8-C-1: Vision for 2020

As we get closer to the year 2020, we continue to rapidly develop various forms of technology for multiple uses.  These tools are built to enhance business practices, build or maintain distant relationships or enhance the learning process and atmosphere.  I think 2020 will be somewhat similar to today, but we will have more technology that can do more things at a faster rate.  More automated systems will continue to be developed making our daily lives more efficient and easier overall.  These automated systems are already taking shape in many segments.  The automotive segment has been a front runner as cars can now parallel park themselves, recognize when to apply the brakes or when the driver is swerving out of the current lane of traffic.  The increase in technology will allow more people to work in distant locations as their job duties can be performed from a laptop, iPad or phone and video conferencing will become more of a daily or weekly occurrence.  Social media will continue to expand and advance their systems helping people feel more connected to their friends increasing the sense of community.  Businesses will continue to benefit from social media advances using it to reduce expenditures and drive profit margins higher than previous years.

As corporations, large and small, see a major benefit in using various forms of technology to enhance their business they will actively seek more and more tools for marketing, sales, conferencing and general social media.  This will cause an increase in the need to hire professionals possessing abilities and skills with current technology.  Corporations will have an increased need for creative individuals who understand the intricacies of technology and how to use it to set their business apart from others.

Typically, education is behind the curve when it comes to using and integrating some forms of technology, especially social media.  However, I think there will be moderate to significant changes in how we deliver instruction by the year 2020.  As more technology is developed for school use and research is done on the effectiveness of those tools, schools are becoming more willing to integrate this form of technology.  Many districts and teachers are actively and successfully using social media in their classrooms and doing amazing things.  I expect the next 4 years will cause a positive shift as these tools are used more widely.  I believe many will seek to collaborate with neighboring districts along with those across the country and around the world.  Our perspectives of education and what it currently means will change as we connect with teachers and students from around the globe making us more aware of different cultures and thinking.  Also, education continues to move toward mobile accessibility.  I think more students will use tablets, phones and other devices which have yet to be made for their education.  Society will continue to have a heavy influence on education and it will be expected that education moves quickly making a better effort to keep pace with society as we develop more versatile, efficient and effective methods of educating our students.

As society continues to experience this rapid technological growth, there comes a need for people to facilitate and administer the process.  With these needs growing each day and becoming more and more pressing, I believe schools will continue to push technology integration emphasizing various collaborative tools, open content sources, information gathering and other tools.  This push may extend into transforming districts as a whole as they build their own online environment, experiment more intently with flipped classrooms and utilize online student management systems for various administrative and classroom functions. Integrating such technology helps build valuable career skills of critical thinking and problem-solving while building and maintaining relationships through collaboration.  If schools continue to push in this direction, a positive impact on education will be experienced as we build a more diverse classroom in line with the interests of today’s youth.  Using more technology allows us to positively impact more learning styles at one time while allowing students to move at their own pace.  If education continues to follow societal needs and build the aforementioned skills for future careers, then our efforts have helped increase the rate and efficiency of society and the world as a whole.

As I become more aware of the various forms of technology, I intend to dramatically enhance my current curriculum causing it to stand out from other curriculums among cyber schools.  I hope to increase my visibility through interactive videos while building collaboration through social media to increase class community and connectedness.  Project-based learning can become more of a focus through the use of open content tools allowing students to engage their higher-order thinking skills more often.  Also, simulations help give students more real-world experience as their problem solving abilities become stronger.  It is through these innovations that I hope to more immediately engage my students by affecting their learning style more readily while using technology they currently enjoy to build deeper career-oriented skills.

Although providing my students with the best and most versatile education possible is my primary goal, I, also, intend on positively affecting and motivating fellow colleagues.  If we, as a team, can integrate more technology more often, then I feel our school has the potential to stand out from other cyber programs as we offer a stronger and more valuable education to every student.

Currently, teachers are already aware of how rapidly technology changes making it very difficult to keep up or even be aware of what is available for use. Since technology production seems to be increasing, I don’t think teaching in 2020 will be much different than today.  However, I do think we will have more professional development sessions geared toward new technology and how it can be best integrated.  Also, I can see technology usage becoming a larger part of our evaluations.  Teachers will have to be much more aware of new tools being produced and more active in experimenting with those tools.  One major change I think is coming might be schools requiring teachers to become part of a national organization or attend national seminars on technology integration.

If the educational system wishes to keep pace with technology and society, then we need to become fully immersed in the technological movement.  We need to embrace new ideas, accept and integrate current innovations and leave a large part of traditional teaching in the past.