The interactive features of e-books are the only reason I even consider them. The highlighting features of the text is so fast; you just click and scroll. The search bar is also very nice because if you are researching a specific term, you can simply type the word into the texts search bar and it displays every instance and page in which that word/term appears. The stick note aspect is also nice because if writing a research paper, you can read a passage and add a note for an idea that may have sprung out while reading the passage. Now the student knows exactly what passage made them think about the idea and can cite it much easier. 

 

I personally always much rather holding a physical copy of a book when possible, but in some cases, textbooks only have an e-book version, and as stated, the features of them are very enticing along with the much cheaper price tag. Another aspect of them is that it also prevents students from having to carry so many physical books around campus; however, the downside is that maybe some students do not have the financial opportunities to have an electronic device to have access to the electronic copy. Another aspect is that at least for many of my e-books, I must log in and open them with connection to the internet, so if I was on a car trip or plane ride, I would not be able to access the book because I would not be connected to wi-fi. The physical copy of the book does not have that issue. Another aspect of e-books, which would also affect me as a teacher, is that since the e-books are on the computer or tablet, it is very easy for students and teachers alike to become distracted. They are a click away from a game website or social media or even just searching the web. It is hard for students to stay disciplined enough not to look at anything else. The other thing is that computers have a battery life and must be charged so if someone does not have access to an outlet or charger, now they no longer have access to the e-book. Taking these pros and cons into consideration, I still see the future having many more books electronically rather than the physical copy.

The future impact of technology can impact the learning and thinking behaviors of students positively because although there are mindless applications such as social media apps, there are many technological programs that foster thinking and learning. I personally took a CAD course in high school that involved 3D design and creativity. It was an engineering based course within the STEM/STEAM program. There are also many cases in which students see others promote a healthy lifestyle through exercise videos, podcasts, etc. that may explain a workout routine or just living a positive life and working hard to pursue dreams such as Gary Vee. By seeing others promote what they may be interested in or passionate about, it gives them a community and platform to become a part of which fosters positive behavior and thinking, in and out of the classroom.

I feel like the negatives may seem like they outweigh the positive factors because they are brought up more often. There are tons of videos of people conducting themselves poorly while trying to be funny, but there are kids that are viewing the material and soaking that in, thinking that if they do the same, they may become "popular" and funny. The more technology advances, the more video games will advance in terms of interactive games, graphics, and other aspects. I do not own any type of gaming system and personally feel as though many games involve critical thinking and strategizing, but I have witnessed how it can take up much of one's free time and see how their grades may suffer from that. It is also does not allow the child or person to interact with others in person, only through screen. They are unable to develop communication skills that are used in everyday life. It is also negative because some rely on technology to solve their problems (whatever they may be). Instead of working through it, they just google it. I'm not saying it's necessarily bad but some may not even learn new things because they know that information is available within seconds through technology.

To successfully teach students, teachers need to incorporate technologies in which students can have access to at home and not just in the classroom. For example, everything for this class is accessible for us at home (and for free...ish). Students have various obligations, lifestyles and homelives, so by allowing them to access it makes them feel as though they don't need to be at a prestigious school to get important resources. Websites such as this one foster creativity. In high school I had to make a website for English and it did not even feel like work while creating it and working on it throughout the year because aside from the prompts to write about, I had complete control over everything else such as layout, pictures, colors, etc.; it made it fun. 

3. Going back to my CAD class, many students took it just to add another class to their schedule, but they ended up liking it so much, they became certified in it and continued to study engineering in college. That's is a special case since the class is focused on technology but in classes such as English classes, I think it is important for teachers to incorporate some modern apps or websites students use outside of school and set up assignments to use them in the classroom. I know many education classes use twitter (I have been a part of 2 classes that used twitter to communicate about readings, discussions, etc.) By including apps that children/students use on their free time, they are able to have more fun with assignments and can get creative by adding pictures to their comments. It seems small but it allows the student to add their touch to something and be somewhat free to do what they want and be creative.