I think these things, along with the classes that we are taking now, give us a glimpse of what is to come in education. While one's philosophy about education may differ from another, there is no doubt that technology and education will become integrated.
I often wonder what my kids, ages 2 and 5, will be experiencing in school when they are high school age. Will they even need to go to a physical building? It is certainly possible that they will be able to receive a college degree fully online using interactive technologies that we use now, including video, blogging, and wikis. By then, these technologies will have evolved into something else but its origin will be in the things we use today.
At the grade school and high school level, students will still be in schools 10 years from now. They will probably be doing things more online like turning in assignments, taking tests and quizzes, and interacting with classmates, all from a small, thin machine. They will probably be able to connect this machine to a screen that is paper thin and can be rolled up and taken anywhere. Textbooks will be electronic. Students will be able to take their e-book on this small device and project it on to any surface and manipulate it using their fingers. Operating systems will be gone and an interface such as a browser or an iTunes type environment will be the way people access information on these machines.
How will this affect teachers and students? Well, traditional teachers, which every school has, will have to get on board or get out. I have some of these teachers in my schools now. Anything to do with computers is not necessary. Back to books and writing. That is what education in this country was founded on and we cannot go wrong with that.
I am from another camp. I don't think teachers and students should be totally disconnected but technology is certainly important if we want our society to move forward. We need to encourage our students to use the technology they are familiar with while showing them how to use it responsibly. We also need to try and stay ahead of the game when it comes to technology. Because of funding issues, our schools generally fall behind in this field. But, with technology becoming cheaper by the day, hopefully our schools will think this is an important part of education and try to catch up.
This will require a lot of training and discipline by teachers and students. If teachers cannot keep up, there will not be a place for them in education. It would probably mean the end of teachers who have taught for 30 years and have have never changed their approach.
Do I want this to happen, well yes and no. I think it is time for education to catch up but I hope it does not go too far. That connection between student/teacher and student/student is important in the social development of our children.
To prepare for these types of things, we discuss upcoming technologies in our Technology Learning Community at Messmer. We have not started for the year yet but I have a blog set up from last year showing what we discussed. We only met a few times but I posted more about technology in the blog than what we discussed in person. Most of this was based on books and articles that I read during the course of the year.
It is my job as Director of Technology to make sure my teachers are introduced to new technologies, ideas, and methods of teaching. I need to make sure I stay on top of things and present them in a timely fashion. We may or may not use these technologies in our schools but it is important that they know about them.
Mike, I really enjoyed reading your blog post and appreciate the video link you included. I agree that the human connection should never be lost as the world of technology evolves. I see the fear that some teachers have about trying to use technology as a tool of instruction and I know that they feel lost.
ReplyDeleteAs technology increasingly becomes a requirement for active student engagement, these same teachers have had to make a decision on where they fit into the educational process. I see our role as school level technology leaders as the bridge-gappers. I believe it is up to us to help these teachers see that they DO have roles to play in the classroom and that technology will not be able to replace them. We also have to work with them in their comfort level and grow them to the point of profiency or advanced use in the areas of technology they have a deficit in. If we are successful in our tasks, maybe the pool of effective and outstanding teachers can grow instead of shrinking.
What a great post! Honestly, I thought that the classrooms my children, 12 and 7, are in would be more technologically advanced than they are. Although, I also thought people would be living in space by now too!:) As many textbooks are already available on-line to students, as it seems that is a selling point for textbook companies, I can see districts not even getting physical textbooks in the future and wholly relying on on-line versions. I too hope technology does not get in the way of the student/student and teacher/student relationship, as those relationships are vital to community in the classroom. It also is what helps inspire me on a daily basis. I like how you end your post with the statement about your responsibility of sharing what is out there even though those technologies may not be used.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I share your concerns about 30 year teachers. We had a very simple technology proficiency test this year and some older teachers almost refused to do it. It was a very simple test too. Teachers have a responsibility to stay with the times and never stop learning. It is also the responsibility of the administration to offer the training (should be free or very low cost) that is necessary to do so.
I see textbooks disappearing to be honest. I am only going to have them for one of my classes in the future and that is because it is a very difficult class. Teachers are working really hard to save money for the district because they have to.
I look forward to and am not afraid of the future.
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteI'm in your camp! I think we need to move our teachers along in the advancement of their tech skills in order to help students along. More than that, they need to know what the students are doing with technology so they can help guide them in using it appropriately!
Now, as for the techno-resistors, I've met a few in my travels! There are the exceptions, those who don't need technology to be effective and engauging...but the rest, yes, get on board! Your comment about responsibility rings true to what I think about it. We all have the responsibility to mentor and model good practices, to be life-long learners. I've seen a few situations where students are being denied access to technology to their learning detriment and I think it is neglect on the part of the teacher but also administration. Shame on them for allowing student learning to be hampered and not nurtured because one teacher doesn't feel like using technology. That really bothers me the most!
Mike, I share similar views of the future as you. I however, do not know if we will ever, ever further than ten years down the road, have no physical school buildings. I think our government will resist that change as it has resisted the changes we need to make in education for the past fifty years (pushing out "factory workers" instead of fostering ingenuity in our students)
ReplyDeleteI think that we are seeing the future of education, at least higher education, through the way we are taking this masters program.
The connection between teachers and learners can survive the technology. Teachers need to respect the differences and be ready to relate to their “connected” students. That may be the challenge.
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