The paper discusses the
concept of ubiquitous computing and the impact this technology shift may have on social studies curricula, teacher preparation, software development, and research agendas.
And never mind the old quantity - versus - quality debate — the
spread of ubiquitous computing and the Internet of Things is so far happening mainly on Android and iOS, with other platforms such as Windows largely being left out in the cold.
Though the philosophical underpinnings and physical manifestations of this concept continue to be debated and refined, the world is at or near the tipping point for the total cultural
adoption of ubiquitous computing.
In March 2002, members of the National Technology Leadership Initiative (NTLI) met in Charlottesville, Virginia to discuss the potential
effects of ubiquitous computing on the field of education.
In 2002 representatives from the teacher educator associations representing the core content areas (science, mathematics, language arts, and social studies) and educational technology met at the National Technology Leadership Retreat (NTLR) to discuss potential
implications of ubiquitous computing for K - 12 schools.
Not only that, but the usual
promises of ubiquitous computing also apply: this smart dust could be all over the place, doing little calculations, sensing conditions, connecting with other motes and the internet to allow... well, use your imagination.
IBM is hard at work on the
problem of ubiquitous computing, and its approach, understandably enough, is to make a computer small enough that you might mistake it for a grain of sand.
Its demise will herald a new era, an era
of ubiquitous computing and touchscreen everything.