Did you know that 94% of teenagers say they use the internet for research in school assignments? For those that didn’t have the luxury of the internet in school, this can sound baffling.
Yet, the reality is that the internet is only one way that technology has changed both the present and the future of education.
So, what are some of the other ways? If you want to know the answer to this question you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll give you a snapshot of the different ways that educators use technology in schools.
The Rise and Fall of Online Learning
Every parent remembers the date when they announced that in-person classes would be closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To shift to an at-home educational environment, educators began implementing online learning.
Ultimately, this was to make the best out of a bad situation. Sadly, it ultimately harmed learning. Online lectures and classes were difficult for many children to focus on.
There was also plenty of potential for getting distracted. And, since educators weren’t in-person there were few ways to force students to pay attention. However, it wasn’t a complete failure.
There were some benefits. Many introverts preferred this style of learning. And, online resources like videos and interactive lectures can be effective in the right hands.
That being said, many parents breathed a sigh of relief when children re-entered in-person classes. However, don’t expect online learning to go away forever. Odds are there will be another pandemic in the future.
And, when that happens we need to be better prepared to accommodate technology and education with online learning environments.
Is Google Helping or Hurting?
Many parents and educators are confused about whether or not Google is a benefit or a hindrance. It’s not hard to see why. On one hand, it provides students with an invaluable resource tool.
Any questions they have can usually be answered with a few minutes of research. On the other hand, many adults are worried that this tool is destroying attention spans.
Who cares about simple math or other questions when you can just look them up online. So, what role does Google play in the future of education? Like most things, Google is good in moderation.
If they plan to go to college or certain jobs, then Google will be an unavoidable part of their career.
So, it’s important to teach children that this search engine is a valuable tool. But, at the end of the day, it’s no substitute for actual knowledge.
Artificial Intelligence in Education
One major problem in the education system is the fact that many children learn at different paces.
When you combine this with the different learning styles that some students prefer it’s impossible to create a single lesson plan that appeals to everyone. However, the answer to this problem might lie in AI or Artificial Intelligence.
How? An AI system is capable of quickly identifying what a child does and doesn’t know. From there, the AI can then provide them with a curriculum that’s tailored toward their needs.
It’s not just in the realm of science fiction. Language-based AI apps like Duolingo already use this system for their subscribers.
Sadly, most AI systems made for traditional education are still in the early phases. But, we can expect that to change in the coming decades.
Increased Access to Wi-Fi
Gone are the days when you could get by in school without a wi-fi connection. These days the internet is often a necessary part of doing research and even completing certain assignments.
Sadly, this is a problem because many children don’t have access to the internet at home. One solution is to provide wi-fi both at school and on school buses.
Bus wifi is a great idea because students have 30 minutes to an hour of downtime on buses depending on their route. This gives them time to complete homework before and after school while riding on the bus.
Wifi access at schools gives underprivileged students the ability to complete assignments after school. That being said, if we want to see real change, then we will need to increase the availability of wifi at home.
And, that can only come through government-sponsored internet solutions for schools. The good news is that President Biden just announced a program that would over discount internet service for millions of Americans.
Video Learning On the Rise
Video learning isn’t exactly new technology. Educators have been using VHS tapes and DVD documentaries to educate children for a decade.
Yet, we can expect to see an increase in video learning within the next years. Why?
Because millions of children prefer this method of learning. It’s visual and can easily be replaced if the students miss something. So, we can expect technology to implement more videos in the future.
More Collaboration in Learning
If we want school to prepare our children for the real world, then we need to prioritize collaborative assignments. Very few people work in a bubble in the real world.
Almost all jobs require some form of collaboration, either with another person or a team. Group assignments are already commonplace. However, with technology, we’re seeing even more potential for collaboration.
Apps like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Evernote make it easier than ever for teams to collaborate outside of the classroom. So, you will likely see a lot more of these apps in the future.
Enjoy Learning About the Future of Education? Keep Reading
We hope this article helped you learn how technology has transformed the future of education. For better or worse, technology is now a permanent part of the way both we and our children learn.
So, the sooner we get around to adopting it constructively the brighter our future will look. Did you learn something from this article?
If you want to learn more, then keep reading from the trove of educational content on our website.
