Classroom of the Future

I would love to describe my elaborate and detailed dream of a classroom of the future.

It would be stocked with tons of technology for the teachers and students to utilize. Every student would be issued a laptop to work on their assignments and to be able to collaborate with others. Since each student has this laptop, worksheets would be obsolete. Students can turn in assignments through programs like Blackboard or in other digital lockers. Their textbooks would be digital. This digital environment would consequently reduce the amount of paper being used and protect the world from deforestation. Also, since students would have access to their worksheets and textbooks via their laptops at home, it would motivate them to complete their homework every night!

Every classroom would have interactive whiteboards to engage students. This technology would allow students to participate and play a more active role in their education. In result, all students would begin to pay attention better in class and become more successful, eliminating the need for high stakes testing and monitoring.

Teachers would be provided technology that assisted in classroom management, such as the GradeCam seen here:

However, by this time the software will have advanced to grade all types of assignments including essay content submitted from the students' digital lockers. Teachers will no longer need to take home papers to grade and finally feel what it is like to come home to relax.

OK...that is enough of my sarcasm for one post. While this 'classroom of the future' would be absolutely fantastic, let's get serious and think about the reality of the education industry. MANY things need to happen before we can come close to achieving a technology infused classroom, but most importantly the following two issues.

1. Shift in mentality- The majority of teachers today are very apprehensive of new technology and do not understand the capabilities or benefits of using new technologies. School districts would need to implement a multi-year plan to train, educate, and assist teachers so that they are able to finally view the gloriousness that is technology.  :)
2. Change in Funding- While I do understand that the government allows a certain amount of money to provide technology for schools, it is VERY limited. Plus your school must qualify in numerous ways in order to benefit. Otherwise, you basically have to beg your PTA or write grants in order to obtain any sponsorship. This type of allocation is what leaves schools such as mine, which is middle of the road suburban, with only one desktop computer as 'technology' in each classroom. No interactive whiteboards, no cart of laptops, no student response systems, and one digital camera for the school to share. We do not qualify for additional government funding nor is our PTA able to 'gift' items to the school. Yet, the government continues to spend more money on other quite shocking things. Check out this statistic about government spending presented by Alliance for Excellent Education. (2006, August). Saving Futures, Saving Dollars: The Impact of Education on Crime Reduction and Earnings. Washington, DC.