Get your own Free Home PageToday’s technology is nothing compared to what’s going to happen in the new millennium. Things will change in the educational system before our eyes. Look at what has happened in the past few years. Doctors have uses for computers to help with different illnesses. Businesses are starting to put new computer systems and programs to assist the consumers.
There may be implications in our society that many may be illiterate. This generation is not as computer illiterate as they may think. Previous generations will have more problems in the future with technology than we will. Jobs will be harder to find due to the vast technological advances.
Internet access can be found in every room. However, it is for the most part there for the teachers use. In ten years it is very possible that it will be available to every student in each class. This idea is not too far fetched considering how many schools already have computers in each class.
When we think about putting computers in the hands of kindergartners, the reality of how important technology is hits us. Just imagine your son or daughter knowing more in the seventh grade about computers than you do in your middle age years.
One of the more puzzling thoughts about technology would have to be that our whole life is on a computer. What would happen if one day the system went down? Shocking isn’t it?
The future of teachers is in limbo because of technology. Teachers and guidance counselors are here to assist in the learning process, but will they still be here in 10 years? Perhaps if they are still here they won’t be as involved. They will simply E-mail the assignments to their students.
Looking into the future Microsoft will soon take over. "Look for Microsoft to lead the way," said Mal Murray, a math teacher at Smith. NASA could help as well. The space agency will probably be in charge of hooking up satellites for the Information Highway.
Some schools such as the new Jesse Wharton Elementary have already been set up for the advanced stages of technology. Because technology changes from year to year, and computers must be updated to hold the new programs. It will be much easier for Jesse Wharton Elementary to update the newer systems than it will be for Smith to get all new computers and then update from there. The school system is not ready for such a drastic change as of yet. Perhaps in 10 years they will be.
In both schools that were surveyed teachers agreed the system was not ready for the technological advances. However, when the time comes we will have to make ourselves ready. There isn’t any way the students of 2009 will be able to compete in the job market without being able to develop the skills that come with the emerging technology.
"Due to problems with funding, we probably won’t be on the cutting edge," said Gayle Nelson, a computer applications teacher. "Public schools’ computer systems may be far behind in many ways. Schools are generally several years behind anyway."
Clearly, technology leads the way and the education establishment is resistant to change because it is inert by definition since it is a bureaucracy. For example, on-line forums are already excellent ways to conduct class discussions. Teachers, too, can use websites as places for students to get makeup work. Yet little of this is going on now. But it should be standard operating procedure in 2009.
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