The field of
education is one that is continuously evolving, growing, changing, moving
forward etc.,... Bottom line: It is very dynamic! When looking ahead to the
future of education, we should continue to expect change. This is one of the
things I love about my future career! I love learning new things and know that I
will always be challenged to learn and grow as an educator in this field. I
could not be more excited about the knowledge I will obtain in my teaching years
and pass on to my students.
Education has
been a dynamic field before the introduction of technology in the classroom.
However, technology has expanded education and created a great deal of change
in the classroom in a short period of time. Allow me to use my K-12 education as an
example. When I first started school, teachers used blackboards, then upgraded
to white boards, and now it is rare to find a classroom that does not have an
interactive Smart Board. I should also
mention that there was no access to computers in my early years classroom,
which then gave way to having a few of the huge dinosaur (and very slow)
computers in my middle years classroom (which we used for the sole purpose of
improving our typing skills). Flash forward to classrooms today and you will
find IPads, IPhones, IPods, netbooks and laptops available for students use.
Does anyone else remember those awful overhead projection machines that were
impossible to see around, or the sound of the TV stand wheels coming down the
hallway to enter your class so you could watch a video? I’m not sad at all that
those days are gone.
It is clear
that with technology education has already come very far. But what is next?
What does the future hold for education? After reading the K-12 Horizon Report,
I think it is safe to say that emerging technologies will continue to have a
great impact on the education field. So what can we expect for the future? The
K-12 Horizon Report names 6 technologies to watch for.
The first is Cloud Computing: “The
emergence of very large “data farms” — specialized data centers that host
thousands of servers — has created a surplus of computing resources that has
come to be called the cloud. Growing out of research in grid computing, cloud
computing transforms once-expensive resources like disk storage and processing
cycles into a readily available, cheap commodity. Development platforms layered
onto the cloud infrastructure enable thin client, web-based applications for
image editing, word processing, social networking, and media creation” (Johnson,
L.,Adams,S.,and Haywood,K., p.10).
The second is Mobiles. “It is no arbitrary decision that the statistical point of comparison is
between new lives and mobiles; the next generation of students will inevitably
be armed with smarter mobiles at younger ages. Perhaps even more important for
education is that Gartner Research projects Internet-capable mobile devices will
outnumber PCs by 2013. In Japan, over 75% of Internet users already use a
mobile as their first choice for access. This shift in the means of connecting
to the Internet is being enabled by the convergence of three trends: the
growing number of Internet-capable mobile devices, increasingly flexible web
content, and continued development of the networks that support connectivity” (Johnson,
L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p. 14).
The third is Game-Based Learning. “Developers
and researchers are working in every area of game-based learning, including
games that are goal-oriented; social game environments; non-digital games that are
easy to construct and play; games developed expressly for education; and
commercial games that lend themselves to refining team and group skills. Role-playing,
collaborative problem solving, and other forms of simulated experiences are
recognized for having broad applicability across a wide range of disciplines”
(Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p. 18).
The fourth is Open Content. “The movement toward open content reflects a growing shift in the way
academics in many parts of the world are conceptualizing education to a view
that is more about the process of learning than the information conveyed in
their courses. Information is everywhere; the challenge is to make effective use
of it. Open content embraces not only the sharing of information, but the
sharing of instructional practice and experiences as well. Part of the appeal
of open content is that it is also a response to both the rising costs of
traditionally published resources and the lack of educational resources in some
regions. It presents a cost-effective alternative to textbooks and other
materials” (Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p.22).
The fifth is Learning Analytics. “Learning
analytics refers to the interpretation of a wide range of data produced by and
gathered on behalf of students in order to assess academic progress, predict
future performance, and spot potential issues. Data are collected from explicit
student actions, such as completing assignments and taking exams, and from
tacit actions, including online social interactions, extracurricular
activities, posts on discussion forums, and other activities that are not directly
assessed as part of the student’s educational progress. The goal of learning
analytics is to enable teachers and schools to tailor educational opportunities
to each student’s level of need and ability. Learning analytics promises to
harness the power of advances in data mining, interpretation, and modeling to
improve understandings of teaching and learning, and to tailor education to
individual students more effectively” (Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood,
K., p. 26).
The sixth is Personal Learning Environments. “Personal
learning environments (PLEs) are often described as systems for enabling self-directed
and group-based learning, designed around each user’s goals, with great
capacity for flexibility and customization. PLEs are conceived as drawing on a
variety of discrete tools, chosen by the learner, which can be connected or used
in concert in a transparent way. While the concept of PLEs is still quite
fluid, it does seem to be clear that a PLE is not simply a technology but an approach
or process that is individualized by design, and thus different from person to
person”(Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p. 30).
These six technologies to watch
for are listed in order of expected chronological emergence. Some schools are
already embracing cloud computing and mobiles. Schools are moving
in the direction of having a “Bring your own device,” policy for their
classrooms. I found reading the K-12 Horizon Report to be very beneficial. The
more knowledge you have about upcoming changes, the more you can prepare
yourself to be ready for them. If you are interested in reading this report and
learning more about these six emerging technologies and the future of education, you can find it here:
K-12 Horizon Report. Happy Reading! ~T
Johnson,
L.,Adams,S.,andHaywood,K.,(2011).TheNMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12
Edition.Austin,Texas:TheNew MediaConsortium.
