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What we saw at the Tech-Ed 2007 Conference in California
By: Eric Durrand
Podcasting, distance
learning, and educational web solutions were "all the rage"
in March's Tech-Ed 2007 in Ontario,
California. Tech-Ed is an annual conference featuring the latest
technologies destined to change education in and out of the classroom.
This year, we have seen some fascinating new technologies.
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As educators from all over the country walked
in and out of technology classes, vendors set up the impressive exhibit
hall with over 130 booths and displays. Companies like Podandgo and Tegrity showed
educators how schools can easily create and manage their own
podcasts and videocasts to
supplement classroom experience, while Apple held classes demonstrating
how easy it is to create
podcasts using GarageBand3, an application which is part
of the new iLife. Just record, drag and drop images in the right
place for illustrations, and publish through iTunes. Apple also
revealed iTunes
U, a program in which colleges can manage a complete collection of
course recordings, and make it available online as podcasts for
students or the general public. Universities like Standford, UC Berkley, Harvard, and
The Fuqua School of Business
at Duke, are already using the program, some offering free access
to multiple recorded courses!
Among E-Learning solutions we have seen at the
conference are Desire2Learn and Elluminate -
systems aimed at delivering a classroom-like experience either live or
as a pre-recorded tutorial. These solutions can supplement existing
classes, transmit them over long distances, or allow the school to
reuse and sell classes again and again.
Courseware solutions also had a strong presence,
with RCampus,
Moodle, CampusDocs,
and others - aiming at organizing and delivering course-related
information online. Teachers can manage their curriculum, assignments,
quizzes, grades, paper submittals, and much more over a customized
hosted solution. Administrators can manage the entire calendar of
courses, and track each student's overall progress and achievements.
Ever wondered how to create a truly
interactive classroom experience? Companies like Qwizdom and CVT allow you to combine
a PowerPoint presentation, your own lesson plan, with interactive
student-held remote controls, allowing you to quiz the entire classroom
and keep an accurate tab on everyone's level of understanding.
Last but not least we saw several
not-strictly-technological solutions, like the innovative classroom and
computer lab
desks of VersaTables,
or the specialty laptop and desktop anti-theft devices of AnchorPad.
The world of technology is constantly evolving, and
educators must harness beneficial new technologies in order to better
educate, and better prepare their students for the technological
landscape of tomorrow. Technology leaders such as Apple,
Microsoft, and others are already developing the technologies that will
change the way we teach and learn in the following years. Keeping
abreast of new
technologies is not only important, it's exciting. And the annual Tech-Ed
conference is perhaps the best place to begin.
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