Today’s world of education has drastically changed since my days in elementary school. Web technology has shifted a lot of the research process to online websites and apps. Moving forward into the future, I can see a classroom in which students learn from a teacher on a screen rather than in person. Through use of face time and other video chat apps a teacher can educate multiple classrooms in various remote locations. Every student will have their own form of technology, whether it be a laptop, hand held device or simply touch screen desk that allows for online action.
I attended high school in the late 90’s and had the opportunity to watch videos that predicted the future when it came to technology and many of those predictions came true today. I find myself using more web based sources and videos than the traditional book. As a special’s teacher, I have the privilege of finding my own resources and tools rather than using the traditional book that other classes use. Moving forward into the future, more and more apps and web based programming will continue to shift our educational process. Rather than regular white boards, inventions similar to the student’s desks will make the classrooms filled with interactive ways for students to learn. As an educators, I think the use of web based videos and resources will continue to rise and may shift just how we teach. As discussed in a previous lesson, because of the changing climate of technology we find ourselves in a world of fact checking rather than a simple library book. Imagine a classroom filled with students and an aide or two to help surprise and assist with the learning process but on the screen in front of the room is your teacher or simply waking up and logging on to your laptop while in your pj’s to attend class.
This is where I eventually see education shifting to. Just like many things though, this will bring both positive and negative issues. One issues that most concerns me already is the inability to communicate face to face effectively. I’ve already witnessed firsthand, in class where students had to figure out how to actually play a board game rather than a video game and just how difficult it was for them to understand how to play such a game. Scary but we live in a digital world and changes are happening around us each day.
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Robert,
I couldn’t agree more on your insight related to the future trends of education. Even in my own classroom, I’m offering more of my coursework in an online format and have the ability to convert a majority of my materials to be offered in an online format. Even though my courses do require face-to-face meetings, certain software being developed has given me the ability to transfer some of my hands-on portion to an online environment.
I, too, experienced the Oregon Trail days as well as Number Munchers and all those ancient games. We’ve come a long way with technology, but the evolution has been decades in the making. It’s interesting how we’ve been along for the majority of the ride and I find myself easily transitioning into this new method of education.
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Robert,
I’m unaware of our age difference. Nonetheless, I agree that the world of education has drastically changed from when I was in elementary school. Heck, from K-5, I vividly remember floppy disks and the Oregan Trail. Dysentery usually got the best of me.
You mentioned that your prediction for future classrooms will include students learning, almost solely, from a teacher on a screen. In my heart, I desperately hope this is not the case. Yes, technology has solidified its time and place in education and rightfully so. Yet, personally, I don’t believe human interaction can be replicated or replaced. Additionally, you brought up the point of communication, which is severely lacking in all aspects — face-to-face and virtually. Currently, I am working with a Biobehavioral Health researcher at Penn State to address this very issue, specifically with medical and law students. I am all for including videos, blogs, interactive desks and white-boards — you name it — but the personal elements must also remain!
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Robert,
When I consider how far technology has come in my lifetime, it is certainly mind boggling! I remember our first little Apple computer that we bought so my husband could keep his farm records on it. I think our farm program had 23 floppy disks! Today as a teacher, the number of resources and tools at my fingertips helps me create more interactive lessons that can be differentiated for those students who need it. At the same time, I also hope that we don’t replace our face to face teachers with a screen. As I watch our kids and adults sit with their phones in front of their faces out in pubic, I wonder what we have done to our personal social interactions. With the positive benefits, there are always some negatives to be aware of. As fast as technology has moved, it really makes you wonder what the future holds!
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Hi Robert,
I left the classroom to train teachers in educational robotics, and your first paragraph describes my “classroom”. I’ve trained educators in Asia, Europe, Australia and South America from the comfort of my office. We use Webquest for the “class”, and I would run through the training. When it came time to practice and work with the robots or examine code, I would change presenter rights to the students, and we would learn from one another. It is a totally unique experience, however, I get the feeling that it will someday be the norm for the corporate world, and we are already seeing the shift in cyber schools. It is definitely a new world in education, and the possibilities are limitless!
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