Design the Future

Well, it didn’t have a camera, but that was the only thing on my wish list that was not included in Apple’s new iPad.   From a technological perspective, the iPad is an amazing piece of hardware and there are sure to be many lower priced clones being brought to market in the next couple of years. But, what effect will this new technology have on education and learning?  It’s possible that we may look back, a decade from now, and see this moment as the point where mobile  technology came of age and converged with online learning to launch a new 21st century model of education.  It’s also possible, that the iPad will become just another “cool” tool that we’ll use within the traditional classroom setting.

Christenson, Horn, and Johnson (2008) described the challenge of integrating technology into traditional classrooms as follows: ” …schools have crammed them [computers] into classrooms to sustain and marginally improve the way they already teach and run their schools, just as most organizations do when they attempt to implement innovations, including computers.” It will take a shift in philosophy to realize the full potential of the iPad and online learning, otherwise, I fear, we’ll  “cram” this new technology into traditional classrooms with minimal return on the investment of time and resources. My hope is that we will wake up to the fact  that we’re living in a time where the technological stars have aligned to provide us with the tools to support a move beyond the industrial model of education to a new 21st century paradigm.  The new 21st century paradigm will combine the strengths of face-to-face learning with mobile technologies and online learning to create a personalized learning environment for all students.  To me, the most profound statement about the iPad came from Apple’s VP of Design, Jony Ive, who stated, “I don’t have to change myself to fit the product, it fits me.”  This is the essence of the 21st century paradigm, the student will not be required to change to fit the learning environment, the learning environment will change to meet the needs of the student.  Will mobile devices such as the iPad, teamed with online learning, serve as the disruptive forces that lead to a new era in  education and learning?  Only time will tell.

Christensen, Clayton, Horn, Michael,& Johnson, Curtis.(2008). Disrupting class. New York: McGraw-Hill.

In just under thirty minutes, Apple, Inc. will unveil its new tablet computer.  The hype about the rumored tablet has been increasing exponentially over the last few months  and it’s quite possible that that the tablet will be a game changer.  I heard one tech guru say that we’ll speak in terms of pre-tablet and post-tablet when discussing mobile computing in the future.  I agree.  But, of course, being an educator I believe that we’ll speak in terms of learning pre-tablet and post-tablet.  Up to this point, mobile computing in education has been quite limited.  Many schools have restricted, or banned, the use of smart phones but, let’s face it, even if smart phones were embraced as an educational tool, they are limited.  A growing number of schools have implemented one-to-one laptop programs, but, only a small percentage allow the units to travel back and forth to school.  Even when laptops can be taken home, they are not truly 24 x 7 mobile devices as online access to resources is limited to the school’s network or the student’s home internet connection, if available.  The promise of the tablet will be that students will be able to access resources, instructional materials, AND teachers from anywhere at anytime from a thin lightweight device that is about the size of comic book.  If you agree with a philosophy where schools of the future can “flex” to meet the needs of  students by providing anytime, anywhere, any pace and anyplace learning then the development of the tablet is the beginning of a new era.  We’ve had the online resources to make this possible for some time (e.g., video, voice, etc.) but students and teachers have been bound by the limitations of their devices.  That may change today.

Things I hope to see in the Apple tablet:

1. Wireless and 3G connectivity
2. Efficient text entry without the need for a separate keyboard
3. Long battery life
4. Webcam
5. Built-in speaker
6. Built to withstand everyday accidental abuses
7. Price point that will not be excessive

Just under thirty minutes to go.  What an exciting time to be involved in education

Tags: learning, tablet

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) includes $650 million in funding for educational technology.  My hope is that we make the best of this amazing opportunity, as we may not see this level of funding for educational technology from the federal government again.  If you have the opportunity to influence the technology purchases made in your school, take a minute to think about these questions:

1.  How can you put the greatest amount of mobile computing power in the hands of students? Laptops, netbooks, and iPod iTouches would be my first choice at the moment.  I wouldn’t commit to any e-reader at this time as Apple may be about to unveil a game changing tablet in the near future.  While the first generation tablet may be expensive it won’t take long for hardware manufacturers to build their own version of the Apple tablet which will drive prices down.

2.  How will technology purchases affect instruction?  Will these purchases solidify the “stand and deliver” paradigm or move instruction toward a new 21^st century model of learning where any time, any place, and any pace learning is the norm?  Digital whiteboards and electronic clickers are useful devices in certain situations, but I wouldn’t purchase either technology ahead of mobile computing devices for students.  If you don’t currently provide teachers and students with access to a learning management system (e.g., Moodle) consider purchasing a server or subscribe to an inexpensive hosting service that supports your LMS of choice.

Tags: ARRA, clickers, educational technology, tablet, whiteboards

According to Wikipedia, “Student-centered learning is an approach to education focusing on the needs of students, rather that those of others involved in the educational process, such as teachers and administrators.”  I believe that the majority of educators working in schools would describe themselves as student-centered, however, the industrial model school restricts these same educators from implementing a truly student-centered philosophy.  Strict time schedules, the traditional 180 day school year, standardized test-driven curriculum, and “one size fits all” policies and rules all contribute to a culture where the focus is on the organization rather than on the needs of students.  Note that most, if not all, of these items are out of the control of teachers.  Distance learning initiatives offer alternatives to the industrial model school when implemented with a student-centered focus.  In the virtual world, time is no longer a restrictive element and personalization of each student’s education becomes a possibility.  While distance learning is no panacea, it could be combined with traditional school programs to move toward a more student-centered approach to education. The following videos address topics related to student-centered learning in an interesting and thought provoking manner.

Desks – Kaplan University

Your Time – Kaplan University

These links are used for informational purposes only and are not published as endorsements for Kaplan University.

I’ve created this blog to share my thoughts about education, innovation, and technology. The name “Design the Future” came from a quote that I found in a high school textbook catalog many years ago.

“To anticipate change and prepare for it, that’s to stand in the dust while the future erupts around you. To lead change and direct its flow, to force its pace and take advantage of it — that’s to help design the future.” Author Unknown

The author was not listed and I’ve never been able to find the original source. I’ve kept a copy of this quotation for well over a decade because it speaks to the possibility of making a positive impact on the future. To me, this is the ultimate hope for any educator.

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year!