After reading Michael Barber’s article on ‘How Could-and Should-Schooling Look in 2030’ I began to reflect on what the future might hold in my PYP classroom. My dream learning environment of the future is an open learning space with comfortable furniture filled with the latest technology. I will be able to enlighten my well-motivated, internationally minded students. However, from what I can remember these have been my dreams for some time.
I decided to compare my PYP classroom from 15 years ago with my vision for my future PYP classroom in 15 years time. When using Mary Beth Hertz’s levels of technology integration I can see that 15 years ago my technology integration was sparse. I would currently rank my classroom as between ‘comfortable and seamless’ but I wonder what the next 15 years will hold. What is beyond seamless?
I also reflected on how teacher use of technology may change in the future. Will the email epidemic continue to take up value time? Will university entrance exams become 100% digital thus releasing the pressure on handwriting expectations? I researched potential future technology use for the classroom including from ‘Co creation and the web of new things‘. I also attempted to keep my financial expectations realistic whilst considering how technology advancements can impact student learning in my classroom. Below is my infographic to demonstrate my ideas.
Wow @amandag! Your predictions of the future are a place I want to be! And it got me thinking of my own wish list…I’m not sure I like the constant access between parent and teacher but I think that the future may include an opportunity for parents to look in on the classroom and offer feedback, input, and ask questions (of their children) at any time during the day. I love the idea of adaptive learning engagements that suit our students passions and needs more directly…this would benefit so many children! But all of this dreaming is for naught if we don’t change teacher’s college! Remembering back to my credential days were so archaic! Read, regurgitate, and then stand and deliver! Where was the future? Perhaps if we start running teacher’s college in a 2030 model we’ll start getting 2030 teachers!
Hi Angela, absolutely- it is vital that teacher’s college helps to prepare tomorrow’s educators for the skills and understanding needed to successfully integrate technology. It was not a focus at all when I first went to teacher’s college but that was 1993- I hope things have moved on a lot since then!
Thanks for your comment!
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for sharing, and for a wonderful infographic. To quote Seth Godin: “As far as I can tell, there’s always a next thing.” Here’s the full link: https://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/11/the-end-of-the-future.html
In many ways–this is good news. Teachers will always want more for schools, and will always learn new approaches to better provide educational experiences for students. I hope the trend away from ‘rule abiding,’ and moving more towards ‘adaptive,’ will be a theme for forward-thinking schools.
Hi Tricia, thanks for the Seth Godin link.
We are now using adaptive online tests as one form of assessment for student’s which is very useful. It made me realize we should be using this in the classroom now!
Thanks for your comment!
Hi
Amanda. Out of all the professions, teaching should be the one most future-focused as we are thinking about what’s worth learning in our future society. In reality, its a profession so mired in past traditions.
Reports, exams, newsletter, curriculum, assemblies, meetings – there’s so much we do in schools that it would be good to look at why we do things we do. We’ve always done it seems to be the answer.
An interesting case point – a high school in Auckland decides to remove lower level of examinations (there are three sets in New Zealand) to focus on higher two https://www.nzherald.co.nz/education/news/article.cfm?c_id=35&objectid=11552492. The general reaction seems to be ‘I did exams and so should you…’ https://www.facebook.com/nzherald.co.nz/posts/10153141717916302 Yet when we look at exams, no one sits in a room for 3 hours and handwrites an essay outside of… exams.
I love the idea of making a regular purge of school calendar in conjunction with teachers and students.
https://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2015/11/24/spring-cleaning-school-events/ But it doesn’t just need to be school events. Curriculum https://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/listening-to-student-voice/, meetings, assemblies, newsletters there’s a lot of things in schools that we could get rid of which could free up so much time and energy to innovate.
What would you bin tomorrow if you had the chance?
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, it is always a worry when the justification for something is ‘We’ve always done it that way’. I’ve heard that far too many times in my teaching career! Thanks for the interesting links. Asking ourselves why we do things in the classroom, and in the wider school community, should be the first question we ask!
Thanks for the comment!
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about your future classroom. I would really like to spend time in that classroom. I think it is funny how little education has moved on in over 200 years. I love this picture from Jean Marc Cote drawn in the early 1900’s predicting what schools would be like in the year 2000. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/France_in_XXI_Century._School.jpg
Was Jean Marc Cote that far away from the truth? Is technology used appropriately in schools and by some teachers? I really hope your predictions for 2030 come true because I would love to be part of that way of teaching and learning.
Thanks for sharing,
Cheers, Joel
Hi Joel,
Thanks for the link- it made me laugh. Replacing the headphones with iPads and it might not look that different to some classrooms!
In some ways it is sad how little education has moved forward for the average classroom in the last 15 years. In well-funded international schools, with a focus on excellent pedagogy, we are in an excellent position to redefine education and technology integration. And we have each other for support and inspiration!
Thanks for commenting!