For the week of the 19th and the 21st we were absent due to some bad weather in the states, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to find something on my own to blog about. I came across an article that I thought would be fun to share, and can be found at this link:
http://edudemic.com/2012/12/the-future-of-edtech/
For anyone who is interested! It is an article that was wrote in 2006 that predicted what the future of EdTech would look like, while comparing some of the already changing trends they were experiencing at the time. The interesting part is how accurate this article was. A perfect example of this was when Steve Spengler (the writer of this presentation/article) predicted that classrooms would have handheld devices, wireless computers and tablets. This is exactly where we are at today! He also discusses the differences in technology from 1997-2002 to show the growth they were experiencing. One point that I found interesting was the ratio of students per internet-connected computers in classrooms. 1997 showed approximately 20 kids/1 computer, whereas 2002 showed 6 students/1 computer. Now, compare that to today? Most students (depending on schools and divisions) will at some point have access to laptops/tablets with a 1:1 ratio! It is interesting (and almost scary...) to think about the advances that will be made in the next decade. Hopefully our chosen careers will still be there in 2030 and classrooms wont strictly be ran by web-based programming and and even more advanced technology (Robots/Programmed Teachers?)! Wonder if that idea is that far off?
I think our profession is safe, at least until someone figures out how to program intuition. Then, like in the Matrix and the Terminator movies, machines will take over the earth and humans will struggle to survive in clandestine enclaves where teachers will be more important than ever.
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