Gartner – Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2012
As a layman I found the Garner Newsroom’s article useful in terms of the overall content and concepts found within, but was surprised at its vagueness at the same time. I guess I went into the article with expectations of specific data and insight, but then realized that we can’t really have a solid grasp on innovations that are still in their infancy. However, the potential for most of the topics discussed got me excited.
As an educator I found the info quite useful, as concepts like ‘cloud computing’, ‘tablets’ and ‘apps’ were all discussed. As a tech enthusiast and the K-6 tech coordinator at my school I also found the more obscure topics interesting and informative and a talking point in meetings this week. For the latter reason, I will keep my eye on growing trends in ET more often, but not specifically the Gartner reports.
Kent
Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Peggy Lawson 8:12 pm on September 14, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I too find the Gartner reports quite vague, but I assume their purpose is just to give a very quick overview and description of potentially key innovations. I like the word they used – “disruptive”. For leadership positions in education, and the technical departments that support them, being aware of technologies that are likely to have major impacts can be vital. We might tend to agree that education moves slowly in many ways – but by having some forewarning and knowledge of what may eventually infiltrate schools should be an essential part of a smart educational sytem-level plan, as laying the necessary foundations for such systems is essential – it is often necessary to begin selling the key stakeholders (especially those holding the financial purse), as it may take considerable time and money to provide the necessary technological and pedagical foundations.
Just a thought, but I perhaps one of the reasons education is often so slow to adapt is the paucity of visionaries who can sell these ideas to the necessary stakeholders far enough in advance. Without that lead time, by the time the technologies become mainstream, especially in these times, providing the necessary foundations to support is too late and too costly.
Peggy
Pat A Son 12:40 am on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Kent,
I believe the article was written for the layman and as such is present in the genre a news paper article and therefore it does not have the detail of an academic paper. Once that is taken into account it can be a useful document for educators and venturers. The educator may have to exert some effort to determine which is applicable to education.
Patason