2020: A Technology Odyssey
In order to reflect on what 2020 will be like, I have to reflect on the past. I go back twelve years to 1996 and try to remember my technology use. Back then, I used the Internet to search for lessons to help with my student teaching. The lessons I saw were text only, and probably used Yahoo to search. I had a cell phone (I called it a car phone) that was under my father’s strict instruction to use only in case of emergency. I wanted a laptop computer, but had my own desktop. Sergey and Larry might not have even met, so there was no Google. Looking back, I think so much has changed, but in some ways, the basics are still
much has changed, but in some ways, the basics are still there. What we have in 2008 is much more improved, but the roots of 1996 exist. It is with this theory that I am looking twelve years into the future at 2020.
In 2020, the world is not going to be flat anymore. It is going to be deep, connected and interactive. Globalization will be the norm. We will be connecting with others all around the world. Another company will overtake Google, as Google has replaced AltaVista, HotBot and Yahoo. Our country will become more diverse with race and religion. The snack culture we have now with snippets of information will continue. Everything we know now will be smaller, more portable and more convenient. The seemingly random, asynchronous discussions that we are used to will be second nature for our new learners who have grown up in such an environment. Blogs will not be written words. They will give way to voice recordings and video to share ideas. Wikipedia will have more advanced features, like video to make the experience more rich. Multimedia is everywhere; in your house, stores, cars, restaurants. Copyright laws will become clearer after many lawsuits prompt change, aiding sites like Flickr. Corporations need more feedback from people and seek more consensus building. The generation coming of age the 2020 will be more adaptable and accepting of change after growing up in this fast paced world. How will this world affect education?
Our ideas about technology education in 2008 will finally become a reality. Connectivism is the way to learn. Learning is more student centered and customizable. For example, students will be assessed and the results analyzed by a program (free, of course). The program will design lessons and a program based on the students strengths and weaknesses. The teacher will help with the work, but the planning and differentiation will be completed by a computer. There will be very little textbook learning, in fact, many classrooms are paperless. Students are busier after school, which requires more connectivity from teachers after school. RSS will be used to notify parents more easily by sending messages to portable devices. I know this is occurring now, but it will be the norm for most of the parents. No more flyers crammed into desks and bookbags to communicate!
Problem solving and collaboration are the overarching skills to teach. Social responsibility for the environment is a focus of children’s lives in and out of school. Students are more vocal than the students of 2008, and the CEOs are paying attention. Schools are partnered with businesses to develop career interest in science and mathematics. Schools use games such as serious games and role-playing games deliver content.
Certainly, children have their own portable device whether it is a laptop or better yet, an improved iPhone type device. Mobile learning is where its at, because free wireless is available in most areas as broadband is now. Perhaps instead of turning in typed research papers, students will turn in a podcast or another multimedia presentation. Because of asynchronous conversations and class structure, learners will work at their own pace. This environment teaches more responsibility. Neurotechnology is more feasible, helping students with disabilities. Students who have ADHD or autism may recieve brain treatments to help them focus and engage in learning. Social Networking will be a must for everyone; teachers will be using sites like Ning to create their own customizable social networks. Free is the word for business and education. Programs, video, music and textbooks will be free and open content. Web applications like GoogleDocs will overtake Office as the standard for word processing. Some of the big shifts I see taking place are open content and more sharing because of the relaxed copyright laws. Know “where” learning will take precedent because learning is not measured solely by standardized tests. Students will be performing more research performance based assessments.
There will be negative aspects with all these advances. Stamps are almost obsolete as written communication is used less and less. The schools that are the “have-nots” now are still behind, perhaps where some of the best schools are now. The digital divide still exists, although not as great as 2008. Slowly between 2008 and 2020, more funding has gone to technology because of the demands of grassroots organizations and blogs. Safety and privacy is still an issue, and many schools are requiring Internet safety courses, as Virginia is contemplating now. I predict and hope there will be a pendulum swing back to more conservative actions on the web. Research studies will show that attention spans will decrease and overall patience is lower. Genetic engineering is a controversial topic that many people are circumventing by going to foreign countries to “build a better child”. Because houses, cars and energy costs are high, parents have to work more than ever. Therefore, schools take on more and more responsibility from the safety courses to pediatrician visits for immunizations.
The year 2020 will be like most years we have experienced. New innovations will surprise and shock us. We will ask ourselves, “What did we ever do without …?” Old standbys we once used regularly will be part of technology lore. I am optimistic about the future of technology in education. Some of my ideas might sound idealistic, but I think our ideals in 2008 will become a reality in 2020. We have to keep our standards high for technology use in education so that we can make all these wonderful things possible.
Resources:
http://www.kwfdn.org/map/map.aspx
http://connect.educause.edu/Library/ELI/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAbout/46666?time=1209732507
Richardson, Will. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin Press.
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The environment that you described will require more responsibility from our students as you stated. I wonder if all students will be able to handle this unless something changes in our culture and homes. It seems as if our students are less responsible today in their lives in and out of school. We will definitely need to istrengthen this quality in our students as we move to a more student defined and motivated learning process.
Posted May 4, 2008, 8:44 amI love the vision of the “flat world” going away and it now being “deep and connected”. This carries such powerful imagery as I read those words. I would like to think that this deep and connected world would break down many of the divisive barriers we still live with. I wonder if this is in opposition to the snack culture or if we will see two models of society develop side by side.
Posted May 4, 2008, 8:15 pm