Module 2 - Emerging Technologies Tetrad: Digital Camera

While photography and cameras have been around for hundreds of years, the digital camera has only been in existence since August, 1981 when Sony released the Sony Mavica as the first commercial electronic digital camera (digicamhistory.com, 2010).

Enhances – The digital camera has allowed users to view images instantly on the camera itself and through other viewing devices such as televisions and projectors rather than always having the images processed on paper.

Obsoletes – The digital camera has replaced the need for film such as 35 mm, and 120 or 220 film in analog electronic cameras along with various types of Polaroid (instant print) film (learning-photography.net, 2010).

Reverses – The digital camera by itself has already been replaced by smart phones, and might be replaced altogether in the future by eye glasses and/or contact lenses, or implanted as part of our bodies.

Retrieves – The digital camera brings to mind why we want to save images. We want to preserve customs, traditions and memories as well as have visual records of history.

References:
http://www.digicamhistory.com/1980_1983.html
http://learning-photography.net/film-negatives/different-types-of-film/

EDUC 8848 - Emerging and Future Technologies - Module 1 - Identify an Emerged Technology

From World Book to Wikipedia

Do you remember the days when you wanted to learn about something, you went to the 22 volume book set of World Book or Encyclopedia Britannica? My parents bought our family a set of these heavy books in 1978 on a payment plan! Most students today have never looked in paper book encyclopedias because of a current technology that emerged in 2001. Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia that anyone can add to or edit is shaping how many of our students are learning new facts and information. It has become one of the most popular online resources – statistics put Wikipedia as the eighth most-visited Internet site in the United States (Educause, 2010).

The biggest problem or challenge that has been associated with Wikipedia is the reliability and quality of content due to the openly editable information. This was a much bigger issue when Wikipedia was first launched, but is more reliable today, depending on the subject. In a recent study by CNET News, Wikipedia was found to be just as accurate and more up to date with current events than Encyclopedia Britannica (CNET News, 2010).

The societal need that Wikipedia meets is the ability for anyone to share their depth of knowledge and interest on any particular subject matter and for everyone to learn from each other. The greatest benefits are the up to date and always changing of information that makes it a great source for students to start with when doing research. I allow my students to use Wikipedia as one source of reference, but they must always find a second source that confirms that information.

The only thing that would make this technology better would be to develop a more sophisticated check of all information that is posted for accuracy with all viewpoints presented, leaving biases aside; however, the volunteer editors do an incredible job of monitoring the ever changing content.

References:
http://www.educause.edu/ELI/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutWikip/161666
http://news.cnet.com/Study-Wikipedia-as-accurate-as-Britannica/2100-1038_3-5997332.html

Graphic:
http://himaarmenia.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/wikipedia-logo.jpg