I'm On the Curve!

When it comes to Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory, I’m on the curve! (I may not be far ahead on the curve, but I’m on it!) I would describe my current position as between the Early Majority and Late Majority of adopters of emergent technologies. However, I do feel that there is a dichotomy between how I would describe my current position in a work context versus in my personal life. Outside of work, I am much less likely to adopt an emerging technology into my life, simply because I am careful with my decisions; I like to take my time to read up on new technologies and see how others are reacting to them before I fully embrace them. It was only a few months ago that I upgraded my Apple Watch from a first-generation model to the sixth generation, and the first-generation model that I had was a gift from a good friend of mine. Would I have ever had an Apple Watch in the first place if it weren’t for her? Who knows. But, when it comes to work, I am pushed to adopt emergent technologies and trends early because of the context of my job. 

I currently work as a Personalized Learning Advisor for ASU Preparatory Academy’s Hybrid Program, where I coordinate daily activities for high school students who take their core classes digitally, but attend school in-person three days a week. According to the 2023 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report, the abruptness of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic caused the demand for more flexible learning options when it comes to modalities. Given my current role at ASU Prep, I am fully supportive of the emergence of said learning modalities and recognize that it has expanded to include variable course start times and lengths, and other trends such as HyFlex courses. Additionally, if you know anything about ASU Prep, it is that they fully and wholeheartedly embrace innovation in our field and are open and encouraging to adopt emergent technologies in the classroom. Many of my colleagues are very much Innovators and Early Adopters and I am slowly but surely easing my way into integrating said technologies into my hybrid classroom. 

Aside from the more established technologies used in education, such as the Canvas Learning Management System, its relevant LTIs, and Google Suite of applications, we utilize a host of emergent technologies in my classroom. Websites such as Padlet, Mentimeter, Calendly, NearPod, and SignUp Genius are used on almost a daily basis. One of our student classroom roles, Blogger/Vlogger, is responsible for creating monthly blog/vlog posts to promote our program and highlight key events. Another, the Social Media Manager, creates a monthly social media post for the same reason. We also utilize QR codes quite frequently and I’m proud to say that little to nothing in our classroom requires paper. Recently, our program was supported through grant funding to purchase an Oculus Quest 2 to further support innovative learning experiences in our classroom. 

Strong efforts are being made in our program to implement activities that help students build digital literacy skills as well. Each semester, we have students participate in Project Based Learning, where they put on their innovator hats to solve relevant, real-world problems through collaboration. Last year, our Spring semester project prompt, adapted from the Times, was to have students design 3D printed solutions to needs in their community. The students utilized technologies such as TinkerCad, Thingiverse, and the school’s 3D printers to design and physically create their models. This semester, I decided to focus our PBL experience on another emerging technology that is currently a hot topic: Artificial Intelligence. My students have been tasked with examining the current state of AI use in various industries and identifying ethical issues that may pose a concern for consumers and society at large. 

Though my current field of work definitely makes me biased, I am very proud of the work my school has done to adopt emerging technologies. I have accepted that the context of my job is highly innovative by nature and I realize that my views will change over time because of it. It has also led me to realize that understanding where you are on the curve of innovation is important because it can elude you to where you need to be in your field. While I would never have considered myself among the Early Adopters before, I am beginning to see the necessity of being a part of this group because of the nature of my industry. By recognizing the importance of embracing emerging technologies in my field, I can establish goals for myself to work towards to ensure that I am in the right place as the field changes over time. Furthermore, I am currently in an M.Ed. graduate program for Learning Design and Technologies at Arizona State University, which is drastically expanding my knowledge of emergent technologies for learning design. I’ve already been introduced to platforms such as Amazon S3, Twine, Audacity, and Articulate Storyline 360, to name a few, and I’m only about halfway through the program. My plan is to continue learning about and adopting innovative emerging technologies through my graduate studies and in my current position with ASU Prep and spread the word through my blog and in my workspace. Perhaps by the next time you hear from me, I’ll be a full-fledged Innovator. We’ll see.