Class in 5 Years, Take Two!!

So, I wanted to do another blog post about the classroom in five years . . . because class discussion today made me think a little bit differently about it then I did originally. We discussed the differences that technology will make in our society's need for educators. Although that definitely did make me feel afraid at first, I can't foresee technology truly making a huge dent in the teaching industry. I think that, despite the technological advances that the western world especially has made in recent years, people still value relationship and person-to-person connection. My hope and prayer is that this value will not be something that changes within my lifetime.

Like Jenny mentioned in class today, I think that the way that my classroom will appear is highly dependent on where it is that I am teaching. Naturally, the technological resources of a school rest heavily on the availability and economy of that area. If I were to stay in this area, though, i think that my classroom would look far different than I can even imagine. Definitely, I think that we will have SMART Boards in every classroom, and no doubt each of my students will own a lap-top, which will pretty much replace entirely the need for notebooks and taking notes the "old-fashioned" way. Probably, paper usage will be minimal and most student papers will be emailed to me, where I will correct them on-line and email them back.

It was interesting to hear today about the newest classroom technology . . . the blue-tooth phone chip that allows a teacher to write on the SMART Board from anywhere within the classroom. I'm sure that if this is a hit, within five years that will be one more thing that is pretty typical to see in any classroom. Overhead projectors will be as foreign to my students as record-players were to me and my friends.

Technology to me is a world that is just opening up, and it's crazy to imagine all of the new and useful things that may arise within the next couple years. How exciting to think of the resources available to my students . . . but scary at the very same time!