A Glimpse of the Future for Our Schools

Lets admit it; at some point in our lives we’ve all wondered what extravagant technologies the computer geeks will introduce to us over the next century. Perhaps we’ll be shopping for groceries from a pair of glasses, holograms will be the new facetime, or maybe we’ll have what our ancestors insisted that we’d have by the 21^st century, you know, flying cars. Whatever it is, changes are bound to come over the next decade. How will these changes affect public schools? We’ve grown past the fat back Dell computers to slim Macs and Ipads in less than 5 years. Can you imagine what will come in the next decade?

We’ve all got our ideas on how we imagine schools of the future, but realistically we probably won’t have hovering desks or helmets that inject knowledge in our brains. However, scientists and architects have joined together to make schools more technologically advanced and extremely eco-friendly since we’ve spent the last couple centuries destroying the environment, because you know, that’s what humans do. According to Gizmag, the entire school infrastructure is going to be based off of a “let’s be more environmentally efficient” approach. Schools are going to have outdoor teaching tables so a whole class can just absorb all the sunlight and soak in all the knowledge of their teachers lectures, but then again, we’ve always had that we just never use it. Something we haven’t had yet is access to the roof. Gizmag predicts that the roof of a school can be transferred into a “green” learning center by having a school yard on the rooftop where you can plant, explore the ways of nature, etc. With all the planting, schools can use this opportunity to produce foods to prepare in cooking classes or even have fresh produce for lunch.

Along with the drastic change of schools’ infrastructure, there will be an exceptional amount of technology use in the classrooms and at home. According to EducationWorld, technology will let us manipulate and access the times where we can learn the best. “Technology is also going to allow us to teach children when they are the most alert and most focused. The science is clear that adolescents have a different circadian rhythm—they go to bed late and they wake up late. We will be able to have young people design their personal learning in a way that takes advantage of their peak performance time”, Geoffrey Canada (President and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone) told education leaders in an interview with C.M. Rubin at the GEMS World Academy in Chicago.

Teachers will have to switch up their teaching styles by assisting students to become a more independent learner. This will enable students to be able to learn and explore various subjects on their time. “You’re able to learn at your own pace and you also can have help whenever you need it from the teacher,” said Christopher Cox, 12, a child actor in Columbia, Maryland in an interview by PC Magazine.

More online classes in the future will also give students opportunities that were not previously available to them. “Online education is also making inroads in schools, with one million U.S. elementary and high school students, or some 4 percent of the total, learning online. Some take remedial or advanced placement courses not available at their schools, and some are being home-schooled or live in isolated rural areas.”, said Richard Garrett of Boston consultant Eduventures Inc., found in PC Magazine. The use of online technology will connect students all around the world by expanding the amount of communication between students in different states or even different countries “Schools of the future will recognize the importance of having students work in teams. They will allow young people to develop a set of skills that bring in different subject areas and different areas of expertise to create new ideas”, continued Geoffrey Canada.

Overall, advancements and infrastructure adjustments in our schools will greatly impact students and teachers over the next ten years. Children might be having recess on rooftops or students might be taught from a video while riding a spaceship to the moon, you never know. But what I do know is that the future can only go as far as you imagine it. Check out our video on what students at Menchville think the future holds for schools.