PROJECT PLAN

INQUIRY MODULE
HAILEY ROBERSON 9/17/19

DESCRIPTION
My subject area of interest is elementary education. I want to
explore all of the different technologies, but mainly virtual reality. It
will be interesting to see how that can take a student’s knowledge
even further and help reinforce a subject in a different way. I also
want to explore the different ways I can use these devices to my
future students’ advantage.

SUBJECT AREA OF INTEREST

My subject area of interest is elementary education and how I can

incorporate these different technologies into my future classroom. I
chose this topic because I am currently pursuing this career field! I
want to maximize my resources and knowledge, for the benefit of
the students’. It would be very helpful to see how these different
technologies can further a student’s knowledge and ability to learn a
topic!

IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (AI)

While exploring Artificial Intelligence, I found that there are
many different options. The one I found most intriguing and useful
for the education field were the simple, speech recognition programs
like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana. I chose these because the class would
be able to ask simple questions and also practice grammar and
pronunciation.

1. How do you think this technology will (or will not) change the
way people learn within your subject area?

Artificial Intelligence has many benefits for a classroom.

This being said, I do not think it can change the way people
learn. It can only enhance or improve a classroom topic or
learning goal. Students will be able to improve upon skills they
have been working on, and hopefully master them through
these techniques. There are ways it can help a teacher be
more efficient also. AI can be used for grading purposes and to
aid the teacher.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology currently?

What advancements (technologic or otherwise) are needed for
this technology to reach its potential to transform the way we
learn?

This technology has a few shortfalls currently that include

limited information and the fact that they cannot fully replace a
human. In order for this to reach its full potential, it would
need to be able to answer complicated questions from
students, grade papers and essays, and be able to explain a
concept fully to a student. I feel that it needs more ability to
recognize a sentence and answer it simply, because oftentimes
now it needs support from a search engine and will transport a
user to a manual research tool.

2
 3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for good or
bad) outside of its original intended purpose? Do you foresee
anything we should be wary of?

I feel that Artificial Intelligence was originally created to

allow computers to operate in an intelligent way. This can be
used in a good way when users get creative and apply it to
their own interest or career field. In the future though, I feel
that it is going to get out of hand and begin to replace things
that humans do currently. It is slowly starting to make its way
into our everyday tasks, such as self-checkout at the grocery
store, online banking, self-driving cars, navigation, and much
more. As a society we should be skeptical of these things,
because we are beginning to rely on them for more than what
we should.
In education, I don’t feel that it will be able to take over
completely, because children thrive off of the connection made
with the teacher. If that is overrun by Artificial Intelligence,
then the classroom system would not run as smoothly or be as
effective. Even in an online course, there is usually a human
behind the scenes, creating the material, providing feedback,
and answering questions.

IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (XR)

While exploring Extended Reality, I really enjoyed using the VR

headset and realized there are many ways in which that can be used
in a classroom setting. I chose to explore this because it can be used
for many different concepts in a classroom. It can be used to take
students through different time periods, landscapes, weather,
educational games, and many other activities that can help reinforce
the topics being taught in class.

3
 1. How do you think this technology will (or will not) change the
way people learn within your subject area?
I think that this technology will help change the way
students learn immensely. Different students learn more
efficiently using different techniques, so this may be one thing
missing from classrooms that can help a group of students.
This can help some of those students visualize the material and
apply it to their everyday life. While it can help with many
subjects, it may not be as applicable to other subjects. I feel
that subjects such as math, reading, and writing will not be so
easily changed by this technology.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology currently?

What advancements (technologic or otherwise) are needed for
this technology to reach its potential to transform the way we
learn?
Virtual Reality is very helpful for teaching concepts but
can have shortfalls when it comes to actual human interaction.
It can be unhealthy when the person using the technology
becomes emotionally invested in what is going on virtually and
begins to think of it as real life.
One of the benefits of an in-person classroom is that you
can ask questions, engage, and have conversations. While in
virtual reality though, there is not much allowance for
questions, because it’s only the user and the headset. This is
an aspect that would need to grow in order for this technology
to be ideal in the classroom.

3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for good or

bad) outside of its original intended purpose? Do you foresee
anything we should be wary of?

4
 I feel that it was originally created so people can
experience other places and environments without actually
travelling there. This is a great invention and benefits a lot of
people. Many people use it for other things though, not just for
learning purposes. One worry I have is that people will overuse
it for gaming purposes, or to escape the outside world. Video
games are already addictive for people, so could be a worse
outcome when virtual reality is used. Users must be careful to
not overuse this technology, and only use it when it is needed.
The moment we begin to use it for everything, then people will
begin to become too attached and reliant on it.

IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (IOT)

I experimented a lot with different Internet of Things technology.
One of the main ones I practiced with were the Sphero balls. I chose
this technology because it is easy to understand for someone who is
not familiar with the technology, and it would be very interesting for
classrooms of all levels.

For each prompt – provide 1 – 2 paragraphs on your research

experience using each technology.

1. How do you think this technology will (or will not) change the
way people learn within your subject area?

There are many different directions that Internet of

Things could go in the world of education. A few different
examples are 3D printing, Sphero Balls, and Nintendo Lago
interactive robots. All three of these examples could be a
successful tool in some aspect of education.
I think that Internet of Things technology can help
students be more creative, visualize concepts more effectively,

5
 and enjoy the material more. While it can support a teacher’s
instruction, it cannot change the way people learn completely.
I feel that it is merely a side tool to support students in their
learning.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology currently?

What advancements (technologic or otherwise) are needed for
this technology to reach its potential to transform the way we
learn?
One of the shortfalls of this technology is that there are
limited activities that each can do. The 3D printers are limited
to a few materials, sizes, and styles, and the Sphero
technology is also limited to what it can do as well. I feel that
there is a lot more growth for these technologies, but they are
still very effective right now. Overtime I feel that people will
slowly start to rely on it too much, so educators must be aware
of this and stay conscious of these downfalls. If these
technologies are kept in check by teachers, then this could be
a very useful tool in a classroom.

3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for good or

bad) outside of its original intended purpose? Do you foresee
anything we should be wary of?
There is a common concern about security in the
Internet of Things. Many people wonder how their privacy will
be affected when they begin to use this technology… Right
now, I feel that there is not a huge issue with the Internet of
Things, but eventually it could be used for widespread
purposes. Companies could begin to use it for data collection
or replace jobs that were once held by people with IOT
devices. This is another main concern, because this technology
is beginning to have capabilities that humans used to never

6
 dream of. People may start to lose their jobs, when companies
can replace them with a device that can do the same job
without being paid a salary.

RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS

In today’s society, we are surrounded by technology

constantly. We each now have a mobile device in our pocket that
serves as a phone, clock, calculator, computer, wallet, gaming
system, and other countless possibilities. After exploring the different
technologies that are created, it is easy to see that technology is
slowly taking over human responsibilities. One pro of this is that
computers are often more efficient than people and are less
susceptible to human error. A con of this is that people will form an
over-reliance to technology and not be able to complete simple tasks
on their own.

Technology can be a great thing for humans, especially in the

education world. It can easily take over though. In order for it to
work at the best of its ability, we must make sure to keep technology
in check and use it only when appropriate. Artificial Intelligence,
Extended Reality, and Internet of Things can all be very beneficial
discoveries, as long as we know our limits and boundaries. Nothing
can replace a face-to-face conversation, learning from a teacher, or
creating something with your own hands.

PERSONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

After exploring the IgnitED Lab, I am a lot more

knowledgeable about the three different types of technology. I feel a
lot better! Before, I did not know about the different types of devices
under each technology area.

7
 The main technology that I experimented with was the Sphero
device, that would move according to how you instructed it to on the
app. I was not really sure what to expect by Internet of Things, but I
was very intrigued by everything that could be done. Most of the
technology was connected to a mobile device and would be
controlled by the device. I also feel more experienced with the
Extended Reality. I knew what it was beforehand, but I was not sure
all that it entailed. There is so much it has to offer to a classroom,
and it can help support the curriculum a lot! There was not very
much to offer for Artificial Intelligence, so I feel the same about that
area. There is a lot of Artificial Intelligence embedded in our
everyday lives already, so many people have easy access and
knowledge about it. There is a lot technology can offer to a
classroom, but I don’t think it can change the way we learn
completely.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS (OPTIONAL)

It was interesting to see how everyday technology can be
considered Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, or Extended
Reality. We use many devices throughout our everyday lives, and
don’t realize that they can fall under one of these categories. I am
excited to see how they are incorporated in my classroom eventually,
and even the future in general!