How will future technology change the classroom? Hey Engineering Lovers, my name is Gustavo Pereira and today I want to bring a debate about applied technology in the classroom. When people not born in this current generation hear the phrase "technology in the classroom", they may conjure up images of children using, for example, a tablet or cell phone in the classroom.
Now, if you're from my generation, I 'm sure you still remember how exciting it was when we started using DVD players and computers inside the computer labs. While technology used to be a curiosity in the classroom, schools are now increasingly looking to insert themselves within a context of technology. Before we get into some of the technologies that can become an everyday part of the education system, let's first discuss which education system we are talking about.
Because let's be honest: not all classrooms have the wherewithal to take advantage of tomorrow's or even today's technology. But how does the rapidity of technological change affect the way classes are taught, students are engaged, and teachers use material? While we cannot ignore the fact that these technologies simply will not make their way into some schools, we need to recognize that we will be discussing features that are likely to be available to those education systems that have the funds to support them.
In other words, we're generally talking about cutting-edge education systems and districts. To see the future of technology in the classroom and how it will change the way classes look, we should probably start with college. While we cannot predict how technology will change, we can make some assumptions about how it will develop.
Of course, college students are now almost uniformly armed with high- end notebooks, cell phones, tablets, many of which have more features than simpler notebooks. But they also often work with Learning Management Systems, to post work, receive instructions, or discuss assignments or lectures. This is already starting to show up in lower grades , not just to track schoolwork, but to allow parents to track student grades, homework, and even classroom achievement.
This speaks to a larger trend that technology may lead in the future. Personalizing the student learning experience has become a hot and debated topic. Chris Dede and John Richards are professors at Harvard University and authors of the book Digital Teaching Platforms, who propose a digital teaching platform called Time to Know, which allows teachers to formulate learning in large and small groups, as well as individual education.
They envision a classroom where every student has a computer, but the teacher can push a button to freeze all devices, capturing the attention of a large group. In addition, teachers would use the broader large group classes to allow each student to find an individual understanding of how this class affects them personally . But how would this happen?
As Dede and Richards point out, our classrooms are not lacking in content. With the Internet and technology that allows us to connect to resources around the world, what teachers now need is a system to assess what content will be most valuable to their class. These digital learning platforms will have assessments that will theoretically help teachers determine a curriculum that is best for their community, classroom, and even individual students, in real time.
This idea of customization through digital teaching platforms is interesting, but let's consider some of the real tools that can be used in the future classroom and even some warnings about how technology can negatively impact education. There are some pretty impressive ideas for how technology will start to make its way into our classrooms. And we're not just talking about a laptop for every kid.
Consider biometric technology that can measure a child's breathing, facial expression, and even how fast they're typing, so teachers know how they're reacting to lessons or the learning environment. There was also a lot of attention given to giving children augmented reality glasses in classrooms. The glasses act as a screen that projects information or images onto them, complementing, say, a book or map.
Even better, augmented reality glasses could provide a video of the teacher giving instructions to each child in turn. But increasingly, there have been concerns about what technology in the classroom could take away from education. On the one hand, there is concern that technology in the classroom has not had a real impact on student performance or test scores.
There are fears that rather than spending money on research that would lead to a better understanding of learning, schools will be forced to update technology with little idea how it is best used or whether it is being implemented at the expense of basic reading, writing and math skills. Even worse, that money would be drained from the pockets of teachers and education professionals. With that comes the concern that teachers will become obsolete and the classroom will become a fully automated experience.
There is already a concern that reliance on technology means that students have much more information at hand and can collect it too easily. Having a wealth of broad and easily accessible knowledge can undermine the deeper understanding that comes from a careful analytical research process. Technology will undoubtedly play an important role in the education system whether you have the technology or not.
And you, how do you see technology helping the teaching process? Do you think using technology in the classroom will help students develop? Or will it add more distractions into the learning process?
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