For our first official weekly assignment, we had two options. Either source out a new, previously unposted market or trend in the world of educational technology, or critique a preexisting post. To read the full instructions, click here.
We all know that as soon as you buy the latest iPhone, that within the year, the next iPhone will be one the market. Technology evolves and advances so quickly that following trends, can be very time consuming and never-ending!
For my contribution this week, I chose to source out a trend that had yet to be posted. Truth be told, I have almost no background knowledge on any emerging trends and markets in EdTechLand! Before I could even begin this assignment, I had to spend a few hours just sourcing out a trending market both, relevant to 2018 and one that I could connect with professionally. This is what led me to Adaptive Learning (AL).
In our first week, “Adaptive Software” was presented to us as an emerging market, yet I did not quite clue in to its relevance to my practice. Armed with a multitude of clues, I added the following comment to the AS post:
Now that I have immersed myself with the topic of “Adaptive Learning (AL)” this week, I now realize that it falls under the umbrella of “Adaptive Software”. When I initially read the Adaptive Software post, I most definitely did not appreciate its enormity and relevance to the future of education. I have always LOVED crafting and delivery lessons and so the thought of being a fulltime, “guide on the side” has never sat well with me. Knowing the affordances of AL, and knowing the adaptability of the software, has completely won me over, however. I can still put my own spins on the lessons; I can still help students with the material; my expertise is still needed, in order for students to fully thrive. My new vision is to offer one AL-pathway for those students who are interested in a new approach. Students who have traditionally experienced math-anxiety, and for some, math-trauma, could possibly experience an entirely new set of emotions, in their math classroom. This truly excites me!!!!
Having completed my analysis of AL, I have also tried to make contact with McGraw Hill Canada. I am very interested in piloting an AL environment for a group of adventurous math students at my high school. McGraw Hill’s software can be used on desktops, Chromebooks, and iPads, making the infrastructure a non-issue for me. What I am concerned about, is the cost of the ALEKS software. Anything more than “free”, may be problematic! I am hoping that if I am the first adopter in the region, I may be able to secure a deal. What I do know, with certainty, is that if I don’t make shot, I won’t score a goal…
Wish me luck!