Trend Impact

Select the trend that will make the most impact on digital learning over the next five years and discuss in your respective blog.

I think the Interactive Whiteboard and possibly Gamification have the most impact in LMS for the future.  The Interactive Whiteboard is already growing, and there are a number of APPS that help with the Whiteboard.  And, the whiteboard is a staple in the face-to-face classroom.  The beauty if the Interactive Whiteboard is that you can teach concepts and demonstrate them in real time from the comfort of your home.  And, when a teacher uses the Interactive Whiteboard, that video will automatically turn into a YouTube video for downloading at a later time.

Gamification is not new, but it is a technique highly recommended for the gifted learner.  The problem with gamification---and the Interactive Whiteboard---is training.  Teachers must have the know-how of what games could extend learning of the specific concepts, and there has to be computers and laptops or iPads that will support Gamification.  Many games require Flash or Java; the iPad requires specific APPS in order to use these.  

Public Education, unfortunately, lacks the people with the skills to teach these concepts to teachers.  And, public schools lack the resources to support these trends.  The general public may be unaware of all the limitations.  These technological ideas are novel and can be a tremendous help in the teaching and learning process, but educational leaders just lack the basic knowledge to teach, share, demonstrate, and explore these options.  I am Google Apps Certified, but I got that certification on my own with my own internal drive.  Many teachers simply don't have that drive, and schools won't pay teachers the money they deserve to inspire to learn the material.  Schools want to do more with less, and it just doesn't really inspire teachers to go "over and beyond" the basics.  Technology requires quite a bit of investment and time, and schools tend not to offer either, especially in the public sector!  This is why the digital divide is still massive.