The Education of Tomorrow
The Future of Education in the Digital World
In Education we always ponder what the future will bring. As a Gen-Xer, I have witnessed a huge leap in technology since I went to school and began my career as a teacher. It is a challenge to keep up with all the latest technology and find ways to engage students. Technology is ubiquitous but determining what is a worthwhile application and the longevity of it, is astounding. So what do we need to consider for the future of education? Here are some of my thoughts:
- The Future of the Classroom
Redesigning learning spaces is imperative to match the future needs of a more digital world. Universities and higher learning institutions have been using this model for some time, however, there is a pedagogical shift to blended learning models in elementary and high schools.
The COVID-19 Global Pandemic has taught us many things in education. A blended learning style can be very beneficial for many students, though detrimental for others. Take for example my own children. My son was completing his first year of university when the pandemic first hit. He was forced to move to online classes. His introverted personality was able to adjust easily to this platform. My 12th grade daughter on the other hand struggled with the abrupt change. She is a very social person and spiraled into a depressed and unmotivated state. She requires face to face and social interaction with her peers and teachers.
This blog post outlines some of the logistics and benefits of a blended learning model. Classrooms will begin to look different by taking learning outside the classroom more. I love the idea of a “traveling classroom” that was talked about in this blog but the difficulty with this is cost.
- Collaborative Learning
With technology, students have the opportunity to collaborate with other students from across their city, province and the world! Students can learn so much when communicating with other students from all over the world.
Social justice will be the forefront in education; a push for equity for all students.
- Personalized Learning
Some of the positives have been outlined in this article explains the opportunity to personalize learning. Students will focus on their strengths, learn at their own pace, get help when they need it, be challenged and take ownership of their learning.
- Challenges with the Digital Future
The 2017 Horizon Report points out many challenges of technology in education. Some of these challenges include:
- Privacy and security – there is a concern for security breaches of student information, bandwidth needs, ethical implications of data collection.
- An achievement gap is reflected in students due to socioeconomic status, gender or race, where access to technology continues to be a factor.
Closing Thoughts
The future of education definitely has a digital focus but I think it is important to consider the need for face to face interactions with real people. Students need the interactions of fellow students, teachers and other specialized professionals to ensure becoming a well rounded citizen. Most importantly to consider is the effects of too much screen time and the effects on mental health. Remote learning during the pandemic demonstrated the effects of the lack of human interaction and connection on students’ mental health. It will be important to be mindful of the extent students spend unaccompanied in front of a screen.
About The Author
Brenda Frederiksen
Greetings! My name is Brenda Frederiksen. I am a Teacher-Librarian/Literacy Specialist by day and a parent, wife, and grad student by night. I am passionate about reading and passing along that love of reading to students!
Brenda, you have raised a lot of interesting points. I too think that there is a place for online learning, however, I do think that some in-person learning is important too. I discovered through taking some online courses that face-to-face learning doesn’t necessarily have to be in person, but the way that the instructor facilitates learning can really make or break that feeling of community and learning. Do I think that all learning can be online for all ages? No. Definitely not. But I think that a balance of online and in-person learning is key. I prefer the blended learning approach for the most part. Screen time moderation is important too, but it has been something that has been forgotten since the beginning of the pandemic, or maybe just pushed aside for now. Thanks for the read!
HI, I agree that with the advancement of technology, education has also become digital and the pandemic has taught us new methods of deliveries lectures. I liked your article as I connected it my life because I was also the one who started my Grad online via zoom sessions and in this period I was in my home country i.e. India. My question is How you manage dealing with students during online lectures? Did you ever found it difficult or your students have ever made excuses to not to attend online class?
Hello Brenda,
I love the thought of a travelling classroom and I immediately began dreaming of travelling and bringing students along to different experiences. As you mentioned, there is a cost that is unavoidable for this to succeed.
I like that you address privacy and security. This is something I admittedly didn’t think a lot about in terms of choosing an LMS, I figured there was limited data tracking if it was controlled by my administrator, but as we learned there are add-ons that compromise that security. And oh my, I use add-ons. I will definitely be keeping this in mind for future creations!
Thanks for the read Brenda! As I mentioned in my post this week, I was self-conscious about the classrooms that I teach in and if I am relying on “old school” ways of doing things. You have a focus on collaborative learning spaces and personalized learning in your writing, and those jumped out at me too. Over the course of my career I have strayed away from straight lines and a “front” of the classroom in favour of tables and groups of desks. Quite often group work or projects are taking place in the classroom now. I do wonder, how effective is group work in a distance or online setting is with students in an elementary school setting?