THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
BLAKE WILLIFORD
THE PROBLEM
 The United States is falling behind other countries in
education, especially in math and science
THE PROBLEM
 Kids go home to video games, TV, etc. but education
is largely the same as it was 100 years ago. Teachers
are losing control of kids and having a hard time
keeping them engaged
 The country is becoming more bilingual
 Correlation between economic productivity and
education is undeniable
 Throwing more money at it has not solved the
problem
National graduation rates and achievement scores are flat, while spending
on education has increased more than 100 percent since 1971. More
money hasn't helped American kids.
WHAT DO WE DO?
What America does best:
INNOVATION
MY GOAL
 To create a device that every student can use for reading
textbooks in eBook form, taking notes, learning new
material, and general classroom interactivity and
engagement.
 Target demographic: High school students - There is too
much potential wasted at this age and we cannot afford it
any longer.
SURVEY FOR HIGH SCHOOL
TEACHERS
 It starts with the teachers
 I created a survey for high school teachers to:
 Gage what technology is being used currently in public
schools and how capable teachers are of using it
 Assimilate opinions on eBooks replacing textbooks, the use
of mobile devices in the classroom, etc.
 See if there was a correlation between age and willingness
for technology integration
SURVEY RESULTS
• 17 teachers from Monroe High School in Monroe, GA in a
wide variety of subjects
• Ages 22-60 (Average age 40)
WHAT TECHNOLOGY IS CURRENTLY BEING USED
IN YOUR CLASSROOM?
Also: eReader, software for TI-84 SmartView
ARE YOU PROFICIENT AT USING THIS
TECHNOLOGY EFFECTIVELY?
DO YOU THINK DIGITAL EBOOKS REPLACING
TEXTBOOKS WOULD BE A GOOD THING?
DO YOU THINK IPADS AND/OR SIMILAR MOBILE DEVICES FOR
READING EBOOKS OR TAKING ELECTRONIC QUIZZES WOULD
WORK WELL IN YOUR CLASSROOM?
QUALITATIVE DATA
 Integrating all technology across the various platforms software delivery
system would be ideal (ie. Smartboard lessons and CPS Quizzes that link and
download into student gradebook would be timesaving and give instant
student/teacher feedback). I use CPS and examview together, but the
seamlessness in not quite there. Quick item analysis with instant feedback
works well to improve students performance.
- History teacher , Age 52
 I feel like the classes that music classes are amongst the classes that would
benefit the most from an infusion of technology, yet it also seems like
everywhere I go, secondary music education has a projector and that is it.
Music today is extremely reliant on different software and tools to analyze,
write, or alter music, yet very few schools make this option available to
students.
- Band teacher , Age 22
QUALITATIVE DATA
 We need time to be allowed to develop what we have. Teachers need time
to work.
- History teacher , Age 45
 I am all for integrating new technology in my classroom. However, when we
are trying to integrate new technology with much older technology...it
sometimes leads to more problems than it's worth.
- History teacher , Age 27
 If we really utilize the e readers, I want programs that make it easy to
access particular pages or chapters. Not all are easy. I want built in
dictionaries and easily accessed reference materials that pertain to the
reading. I haven't had time to really delve into all school-related programs
on ereaders. I use the Read 180 software program for remediation and love
the whole concept of computer instruction.
- English teacher, “60 years young”
QUALITATIVE DATA
 Integrating technology should not take precedence over class sizes when
budgets are created.
- Math teacher
 Frequently or extensively used electronic practice and testing software usually
has limited problem banks and students find a way to cheat/pass with almost
no content comprehension. Access along with security would be major issues.
How accessible would this be to all students?
- Math teacher , Age 39
 Administrators have very strict policy about the use of technology--no cell
phones, texting, mp3 players, etc. It would be helpful to have parameters in
place so the students will be engaged in learning and the administrators
embrace use of technology and how it has made a huge impact. It is just the
beginning of a new classroom. Incorporating the newest video gaming systems
(Kinect, Wii, etc.) into the classroom would really be great as well!
- Math teacher, Age 34
SECONDARY SURVEY FOR COLLEGE
STUDENTS
 College students are a little more tech-savvy and know
what they would want in a educational product.
 I created the survey to:
 See what technology students are currently using in the
classroom (laptops, tablets, etc.)
 See if they regularly take notes with it, and what their
preferences are with taking notes.
 Determine preferences for touch screen keyboard versus
physical keyboard
 Determine an affordable price range for the product
SURVEY RESULTS
• 54 college students (Predominantly Georgia Tech) in a wide
variety of majors.
DO YOU TYPICALLY BRING YOUR LAPTOP OR
OTHER MOBILE DEVICE TO CLASS WITH YOU?
DO YOU TAKE NOTES WITH IT?
DO YOU PREFER TO TYPE ON A TOUCH
SCREEN KEYBOARD OR A PHYSICAL ONE?
WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE NOTES WITH A
STYLUS, TYPE ON A KEYBOARD, OR USE
CONVENTIONAL PEN AND PAPER?
WOULD YOU RATHER READ YOUR TEXTBOOKS AS
EBOOKS ON A MOBILE DEVICE?
IF THERE WAS A LIGHTWEIGHT, COMPACT, DEVICE DESIGNED FOR
READING TEXTBOOKS IN EBOOK FORM, TAKING NOTES, GOING
ONLINE, AND GENERAL CLASS INTERACTIVITY HOW MUCH
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY FOR SUCH A DEVICE?
EXPERT INTERVIEW
Duane Embry
 Director of Instructional Technology, Walton County School
District
 Duane is in charge of technology integration in the
Walton County School system as well as instructing
teachers on how to use this technology
What is your opinion on the iPad being used in numerous schools
throughout the nation right now? What are some pros/cons of
this?
Duane: The iPad is a great beginning. The wide variety of
apps is excellent and the “instant on” ability is nice. Some
drawbacks include the inability to use Flash, and the
cumbersome touch screen typing. Also they are difficult
to manage from IT, we would probably have to install
programs on each device individually. There are
numerous ports missing that would be helpful for
connecting to other devices in the classroom.
Additionally, the price is too expensive for widespread
use.
What features would make a new product more school-focused
and advantageous over existing products such as the iPad (size,
cost, hardware, look/feel, attachments, etc.)
Duane: Having a slide-out keyboard like we discussed
would be great. I mentioned having more ports for
input/output. The size (10 inches) is fine. The device
would just need wi-fi, no need for 4G or anything. The
ability to display Flash and Javascript is a must. A price
range closer to $200 - $300 would be ideal.
What is your view on eBooks replacing textbooks and how would
that process work? How would the eBooks be distributed?
Duane: I think eBooks are a great idea. The back problems
associated with kids hauling around heavy textbooks
would be eliminated. There is the possibility of only
buying say 30 instead of hundreds and having them only
be used in the specific class. Theoretically they would be
cheaper because once they’re made there would not be
any further work actually printing them. I think that
there would probably be some sort of licensing and
students would download them. They would need to
have them on their hard drive so that they could access
the books without an internet connection.
Other topics we discussed
 As part of the public school system we would likely
purchase these products but there would need to be
some kind of insurance policy to prevent the devices from
being lost/stolen/broken.
 There would need to be a relatively intense summer
orientation for teachers to learn the new technology. The
sooner we got it in to their hands to play around with the
better.
 Use in middle school as well would be great so that by
high school students are already proficient at using the
technology.
LITERATURE REVIEW
 Classroom 2000
 Gregory D. Abowd and many others
 Classroom 2000 was a huge research project at Georgia
Tech that focused on capturing the lecture experience.
Often times you can take notes during a lecture but will still
miss a great portion of the experience.
 Implications: This may be something to include in the
product – Possibly a built-in audio recorder for recording
the teacher’s lecture. The integration between
SmartBoards, computers, mobile devices, etc. is a must
LITERATURE REVIEW
 iPads in Education (Website)
 Series of articles on current use of iPads in secondary and
post-secondary education
 Survey results were very positive with many students
adapting to the iPad quickly and easily. Not surprisingly,
many students did not like typing notes on the touch screen
keyboard. Quite a few believed a laptop would be better.
Many students preferred to read textbooks as eBooks on
the iPad after having experienced it.
LITERATURE REVIEW
 The Future of the Web, Intelligent Devices, and Education
 An interesting article that discusses the future of education. One
thing it makes note of is the Plato model of education which
involved 1-on-1 tutoring and complete mastery of a subject
before moving on, no exceptions. In this day of age it is of course
impossible due to the millions that must be taught thousands of
subjects and specialties. It proposes the concept of SMILE
(Software-Managed Instruction, Learning, and Education) and to
get rid of degrees but rather students graduate with a list of
mastered skills.
 Implications: It is today possible to have 1-on-1 virtual tutoring.
I’ve often felt that even in a specialized field such as Industrial
Design, I don’t get enough 1-on-1 time with my professors and
that it prevents me from being some new age DaVinci. Although
this is more of a software issue that I may not be able to tackle, it
is nevertheless an important aspect of the future of education
CONCLUSIONS
 $200 - $300 price range is ideal – The surveys and interview both






supported this. This is half the price of the iPad. The device will not
need to have the computing power the iPad has. There could be
multiple versions of the product with different features such as
“Starter Edition”, “Student Edition”, “Professional Edition”
A slide-out / fold-out keyboard is a must. Nothing can replace the
tactile experience of physical keyboards for large amounts of text.
Incorporating a stylus as well is ideal (if it can be done well)
All the necessary ports for connecting to projectors, smartboards,
desktop computers, calculators, smart phones, etc. should be there.
A 10” screen is fine but a smaller size may be better for battery life,
which is important.
Durability
Palm Branding – I appreciate the organic “stone” branding of Palm in
recent years and will likely incorporate that in to the design of the
product.
WORKS CITED
 “Classroom 2000” Gregory D. Abowd, Georgia Institute of Technology
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/fce/eclass/pubs/index.html
 “iPads in Education”
http://ipadeducators.ning.com/profiles/blogs/what-do-students-think-of
 “iPads in Public Schools” Cathy Davidson, Duke University
http://news.duke.edu/2011/01/ipads.html
 “Unique Ideas for Improving the Public Education System”
http://ipadeducators.ning.com/profiles/blogs/what-do-students-think-of
 “Handhelds in the Classroom”
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech083.shtml
 “Can Mobile Devices Transform Education”
http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-
update/feb11/vol53/num02/Can-Mobile-Devices-TransformEducation%C2%A2.aspx
 “The Future of the Web, Intelligent Devices, and Education”
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume
42/TheFutureoftheWebIntelligentDe/158108