Technology is being integrated more and more into todays society.

Computers, I Pads, and I Phones are prevalent among the younger generation, and now with the addition of Augmented Reality, gadgets like Google glasses are coming onto the scene. The internet changed the way we communicate and educate. Teachers could upload lessons online for students who had missed a class so they wouldnt fall behind. It gave students the ability to see other students across the world and get knowledge of other cultures and gave them a sort of real world application, more than they would get from a textbook, without leaving their own classroom. There are countless apps and programs that help teachers with lessons and help students learn the material. Teachers can set up classroom websites to post notes for their students and keep them informed about due dates and other important information, and students can ask questions of the teacher or each other. Some teachers are adopting a method of teaching called flipping the classroom. Usually students go to class to hear the teacher explain a new concept, and then they do the practice problems at home. In the flipped classroom, students go online and watch the lecture that the teacher has uploaded, and learn the material before coming to class. The time in the classroom is spent on doing practice problems with the teacher facilitating. Clintondale High school in Clinton Township, MI, flipped its entire school, and reports high level of success by its students. (Dunn) The education community seems to be divided on whether flipping the classroom is the best way to go about educating our young people. Not all students have access to the necessary technology at home to listen to the lectures, especially students from poorer families. Lisa Nielsen and Frank Nosechese, both teachers, also make the point that not all students learn best from a lecture style of teaching. (Toppo)

Augmented reality is being applied to science, business, and almost every area that uses technology. It adds virtual imagery to what is already present. Every kind of information is at our fingertips. In some ways, the information road has become a drive through. Augmented reality has added yet another dimension to education. A student can center their smart phone on an object or picture, and information about it will appear on the screen. They can scan their homework, and the virtual teacher is there to give them instruction. (Nesloney) While all of this technology is appealing and helpful, there are dangers that accompany it. The internet is worldwide, and open to everyone. Not only has online information increases, but so have online crimes. Children are prime targets. They are unsuspecting and trusting. Predators can masquerade as students on social sites. There have been movies made about cases like these. According the site Internet Safety 101, which lists statistics from the Rochester Institute for Technology, 14% of 10th-12th graders and 9% of 7th-9th graders agreed to meet with strangers they talked to online. 11% of 7-9 graders had been asked to talk about indecent things or post pictures. 13% of 2nd-3rd graders had talked to strangers online. Both boys and girls were victims, but girls were solicited more often. (Internet safety 101,) While there are multiple sites warning about online dangers and offering guidelines about safety on the internet, such as http://www.isafe.org/outreach/media/media_tips and http://www.fbi.gov/fun-games/kids/kids-safety/, many children still become victims. There are laws against these crimes, but often if and when the perpetrators are caught, damage has already been done. The best prevention for these crimes is for parents talk to their children about the dangers of an online world. Look at the aforementioned sites together and be sure

they know they should always speak up if something makes them uncomfortable or if they feel suspicious about something. Technology can be a great tool for students, but we need to make every effort to ensure their safety in this digital age.

Works Cited Dunn, Patrick. "Taking the "Home" Out of Homework: Clintondale's Flipped High School." metromode. N.p., 09 may 2013. Web. 14 Mar 2014. <http://www.metromodemedia.com/features/flippedschool0300.asp&xgt;. Toppo, Greg. "'Flipped' classrooms take advantage of technology." USA Today News. N.p., 07 Oct 2011. Web. 14 Mar 2014. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-1006/flipped-classrooms-virtual-teaching/50681482/1/>. Nesloney, Todd. "Augmented Reality Brings New Dimensions to Learning." edutopia. N.p., 04 Nov 2013. Web. 14 Mar 2014. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/augmented-reality-newdimensions-learning-drew-minock>. "Internet Safety 101." Enough is Enough. Rochester Institute for Technology, n.d. Web. 14 Mar 2014. <http://www.internetsafety101.org/Predatorstatistics.htm>.