What Do You Think?

Every day technology is changing the way humans live their lives.  Just one hundred years ago we had yet to fly, and barely 60 years later we were standing on the moon.  A computer at that time filled up an entire room, and today a student can hold one infinitely more powerful in the palm of his hand.  Technology affects everything; teaching and learning are no exception.  Computer technology has advanced so rapidly, even in just the last five years, that educators are constantly trying to play catch up.  Without astronomical funding I believe technology will always be a generation or two ahead of what the school system can afford.  That being said, the classroom of tomorrow will probably look drastically different than today.  While funding will always put limitations on technology in education, the price of even the most advanced product drops over time, making many things more affordable to the average person.  Most classrooms today have anywhere from one to five computers available to the students.  I believe that within ten years that number will expand so that every single student in a classroom has their own personal computer, probably right on the desk, or even incorporated into the desktop.  Communication devices, like cell phones, internet devices, and even satellite technology will play a much larger role in the classroom, shrinking the size of the globe to the dimensions of the classroom.  Interactive software will be more advanced, allowing students a virtual hands-on experience with the topic they're discussing.  How much cooler is it to think of seeing a 3D projection of a tiger prowling the classroom, growling and eying the students for lunch, rather than looking at one in a book?  The role of the teacher will still be just that...to teach.  But I believe there will be more facilitating of ideas rather than just the explanation of concepts.  Lecturing will taper off, and discussions will start to dominate the day.  Students will learn from each other nearly as much as from the teacher. 

It is impossible to predict where technology will take us in the future, given that most couldn't have predicted smart phones, portable GPS units, or the proliferation of the internet just twenty years ago.  But the educator can be assured of one thing: it will be up to him to harness the awesome technology and use it in a way that will benefit his students.