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I think classrooms are headed into a more project driven format and an environment where the students are in more control of how they learn. Teachers will no longer be responsible for standing in front of the classroom and lecturing and spoon feeding students information. Instead, I think teachers will be more of a facilitator, where they help lead students to make discoveries and learn by creating projects and having real world experience. Classrooms will no longer have a "front" of the room. Some new classrooms already being built in schools are set up to look more like a lab, with tables and chairs and technology and screens scattered throughout all sides of the room. In these classrooms, teachers are out working with the students and there is not a designated space for presenting. All of the students devices can be linked to screens throughout the room. If funding was not an issue, all students should have access to their own devices, either a laptop or a tablet. The school should also be able to have the students have access to makerspace technologies, like 3D printers. VR headsets would also be a great tool for all students to have access to to experience the world from their classrooms. Funding should also go to keep teachers up to date on the latest technologies available to enhance the classroom. This could be done through workshops, seminars, professional development days, etc. Technology leaders in the school should make certain that everyone is effectively using technology in their classrooms, and that all students are being given ample opportunities to use and learn from it.

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I see the future of our classrooms having a wealth of technology. There will be multiple types of devices available in every classroom. There will be less paper books and more ebooks. Learning will go past the four walls of the classroom. Students will be networking with others around the world. The future generation would learn best in a student centered classroom. The teacher will be the facilitator and the students will be working at their own individual pace. There will be more online courses available for students in the future. Teachers will need to keep up with technological trends by being immersed in professional development. In the future every school will have multiple technology coaches that help support teachers and students in the classroom.

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More specialized instruction and differentiation will both be very important moving forward. The development of technology and the use of it in the classroom will help each of things happen. Technology allows teacher to utilize different tools and resources in order to provide differentiated assessments for students as well as timely (sometimes even instant) feedback.
I would love to see every district be 1:1. That is the type of environment learners will will grow in. Technology outside the classroom is not going anywhere, so we need to familiarize our students with technology inside the classroom. The more comfortable they are with it now, the better off they will be in the long run. If cost was not an issue this is something each district should strive for.
Teachers should be offered workshops by their district every so often. They should be told about new trends, resources, and tools. At the very least, these are topics that can be discussed at staff meetings. We all know that staff meetings aren't the most productive hours we've ever spent, so we might as well talk about technology and discuss new things that we've discovered. If we expect our students to work hard and know how to use technology then we owe it to them to do the same. We are the leaders in the classroom and we should be able to show our students these tools and also answer any questions they might have about them.

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Tech of the dystopian future cult-film, "Demolition Man." Coming to a classroom near you... Or is it... 

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Tech of the dystopian future cult-film, "Demolition Man." Coming to a classroom near you... Or is it... 

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James Meyer

Have you ever seen the 90’s classic, “Demolition man?” In the future they had some goofy things, pleather outfits luxury Taco joints, and Siri style ATM machines that ticketed you for speaking profane remarks. They also had a meeting in which almost everyone was a talking head on a head sized screen. The screen heads could move to track the presenter as he walked around the meeting room. Even as a child, the imagery looked futuristic, and more so, was logical. In a society rich with communication technology why do any of us have to be physically anywhere when we can be virtually everywhere?

When I walk in the classroom of the future I see in-person learning, tools to collaborate and tools to bring out creativity, I also see tools to participate remotely! While the other tools are important, I believe that bringing minds together in collaboration with experts is the game changer that technology can bring.

A teacher is a facilitator of the knowledge transfer process. The knowledge has a source, and a destination which is ultimately a pathway the child’s brain. Teaching works best when the destination is close to the source, as evident in our multiplication tables and other rote memory “transfers.” There a teacher is the primary source.

However, In a future where job markets are depending on creativity, and advanced problem solving, a teacher can simply not sustain being a source for knowledge across the Universe of categories and contexts for learning. There is evidence for that method right here in EDU 520. Look around the room, who are the sources of our knowledge? It is us, from our own perceptions and in our own locations; The future of learning.

Similar benefits need to be brought into the classroom. VR goggles and robotics can bring all students new experiences, taking them on field trips, virtually walking amongst the multiplication tables. Telepresence robots can allow experts and interventionists into the physical space we are occupying. This type of room will break down barriers while still providing shelter. Just remember where we all got the idea. Demolition man of course.

See a telepresence robot in action:

https://youtu.be/Kfd8_GkvM98

Of course the classroom of tomorrow must be totally silver and black, include height adjustable desks, treadmills and fancy chair balls.

Lastly, we must take into account when thinking of the future is that technology is an amplifier. Since the dawn of electricity tech has exponentially changed our trajectory to the future. While we are planning for things we see now, I predict the classroom of tomorrow will be implementing things we haven’t yet thought of yet! Let’s hope it’s excellent.

Have a great summer everyone.

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I think future classrooms are headed in the direction of student choice. Thanks to technology assignments will be choice boards or checklists in which student are able to display they have mastered content through means of which they choose too. Teachers must be flexible and supportive of everyone needs and will need to get used to assessing students in different ways but in a manner that is fair and not objective, which is where I think the challenges will lie. The learning environment will be a cooperative learning community in which students will be able to choose whether they want to work with a team or independently or fluctuate between the two based on the objective the teacher designates. I envision areas where students can work independently without distractions while other students are able to work as a team in the same room without disrupting others. If funding is not an issue all students will have access to a device to take home. Each room will contain presentation hardware, printers, 3D printers, and VR/Augmented Reality tools. Students will be able to visit distant locations within minutes. Teachers will need to learn to throw out the old model of the classroom that we all grew up with and learn how to manage their time assessing different projects and assignments that are supposed to be demonstrating the same content standard. Teachers need training in age appropriate software and the scaffolding to help students who are inefficient with tech which will most likely include more training with tech themselves.

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I see future classrooms becoming more and more student centered and led. Gone are the days of a teacher standing in front of a room lecturing while students take notes. Students are learning more from hands on investigation. Technology is providing students with the means of doing this. If students were able to have one to one technology, that they could take home with them, the entire dynamic of schools would change for the better. Teachers would serve more as a guide for learning. Teachers could be trained for this new environment with professional development and summer courses. Additionally, teachers could team teach to bounce ideas off of one another. Education would have to be ongoing, to keep teachers and administrators ahead of the eight ball. One excellent method would be to provide buildings with technology coaches to provides in the classroom training. Ultimately, in an ideal world, students would learn best from this and be more prepared for the real world.

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The future of all classrooms will hopefully be filled with several tech tools (differentiation at its' finest), student led, instant data driven and fun for all involved. I am sure that most of us in this program are already doing all of these things. I would like see all schools become 1:1 somehow. I know that finances are the ultimate hold up for that, but somehow, someway I would like to see that happen in the near future. The type of environment that I see students learning best is from freedom to choose how they want to learn. Give several options and let them make the call on how they want to learn. If funding were not an issue, I would call on teachers to choose 3 upgrades that they wanted and would use all year in a class. There are so many great free tools out there, but the upgrades make them way cooler. For keeping up with new tech trends, I would be for PD days to be led by teachers showing other teachers what they use in their classes and allow them to collaborate on that topic. Since the world of tech is ever changing, someone can always learn something new!!.
https://www.novadesk.com/blog/bid/56428/5-Ways-to-a-Tech-and-Fun-Filled-Classroom.html

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I think that in the upcoming years we will see a shift in our classrooms from the innovative technologies that will be introduced. I can see the classrooms of the future being more student designed and led than they are now. Technology will allow classrooms to be more inclusive, giving students of all ability levels the opportunity to showcase learned information. Teachers will no longer present information one way but allow students to use self-discovery to gather their own understanding. Technology will also provide opportunities for students to learn through various modalities, increasing student success rates. Additionally, I think that technology will bring stakeholders closer and allow them to more easily interact and collaboratively develop strategies to meet a desired vision. However, in order for all of these things to be effective, schools will have to acquire the technology. I predict that in our future we will see a shift of school funding going toward providing technology for classrooms all around the country. (at least I hope) Educators should be provided 1:1 technology devices in order to properly prepare their students to be successful in the society we live in. Lastly, administrators, teachers, students, and other stakeholders will need to commit to being lifelong learners in order to ensure that they stay current and positively contribute to our technological world.

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Blended Learning. Flipped Classrooms. Global Connections and Projects. These are all things that I can see happening and changing the future of education. I see utilizing technology to not only enhance the content, but to also give students more ownership of their learning, and more opportunities to connect and work with other people. The best learning environment for students in today's generation and the future will be one where technology is equally balanced into the curriculum. One where it allows students to not only learn but also create and invent with technology. If funding was not an issue, I believe every student should have his or her own chromebook. I believe 1:1 would make a big difference. Teachers need to attend professional developments, ask younger teachers for new programs, and even ask their students to teach them new programs to ensure they keep up with the trends.

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I see the future of education heading towards a more application and synthesis model rather than one where content is given directly to the students. The delivery of new content will be done with technology and the role of the teacher will be to facilitate and hone student skills. The advancement of technology has caused the traditional model of knowing and memorizing content to fall by the wayside. This is not to say that the memorization of facts is bad, but not as necessary as it used to be. I believe the type of learning environment that best suits students today would be one that uses technology to develop knowledge, innovate, and create. Our devices now play the role of a dictionary, encyclopedia, calculator, etc. We have a world of information and tools at our fingertips, but we need to know how to use and apply it appropriately. Education has shifted towards more student centered, inquiry based learning which stresses higher order thinking and application.

Without getting to into educational apps and subscriptions, I believe that all students should have access to a PC/Mac laptop. Chromebooks are decent and economical, but do not have the storage and processing power as full operating systems. The shear number of programs and applications available to students with full computers is far superior to chromebooks. Managing the devices would require a IT department to ensure servers are up, firewalls are in place, devices work properly, and that teachers have the necessary technology available to them. Projectors, Smartboards, or TVs still play a role in education and can be used by teachers or students to share information. In science, data sensors and analysis software is key in developing 21st century skills. Programs such as AutoCAD/Creo and tools such as 3D printers/laser cutters could help aspiring engineers learn the basics of design early on. Additionally, video recording equipment and editing tools could be used to start a film departement.

I believe the idea that educators need to change as the world changes and the implementation of technology go hand and hand. Many of today’s teachers were not born into technology like our students and have had to adapt. Honestly, if teachers aren't willing to continue to grow and adapt their methods to today’s students they should step aside. The differentiation that comes along with technology is to great to ignore and passionate teachers at all levels need to work hard to utilize it. If we expect the students to work hard, innovate, and push their own boundaries, we need to hold educators to the same standard.

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When I think of school “Eutopia’ I think of Willoughby school of innovation. I was able to go and tour this school with some of my colleagues because we wanted to view their makerspace. Willoughby school of innovation is housed in a former training center for the local Eaton Corporation. The school still carries an air of business, with large conference rooms, breakout collaboration spaces, and even a fully furnished boardroom. There, students get a taste of formal presentations by addressing partners, parents, and peers at the full-size conference table. The presenters can be as young as seven years old, and he hopes to help every student become a confident presenter before they leave the building.

There is also an emphasis on collaboration, both for students and their teachers. Every middle school teacher has 85 or 90 minutes of collaboration time daily, with the whole team,  With consistent time together, teachers bridge the gaps between disciplines, and develop robust problem-based learning units. The Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation (WESOI) is a platform school that infuses STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum and instructional practices with a focus on rigorous Design Focused Learning™ beginning in 3rd grade. Designed Focused Learning™ means that students and teachers are co-designers of the work. The students are engaged in solving problems and developing skills through process-based learning opportunities. Teaching and learning are still centered around grade level standards while students work collaboratively across grade levels and disciplines.

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The Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation

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The Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation, Willoughby Hills, Ohio. 1.4K likes. This page was created to dispense information, answer questions, and promote the Willoughby-Eastlake School of...

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What ideas do you have for a classroom “utopia”?

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What ideas do you have for a classroom “utopia”?

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INCLUDE YOUR NAME
Share your thoughts!  Feel free to also add a picture or graphic if it helps to illustrate your ideas!