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National Education Technology Plan
In 2010 the U.S Department of Education released the National Education Technology Plan (NETP). "This called for a revoluntionary transformation of the education system through the use of technology."
The main goals of the NETP included setting clear outcomes, collaborating to redesign, creating standards and learning objectives, and investing in technological innovations. -
Ipads
Ipads were released in April 2010. This provided a different way to access necessary applications. After its release Ipads started to become integrated into classroom environments as an alternative to computers. -
Personal Learning Environments
"In 2011, the Horizon Report listed Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) as one of six emerging technologies that could have a significant impact on global education. PLEs were considered a promising pedagogical approach for integrating formal and informal learning, and for supporting self-regulated learning in higher education" (GMU, 2010). Timetoast -
Mobile Learning Apps
Applications like "Udemy" allowed students to take classes with other iPad users and save lectures on their devices. This allowed users to learn on the go, and readily access and save information. {https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/17812/12-education-tech-trends-to-watch-in-2012} -
Google Drive
Google Drive came out in 2013 and allowed students to collaborate on assignments. Students were able to create shared documents and work on the go. -
Open Textbooks
Provided students with a way to access textbook information digitally. Textbooks were either free or low-cost which made them more accessible to students. -
Google Classroom
Helped teachers with classroom management, organization, and engagement. Students and teachers could access due dates and assignments through this application. -
Investment in Educational Technology
"Investment in education technology reached a new high in 2015, with $2.5 billion in deals in the first half of the year" (ICEF, 2015). After people realized the benefits of technology in the classroom, investments went up in order to support more students and educators. {https://monitor.icef.com/2015/08/investments-in-education-technology-reaching-new-highs-in-2015/#:~:text=First%2C%20investment%20in%20education%20technology,the%20first%20half%20of%202014.} -
Flip Grid
This platform allowed students and teachers to have "video discussions". Students could submit videos in response to each other virtually. -
Virtual Standardized Testing
Many schools decided to let students take standardized testing on computers rather than by using paper exams. This could make the grading process more efficient to accommodate for the larger amount of students. {https://www.edweek.org/technology/technology-in-education-an-overview/2016/02#:~:text=Led%20by%20the%20federal%20government,market%20for%20hardware%20and%20software.} -
Gamification
"It supports teaching and learning interestingly and enjoyably through the incorporation of game elements, such as points, levels, badges, and leaderboards. When a gamified class is well-designed, the learners undergo a playful experience that is reinforced with learning opportunities and unprompted feedback that helps them seamlessly improve their knowledge"(Bouchrika et al., 2019). -
Augmented Reality
Provided students with a new way to see and process information. AR allowed students to visualize topics like anatomy, physics, and the solar system. -
Artificial Intelligence
"Companies like Content Technologies Inc (CTI) used their machine learning algorithms to create customized study guides for almost any textbook. CTI’s study guides come with interactive practice questions, in-text links to terms for further reading, and a digital bookshelf"(Jarman, 2019). -
Distance Learning
The usage of applications like Zoom allowed students to attend class while "socially distancing" during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were able to share their screens on this app which allowed them to do virtual presentations. Teachers also shared screens to share videos, lectures, assignment information, etc.