Emerging Technologies in the Classroom

Second Life-
This is a free online virtual world, developed by Linden Lab, that allows people to create avatars (digital versions of people) and like the name implies, lead a second life. From the look of the game, you are pretty much able to do anything you want. You can shop, create, work, dance, explore, play, learn, and even love! Second Life acts almost like a chat room, but allows the “residents” of Second Life the ability to say and do so much more than what they can through simple text. In some ways, it reminds me of the game “Sims,” but it includes everyone with access to the internet and allows you to communicate on a global level. http://secondlife.com/.
Second Life could be an interesting addition to the classroom environment. Although I don’t think I would personally use it for a standard classroom, it would be a great tool for internet classes or distance degree programs. Students and teachers that were never able to interact before (besides e-mail or digital chats) would be able to interact with digital characters or “avatars.” It would open up a new world of opportunities for those participating in the internet classes. Students could even demonstrate their knowledge through oral presentations! Very cool technology for those students and teachers of online classrooms.
Wireless technology-
Wireless technology emerged with radio devices, and has slowly progressed to greater heights since then. After all, wires are overrated! Over short distances, people can communicate to one another or to other technologies with these devices through radio and/or infrared signals instead of traditional network cabling. This is a technology that is not new, but the recent advances are allowing greater mobility and freedom for its users.
This technology not only applies to phones, radios, and now computers, but it is being applied to classroom technologies as well. Using a wireless mouse in the classroom gives a teacher the liberty to move about the classroom while presenting information across the room. If I had a classroom of my own, wireless technology would be very useful. It would allow me to accomplish so much more in a day because it would save me time and effort that could be extended to my students instead. Because wireless technology makes daily classroom activities easier, students would be able to focus on gaining knowledge instead of navigating around wires and cables. They might be less tripping accident too! There are many ways that wireless technology can and has benefited the classroom setting.
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wireless/WiFi_Wireless_Networks_and_Technology.htm.
Interactive Smart Board-
The Smart Board is a product of SMART Technologies. The outward appearance of the board looks almost like a regular whiteboard, but this board is very different. Through a unique software, the board acts like a touch-screen, allowing you to control and write on the board just through touch. The components are connected wirelessly (another example of wireless uses in the classroom) and viewed over a projection on the interactive board. Through the touch of a finger or pen tool the Smart Board alters that contact into mouse clicks or “digital ink.” They are available as front, rear, or flat-screen projectors. The boards are covered in “resistant” material that can translate your touches into actions on the home computer.
The Smart Board would be an interesting tool in the classroom and I can see, due to its multipurpose abilities, that it would save a great amount of time in the class and allow teachers to move through lessons seamlessly and allow students to actively participate in a lecture setting. The Board would appeal to hands-on or kinesthetic learners as well as visual and auditory learners.
http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Boards/.