To understand what the model classroom looks like in 2020 we have to understand what the average classroom in 2008. In the past six years there have been multiple advancements in the classroom. In 2008, Classrooms had already started the shift to student centered learning, but the technology seen in the classroom was limited to laptops, or in most cases a solidary teacher computer. Two new technologies had just emerged the year before that would begin to change education. The first was the iPhone, and the second was the netbook. Six years later, smartphones, thanks in large part to the iPhone, are a dominant part of teenager’s and adult’s lives. Netbooks paved the way for tablets, which now are the basis of a lot of school one to one programs. The last six years have been ripe with innovations.
“The Horizon Report 2008 Edition” proposes a picture that is eerily similar to what the average student experiences, or will experience very soon in the classroom. The 2008 report lists much more basic pieces to technology like broadband and video. It also lists collective intelligence solutions like Wikipedia. The report also mentions social operating systems that have evolved like Edmodo and Schoolology. These pieces have evolved beyond the simple idea the report proposes in 2008. “The Horizon Report 2008 Edition” described the attributes of technology to “make it easy for people to share interests and ideas, work on joint projects, and easily monitor collective process” (pg. 14). This idea in 2008 was simple, but has evolved to a include collaboration on apps through the iPad and other devices. The evolution of this simple idea is not complete and the 2014 report takes these concepts and new ones as potential game changers for the classroom of 2020.
The 2013 Horizon report lists 6 key trends that should make their way into the classroom by 2020. Like 2008 report, this report focuses on collaboration as a piece of the overall process. Since broadband has been widely adopted the concentration has shifted to other ways to improve curriculum delivery. The report breaks these adoptions down to near term, mid term, and long term. Near term, or within the next year, are topics like cloud based computing and mobile learning. Cloud computing is the next step to collaboration. Allowing for the plethora of different devices and ecosystems that exist now in the consumer world. Weldon (2013) stated that the move to the cloud is tied to the need for “remote access, save money in licensing fees, and help students share their work” (para. 1). According to the author this seems to be a forgone conclusion as two major steps have paved the way for this shift to happen. The classroom of 2020 will be almost entirely cloud based, as the diverse ecosystem of technology now will only increase as time goes on. Students will collaborate on projects in the classroom, and outside of it as the interconnectedness of student learning communities begin to globalize. This is a shift in thinking from the traditional projects to actual projects that create a product. Students will learn and explore beyond word and excel documents producing films and music online, and creating 3D models that can be printed on demand.
This collaboration will not stop there. It will also include mobile learning. Mobile learning is the application of smart phones and other devices into the learning environment. This adoption of consumer devices like cell phones helps to leverage consumer technology that is already saturated in the market. Johnson et all (2013) stated that currently there are already classes in “app development and programing being taught to K-12 students in school and after school programs” (pg. 4). This will be a requirement for the student of 2020. Educational literacy classes have already started to move and the increase in the technology proliferation will only spur the need to make programming a part of the average students portfolio. Mobile learning will have a profound impact on how the student is evaluated inside and out of the classroom as well. Experiments like the one done at the University of Michigan help to look at how we evaluate student performance. Basu (2012) suggests that this ‘gamefication’ approach to learning helps to “increase student motivation or engagement” (para. 6). Basu also shows that the grades in the class have had a small increase in the university class studied. This blending of the mobile culture and education can have seriously profound results. I imagine students will be playing games and learning at the same time outside of school, while exploring the deeper concepts inside of school.
The horizon report also states the use of open curriculum will increase. Currently this is just textbooks created using tools like iBooks Author, and iTunes U. However, this will evolve through the use of the near term adoptions with both collaborative pieces and mobile learning creating a dynamic and interactive learning environment. This environment can be tailored to the teacher and student needs. Teachers can collaborate with each other share ideas and interactive lessons that are accessible on all devices through a simple web browser. The result is a truly dynamic system that is student specific and the teacher taking more of a facilitator role. The teacher becomes more of a mentor and content guide through the process helping support students in their quest for knowledge. Traditional textbooks, which districts spent a lot of money on, will take a backseat to open curriculum that districts will share and collaborate on.
The open curriculum and mobile learning solutions are just part of the overall wave of tech focused curriculum. Learning analytics is poised to help districts and teachers tailor that curriculum to student needs. This moves beyond just test scores, and measures data that gets a better picture of who the student is and where they are in the learning process. Johnson et all (2013) says that the “widespread adoption of learning and course management systems has refined the outcomes of learning analytics to look at students more precisely” (pg. 4). This refinement of data will help to increase the effectiveness of teachers allowing them to zero in on the learning outcomes and individualize student lessons. This will help to “customize curricula and suggest resources to students” (pg. 4). Offering the piece that open curriculum is missing now. This analytical nature however needs to be as open as possible and this information shared with both students and parents. They need to understand the path that they are on. In 2020, a dashboard interface to simplify what the parent sees and help guide the parent when the child is at home will be a must. Data now is complicated and grades do not necessarily predict higher scores on tests. This data could be shared to show where the student is cognitively at and where they need to be at to get to goals defined by the student and parents. At a high school level this could be extremely powerful, as it could give parents a window to where their child is at to get ready for college entrance tests or vocational assessments. Simplified reporting could even get parents an idea of where the student is and how close they are to completing requirements to graduation.
The farther term pieces of technology that will be implemented in the classroom are the virtual and remote laboratories and 3D printing capabilities. The virtual world is important, but it is also important to be involved in real scientific endeavors as well as creating something in the physical world. 3D printing helps students with creativity and critical thinking, as well as helps to illuminate the design process. Johnson et all (2013) mentions the Replicator printer. It is described as a “relatively affordable at under $2,500, the MakerBot has brought 3D printing to the masses” (pg. 28). A crowd funded project on Kickstarter is redefining that concept and offering a cheaper option for 3D printing. This new printer, The Buccaneer, has exceeded the funding goal, but has brought more than just a sub $500 printer to the market. It also brings an interface that works through the iPad. The Buccaneer allows for a simplified interface that is user friendly and makes printing objects a much simplifier affair. This stands to do for 3D printing what the iPhone did for smart phones. This technology seems to be moving rapidly, and with some work will find its way into classrooms like the 2D printer before it did.
Part of the benefit of utilizing technology is that it can allow for experiences that would be too expensive for a field trip or would cost too much money for the equipment. Currently, virtual laboratories like PHET from the university of Colorado allow for students to do experiments and learn by inquiry. This however is just the beginning. PHET is completely a virtual experience, and while that it great kids need to be involved and doing research collaboratively that is based in the real world. Remote labs allow for that. Johnson et all (2013) describe the benefits of remote labs as allowing students to conduct labs “numerous times with greater efficiency and precision” (pg. 5). This allows for students to learn and experiment with many more resources than schools have to offer.
The classroom is in the middle of a classroom renaissance. Technology like cloud computing, 3D printing, virtual labs, and open curriculum are just part of the overall change that is happening in technology. Combining these resources together helps to create a new environment where the data collected is used more effectively before, and students get opportunities with technology that are just being developed now.
Basu, K. (2012, May 18). University of Michigan professor explores innovative grading @insidehighered. Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/18/university-michigan-professor-explores-innovative-grading#sthash.sbpLfUYb.dpbs
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada V., Freeman, A., and Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC Horizon Report: 2013 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from: http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-report-k12.pdf
The Horizon Report 2008 Edition. (2008, January 1). . Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2008-Horizon-Report.pdf
Weldon, D. (2013, April 3). the Journal. Microsoft 365 or Google Apps for Education: Which Way Do You Go? --. Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/04/03/microsoft-365-or-google-apps-for-education-which-way-do-you-go.aspx?=THECL
“The Horizon Report 2008 Edition” proposes a picture that is eerily similar to what the average student experiences, or will experience very soon in the classroom. The 2008 report lists much more basic pieces to technology like broadband and video. It also lists collective intelligence solutions like Wikipedia. The report also mentions social operating systems that have evolved like Edmodo and Schoolology. These pieces have evolved beyond the simple idea the report proposes in 2008. “The Horizon Report 2008 Edition” described the attributes of technology to “make it easy for people to share interests and ideas, work on joint projects, and easily monitor collective process” (pg. 14). This idea in 2008 was simple, but has evolved to a include collaboration on apps through the iPad and other devices. The evolution of this simple idea is not complete and the 2014 report takes these concepts and new ones as potential game changers for the classroom of 2020.
The 2013 Horizon report lists 6 key trends that should make their way into the classroom by 2020. Like 2008 report, this report focuses on collaboration as a piece of the overall process. Since broadband has been widely adopted the concentration has shifted to other ways to improve curriculum delivery. The report breaks these adoptions down to near term, mid term, and long term. Near term, or within the next year, are topics like cloud based computing and mobile learning. Cloud computing is the next step to collaboration. Allowing for the plethora of different devices and ecosystems that exist now in the consumer world. Weldon (2013) stated that the move to the cloud is tied to the need for “remote access, save money in licensing fees, and help students share their work” (para. 1). According to the author this seems to be a forgone conclusion as two major steps have paved the way for this shift to happen. The classroom of 2020 will be almost entirely cloud based, as the diverse ecosystem of technology now will only increase as time goes on. Students will collaborate on projects in the classroom, and outside of it as the interconnectedness of student learning communities begin to globalize. This is a shift in thinking from the traditional projects to actual projects that create a product. Students will learn and explore beyond word and excel documents producing films and music online, and creating 3D models that can be printed on demand.
This collaboration will not stop there. It will also include mobile learning. Mobile learning is the application of smart phones and other devices into the learning environment. This adoption of consumer devices like cell phones helps to leverage consumer technology that is already saturated in the market. Johnson et all (2013) stated that currently there are already classes in “app development and programing being taught to K-12 students in school and after school programs” (pg. 4). This will be a requirement for the student of 2020. Educational literacy classes have already started to move and the increase in the technology proliferation will only spur the need to make programming a part of the average students portfolio. Mobile learning will have a profound impact on how the student is evaluated inside and out of the classroom as well. Experiments like the one done at the University of Michigan help to look at how we evaluate student performance. Basu (2012) suggests that this ‘gamefication’ approach to learning helps to “increase student motivation or engagement” (para. 6). Basu also shows that the grades in the class have had a small increase in the university class studied. This blending of the mobile culture and education can have seriously profound results. I imagine students will be playing games and learning at the same time outside of school, while exploring the deeper concepts inside of school.
The horizon report also states the use of open curriculum will increase. Currently this is just textbooks created using tools like iBooks Author, and iTunes U. However, this will evolve through the use of the near term adoptions with both collaborative pieces and mobile learning creating a dynamic and interactive learning environment. This environment can be tailored to the teacher and student needs. Teachers can collaborate with each other share ideas and interactive lessons that are accessible on all devices through a simple web browser. The result is a truly dynamic system that is student specific and the teacher taking more of a facilitator role. The teacher becomes more of a mentor and content guide through the process helping support students in their quest for knowledge. Traditional textbooks, which districts spent a lot of money on, will take a backseat to open curriculum that districts will share and collaborate on.
The open curriculum and mobile learning solutions are just part of the overall wave of tech focused curriculum. Learning analytics is poised to help districts and teachers tailor that curriculum to student needs. This moves beyond just test scores, and measures data that gets a better picture of who the student is and where they are in the learning process. Johnson et all (2013) says that the “widespread adoption of learning and course management systems has refined the outcomes of learning analytics to look at students more precisely” (pg. 4). This refinement of data will help to increase the effectiveness of teachers allowing them to zero in on the learning outcomes and individualize student lessons. This will help to “customize curricula and suggest resources to students” (pg. 4). Offering the piece that open curriculum is missing now. This analytical nature however needs to be as open as possible and this information shared with both students and parents. They need to understand the path that they are on. In 2020, a dashboard interface to simplify what the parent sees and help guide the parent when the child is at home will be a must. Data now is complicated and grades do not necessarily predict higher scores on tests. This data could be shared to show where the student is cognitively at and where they need to be at to get to goals defined by the student and parents. At a high school level this could be extremely powerful, as it could give parents a window to where their child is at to get ready for college entrance tests or vocational assessments. Simplified reporting could even get parents an idea of where the student is and how close they are to completing requirements to graduation.
The farther term pieces of technology that will be implemented in the classroom are the virtual and remote laboratories and 3D printing capabilities. The virtual world is important, but it is also important to be involved in real scientific endeavors as well as creating something in the physical world. 3D printing helps students with creativity and critical thinking, as well as helps to illuminate the design process. Johnson et all (2013) mentions the Replicator printer. It is described as a “relatively affordable at under $2,500, the MakerBot has brought 3D printing to the masses” (pg. 28). A crowd funded project on Kickstarter is redefining that concept and offering a cheaper option for 3D printing. This new printer, The Buccaneer, has exceeded the funding goal, but has brought more than just a sub $500 printer to the market. It also brings an interface that works through the iPad. The Buccaneer allows for a simplified interface that is user friendly and makes printing objects a much simplifier affair. This stands to do for 3D printing what the iPhone did for smart phones. This technology seems to be moving rapidly, and with some work will find its way into classrooms like the 2D printer before it did.
Part of the benefit of utilizing technology is that it can allow for experiences that would be too expensive for a field trip or would cost too much money for the equipment. Currently, virtual laboratories like PHET from the university of Colorado allow for students to do experiments and learn by inquiry. This however is just the beginning. PHET is completely a virtual experience, and while that it great kids need to be involved and doing research collaboratively that is based in the real world. Remote labs allow for that. Johnson et all (2013) describe the benefits of remote labs as allowing students to conduct labs “numerous times with greater efficiency and precision” (pg. 5). This allows for students to learn and experiment with many more resources than schools have to offer.
The classroom is in the middle of a classroom renaissance. Technology like cloud computing, 3D printing, virtual labs, and open curriculum are just part of the overall change that is happening in technology. Combining these resources together helps to create a new environment where the data collected is used more effectively before, and students get opportunities with technology that are just being developed now.
Basu, K. (2012, May 18). University of Michigan professor explores innovative grading @insidehighered. Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/18/university-michigan-professor-explores-innovative-grading#sthash.sbpLfUYb.dpbs
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada V., Freeman, A., and Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC Horizon Report: 2013 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from: http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-report-k12.pdf
The Horizon Report 2008 Edition. (2008, January 1). . Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2008-Horizon-Report.pdf
Weldon, D. (2013, April 3). the Journal. Microsoft 365 or Google Apps for Education: Which Way Do You Go? --. Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/04/03/microsoft-365-or-google-apps-for-education-which-way-do-you-go.aspx?=THECL