About twenty years ago, students resourced to books as the primary source of information. Education institutions and libraries were intrinsically related and libraries held the majority of the information in society. Libraries were the main source for students of all age groups and academia. However, a shift in the way students seek information is occurring. Nowadays, more students first look for online sites then ever before. The use of online sources has increased substantially in the past few years. Web sites such as youtube.com and google.com are gradually changing the way people learn and teach. Through google.com, anyone can reach any answer at any time. This accessibility makes it possible for the student to rely largely on online learning. The information found on the Internet and used on classrooms is constantly present. A teacher who accesses a new online source called teatchertube.com may find that different ways to teach are emerging. A student who watches youtube.com educational videos or reads academic blogs may discover new ways to gather information and new ways to learn. These actions from both teachers and students created a term described as converged learning that applies to the new forms and sources of learning. Converged learning can incorporate all the new media such as educational videos posted on different web sites and the resources found on various pages on the Internet. The term is not new because individuals have been using converged media for a while now. Some of the converged media are particular found on Internet sites such as google.com and youtube.com where students can find pictures, videos and text altogether, but other sources can also be considered converged media. Therefore, students have decided to use converged media to better improve their knowledge, and teachers are starting to use these media to increase the learning abilities of different students, fitting their learning capacities.

Click on the links to see how google.com and youtube.com select their content:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=Educational+ technology& btnG=Search

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Educational+ Technology&search_type=

     The fact that transformations in the educational world are constantly happening supports the hypothesis that transformations in the educational world concerning technology and the different methods used by teachers are also gradually happening. Today, students experience a greater accessibility to converged technology such as the Internet and digital gadgets than years ago. However, M.D. Roblyer describes in his book “Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching” that educational technology is a common term that has been around for a while. Education technology is a tool used by different scholars when teaching with state-of-the-art developed tools and it is seen as a process instead than a final product (5). Educational technology is stressed to focus on the process because no matter how much technology changes, the resources for understanding and utilizing the tools will be better used if the individual applies the concepts instead of relying solely on the theory. So, through the understanding of educational technology, one needs to comprehend the major definition of the term. According to Roblyer it is when different media merge to create a common educational product.

Education technology is a combination of the processes and tools involved in addressing educational needs and problems, with an emphasis on applying the most current tools: computers and their related technologies. (Roblyer 6)

     Some technological tools have developed faster then some others. The computer has become a major tool in the development of converged education technologies. The media and the computer share some of the same concepts when achieving the goal of education outreach. The computer can give unlimited access to education sources and the media can serve the same purpose. “Beginning in the 1930s, some higher education instructors proposed that media such as slide and films delivered information in more concrete, and therefore more effective, ways” (Roblyer 6).  The media has greatly evolved since the 1930s and it has created a number of possibilities for educators to utilize different tools to teach, not only slides and films. With today’s technology assistance, instructors can use the Internet educational Web sites with streaming videos and at the same time resort to not so new technology media such as software programs. The Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT) has focused with the National Education Association (NEA) on audiovisual instruction, carrying the same message from a lecture to a digital format. Also, since reorganizing in 1988, they have “broadened its mission to include other content such as computer information system” (Roblyer 6). As the NEA promoted computer inclusion on the educational program, more and more schools started utilizing the computer as a major source of educational enhancement. By the 1990s, educators began to see computers as part of a “combination of technology resources, including media, instructional system, and computer-based support systems” (Roblyer 6). From that period on computers and education technology became one solid resource for all educators and apprentices.

     Scholars and researchers in the educational field have found a marching increase in the use of computer-based technology since computers were first introduced into the classrooms. The Internet medium has become of extreme importance to society and through computers it has rediscovered new paths of teaching and learning. These have been unfaultable statements from John Brown on his article “Growing Up Digital.” Brown states in his research that as long as there are students coming from new generations, educators will feel the urge to keep up with the technology because more than often, the same technology will be related to the style of learning from these incoming students. In the new age of learning through converged media, the current medium students have most mastered is the World Wide Web. According to Brown, “the World Wide Web will be a transformative medium, as important as electricity. The tremendous range of transformations wrought by electricity, so barely sensed by our grandparents a century ago, lie ahead of us through the Web” (Brown). The Internet has become such an important medium in the middle of all others because it is the first medium out of theory that brings together sender and receiver of the message, making it possible real feedback. “The Web is [a] two-way, push and pull. In finer point, it combines the one-way reach of broadcast with the two-way reciprocity of a mid-cast” (Brown). The two-way feature of the Internet gives the person sending the message the opportunity to obtain the opinions from the receivers of the determined message; it then becomes a virtual but present interaction between those communicating. This feature is not present in some other media such as newspapers and television. Those can receive feedback from viewers and readers, but they cannot maintain a constant contact with the individuals. That brings students to the epicenter of the practical over the theoretical. The Internet, as Brown stated, has the powerful impact of transforming theory learning into practical learning through the use of virtual real-time interactions between students and information sources. The practical side of the Internet can be clearly seen within the walls of educational institutions called universities.

     The convergence of the Internet medium together with the development of educational technology has been a great advance in the university system in America. The conclusion found by a group of educators and administrators in the high education level appointed that “new learning technologies [such as the Internet] can transform the way knowledge is packaged, delivered, accessed, acquired, and measured, altering higher education’s core production and delivery processes” (Ryan 12). The modifications in lifestyle of students have changed the way universities carry their courses. The inflexibility on students’ schedules due to demands from work and family pushed the academic curriculum to include online classes and Internet guides. An online resource to students in college is the blackboard system.

Click on the link to see how blackboard is changing the interactions between professors and students:

http://www.blackboard.com/us/index.bbb

     The blackboard system was set to assist universities throughout the country when the need appeared to grant students with distance learning. Its system is a perfect example of how converged technology can aid someone when learning proves to be multidimensional. Classes are sorted on the Web site and students can “attend” virtual lectures when instructors post a link to a video or to another Web site. The term “virtual university” created by educational researchers describes different ways universities are finding to let students learn not only through the regular textbooks and slide presentations, but also through the use of Internet and online videos.

It is likely that the impact will be much greater on more conventional, campus base universities. Universities are now investing heavily in resource centres, library extensions [and] learning centres; all characterized by large number of networked workstations and very few, if any, books. (Ryan 13)

Sources as the blackboard system and the different learning centers with build-in Internet accessibility are a rising feature for students in universities. The interactions between educators and students have been placed with the different sources. Blackboard presents a series of online tools that makes the student-professor contact virtually inexistent in the real world. Students have the opportunity to “converse” with other students on blackboard, check classes’ grades, inquire professors about the class, and complete assignments through submitting it digitally. Therefore, all of the interactions among students and professors are bonded to stay in the virtual-university world.

     The rise in the technological field has also given students the privilege of transferring the Internet to fairly new devices such as iPhones and state-of-the-art portable computers. In Nashville, the Vanderbilt University (VU) has upgraded their institution’s Web site to better fit the iPhone’s screen. It was a response “to the iPhone’s popularity among students” (Branigan). According to the assistant director of the Vanderbilt University News Service Melanie Moran, “more and more students [at VU], faculty, and staff are using the iPhone to access the Internet” (qtd. in Branigan). The iPhone translates in perfect tone the concept of using converged technology for education. Through the iPhone, a student is able to have full access to the Internet, “send text messages, check e-mail, take pictures, listen to music and podcasts, download documents, watch movies,” (Branigan) and surprisingly it still serves as a regular cell phone that makes common phone calls. In another state, the Abilene Christian University (ACU) in Texas demonstrated the desire to provide iPhones or iPod touches free of charge to freshmen students coming in the fall of 2008. The number of high-tech gadgets would reach 900 items. The purpose from ACU of offering the items would serve as a first time experiment to test the quality of the iPhones as learning devices. The experiment from ACU is scheduled to last six years and to incorporate all student body in relation to the technology involved with its different learning skills. If successful, the university will adopt the iPhone and iPod touch as major teaching devices and as the ACU’s Chief Information Officer Kevin Roberts stated, “if half of the things [talked about the iPhone] are true, then this is a really compelling device” (qtd. in Branigan).

     Other useful resources the Internet has been bringing to students are the Web logs (blogs). “Blogs are easily created, easily updateable Websites that allow an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection. They can also be interactive, allowing teachers and students to begin conversations or add to the information published there” (Richardson 8). Through a blog, an individual can state his or her personal viewpoint about an issue or just narrate an event. With the fusion of social networking Websites and personal blogs, teachers have found a easier way to communicate with each other and provide feedback for different teaching strategies.

Click on the links to  find out how teachers have discovered new ways of communicating with each other through blogs:

http://teacherlingo.com/

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/blog/career-in-education/33550.html

The impact of utilizing a blog on the classroom can improve the quality of learning by far measurements. As explained by Will Richardson in his book “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms” blogs serve a variety of purposes in the academic world.

Through the unique process of blogging, students are learning to read more critically, think about that reading more analytically, and write more clear. And, they are building relationships with peers, teachers, mentors, and professionals within the Weblog environment. Weblogs also work as a constructivist tool for learning, expand the walls of the classroom, and fits as a democratic tool that supports different learning styles. (Richardson 27)

Blogging has become a major tool for teachers in the virtual world because with the assistance of blogs, instructors can now discuss educational topics on a single thread in a blog and share opinions. The comments are useful not only to instructors, but also to the educational administrators who are working on a system of digital inclusion with the help of professors and students.

     Managing the new technologies can become a challenge to both schools and government. The U.S. Department of Education has made it clear that states applying for the new educational technology grant program, rounded about $700 million dollars, will need to develop a special plan covering the converged media utilization and its connection to the classroom. The management of the federal education fund will be an extra task to different states as technologies arise. “According to the grant’s newly-issued rules, the money must be used to improve student achievement through the use of technology in both elementary and secondary schools. Students must become ‘technology literate’ by grade eight, and teachers must be able to integrate technology into their curriculum to benefit students” (eSchool News Staff). In a lower scale, when a professor needs to manage a classroom full of students and technology he or she can decide to follow a simple advice from Linda Starr in her article “Managing Technology: Tips from the Experts.” Starr says that teaching a class solo with a generation which is much more involved with merging technology can be overwhelming and frustrating at some times. Rather, “turn you classroom into a museum. After a lesson using presentation software, allow students to walk around the room and view everyone else’s work. They might get some good ideas for the next lesson and find something positive to say about other students’ work.” Plan a course or managing a program related to technology can take some extra time and effort from the instructor. Following some aspects based on converged technological quality can be a easier path according Tony Bates. “There are several components of quality in technology-based educational materials: Quality of content, media production, instructional design, delivery and student support. One way to ensure high-quality cost-effective technology-based teaching and learning is through project management” (Managing Technological Change: Strategies for College and University Leaders). The management of a technological program where there are a variety of media can prove to be difficult. But with a good amount of experience and the right financial support, the barriers for teaching are diminished. A present and efficient participation from both educators and administrators on the converged technology process is the best solution for the constant intense management of a converged technological program.

     Though much has been happening in the area of converged educational technology, there are individuals who are opposed to the shift. In an article from “Black Issues in Higher Education”, Julianne Malveaux shows the other side on the reluctance on the use of converged technology in the education system. Malveaux relates her personal viewpoint in the issue and states that “to the extent that the Internet can synthesize educational information, it’s all good. But to the extent that some see the Web as a substitute for higher education, there are problems” (Technology, Learning and the Future of Education), and goes further by stating that “to the extent that the Internet increases access and information, it’s a good thing. To the extent that it is seen as a substitute for hands-on learning, it is both a mistake and yet another way to widen, not close, the gap between those who have access and those who do not” (Technology, Learning and the Future of Education). Malveaux preaches in her article that converged technology cannot influence the way higher education is dealt, and that higher education should remain in its pure format of classes in physical locations. On the other side of the argument, Andrew Trotter explains in his article for Education Week that “the World Wide Web can be shaped into a vibrant educational tool serving all learners” (Federal Study Details Major Barriers To Internet Learning). The only issue holding it back is the direct financial support from Congress. With the support from the Congress, individuals would be granted “widespread, affordable access to broadband communication, and more high-quality, on-line educational resources. [It would] advise lawmakers on how to develop the Web as a medium for learning” (Federal Study Details Major Barriers To Internet Learning). Both opposing viewpoints reveal that the Internet has considerable influence over the different methods individuals use to gather information and turn it to practical knowledge.

Columnist Julianne Malveaux speaks to a group of people about the non-support of Internet education resources.

Andrew Trotter reports on a Educators fair concerning Technology and Education.

      Convergence technology and education are two concepts that have come a long way together since the Internet started growing. In today’s society, it is impossible to think about education and not relate it to the advances in technology. The powerful influence of technological education in classrooms is displayed with the use of portable computers with wireless Internet access, iPhones with full Web content and iPod touches that are able to retain a great amount of information. The different converged media are helping instructors and administrators with the changes in the learning styles from students coming from a new generation. The use of blogs is also a major concern for teacher as a way of exchanging ideas and methodologies. As new technologies arise, students will be able to fit their learning needs into the different teaching style. Roblyer describes that “visions of the future are suffused with images of technologies that may seem magical and far fetched now, just as cellular phones and fax machines seemed only a few decades ago” (221). Classrooms are now experiencing a shift in the way educational curriculum is set and linked to different teaching style.

In a short future, students will be allowed to resource to a variety of technological tools that will cover specific necessities. Roblyer states that in some years from now, classrooms will be more flexible with its organization and configuration, students will have full access to computers even in secluded locations, home networking will be easier than it is now, knowledge will be constructed most on the virtual world, and both educators and apprentices will rely more on visual learning (227). Technological settings are fast changing, and in the near future, converged technology will be the common base in almost every educational structure.

Works Cited

Bates, Tony. Managing Technological Change: Strategies for College and University Leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Branigan, Cara. “Schools respond to iPhone’s popularity.” eSchool News 21 Mar.2008. 28 Mar. 2008 < http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=53170;_hbguid=5bdcf9e6-024e4d6a-aba2-3392a07e2740>.

Brown, John S. “Growing up Digital: How the Web Changes Work, Education, and the Ways People Learn.” USDLA Journal February 2002. 28 Mar. 2008. < http://www.usdla.org/ html/journal/FEB02_Issue/article01.html>.

ESchool News Staff. “States grapple with ed-tech requirements of new education law.” eSchool News 01 Apr. 2008. 07 Apr. 2008. < http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=34396&CFID=1813436&CFTOKEN=97941083>.

Malveaux, Julianne. “Technology, Learning and the Future of Education.” Black Issues in Higher Education 17 (2000): 38 Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Cameron Univ. Lib., Lawton, OK. 28 Mar. 2006 <http://web.ebscohost.com/>.

Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press, 2006.

Roblyer, M. D. Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2004.

Ryan, Steve, et al. The Virtual University: the Internet and Resource-Based Learning. London: Sterling, Vir.: Kogan Page, 2000.

Starr, Linda. “Managing Technology: Tips from the Experts.” Education World 01 Mar. 2008. 07 Apr. 2008. < http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/ tech116.shtml>.

Trotter, Andrew. “Federal Study Details Major Barriers To Internet Learning.” Education Week 20 (2001): 34 Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Cameron Univ. Lib., Lawton, OK. 28 Mar. 2006 <http://web.ebscohost.com />.

    This is what I expect to create through my research paper.

   The Missouri Department of Elementary and Second Education issue an technology plan to all schools in the state. This topic interests me a lot because of the reality of bringing technology closer to classrooms, the pdf document follows:

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/techplan/02-06statetechplan.pdf

   And another topic is the use of blogs by educators to spread information among teachers. It’s really the way to go from now on:

http://www.edubloggercon.com/Attending+Atlanta+2007

Now just way for the good stuff!!!….

   This link is for Phoenix University that is offering now most online degree through all online classes. Great for people who don’t have time for spacial commitment, all through the computer:

http://www.phoenix.edu/online_and_campus_programs/online_and_campus_programs.aspx

   And this link is for the Full Sail University, a interesting university that is trying to concentrate its curriculum in the whole convergence technology. And it has podcasts, blogs and games instructions!!!! I thought it was pretty darn cool: 

http://www.fullsail.edu/index.cfm?fa=landing.education_media_online_c&mnc=412&kw=technology%20and%20education&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=technology%20and%20education&utm_content=education_media_online_c&utm_campaign=EMDTMSO

   If you didn’t get the message it says:

We enter a new teach. Cannot back, no option, no pause. You are in a web! A shift! Are you asleep? Are you shifting too? Why? Before you are deleted!

 So true. If teachers don’t keep up with the technology we have today, they will face discrepancies between their methods and the way new students learn.

The good, the evil, and the wiki

    Most people use the search engine Wikipedia, but little confess. How can a Web site fairly new spark so much controversy in the academic world? Can people rely on Wikipedia or it does not serve the purpose of spreading the knowledge to everyone connected to the Internet?

    It was the night before Homecoming and I had asked my friend to teach me how to tie a a tie. I really dislike dressing up and I hadn’t learned previously, so it was hard to me grasp the whole idea of learning now. I went to talk to him and he was busy. I had to have that tie fixed that night and my time was running out.

    So I thought, “we use internet nowadays for everything,  maybe there is something on google or youtube that explains step by step how to tie that darn tie.” I was so right.This is the video that made me choose my topic, Converged Technology and Education:

    How far have we gone for technological education?

    The real-life example of learning how to tie a tie is minimal, but the impacts of the infinite learning resources through some new media such as youtube and google search engine is undeniable. As a journalist, I believe that technological education will improve greatly the way people search for news and entertainment because when it comes to the bottom of things, the action to seek for news is just another way of learning.