or publicize photos and information they believed were kept private. For these reasons, critics are calling for regulation and for removing social networking from classrooms — despite the positive affects they have on students and the essential tools they provide for education in today’s digital climate.http://nyteachers.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/technology-in-the-classroom-too-much-of-a-good-thing-by-bonnie-thone-boylan/http://iwebuniversity.com/articles/negative-effects-of-using-technology-in-todays-classroom/

The positive effects of social networking sites in education are profound. According to a study on student use of social media, students who are already engaging in social networking could benefit from incorporating it into curriculum. Christine Greenhow, who was the principal investigator in a study, elaborated on the impact social networking could have on education.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128092341.htm

Some naysayers protest that blogging is difficult, far too difficult for our precious little snowflakes. I disagree, and so does site. Blogging is a great way to introduce students to productive ways to harness the power and vast amount of information available on the Internet, while still satisfying their tech cravings. By ridding the classroom of traditional paper journals and introducing electronic versions instead, we can encourage our students to go back and edit and revise their posts multiple times, as well as share their writings with friends and family simply with the click of a mouse. Parents can be given access to the class blog in order to follow their child’s improvement in writing, and other students can be encouraged to respond. study shows that students enjoy commenting on their peer’s posts. These open-ended posts and discussions encourage students to think beyond the assignment, all while “publishing” content suitable for an educational environment.

Blogging provides students with practice in using technology in an educational setting, and helps create a clear divide between what is appropriate to post to a classroom and what to post on a private page. Although I have been discussing blogging in the context of English classrooms, blogging can be utilized across a variety of content areas. This(3) study shows how successful blogging was when incorporated into a math and science classroom. This means that blogging can essentially bridge the gap between subject areas, which is something teachers often struggle with.

Amongst the rise in technological aide in the academic field, almost all teachers prohibit students from using the Wikipedia site in academic writing. Some teachers allow, or even recommend, that students use Wikipedia as a launching point for a project, but almost nobody allows Wikipedia to be used as a source. The obvious arguments against using Wikipedia academically come from the fact that nearly any user on the internet has access to editing the Wikipedia articles which are not locked. This format leads to an extensive collection of over 20 million articles in over 200 different languages, and with the comprehensive editing process most articles This means that many users will find accurate information in general, but there is the chance that inaccurate information could taint the student’s project.

While reliability is the issue for Wikipedia’s credibility, there are many ways in which Wikipedia strives to maintain a certain amount of credibility and accuracy. As one article points out, ““Our Love Afair with Wikipedia”” a lot of people have been using Wikipedia and it has become accepted as a quick and easy source of information because a lot of people trust its system of corrections and collaborative work. Even when Wikipedia has been wrong, many people focus on the fact that it is still more accurate than many other sources, as this article, ““Wikipedia Mistake”” argues that a writer for Yahoo news found Wikipedia more reliable than the Internet Movie Database.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that the authors of the Wikipedia articles generally do not have degrees in the field they are writing about. One article, ““Trust Me! Wikipedia’s Credibility Among College Students.”” argues that the people who edit Wikipedia do it for “social status”. Regardless of any extensive editing system, it still requires knowledgeable experts to do the editing, and Wikipedia offers no guarantee of this.

Sometimes the technology resources that foreign language teachers have at their disposal seem a lot like magic, capable of transforming teaching and curriculum in ways that would have been unimaginable even a decade ago. But what we need to understand is, technology is just a tool. And in order for a skilled teacher to accomplish an important learning purpose, he/she matches the tool to the task. At the same time as we consider our own uses of technology, we need to focus on the students and their need to use technology effectively. Technology, especially the Internet, can provide access to authentic sources of language that are unavailable any other way. When we integrate technology into a world language curriculum, we are supporting our students in the development of two essential tools for lifelong learning: skill in the use of another language and the ability to recognize and practice effective use of technological tools.

Because students are generally technology –literate, they have become accustomed to using computers, videos and other technology as a means of acquiring information. In addition, with classroom technology, we are able to relate the curriculum to life outside the classroom. Doing so motivates students to learn, as the information is presented in a more user friendly manner. Within World Language classes, technology adds many dimensions of language learning, particularly with the use of multimedia programs. According to Computer Assisted Language Learning ,  language learning in virtual worldsallows the student to easily understand and communicate through audio, video and print(Integrating Technology in the Foreign Language Classroom) in a foreign language, especially when it is presented to them in conversation or typical actions associated with the learning module. Also, technology helps to make the study of foreign languages practical and significant in students’ lives. As a result, when students communicate readily through email with children in a foreign country, it is unlikely that the student uses excuses such as not being able to use the language outside of the classroom in an attempt to escape practicing.

Technology in World Language provides authentic aspects of culture, by demonstrating first hand, what a culture consists of through the use of the Internet and other learning databases. “With the use of translating, spelling and syllable tools we are given up to date cultural links from our society to theirs”. (Instructional Technologies in the Foreign Language Classroom)  It not only helps the students but gives the teachers a better form of instruction, and learning methods. Technology also gives the teacher a chance to observe students’ reactions and performance. As a result, technology creates a much more productive learning environment for the both the student and teacher and results in much more extensive teaching methods relative to students needs and interests. Overall the use of new age technology within classrooms is an era of advancement when used appropriately and proportionately for the school systems of the new generation.

We hear old tales of destruction of the human cells that lead to cancer due to radiation emitting from harmful but useful devices such as the microwave, television and the computer. Moreover, in the age of the smart phone, there have been many concerns of the effect that these newer phones have on the brain due to radiation emission. Compared with older digital models, with no email or internet, the ‘smart’ phones have a larger amount of radiation emissions while receiving or sending a call and even when not in use. There have been concerns from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) on protecting consumers from suspected harm (EWG) “Cellphone Radiation”.

According to the EWG, about four billion people around the goal have cell phones (EWG). In recent studies show that significantly higher risks for brain and salivary gland tumors for persons who have been using cell phones for more than ten years “Do cellphones Cause Brain Cancer?” With about 1000 cell phones on the market today, some have increasingly higher emissions than others. The U.S. government tests each handset and uses a rating system, known as Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), to determine how much radiation the body is absorbing. The highest value of radiation is 1.6 W/K.G and phones that have radiation emissions over this amount cannot be sold in the U.S. I have the G2 HTC smart phone which has about 0.59 W/kg, which is below average. Scientists still are not sure that the SAR system is too high or too low for the widespread constant use of cell phones have not been projected to this much usage.

It will take decades for data and tests to be analyzed to obtain a more accurate reading of the effects of cell phone usage. The conclusion is currently inconclusive, where many believe that cell phones do cause damage and others do not. There are devices such as headsets, Bluetooth, adapters, blockers, pouches, headbands and even gloves that can reduce the amount of emissions Blocker Devices. Obviously, cell phones are important and necessary in this day and age; however we have to take into consideration the effects it has on the human brain and produce solutions to protect ourselves.  With young teenage girls blabbering on the phones for hours on end and business personnel keeping track of meetings to using the internet, cell phones have many widespread uses. Cell phones seem to be emitting small amounts of radiation; however with the frequent use there might be some complications. Along with other devices that emit radiation like the microwave, t.v. and laptops, a frequent combination of these devices might cause harm. We may not know definitely the harm of radiation from these devices until decades ahead, but we should not wait to see the effects as cancer is rising to the third deadliest disease in the U.S.