This year, several staff meetings at my school have centered around the idea of "Our Future." Our principal has asked us, "What does our school look like in the future? What does a our student look like in the future?" Interesting questions if you look at the future of education from a tech point of view.
I stumbled across an online article at
Ask a Tech Teacher which listed some traits of future schools. What I noticed is that several of these traits have already come true in my school:
Homework and projects will be submitted online.
In our school, kids submit work into Assignment Folders created through gClass Folders on Google. Many teachers have been using Google Classroom this year, which also creates student folders. The biggest problem we've encountered is that our district's google server stops working around mid-morning. Neither students nor teachers can access any files created through district accounts. While the district has finally improved this glitch, I'm creating student folders using their own personal google accounts and through my own personal google account (just to be safe!).
Students will actively participate via a backchannel device.
In my class, I use Socrative and Nearpod to conduct mini-lessons and formative assessments. I know several teachers use the assessment software that comes with each classroom's ActiveInspire whiteboards. There are several sets of clickers available for teachers to use the ActiveInspire backchannel. But for me, I prefer the online assessment sites and I like to try new ones with my students.
There were also several traits that did not exist:
Students will each have a digital device.
This is somewhat true because students have access to a device only in some classrooms. We have Chromebooks available for all students in the Social Studies and Literacy classrooms. Students do not have access to the same devices at home. There are some elementary classrooms using iPods but again, students do not take these devices home. I'd like to see a take home device in the future. Although this can prevent a headache in terms of condition and loss, I think it would be great for kids to have equal access to devices for homework purposes.
Snow days will be a vacation of the past.
Um, please. Can I just have a snow day? I know everyone thinks teachers have it easy with snow days and summers off but really...guess what teachers do during their time off? They PLAN because there sure isn't anytime to really PLAN during the school year!
Here are some of my ideas about the tech future of our school:
Students attend school in brick classrooms part time.
This is what I envision in terms of how technology can change the face of our education system. I feel the key in improved student engagement, learning and accountability and in improved assessment, reflection and differentiation among teachers is small class sizes. Technology can make this dream a reality.
Imagine teachers working with a rotating group of fifteen students per day. Meanwhile, students who are at home are working on assignments on the devices provided by the school. While the teacher is checking in with students face-to face about their progress, students at home could be collaborating with other home students on projects and discussions, or working on an independent assignment created by the teacher and student.
I currently teach a 7th grade class of 13 students and what a difference it has made. It's easier for me to assess student learning, we have deeper conversations about what we're reading in class, and it's difficult for students to sit back and hide in the background. I know exactly where my students are in this class while in larger classes, it's more difficult to pinpoint what students are learning.
What are your thoughts on your school's future? Leave a comment! Read a comment!
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