The Future of Educational Technology

     The future of technology in education is only as limited as one's imagination. The possibilities for learners and educators are endless if they are willing to explore and go beyond the traditional practices. While hurdles exists for adoption they can be overcome.  In Adult Learning in the Information Age (Laureate Education, 2011) Dede stated, "...the workplace is dramatically changing because of information and communication technologies" (p. 4). My journey in exploring various emerging technologies in education led me to several tools that I can leverage in my professional practice.  I have selected the following three tools from my classmates to add to my toolkit.

Karma Tycoon - www.karmatycoon.com

     Karma Tycoon is an online strategy game that focuses on solving community issues (such as poverty, homelessness and mental health) through an organization (Purposeful Games, 2007). Kurt W. introduced this game that encourages learners to look at the factors that cause these issues and discover ways to combat and solve them. I selected this game for use in my professional practice because of its unique focus on community and social issues.  I can envision incorporating this into executive leadership courses along with my support of middle management.   Community is important in my organization and I believe key stakeholders could benefit from this activity.

Gamification - www.pewinternet.org/2012/05/18/the-future-of-gamifciation

     Gloria N. shared this site that highlights the top 10 technology trends for 2012 which includes gamification. This resource shares a wealth of information that provides options for further exploration related to this technology.  I selected this technology as it is a great way to keep learners engaged and reinforce key concepts. In my professional practice, it will be used in a variety of my courses especially those that focus on products and operations.  I will also use it for collaboration activities in my leadership courses.  The options are endless in how this technology can support learning.

Digital Citizenship - www.teachinctrl.org/

     Digital citizenship is an important topic that is often forgotten about in this technology age.  As an adult educator, it is critical that we introduce and remind our learners of the importance related to digital citizenship. Natasha N. shared this site that assists educators in facilitating these topics with learners.  I selected this tool because it provides the content in lessons.  These lessons span from communication and collaboration to media literacy (InCtrl, 2016). I will incorporate this tool into my professional practice with my work with managers and coaches. Some of the lessons will be directly included in their curricula while other topics available would be provided as supplemental reading for professional development.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Adult learning in the 
     information age. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Neal, Natasha (2016). Educational technologies. Retrieved 
     from https://nnealblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/08/technologies-related-to-
     digital-citizenship-ethics-and-netiquette/.

Nuckles, Gloria. (2016). Gloria nuckles. Retrieved
     from http://gloriajnuckles.blogspot.com/2016/11/week-2-blog-assignment.html.

Purposeful Games. (2007). Karma Tycoon – About the game. Retrieved
http://purposefulgames.info/post/18006475665/karma-tycoon.

Teach InCtrl. (2016). Teaching digital citizenship. Retrieved 
     from http://www.teachinctrl.org.

Watkins, Kurt. (2016). Re-examining educational technologies. Retrieved  
     from http://kurtwilkinsedtech.blogspot.com.au/.