Future of Education

Using the K-12 Horizon Report for background information I feel that education is going to change drastically in the next couple of years.  Today's graduating educators have had a unique schooling experience.  We have experienced the change from being a student in a traditional classroom to one infused with technology.  For this reason I feel that this generation of teachers can see the potential benefits of infusing technology into the classroom.  This technology change will no doubt change how education looks. 

The Horizon Report talked about 5 key trends that they are researching.  Some of the main trends were the abundance of resources the internet makes available, technology changes the way we communicate and collaborate and people expect to be able to work, learn and study wherever and whenever they want.  I agree with all of these statements and I think that these trends, if embraced correctly, will really be beneficial in the classroom.  The article also mentioned that the one size fits all model of teaching is no longer acceptable and that technology is a tool that can help solve this problem.  I could not agree more.  Technology allows assignments to be adapted and modified with a few clicks to accomodate for students with different learning needs.

Different predictions were made in the Horizon Report about both near and far term changes.  The near changes included cloud computing and mobile devices.  I think that this has already taken place or has definitely started to take place with the creation of BYOD schools.  The second adoption changes included game based learning and open content.  Using games in the classroom is something that is stressed that we as new educators should strive to do.  Making learning fun is important.  The far term goals included learning analytics and having personal learning environments in which the students will choose the tools that best match their learning style.  I feel that giving students that choice will greatly change how we view education.  Taking control away from the teacher and giving it to the student will take some time before it is common practice but I think there are many benefits in doing so.

~ Carissa