The Future of Educational Technology

By Kevin Snyder

Vision 2020

• Did you know that the first graders of 2009 will graduate in the year 2020?

• We need to start laying the foundation now for the skills these young children will need to prosper not in 2009, but 2020.

Vision 2020

• The US Department of Labor projects that people on average hold 10.2 different jobs between the ages of 18 and 38.

Vision 2020

• “The world (is) being flattened. It is now possible for more people than ever to collaborate and compete in real time with more other people than ever; doing different kinds of work for more people from more different corners of the planet and on a more equal footing than at any previous time in the history of the world using computers, email, networks, teleconferencing and dynamic new software.” excerpt from “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman

Vision 2020

• How can we ensure that our children are ready to compete and succeed in this new flat world? Obviously, education is key, and Friedman says as much. He tells his own daughters, “Girls, when I was growing up, my parents used to say to me, ‘Tom, finish your dinner—people in China and India are starving.’ My advice to you is: Girls, finish your homework—people in China and India are starving for your jobs.” excerpt from “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman

Vision 2020

• “30 years ago, if you had a choice between being born a genius on the outskirts of Bombay or Shanghai or being born an average person in Poughkeepsie, you would take Poughkeepsie, because your chances of thriving and living a decent life there, even with average talent, were much greater. But as the world has gone flat, and so many people can plug and play from anywhere, natural talent has started to trump geography.” Bill Gates

Vision 2020

• “To succeed in today’s workplace, young people need more than basic reading and math skills. They need substantial content knowledge and information technology skills; advanced thinking skills; flexibility to adapt to change; and interpersonal skills.” – J. Willard Marriott Jr., CEO of Marriott International

Vision 2020

• “We don’t know what the jobs of the future will be. We need nimble thinkers and learners in the workplace.” - Mike Schmidt, Ford Motor Company

Vision 2020

• “For the first time in history, our job as educators is to prepare our students for a future that we cannot clearly describe.” David Warlick, educational technology consultant

Vision 2020

• Today’s students are digital natives.• Digital natives are people who have grown up

in a digital world and are innately accustomed to using current technology.

Vision 2020

• Today’s parents and educators are digital immigrants or refugees.

• We have immigrated to the use of technologies to varying degrees and have incorporated their uses into our daily lives to varying degrees.

Vision 2020

• Today’s teachers are teaching the same way they were taught as students.

• Teachers need to move from teaching methods in which their role is that of knowledge disseminators to the role of knowledge contributor, collaborator, and creator.

Vision 2020

• Today’s students cannot be taught the same way they have always been taught.

• Students also need to be encouraged to become knowledge contributors, collaborators, and creators.

Vision 2020

• What will Educational Technology be like in the year 2020?

What will Educational Technology be like in the year 2020?

• 1. Technology use will be ubiquitous and embedded in daily life.– Everybody, everywhere, will always be connected– Connections will happen in real time– Failure to be connected will become the definition

of poor

What will Educational Technology be like in the year 2020?

• 2. Technology will be interactive– Whiteboards and beyond, think Nintendo Wii and

3-D– Virtual Reality and simulations such as Second Life

will enable students to engage in discovery learning opportunities not currently possible

– Educational gaming will engage students to learn without realizing that they are learning and allow them to learn in real-life situations. “Don’t Bother Me Mom – I’m Learning,” by Mark Prensky

What will Educational Technology be like in the year 2020?

• 3. Technology will be smaller, more powerful, and easily available.– Student’s will use micro computing devices, smart

phones, watches, glasses/contact lenses with displays

– These devices will enable students to interact in real time, access all school work and materials, respond to teachers and classmates, and collaborate on projects.

What will Educational Technology be like in the year 2020?

• 4. Students and teachers will be constantly contributing to the knowledge base through creativity and collaboration– Web 2.0 tools, maybe Web 20.0 tools by 2020– Blogging, Wikis, Podcasts, Vidcasts, etc…– Facebook, Imbee– Most courses will have blended content, meaning

they will have in-class time and outside time using an e-learning component such as Moodle.