RUNNING HEAD: EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

Emerging Technology
Ashley Moreno
College of Southern Nevada

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Abstract

This paper focuses on three types of emerging technologies: three-dimensional printing (3D
printing), SMART Boards, and mobile technology. A brief history of those technologies and how
each one works is provided above paragraphs on their classroom integrations, teacher process
impacts, learning process impacts, and benefits. Every paragraph in this paper is dedicated to
educating readers on a variety of things associated with 3D printing, SMART Boards, and mobile
technology. Within those paragraphs are sentences that detail how the three emerging
technologies previously mentioned have given teachers the opportunity to abandon traditional
teaching methods for methods that are more effective. Each technology has impacted educators
and students in both elementary and secondary education in ways that this paper also discusses.
Keywords: emerging technology, 3D printing, SMART boards, mobile technology,
elementary education, secondary education, teachers, students, education

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Emerging Technology

Technology is everywhere. It is as everywhere as the air mammals breathe in to stay alive.

All aspects of technology have made their way into the streets, skies, and even education.
Technology has drastically changed education since the beginning of the 21st century.
Technological devices released over the last sixteen years have made learning more innovating
for students and teaching more opportunistic for teachers. Classroom integration of emerging
technologies like 3D printing, SMART boards, and mobile technology have changed the teaching
and learning processes in ways that are beneficial for students and teachers in elementary and
secondary education.

3D Printing
Originally developed in the 1980s, 3D printers were first used mainly to produce products
involved with manufacturing (3D printer, 2015). 3D printers have become smaller, faster,
cheaper and easier to use since then, making them accessible to a wider pool of investors. One of
those investors, educational institutions, have come to realize that 3D printing has a place in
classrooms of all grade levels because of how it can impact education in significant ways.

How it Works
3D printing is a process of taking a digital file and turning it into three-dimensional
objects. Before an object is printed, a virtual blueprint of the object is designed. This design is
then divided into digital cross-sections, which gives the printer the ability to build the object
layer by layer (Petronzio, 2013).

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Classroom Integration
3D printing has been revolutionizing classrooms due to barriers like costs breaking down.
Since they are more affordable now, schools have the opportunity to buy 3D printers to
incorporate into their classrooms. Elementary, middle, and high school students can all use 3D
printers, but teachers will have to find different approaches to it due to the difference in
knowledge and experience of students.
One elementary school teacher, Karen Winsper (2015), was lucky enough to get her hands
on a 3D printer for her fourth and fifth grade students. Winsper had students identify a problem
and then create something using SketchUp, a 3D modeling software, to solve their problem. For
example, the solution to a student having trouble keeping track of his or her pencils would be to
create a pencil holder on SketchUp before printing it three-dimensionally. According to Winsper,
the purpose of this project was to introduce the students to the world of 3D printing and to help
them experience the design process firsthand.
Middle school students are also using 3D printers for educational purposes. Students taught
by Ashley Sullivan, an art teacher at Reidsville Middle School in Rosman, North Carolina, spent
the entire school year creating three-dimensional art using a 3D printer. Sullivans students
created key chains, nametags, and even small houses (Moorefield-Lang, 2014). Like Winspers
students, Sullivans students were able to work firsthand with the design process using a 3D
printer, which is not only more entertaining, but also more educational than sitting down and
drawing on a piece of paper.
3D printing opportunities for high school students are infinite because of the variety of
subjects offered at high school levels. Using 3D printers, biology students can study crosssections of organs, chemistry students can print out complex molecules, history students can

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print artifacts for closer examination, and the list goes on. 3D printers can especially come in
handy in engineering classes. According to Jeff Bailey, a technology teacher at Mountain Valley
High School in Rumford, Maine, his engineering students have been able to create elaborate
figures using the 3D printer that have given them a glimpse of the math and science involved
with 3D printing and designing (Pannoni, 2014).
Teaching Process Impact. 3D printers and teachers go hand in hand; one would not be
able to function without the other. 3D printers have opened a whole new realm of possibilities for
teachers of all grade levels and subjects. Thanks to 3D printers, teachers have the ability to create
more engaging, hands-on lesson plans that are inspiring, educational, and entertaining for all
students. Being able to create realistic looking and tangible 3D models has given teachers the
chance to completely change the learning experience for the better.
Learning Process Impact. As mentioned above, 3D printing has changed the learning
experience. With the help of 3D printers, struggling math students can print out graphs and
problems to better comprehend mathematical concepts, geography students can get a better
understanding of geological formations that are not as clear when viewed two-dimensionally,
history students can replicate ancient artifacts that would otherwise have to be seen in museums,
and so on, and so on, and so on.
Benefits. Making learning more hands-on, entertaining, and comprehensible are only three
of the endless benefits 3D printing has offered teachers, students, and education in general. Each
and every one of these benefits have shone a light on an area that otherwise would have
remained in the dark.

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SMART Boards

According to SMART Technologies (2016), twenty years have passed since SMART
created the SMART Board interactive whiteboard. Over the course of those twenty years,
SMART Boards have become an integral part of elementary, middle, and high school classrooms
all over the world.

How it Works
SMART Boards are relatively easy to use, which is one of the many reasons why the
majority of schools have at least one in each classroom. SMART Boards use a form of
technology that responds to pressure, have large surfaces, and come with four electronic markers
and one electronic eraser. When pressure is put on a SMART Boards screen, signals are sent to a
computer that is programmed to react to the touch (Santos-Carrillo, 2014).

Classroom Integration
Since they are essentially interactive whiteboards, classrooms of all ages and levels can
use SMART Boards.
Elementary school teachers mainly use SMART Boards as projectors, video players, and art
tools. Elementary aged students do not have as many opportunities to use a SMART Board as
students in higher-grade levels do, but having one in younger grade levels is still beneficial. For
example, teachers can have students pick a digital icon that appeals to them. At the beginning of
class every day, the students can drag their icon to wherever their first and last names are located
on the SMART Board. Once the students have completed this, the teacher can then record the

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attendance. Not only is this process faster than calling role, but it also helps young students
become familiar with SMART Boards and touch technology in general.
Higher education classrooms use SMART Boards for a variety of reasons. Similar to
elementary school teachers, middle and high school teachers use SMART Boards as projectors
and video players. The same teachers use them to write their notes, which students then copy
onto a notebook, laptop, or tablet device. It is common for middle and high school students to
use SMART Boards to play PowerPoints they made for presentations. This is arguably the most
important thing SMART Boards have to offer because it allows students to work with them at
their own pace and to explore features firsthand.
Teachers of all grade levels give students opportunities to write or erase on SMART Boards
using the electronic markers and eraser. Teachers may assign each student a different question,
which will have to be answered on the SMART Board. Math teachers can have students create
graphs, geography teachers can have students pin different areas on a map, and other teachers of
all subjects can do whatever they please to get their students working with the SMART Board.
The flexibility of SMART Boards makes it easy for teachers and students to work with them.
Teaching Process Impact. Over the last twenty years, SMART Boards have impacted the
teaching process in many ways. Between 2007 and 2008, SMART Technologies offered teachers
a questionnaire on how SMART Boards have impacted their teaching careers. According to the
questionnaire, 64.7% of teachers indicated that having access to a SMART Board has increased
their understanding of technology as an educational tool, 70.6% of teachers felt that SMART
Boards enhanced their teaching abilities, and another 70.6% of teachers agreed that SMART
Boards should continue to have a role in education due to how it has impacted the educational
world in positive ways (SMART Technologies, 2008).

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Learning Process Impact. SMART Boards have changed the learning process forever.
Classrooms that use SMART Boards reported that students became highly engaged when given
opportunities to work directly with the SMART Board (SMART Technologies, 2008). The same
classrooms also reported that SMART Boards focused students attention on lessons, which can
lead to higher test scores and grades.
Benefits. SMART Boards improve student motivation, attention-getting, visualization,
organization, and creative thinking (Klemann, 2011). The savvy features that SMART Boards
have to offer keep students motivated, regardless of their age or what grade they are in. Teachers
can improve these features in ways that will grab the attention of their students. For example,
teachers can insert comical images into PowerPoint slides to keep those sleepy students from
actually falling asleep. SMART Boards also give teachers the chance to create notes that are
visually appealing, organized, and creative. Students can even offer ideas that add to the
creativity of a lesson plan since notes on SMART Boards can be altered whenever and however.

Mobile Technology
Over the last decade, thousands of electronic devices have been produced and released.
Elementary, middle, and high schools around the world have taken advantage of all this new
technology by implementing it into their classrooms and libraries. Tablets, e-Readers, cell
phones, computers, and laptops are just a few examples of the technological devices that
educators are choosing to use for their students.

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How it Works
Mobile technologies are typically devices that are easily portable. Like SMART Boards,
they are simple to use. Mobile devices can store, access, create, and modify or organize digital
files (Regas, 2002). Each device comes with its own set of apps and other apps that can be
purchased or downloaded through app stores. All mobile technologies need some sort of Wi-Fi or
data connection in order to be able to access the Internet.

Classroom Integration
Mobile technologies are arguably the most important type of emerging technology that
schools have implemented. They are esteemed by educational institutions because of the flexible
approach to learning they offer teachers and students. Regardless of the grade level, mobile
devices have opened doors for 21st century learners that could not have been opened alone.
Many elementary aged students learn best through playing and exploration, so traditional
classroom methods may not always be the best for those kids. Fortunately, more and more
elementary schools are beginning to provide classrooms with mobile technological devices like
computers and tablets. These devices are especially beneficial for elementary students because
they can be accommodated in ways that are best for each student. Most elementary level classes
use devices like tablets or computers to play educational games or apps, which are great for
visual and auditory learners. e-Readers are also common in lower grade levels because they offer
students books that may or may not be in their school libraries. Unsurprisingly, these mobile
devices engage young students more effectively than learning with traditional methods.
There are wider opportunities that come with using mobile technology in middle and high
schools due to the variety of subjects both offer. While those two school levels also use mobile

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devices for game-based learning, their relationship with mobile technology is a bit more
advanced. A few examples of advanced mobile technology usage include photography students
using Photoshop to edit their images, math students using Excel to create charts and graphs, art
students using Adobe applications to create digital art, and English students using Prezi to create
elaborate presentations.
These mobile devices will continue to advance over the next few years, as will the
relationship each has with education.
Teaching Process Impact. Many consider mobile technology to be the most important
form of technology schools have adopted. Mobile devices have impacted teachers in a way that
has changed education so much. It would be absolute chaos to teach in the 21st century without
the help of computers due to the fact that the majority of teachers use them every single day.
Mobile devices have given teachers the opportunity to create lesson plans that are organized,
legible, and available to all students via their teaching website. They also keep teachers
connected with each other and the parents of their students thanks to e-Mailing applications.
Learning Process Impact. Mobile devices have had a tremendous impact on the learning
process. School computers and laptops have given students who do not have access to
technology at home a chance to work on their assignments in class. Using these devices in
classrooms also teach students digital literacy and how to best navigate through the Internet for
educational purposes. Laptop and computer usage is especially important because it prepares
students for todays workforce, which looks for people who are familiar with mobile device
programs and features.
Benefits. Thanks to mobile technology, students are able to boldly go where no man has
gone before. Instant access to the latest news, information, and educational games are only a

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Google search away. 21st century students will never have to go through the pain that comes with
looking for information in encyclopedias because virtually every school has mobile
technological devices available for students to use.
Conclusion
The advancement of technology has allowed educators to evolve in the ways they choose
to teach students. Authors Judy Lever-Duffy and Jean B. McDonald (2015) had this to say about
technology:
Technology is in the process of continuous change. Each day new tools that will
support teaching and learning emerge and existing tools evolve as others fall by
the wayside. The positive aspect of this change is the resultant ongoing and
growing supply of innovating and useful new tools available for the classroom.
Opportunities created by technologys evolution offer new perspectives on 21st
century learners (p. 17).
Duffy and McDonalds quote encompasses the ways classroom integration of emerging
technologies have changed the learning and teaching processes. New educational tools are being
created every day, but that does not mean that existing tools like 3D printing, SMART Boards,
and mobile technology will be replaced. Like Duffy and McDonald said, they will continue to
evolve and benefit educators and students of all grade levels.

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References
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