What is the future of technology in education?
By Matt Britland
Some time ago I was asked about the future of
technology in education. It is a question I think about
all the time. By its very nature, technology changes
quickly and making it accessible to pupils, teachers
and other stakeholders is an ongoing challenge.
I don’t think iPad is the future. For me, the future
is not about one specific device. Don’t misunderstand
me, I love the iPad. In fact, I have just finished a trial
using them – and they have proved effective.
IPads and other mobile technology are the
‘now’, and they will play a part in the future, but four
years ago the iPad didn’t even exist. We don’t know
what the current technology will be in another four.
Perhaps it will be wearable devices such as Google
Glass, although I suspect tablets will still be used in
education.
The future is about access, both locally and
globally. Teaching and learning is going to be social.
Future schools could have a traditional cohort of
students plus online only students who live across
the country or abroad. Things are already starting to
move this way with the emergence of massive open
online courses (MOOCs).
For me the future of technology in education is the
cloud because it can remove the barrier technology
often represents to teaching and learning.
Schools will only need one major thing to
be prepared for the future: a fast robust internet
connection. Infrastructure is paramount to the future
of technology in education.
We don’t know about the new future devices, but
we do know that they will need the cloud. Schools and
other educational institutions will need to provide the
best possible infrastructure.
If you want to start to use mobile technology in
your school, whether it is an iPad program or a bring
your own device (BYOD) program, your connectivity
must be fast and reliable. If the network is inefficient,
students and teachers will not want to use the devices.
The infrastructure should be there before the devices.
Teachers can use the cloud to set, collect and
grade work online. Students will have instant access
to grades, comments and work via a computer,
smartphone or tablet. Many schools are already doing
this.
This is where devices come in. All devices in the
future will need to access the cloud. Students will
have their own devices, either specified by the school
or chosen by themselves.
Thanks to the cloud and mobile devices,
technology will be integrated into every part of school.
Games fields, gyms and school trips will all change.
Whether offsite or on site, the school, teachers,
students and support staff will all be connected. All
classrooms will be paperless.
With the cloud, the world will be our classroom.
E-learning will change teaching and learning. Students
and teachers can interact from anywhere.
The cloud can also encourage independent
learning. Teachers could adopt a flipped classroom
approach more often. Teachers can put videos,
documents, audio podcasts or interactive images for
students online. Students will take ownership of their
own learning. There is a massive amount of resources
online that students can find and use without the
help of the teacher. As long as they have an internet
connection, they are good to go.
This, of course, means the teacher’s role will
change.
Shared applications and documents on the
cloud will allow for more social lessons. How often do
students get an opportunity to collaborate productively
using technology in the classroom? It isn’t always
easy. However, using Google Apps is easy when
students are working on documents together. They
could be in the same room or in different countries. Of
course, these collaborative tools are also very useful
for teachers, even if they never meet their students.
What we must remember is that when schools
adopt new technology and services, they must be
evaluated. Staff will also need training. Any initiative is
doomed to failure without well trained, confident staff
who can see how technology can support and benefit
teaching and learning.
Many schools have already embraced this, but
there’s still a way to go to ensure all schools are ready
for the future of technology. It is time for all schools to
embrace the cloud.
Available at: teacher-blog/2013/jun/19/technology-future-education-cloud- -social-learning>. Retrieved on: 20th Aug. 2014. Adapted.
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