It takes a human . . .

Grade: 10th
Subject: Science
Year: 2072

As my students and I are walking through the Rain forest we videotape the area with our ring-size cameras, compare plants and water resources on our wearable computers, and write collaboratively our document through the use of wiki. We feel the moisture on our skin, watch the sun begin to set, smell the clear scent of flowers, hear animals around us in the bushes, and taste some of the sweetest fruits.
Then we take our masks off and are back in the classroom.
Virtual reality is just around a corner. As a teacher who enjoys integrating technology into the classroom, I hope that most emerging technologies, like virtual reality, will be available to me before I retire. I believe that our role as a teacher will change to give way for technology to move in more actively, yet as supports. In my opinion, a classroom will always have a teacher and kids will always long for the human contact. Technology can never reach the encouraging potential of a teacher's hand on a child's shoulder, the soft smile in return for a good performance, and the tissues that can wipe away tears. But I also think, that technology will continue to enrich and advance our curriculum. We will move from teaching our kids directly to aiding them in their technology quest. The electronic tools will help us to plan lessons more efficiently, and lessons will be taught through electronic tools. The teacher's role will be to facilitate this process. There is no question that technology will take a strong stance and possibly the upper hand when we teach children academics, but to raise strong, confident, and caring humans it takes a human.

I can only imagine!!

Here is the scenario! You move into a new classroom and have been asked to put together a technology wish list . . .
I would begin with a Smart board. In my opinion Smart boards are the most versatile, engaging, and interactive piece of technology on the current market. In my classroom, the Smart board would be used on a daily basis, creating 'digital lessons.' I would plan the lesson electronically and save it to a storage device, upload interactive software and manipulatives to create engaging, visually and kinesthetic attractive material, and then print out the lesson afterwards, for students to review similar to notes.
My second wish would be a sound system. I would use the 'Necklace microphone' daily for students to be able to hear my voice, helping to eliminate surrounding sounds and distractions, and increasing educational value to all auditory learners. Students would be able to use the regular microphone for presentations, allowing us to hear all presentations clearly. Research has shown that a sound system aides in a classroom serving students with behavioral issues, eliminating distractions and reminding them of the authority of the teacher similar to the voice from 'above."
My third choice would be a video/picture camera. Reinforcements through pictures and movies are a great way to motivate students. I would have students take pictures and video clips of field trips and events, use their photographs to display them in our classroom for positive reinforcements, depict them working on specific subjects to create schedules or demonstrate their participation to parents, and display their footage on websites, in newsletters, or classroom projects.
I can think of several more technological items that would have great value in the classroom, but these three would be my primary choices to address my visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners.