At the recent World Developers conference, Apple released a few more new things, and I want to know if teachers and students are ready for them?
Specifically, the advent of AirDrop, iOS 5 and OS X Lion features, and Multi-gesture swiping brings new possibilities.
First, AirDrop may make flashdrives obsolete and allow students and teachers to share, save, and use documents and files in a much more productive way.
Students will be able to access and change their school and home files and not worry about syncing all of their devices since this will happen automatically. This means working on projects will be easier because students can work on them anywhere and at any time. Whether its on the bus, on the way to soccer practice, waiting for mom to pick them up, or anywhere else they have a Post PC device (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad).
This leads to the second point, iOS 5 and OS X Lion features. iWork programs (Keynote, Pages, Numbers) are now easily used on all Post PC devices. Making work truly mobile. Presentation can be started at school, continued in the car, and finished while waiting for dinner. Since OS X Lion works and functions much like a Post PC device, a student won't worry about difference machines and devices looking or working differently, they all work seamlessly together.
Third, multi-gesture swiping could do away with mouses altogether! This is something many have seen and are already accustomed to, but it may take a little time to adjust for some. There are a great number of hand and finger gestures worked into OS X Lion, so replacing a mouse with touchpad may be mandatory!
So, back to our question. Are teachers and students ready for this? Are students ready for the new operating systems and multi-gestures? Absolutely, should be a breeze. But whether they're ready for less and less excuses for getting their work done is the real test!
As far as teachers go, AirDrop should make file access and sharing in the classroom a breeze! Buying the trackpack may take some funds, but at least it's in the under $100 category. But the real question is whether teachers that are behind in their technology training and development can keep up with what Apple and technology is doing.
You may know our answer, but it is certainly possible for teachers to keep up and go beyond the technology!! All they need is a simple and effective system for getting them there!
Use CATCHsystem! Students, teachers, parents, administrators, please use it! And please let us know if we can help!!!
Thanks! ;)
This article was inspired by the folks at GIGaom and Geoffrey Goetz article, Technologies change in the wake of an Apple event, again