Horizon Report

The Horizon Report was interesting to talk about in class. It brought to my attention on how much technology is being used in today's classrooms. I had no idea about the "bring your own device to school." I remember when I was in school, we were lucky enough if we even received computer time in the computer lab. Teacher's used the blackboard and over-head projectors to teach us, versus now teachers are using smart-boards and also using flipped classrooms. I like the idea of "bring your own device." Each new generation is getting more technologically enhanced, so our schools need to change also. Before reading the Horizon Report, I had no idea what cloud commuting was. Until this past year, my classes really started using cloud commuting. I was lost at first, but after using it more, I learned to really enjoy it. It's a lot easier for teachers as well as students. Teachers are now putting homework assignments, quizzes, discussions, and even their lectures online now for their students to look at. Everything is just right in front of you!
One more topic of discussion I really found interesting in the Horizon Report was games and gamification. Teachers are promoting letting their students play games to go along with their lesson. It is said that gaming is supposed to improve hand-eye coordination, short term memory, attention span, and problem solving and critical thinking skills. Some teachers use the game Minecraft to teach their students math. This would be a good game for teaching geometry with. Overall, reading the Horizon Report definitely brought some attention to my eyes. I'm looking forward to becoming a teacher and being able to use these in my classroom. As I said earlier, technology is changing every day, so it is our job to change with it and promote it to our students.