A World Without Wires

Technology has come a long way. Think about this: when was the last time you used a corded phone? Improvements in technology have given us wireless computers and mobile devices. The picture of the work or classroom environment has changed, too. People are no longer tied to a desk loaded with wired devices. Wireless technology makes it possible to work just about anywhere because of wireless internet connectivity.

It is important to note that wireless communications technology is not new. An Italian inventor, Guiglielmo Marconi, sent and received the first wireless teletype message using radio waves more than 100 years ago. It is thanks to his discoveries that allow us to enjoy the benefits of wireless technology.  In fact, we experience the benefits of wireless technology on a daily basis and take them for granted. For example, my family and I have a wireless home network. My desktop computer has a wireless network card which allows me to access the internet. My netbook also accesses the internet via a wireless connection. Incidentally, my netbook has a Bluetooth USB adapter so I can use my wireless mouse.

There are two items of wireless technology that I would like to have someday – a mobile hotspot device and a tablet. I read that some users are replacing their wired home network routers with a mobile hotspot device. The thing that I am most intrigued by is the idea of taking the device with you to use at a park, or while waiting for an appointment, or on vacation. I think this would be a great device for a teacher to use. She/he could take the kids on a field trip and still (provided there is cellular service) be able to conduct a lesson using technology. Lifehacker.com has a great article on how to choose the fastest, cheapest and most reliable mobile hotspot device. 

Tablets are being used at all levels of education. So, which one do I choose? This article compares specs and features on the Kindle Fire, the iPad 2, and the Nook Color. They are very comparable devices and ultimately, it depends on how I am going to use it.

I found three iPad apps that I think would be helpful to me as a teacher should I choose to go with an iPad.

Teacher's Assistant Pro is an iPad app that boasts it is perfect for busy teachers. The price is $12.99 – but there is a free trial version. It allows the teacher to enter achievement, behavior, or discipline information as it happens and immediately send the report via e-mail to the parents and administrators.

How Rocket Learned to Read teaches kids to read. It reads the story to the child. The child can read the story themselves and when they get to a word they don't know, they tap on that word to have the app pronounce it. There are two games included that help children work on letter skills and learning to spell sight words.

gFlashPro is a fully functional card editor that allows the user to create and edit their own set of flash cards. The app also keeps track of your score. This would be a very versatile app because it could be used for various subjects.