Tech Trends

Top Tech Trends for 2009,  A Mom’s Perspective…

By  Barry Myers

→ The overall impact of the economic crisis on the tech industry is itself a hot topic among tech fans these days. Since there are no industries that can completely avoid the downturn, you can be sure that the consumer tech category is feeling the pinch too. This is especially true when you consider that the profit margins in this highly competitive sector are already razor thin.

That said, there is a theory that the consumer tech industry may be hurt less in a recession because, as consumers shy away from expensive vacations, home renovations, or new automobiles, they may opt to spend on more affordable products that bring enjoyment and entertainment on a daily basis, like a new TV, entertainment center or desktop computer.  In this story, we are going to review some of the trends for the major consumer tech categories over the next few months and see what we might be able to get for our hard-earned dollars. Let’s begin by taking a look at what’s in store for the TV…  For more about this story visit: http://www.theonlinemom.com/secondary.asp?id=277

  

Techie Professional Development for 2008
  – By eNews Editors

It’s easy for today’s educator to feel overwhelmed–in a complex and ever-changing educational environment, teachers are often expected to complete more in one day than they have time for in an entire week. They must, for instance, reach increasingly diverse student bodies, meet standards and assessments, integrate technology into the classroom, and meet certification requirements. Luckily, with a new crop of online professional development opportunities, flexibility and convenience are becoming more than just a teacher ’s dream. With a reliable computer and internet access, teachers can access information and training to directly enhance their students’ learning–while gaining professional recognition!

Courses often relate directly to curriculum and classroom activities, allowing teachers to design useable projects or lesson plans that align with NCLB. Furthermore, many courses highlight the integration of technology in the classroom, as well as offer tools to support the tailored delivery of instruction to learners with unique needs. And many online professional development programs offer teachers the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas and strategies with other teachers in an online “community,” with trained facilitators guiding discussions and providing feedback. With the generous support of PBS TeacherLine, we’ve assembled a collection of stories from the eSchool News archives–along with some additional resources–to help you explore the promising world of online professional development.  ↓

For more info about this story visit: http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/reports/professionaldevelopment/

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 Six Ed-Trends to Watch for 2007 

By Gregg W. Downey 

One trend to consider “The leveling power of the World Wide Web“

Call it community-generated content, social networking, or–if you’re a young technology company pitching yourself to venture capitalists–Web 2.0. Whatever you call it, it’s the trend toward end-users, consumers, teachers, and students creating content for themselves and their peers. This self-generated content can be delivered in writing, in audio files, or in video clips.

No longer need you be a major motion picture studio to create a box-office smash. You don’t need a radio station to be a popular disc jockey. You don’t need a television network to create a video that can be seen literally by millions. Why, you don’t even need a rich daddy anymore to become an overnight billionaire–or close to it.

Here’s a $1.6 billion case in point: The three young men who founded YouTube.

YouTube http://www.youtube.com/, of course, is the internet site that allows anyone to watch or post videos, everything from stupid pet tricks to the president’s State of the Union address. In February 2005, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim–YouTube’s founding trio–threw a dinner party here in San Francisco. They spent most of the evening shooting digital videos and photos of themselves. Next day, they wanted to post these to the internet. Well, posting the digital photos was no problem, but the three young men discovered it was nearly impossible to post their party videos.

Being resourceful lads and computer geeks, they had the problem whipped by the spring of last year. They created a site that let average computer-using videographers post their work without having to download special software. And so it was that the first 18-second YouTube video went up on the internet on April 23, 2005. The video shows Karim standing with elephants at the zoo. “The cool thing about these guys,” intones the young narrator, referring to the elephants, “is that they have really, really, really long trunks. And that’s cool. And that’s pretty much all.”

To read the full story a free subscription is needed from eSchool. Visit ↓

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6781