ED Tech Reflection #4

What teaching will be like in the year 2040?

I thought I’d do some basic reflections on the future of teaching in one post and then write a short story on teaching in 2040 for the next one.

The year 2040 is not that far away, but at the same time things can change a lot in a short time.  I look back to when I graduated secondary school in 2006 and think about all the things that appear to have changed in education since then.  One of the main things I’ve noticed is the way students are monitored has increased.  Technology has ensured that parents have a much closer picture of their child’s learning.  This has the positive benefit of making sure that student’s learning is not falling behind but it might also be making the process of learning more intimidating for the students.

  In 2040 there is potential that students will be even more monitored in the name of promoting their learning.  I think it is important to be mindful that while keeping track of student learning and behavior is important, it can also be problematic psychologically.  Not giving students the freedom to exist as authentic humans is something I think we should be very concerned about as educators.  As we become increasingly reliant on technology as educators it seems important to make sure the tools we use don’t dictate how the learning is taking place.

I would like to imagine that the biggest changes in the education system will be social rather than technological.  Changes like eliminating specific subject areas and moving beyond a letter grade system seem especially important for improving the way young people learn.  I feel like general empathy for students has been one of the biggest changes in the education system in the last 20 years, but there is still a long way to go in that direction to achieve buy in from all educators.