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Leaders of Tomorrow are born in the classroom full of innovation. 

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As I reflect on my journey as an officer in the United States Air Force, I recognize the growing need for education to shift from a purely objective-driven framework but to one that emphasizes practical application to give our students the chance to understand that is ok to fall a bit short at times. I am a firm believer that failure is where the most growth will come from. The demands of modern society- especially in fields of the military, technology, and leadership- increasingly require our students who can apply knowledge on a dynamic level.

I hold a vision of a future classroom that is less reliant on pure memorization, multiple-choice tests, or formative assessments as a whole. I envision our students will hold the opportounity to engage in complex, interactive activities that mirror real-world challenges, pushing for critical thinking, adaptability, and problem-solving skills which in essence is the framework to a higher quality of life.

This shift reflects a deeper understanding that the ultimate goal is not just knowledge acquisition, but capability development. Through this new framework I see students becoming active participants in their learning, much like how Air Force personnel must operate to assess situations, and make decisions under pressure. Interactive activities will foster teamwork, leadership, and communication.

The role of the teacher will evolve into that of a facilitator or mentor, guiding students as they navigate complex tasks and reflect on their learning processes. This future classroom model will better prepare our students for the uncertainties of an ever evolving world, where success often depends on one’s ability to apply knowledge creatively and collaboratively.

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I think that teachers and administrators of today need to start by embracing technology of the future, whatever that may be. We need to be willing to learn new technology and collaborate to find safe and appropriate ways to use future technology. A few ideas I would personally like to see in classrooms of the future include:

Appropriate and Comprehensive Ed Tech Safety: I do not think that today's students are being fully taught (to complete understanding) about their digital footprint. I think this needs to be a continual conversation, with lesson integrated into every class at every educational level.

Student Choice: I would love to see teacher incorporate more student choice within their lessons and assessments. This is definitely something that I struggle with, but with professional development and taking a leap of faith, I think allowing students more choice when they share their learning will truly transform many student's education.

Life Skills: All students should be able to walk out of any school when they turn 18 and feel confident that they could survive on their own. Skills like banking, completing job applications, taxes, and more should be taught to all high school students.

Inclusive: Finally, I hope that classrooms of the future are fully inclusive. All students need to feel seen, heard, and loved. I hope that education can lead the way in may difficult societal issues by showing that kindness and acceptance can truly go a long way. If we can teach this in our classrooms, maybe future generations can solve some of the problems we are currently facing.

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Classroom of Tomorrow -        Belinda Coats

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Classroom of Tomorrow -        Belinda Coats

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Reflecting on Google for Education’s website reminds me how much my students, colleagues, and I have grown since I began this program two years ago. I have applied many of the strategies I’ve learned in my classroom and shared them with my CTE colleagues and others, helping them understand how technology can be effectively integrated to benefit student learning.

I strongly agree with the vision presented on Google for Education’s site: the next generation learns best in classrooms that foster collaboration, creativity, and student-led learning. These elements are critical for developing the skills students need for success.

If funding were unlimited, I would ensure all students have access to tools like MagicSchool, WeVideo, and other animation platforms. Also I would provide laptops and tablets instead of Chromebooks, as I’ve found Chromebooks often have limited capacity for the projects we do. When needed, I allow students to use spare laptops available in my room to complete them.

Many of my colleagues are intrigued by the technology I share, often discovering platforms they hadn’t heard of before. They are eager to learn not only to simplify their work but also to create more engaging classroom experiences.

Unfortunately, in my district, the focus on technology has dwindled since the pandemic ended. I had hoped the advances we made would continue, but that momentum has ceased now that we’re no longer in emergency mode.

There is a clear need for ongoing professional development to update teachers on technology use and how to integrate it successfully in classrooms. I feel fortunate that I took the chance to return to school, it has been the best decision I’ve made in a long time. And as long as my colleagues continue asking for my assistance, I will continue providing it (It’s good training for achieving my next goal of becoming an instructional coach).

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Classroom of Tomorrow - Elizabeth Funfgeld

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Classroom of Tomorrow - Elizabeth Funfgeld

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I see the future of our classrooms heading in the direction of becoming more student-centered, tech-integrated, and globally connected. Since students will have more and more access to technology, they will become more and more adept at creating, collaborating, and solving problems using technology. Students will be able to go on field trips to Egypt to see the pyramids through VR and even collaborate with other students around the world.

The learning environment that the next generation will learn best in would include being flexible, student centered, and inclusive to everyone. With technology students can learn at different paces and rates but all at the same time; no student will be sitting around waiting for the teacher to catch up other students. I do, though, continue to believe that pen and paper is the best way for students to initially learn a topic. For example, when introducing nouns, students all take the same notes. Then, students that have a firm grasp of the topic can be working on their computers to further their learning while those that are struggling can use technology for remediation.

If funding weren’t an issue, every student would have access to a variety of tech tools. Each student would have a Chromebook that is replaced every few years. Each household in the school district would have access to high speed internet. Schools would have a few class sets of VR headsets that can be signed out and used in classrooms. Students, and teachers, would also have access to a variety of online/creation tools like video editing, coding platforms, and 3D design.

As for teachers, ongoing professional learning is essential. We can’t expect educators to keep up with new tools and methods without time, support, and meaningful training. I’d love to see more embedded PD, tech coaching, and time for teachers to explore, collaborate, and reflect together.

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Classroom of Tomorrow-         William Troyer

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Classroom of Tomorrow-         William Troyer

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When I think about the future of classrooms, I hope they will be more active and creative, where students are doing real work, not just taking notes. In my 8th grade PLTW classes, students don’t sit passively. They’re building robotic arms, modeling rockets in SketchUp, and trying out ideas through trial and error. Honestly, it gets a little chaotic sometimes, but in a good way. That kind of hands-on learning sticks with them. I think we’ll see even more of that in the years ahead.

Our district already gives each student a laptop, which is great. But if I had an unlimited budget I’d love for every student to have their own robotics kit instead of sharing. It would let them experiment more freely and take ownership of their work. I’d also bring in a few high-end 3D printers so they could turn their digital designs into something they can actually hold. That process makes their ideas feel real, and I’ve seen how motivating that can be.

But tech isn’t the whole picture. What really matters is how teachers use it. I’ve led some professional development in my district, and the sessions that go over best are always the ones led by teachers, showing each other tools, how they work as well as showing them how they use them in a real classroom, it sticks. Teachers want insights they can use immediately in their classrooms, not just theory or long presentations.

It’s not about throwing in more technology just to say we did. It’s about helping students create, test, and improve, just like they will in the real world. That’s the kind of learning I want to keep building in my own classroom, and hopefully help other teachers do too.

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When I envision the future of classrooms, I see a lot of what Google predicts on their website. Students need to learn how to use the technology available, but also be able to learn new technologies as they emerge. They need to be able to think critically and problem solve. Something I always tell my students is that the problems we have today are not the problems we will have when they are adults. So my goal is to teach them to problem-solve, not to regurgitate material back to me. I envision all classrooms going in this direction. More focus on transferable skills and using readily available information, as opposed to the learning of facts.

The next generation is going to be all about technology. They will have grown up with it and be very adept at its use. This will be a benefit to teachers because they can utilize many different technologies in their classes and it will allow for more personalized learning.

If funding weren't an issue, I would love all students to have a Dell laptop. Chromebooks are great, but they don't have the longevity of other devices. I would love for all classrooms to have a smartboard and an epson projector. I realize the benefits of a smartboard but I sometimes prefer to project my graphics on the dry erase board and write on top of it as opposed to using a smartboard. I can write more neatly that way. There are many programs out there and all teachers have their preferences. I think it would be great if there were something similar to Google where schools could pay a subscription price for multiple platforms at once, and teachers could choose what they want to use.

I believe it is important for teachers to keep up with current trends. I have gone to the OETC conference the last three years and I have also gone to a Google conference. I learned a lot each time I went. As teachers, we should always be looking for ways to improve our lessons that benefits students and new technology is a way to do that. I do not think it is necessary to go every year but ever 2-3 years would be good. Schools could send different groups every year to one of the edTech conferences held. They could also bring in trainers for PD for platforms requested by teachers or even do PLC groups with different platforms where teachers can explore a new technology.

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Browsing through Google's Future of the Classroom, I could not help but consider not only the future of learning, but the direction that I want it to go for my own students. As a science teacher for middle school, I have experienced firsthand how having the proper tools can make all the difference in learning. From employing BrainPOP to help describe tricky concepts to being able to have students conduct virtual experiments with Gizmo, technology has emerged as an incredible tool to engage a vast range of learners. But I don't think the future of education is going to be about introducing more screens. I think it will be about developing more engaging, student-centered learning experiences, with technology as a tool, not the centerpiece. I want my classroom to be a place where students learn about real-world issues, interact with others (even internationally), and receive personalized support tailored to their learning style. I'm especially excited about how trends like learner-led learning and digital citizenship can enable students to become more knowledgeable and thoughtful citizens, both online and off. To me, the future classroom is a more human one, not a less human one, where technology serves to augment connection, wonder, and development.

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1. I would love to see future classrooms adopt a flipped classroom mode, using tech to ensure all students are provided the same content. I've found that when I teach the same lesson several times, it's easy to accidentally leave something out. Additionally, a flipped classroom allows educators to offer more support during class time, rather than leaving students to struggle at home, especially when they may not have a parent or sibling who is able or available to help. I also think this would play a role in promoting student-led learning and teaching responsibility and autonomy. Which would hopefully create a healthy collaboration between parents and educations and reduce the amount of helicopter parents, especially when they start their journey into higher ed.

2. I don't think there is one learning environment that the next generation would learn best with. Students need a variety; one size does not fit all. So I suppose if time and capacity weren't an issue, educators could start with a variety of learning environments (in-class, blended, flipped, virtual, hands-on, collaborative, etc) and determine which are the most effective for their current students and then edit their lessons based on that.

3. If funding weren't an issue, all students should have access to Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as cloud storage to save their coursework. They should also have reliable internet and access to a computer, whether a laptop or desktop, with the necessary hardware to fun the required class programs. If students live in areas without reliable internet access, schools should consider creating afterschool programs that provide access to computers and wi-fi. These programs should be supervised by an educator who can also offer academic support when needed.

4. For teacher training and keeping up with current trends, I would like to see support networks who meet monthly to offer training, collaboration, news, and information on current trends.

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I find it fascinating that I have grown up in the fast moving era of technology. I was born in 1993 and still remember having desktop computers in my elementary school classrooms. We were fascinated by things like computer art and games. The world has come so far in such a short period of time, for better or for worse. Technology in schools are now a major component in professional development. In the future, I think that teaching is going to become more computer based, with online schooling becoming a lot more prevalent. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Technology addiction is on the rise, causing a lot of behavior problems, especially in schools. On the other side, I think that technology has the capability for students to have meaningful learning experiences. For example, if students can have personalized learning experiences through technology and access more in a short period of time, I think that would be beneficial! If funding was not an issue, school districts could invest in more specialized programs to meet students needs/ personalized what each individual requires to learn. My hope is that districts continue to invest in teacher training so that all teachers feel adequate in learning new programs. I hope that districts invest in more technology personnel to keep up with the growing demands. I consider myself a very advanced person technology wise, and even I learned a TON from this program. I will continue to share with my colleagues and find professional development opportunities that keep me up with the ever changing trends.

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The kind of learning environment that I believe the next generation will learn best with is the same popular approach of today, student-centered approach. Putting all the learning in the hands of the student teaches things like critical thinking and reasoning. Although that is the main focus in today's schooling, I think the advancement of technology in schools will help student-centered learning reach it's maximum potential.

AI in the classroom is what I believe we will see grow in the near future. Having students use AI resources to learn content and reach deeper levels of understanding. If students knew how to properly use AI in the classroom, they would be driving their learning at a self-monitored pace.

In terms of teacher training, I'm a huge advocater of teacher led PD sessions. Having rooms be designated on certain topics and teachers teaching other staff members something that they are interested is MUCH more meaningful than typical PD. My school district did this last year for a PD day and it was a huge hit.