An interesting article from the 8/26/2010 NY Times worth reading, reflecting and considering…
YOUR BRAIN ON COMPUTERS: Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime
Time without digital input can allow people to learn better or come up with new ideas.
I’ve made a new committment…I’ve bought a smartphone. Mind you I’m also an iTouch and iPad carrier too. However, I’m a Verizon subscriber and for now, I’m staying with that carrier. Thus, I recently took advantage of an upgrade with my contract and chose the LG Ally and I am impressed.
As a smartphone, the Ally has many of the same features as many such as a touchscreen interface with a slider keyboard, access to the Droid operating system of Apps, a nice camera a video recorder, and a 4 gb removable memory card. But what I find impressive is the speech recognition quality. Without even training my voice, this phone was able to understand my commands for a Google web search, a text message and a map destination. For me that is a wonderful design and saves my normal sized hands and fingers from trying to adapt a keyboarding style to a minature keyboard….let alone trying to thumb type! I also like the fact that this phone has raised keys on the keyboard so they serve as good tactile orientation points for anyone needing that assistance. Hats off to LG — life is good!
It is always comforting when a seasoned technology innovator predicts that a technology of 20+ years is still in its infancy. That was the case last night on the 60 minutes show and the discussion from the inventor of the cell phone. I was pleased to hear this inventor discuss the importance of having cellphones that offered features that provided important functions—those that really addressed the needs of the user. In fact, I was amazed to hear that this inventor is also responsible for developing the Jitterbug phone that is such a great tool for those needing simplicity in their lives. Listen to this broadcast and especially what his predictions are for the future. Sounds alot like good principles of universal design to me 
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6512514n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel
I’ve been recruited! Having just sat through an hour long APPLE demonstration on the iPad, I can now say that I am converted. I want to get my hands on one of these very slick mobile devices. Not only is this electronic device the size of a small book, the thickness of a 1/2 inch pad of paper and weighing just 1.5 lbs but, this tool has an amazing array of features and apps.
For instance, the iPad has the same adjustable view that alternates on a turn between portrait or landscape. Using the keyboard is simpler in the landscape view that allows a wider keyboard reach for accessing keys. Direct link to the YouTube selection or a downloadable NetFlix app provides seamless access to movie views. The device also packs with a case that doubles as a stand. Thus, the iPad can become a display for sharing photos, a stand to watch a movie or perhaps a stand to hold the iPad that has been set as my alarm clock
In addition, Apple has loaded this tool with a set of Accessibility features and functionality. The ability to have voice-over capability to listen to the words on a page, the ability to enlarge the view with the touch of a finger, and the ability to have the pages automatically turned. Words within text can also be explored with a direct link to an embedded dictionary. Great tools to support reading. I just wish they would lift these tools up into the main part of the device instead of subsumed under “Accessibility”. Functions such as these are universally appealing to all learners — not just those needing access for a special need!
This is exciting to see, a resource area dedicated to eReaders in the Educause ELI (Learning Initiative) web space. These tools were cited by the Horizons Reports for 2010 as a technology on the horizon. For those of us who work with individuals who have diverse learning abilities, eReaders offer much more than just a place to browse and electronic book. If browsed with the right tool, these devices can provide places for embedding notes, highlighting text, enlarging the view or even speaking the text aloud. For more information, consider reading this resource on eReaders at http://www.educause.edu/Resources/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutERead/200539
This was recently announced, “Google is trying to make YouTube a more accessible service to viewers who are hearing-impaired. On Thursday, 3/4/2010 it announced that it’s turning on its auto-captioning technology to all users–a move it hopes will make videos both easier to watch and find in its search engine. Video providers are now able to apply for machine transcription on their own videos. And for videos that have not yet been transcribed, a user can request it themselves. YouTube then puts it in a transcription queue, which can take anywhere from an hour to a day–a time Google is trying to make as fast as possible.”
Now that’s thinking universal design!!
This is pretty exciting, http://www.apple.com/ipad/ipad-video/#medium. I’ve been following tablet computers since they debuted, watched the first ebook evolve and purchased an iTouch last year. Since I love to photograph, carrying my photos on these types of devices is a treat…to review, to share, to enjoy. I download many applications (apps) that have educational value, assistive technology functions, or are just plain fun.
What I like about this new device is the technology embedded within this sized device that helps an individual read a digital book, watch a video, or view a photo. Equally, if I browse a website that includes technologies that provide further enhancements to the reading experience–such as color highlights, background color changes, or sound–then, I truly have a useful technology that can support so many learners. This seems to far surpass the current ebook readers that are only available in black/white displays. I look forward to a chance to review these more closely!
At the EDUCAUSE ELI 2010 conference in Austin, TX this week, the folks at New Media Consortium shared some interesting trends from their recently released 2010 Horizon Report. As noted in their projected trends, notice some of the following across anticipated years until adoption:
One year of less: Mobile computing and Open Content. For many of us this is no surprise. Mobiles are everywhere and these authors confirm that these include cellphones, netbooks, smartbooks and other devices that offer the “form and function” of many laptops/desktops. So, we are on the go and we have access everywhere. Sounds like this will be fueled by the continued growth of wifi access and multiple applications that run on these tools. Access to Open Content is also be an encouraging trend that supports what many educators have been doing by exploiting the power of widely available tools on the web. As these authors contend, “the notion of open content is to take advantage of the Internet as a global dissemination platform for collective knowledge and wisdom, and to design learning experiences that maximize the use of it”.
Two – Three Years: Electronic Books and Simple Augmented Reality. This is another exciting trend. The growth of e-books has been amazing and, as such, often seems to include new functions and tools. Several upcoming announcements from major technology players indicates that we may finally see more functions in these tools such as color highlighting and background screens, enhanced multimedia functions, faster processing and even the ability to create material. Wider access to digital books will also be available. The second trend here, simple augmented reality, offers (in my opinion) a promising opportunity for educators. As these authors note, this has been popular in many game based websites. But the opportunity here to maximize a virtual environment to teach a task, share an experience, or extend an opportunity are amazing. This will be important for those with disabilities that are confined by limits in their mobility.
Three – Four Years: Gesture-Based Computing and Visual Data Analysis. For those of us who use data in our work, the latter of these will be quite helpful…offering opportunities to explore and share information through visual means. However, the trend in gesture-based computing supports so many opportunities for the future. Here we see the continued expansion of all those “cool” functions that make computing quick and “to the touch”. Think about how convenient access is on your iTouch with the touch of your finger. This close responsiveness to the computer by human touch or gesture interaction will continue to evolve in many applications. Again these authors note, “The distance between the user and the machine decreases and the sense of power and control increases when the machine responds to movements that feel natural.” I see these developments as extremely empowering for many individuals who have lost their physical capabilities or range of motion.
These are exciting times for realizing the power of technology in teaching and learning.
This is one of my new favorite education websites. When I think about universal design for learning (UDL), I think of a framework for education. A way that we consider the environment, the tools we use, the technologies we embed, and the experiences we craft so that all learners can learn. Among the selections at this website, I think these videos provide great examples and carry the true “spirit” of the UDL message quite well.
http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-albano-berberi-video
This seems like a good day to look at what the “experts” seem to be predicting as we forge ahead in this new 2010 year…
Technology Trends in K-12
http://thejournal.com/Articles/2009/12/10/5-K12-Technology-Trends-for-2010.aspx
Top Trends in Gadgets from Popular Mechanics
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4340454.html
Top Technology Trends for Homes
http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/01/22/top-10-must-have-technology-trends-for-homes/
