8 Electronic Paper, Biometrics, the Digital Divide, Oh My!

I have high hopes for the development and distribution of electronic paper. I believe it has the highest potential for furthering education in the near future. Many classrooms nowadays are utilizing iPads or other tablets to support instruction, but these tablets can be a bit pricy so many schools do not enough for every child, rather one for every group of 5 students or so. Not to mention iPads are incredibly fragile. I speak from experience: even with a seemingly indestructible case, THEY CAN BREAK. And I'm a young adult... Imagine the destruction a kindergartener can do. Electronic paper is cheaper (less than $100) and unbreakable because it is made from a flexible plastic instead of glass. It can be manipulated similar to paper (i.e. rolled up) making it more compact than a tablet. Most importantly, electronic paper can eliminate the need for using copious amounts of paper every day. During the entire instructional day, your kids can switch from their math worksheets to their reading assignments to their science textbook right on their electronic paper. This is a very promising and eco-friendly technology for the future.

I think biometrics can have a positive impact on the classroom someday. Through biometrics, we can  analyze the physical and emotional state of our students by examining "physical traits such as facial expression, heart rate, skin moisture and even odor" in order to generate detailed reports of student understanding and performance. Course material can then be altered to accommodate for the child's state of mind and changed to give the child the best chance of success. Other behavior signs such as voice, gait, and typing rhythm/speed can further allow the teacher to understand just how much the student is engaged and learning. Especially if you have classroom full of computers, you may not be able to see every tiny child behind the screens. This way you can simply scan the room with this biometrics technology and you can automatically receive information on which students may need more assistance. 
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-future-education-technologies-nick-grantham

I can relate more to Student A in the podcast. Quite literally actually... my father is also an IT director. I have grown up in an area with more access to technology and, because of my father, have always had updated technology in my household. I definitely feel like I have had a greater advantage when it came to using technology for education and for personal, social use. I have noticed that I have felt more prepared to tackle higher-level technology here at college because of the support I received during my K-12 education. I feel that my future classroom will be positively impacted by my background in technology because I will be better equipped to learn emerging educational technologies and be quick to establish them into my classroom.