Emerging Trends & Technologies in the Virtual K-12 Classroom

Welcome to Emerging Trends and Technologies in K-12! This course will help you evaluate and implement technology in the most useful way within your virtual classroom setting. We will discuss the possibilities and challenges of using technology in fully online environments, although many of the ideas can be applied to blended and traditional environments as well. This course is focused on emerging trends and technologies, specifically for K-12 instructors. Most of the content will be aimed at high school-aged students in the U.S., or ages 13-18 in other countries. Due to the nature of some of the internet-based technologies, young students are required to be 13 or older to participate. That said, many of the examples we discuss can apply to younger ages. This course is focused on virtual education. In other words, blended or fully online teaching and learning experiences. Nevertheless, you can apply the concepts to a traditional class, adult education, and higher education. Lastly, please note that many of the examples will be U.S. based. Upon completing this course, you will be able to: • Define educational technology's role in supporting the virtual environment. • Identify and evaluate existing and emerging technologies for virtual course instruction or curriculum development. • Use collaborative learning tools to design and assess learning activities. • Use game-based strategies to deepen student engagement in virtual courses. • Research, evaluate, and employ open content in virtual education. • Debate the role of MOOCs in virtual K-12 education.

• Module 1
• Welcome to Module 1, The Role of Educational Technology in K-12 Virtual Education. In this module, we will explore the role of technology in virtual education, evaluate technologies for use, and how to implement technology in the virtual classroom. We will also review some common questions about trends and technologies and look at privacy considerations for K-12 students.
• Module 2
• Welcome to Module 2, Collaborative Technologies in Virtual Education. In this module, we will explore collaborative learning technologies and evaluate learning management systems. We will also review asynchronous and synchronous technologies for application in K-12 virtual education.
• Module 3
• In week three, we will discuss game-based learning, badging, augmented reality, and wearable technologies. You will also have the opportunity to submit your assignment and evaluate three of your classmates' work.Welcome to Module 3, Game-based Learning & Badges in Virtual Education. In this module, we will discuss gamification, game-based learning, and badges in virtual education. We'll also look at the authoring environments Minecraft and Scratch and explore potential uses for augmented reality and wearable technologies in the classroom.
• Module 4
• In week four, we will explore open educational content, web resources, and MOOCs in the context of K-12 education. Welcome to Module 4, Open Content in Virtual Education. In this module, we will compare different types of open educational content and how it can be beneficial to students learning virtually. We will also debate the role of MOOCs in virtual K-12 education.