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Since switching to online learning in March I believe there are a variety of scenarios that have changed classrooms in the future. All of these scenarios include an advancement in classroom technology. I think schools and parents are becoming more open to online learning and could potentially lead to teachers posting all of their lessons online. I completed our major presentation on flipped classrooms. I believe that teachers will utilize the flipped classroom format even more now since they know students are capable of completing content activities at home. Since the future of education in fall is so unknown right now I think schools will be more prepared than ever before to expect the unexpected.

Classroom learning environments vary from districts to grade levels. I believe the next generation will best learn when there is some sort of technological activity included in lessons. This group of students were born into an era where technology is readily available in their home and often used to entertain them when parents are busy.

If funding were not an issue I believe all students should have access to both a computer and a tablet. When teaching online it was very difficult at times to find online labs to teach my science units. If the students had access to a tablet, there are a variety of applications that would have enhanced my students' learning and kept them motivated to learn the content I was teaching.

I feel very fortunate to have knowledge in a variety of technology that made my lessons engaging online. Some of the teachers in my district struggled with uploading videos for their online lessons. I would suggest having teachers complete a technology course every time they need to renew their license. Technology is constantly changing and I think with more knowledge of all the options teachers can create unique and enhanced lessons in their everyday classroom.

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Classrooms of the future are incorporating more technology. Teachers are using tools to provide students with more current and interactive learning resources and students are getting access to technology in their hands. As different students learn differently, a blended classroom will be a good balance. This would allow teachers and students to take advantage of technology resources with hands on lessons still being incorporated. While the use of technology is important to help students become 21st century learners, incorporating hands on lessons will help students who learn better with that way.

If funding was not an issue, one to one technology for all students/grades, this would include a tablet/laptop for each student and either a charger or charging cart.  For teachers their resources would include: laptop, software, white board, projector. Also, additional technology staff in each building to help with training and maintenance.

Professional development will be key to implementing technology in the schools. Giving teachers access to technology doesn't do any good if they do not know how to use it. General training could be provided on basic technology and on pd days, teachers should be able to meet in teams (grade/subject level) to collaborate on how to use to use technology effectively in the classroom. They could discuss what is working well and learn from what the other is doing.

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I believe that the next generation will learn best with technology being the main tool for instruction. Technology should not be used as a way to instruct, but as a tool to enhance the learning environment. As a result, I believe our future classrooms will look much different than they do today. The classroom will become even more student-centered, instead of being teacher-centered. A teacher’s main goal will be to develop twenty-first century skills as well as to help students become digitally literature and digital citizens. In addition, technology will play an important role in the future classroom. Technology allows for more student-centered lessons and more student engagement and interaction. 

If funding weren’t an issue each school in the United States would have a 1:1 student to technology ratio. The 1:1 ratio would ensure an equitable education for each student in addition to lessening the digital divide. 

In order for teachers to keep up with current technology trends, it is important that they continue to seek and receive professional development courses. The professional development should focus on how to use technology and how to integrate [new] technology into the classroom.

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The best thing about the future is that possibilities are limitless; the sky is the limit, so to speak. When I think about the future of classrooms, I see an increase in: digital equality, student-centered learning, collaborative learning, instruction on digital etiquette & responsibility, instructional coaches, technology-based professional development, game-based learning and blended learning. An increase in all of these areas will undoubtedly better prepare students for “the real world.”

When thinking about the next generation, I think the learning environment they would learn best in is that of a blended learning environment. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have found that online learning worked well for some students while others truly struggled with this type of learning environment. Now, this could definitely be because of how we were all so quickly “forced” into a new way of learning and the children (and many teachers) were just not prepared for it. But, I think it’s more than that. We know that children learn in different ways, so we need to make sure that we are doing what we can to provide a variety of ways for students to learn. And I think blended learning is the perfect way to do this because blended learning can look however a teacher would like it to, as long as both in class and online instruction & learning activities are provided.

If funding wasn’t an issue, I think the kind of hardware/software all students should have access to is a device (iPad or Chromebook), as well as 1 cart per grade level of the opposite device they use daily. For example, if K-2 students have 1:1 iPads, each grade level should also have access to a cart of Chromebooks that could be “rented out” when desired, and vise versa for those who have 1:1 Chromebooks for daily use. Doing this would provide students with the best of both worlds, as we all know that these two types of devices provide students with different learning opportunities. Also, students should have access to reliable, high-speed, high-bandwidth internet (both at school & at home – school provided if necessary). 1:1 devices are going to be ineffective in enhancing student learning if internet speed and bandwidth are not reliable or are slow. Additionally, students should have access to individualized learning platforms, specifically ones that adjust as the child is learning or that a teacher can adjust based on student learning. While it would be great for students to have access to these things, let’s not forget that proper instruction on how to use the devices and learning platforms needs to be provided for their effective use.

The biggest thing that I think needs to happen with teacher training in order to keep up with current trends is to have more consistent and relevant professional development. In an ideal world, technological teacher training should be happening more than 1-3 a school year; it should be happening once a month or every 6 weeks.  The teacher training can be provided by technology coaches (if your district has them), through workshops either held by outside entities or co-teachers or through online trainings (self-paced). Learning from a co-teacher who has access to the same technologies as you, as well as works with a similar set of students as you, can be very motivating. Intermittent “check-ins” also need to happen in-between any teacher trainings so as to help ensure understanding and answer any questions that may arise once implementing new hardware/software. If providing teacher training this frequently is not feasible, then at the very minimum, teacher training needs to occur before the school year starts and then at the end of every quarter throughout the school year.

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Classroom of Tomorrow (Christie Tchompalov)

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Classroom of Tomorrow (Christie Tchompalov)

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Personally, I believe that although we as teachers have the background to make decisions about our classrooms inevitably the decisions may be made by the state. For example, currently our schools were closed and we were thrown into online teaching. I believe that our classroom environment will depend on the environment we live in outside of our schools. We may be a hybrid of online and in-person, exclusively online or the structure of our days and student interactions may be greatly affected.

Having said this, I believe that in general we should be working towards more project based interdisciplinary learning. Students learn through doing and so more hands on lessons are definitely a go! I think that STEM and STEAM learning will become more prevalent and technology use will also become more prevalent. Every person at one point in their lives will be using a computer and so I believe that teaching students how to use computers and transferrable skills with technology and software will greatly benefit their growth and success.

**not finished yet**

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I believe that classrooms are headed in a much more student-focused direction. As jobs evolve, we don't have a great need for people that are experts in individual subject areas. Flexible collaborative problem-solving skills are much more useful in today's world, and those skills are not developed through the same educational practices that were used decades ago. As schools move toward problem-based learning, teachers become facilitators rather than simple wells of knowledge.

I think the next generation would learn best in an environment based around both in person and remote collaboration. Very few careers have anyone working in isolation, and the pandemic has shown us the importance of being able to communicate from home. I think that moving toward a group goal oriented format of education will help students develop beneficial skills for transitioning to adulthood. I also see how this could be a difficult transition to make. Schools, teachers, and students are so accustomed to the way things are now. Moving away from the traditional structure of lesson, quiz, support, test can't happen overnight. If collaborative learning can become the norm for younger grades, the transition will be easier as those students grow up.

If funding weren't an issue, I think it would be great for all students to have access to iPads with keyboards and Apple Pencils. We currently provide all of our students with Chromebooks. These are great for a lot of project-based learning applications, but I've found that students have a really hard time learning to type mathematical and scientific expressions. Providing iPads with Apple Pencils would allow students to write expressions by hand and submit them to their teachers. Teachers could then put feedback directly on the document and send it back to the student immediately.

The day Ohio's schools were closed in March, our faculty met for a half-day of professional development focused on remote learning. Emotions were mixed; some teachers were indifferent or even excited about the concept of remote learning, while others were anxious. Moving forward, I think it's important to prepare teachers for a wider range of class formats. Traditional classrooms are great, but not always the safest option. I'm hoping that teacher training programs at colleges are considering adding courses focused on remote learning.

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Education has adapted over the years and there is no reason to think that change is going to stop in the classroom. Every experience we encounter brings a new light to education and we find different ways to reach all of our students. As technology continues to grow, and more and more teachers (especially after this pandemic) learn the benefits - and struggles - of technology in the classroom, we will continue to build the "classroom of tomorrow".

Personally, I believe these classrooms will be more students led, with a strong base in technology. Schools are beginning to build their curriculum centered around creative thinking and problem solving skills and I can only see this as a great way for students to take charge of their own learning and collaborate with their instructors and peers as they continue to learn and grow. With these recent, strange times of COVID, schools (and work places for that matter) have learned that many students are learning to self-pace and motivate themselves. With the growth of technology, I see the classroom of tomorrow giving all students access to 1-1 technology and internet access.

Schools must begin looking ahead and prepare their students for what is to come in 10-20 years when they enter the workforce. Allowing students to be more creative and innovative in the classroom encourages growth, problem solving, and collaboration. Teachers will hopefully continue to grow on cross-curricular lessons and allow students to think outside the box while they learn.

Technology provides an opportunity for students to be in contact with one another, teachers, administrators, businesses, and others around the world, and as Learning Management Systems continue to provide new online instruction tools, teachers should be taking advantage of the thought that learning can take place anywhere and at anytime. The classroom of tomorrow should be an experience every student comes to school excited to see what they can do next.

With these changes, professional development and collaboration between teachers needs to be built to develop these skills. Continuous professional development opportunities for teachers on new technology and styles of learning should occur in schools, whether they are offered each day, once a week, or month, teachers should be given the tools and time to work with one another to understand and master these new technologies and learning styles. It was a wild ride these past couple months, but it was awesome to see teachers come together and help one another build remote learning units, now just imagine what can be done when this energy is used on all different styles of learning!

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In most aspects of life, I have always felt that there should be a balance of tradition modern. Classrooms should be no exception to that. We are living in a wonderful time, where we can do pretty much anything we can imagine in our classrooms. That being said, we also should not forget how we got to this point. I feel that mixing the tried and true methods of teaching along with the wonderful elements that modern technology brings in will result in the Classroom of the Future.

In these classrooms, students will be able to guide their own learning, with the help of teachers who have knowledge of multiple different ways of instructing. Students will have access to an abundance of resources that will foster their growth as both students and lifelong learners. We, as teachers will still deliver content, direct instruction at times, and let the students run with that content and take it whatever direction they can. As a history teacher, it is important to teach students how to think instead of what to think, and with the technology available to them they will be able to see things from multiple perspectives and creatively come to their own conclusions. Other important aspects of the Classroom of Tomorrow will be its inclusiveness, diversity, and respect for differing opinions, which are all things this world obviously needs more of.

Students still need structure in the classroom and that will be our job as educators. We will provide some direct instruction to learn key concepts then will evolve into guides for the students to further delve into the material. The role of the teacher will be both an instructor and a guide. Hopefully teacher education programs are already teaching our future educators how this can be done. Veteran teachers may need to adapt to come into that roles. However, I'm a firm believer that if the methods of a veteran teacher are working, they really do not need to change too much, just adapt a little bit to the current trends. Professional Developments should be geared toward helping teachers fulfill this role and administrators should be supportive of teachers trying new things and becoming this new style of educator.

Students really do not need much more than they already have in many cases. A device (I prefer Chromebooks, but iPads, cell phones, etc. would all work) is really all students need to access anything they need. Schools should focus on keeping these devices up to date, quickly repairing damaged devices, and finding the best ways to share information, presentations, videos, etc. among the many devices.

The future of education is here right now and we need to embrace all the opportunities that we can give our students.We need to take what has worked in the past and fuse that with all the new methods and opportunities available to us to make the Classroom of the Future a place where students feel safe, comfortable, and valued, which in turn will contribute to make society better overall.

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Our future classrooms are headed into a direction that incorporates tech-integration and web 2.0 technology resources in all K-12 classrooms and subjects, as well as providing different hands-on approaches to learning to meet our diverse learners in our classrooms. As future Tech Coaches, by integrating technology in our classrooms, we are providing our students different opportunities to learn different skills and key concepts that will spark an interest and bring the content/materials to life.
I believe students will learn best in a positive environment where they are comfortable and can grow as future 21st-century learners. Furthermore, students will learn best in this environment of technology because our students have grown up with these different technology devices and they have been immersed in technology for years. Our students in the future will grow up with iPads, iPhones, different gaming programs, all of which will be at their fingertips. By integrating technology into the classroom, the students will be able to showcase their learning based on their interests and be engaged and attentive with the material that is presented.
In my opinion, our students learn best through Project-Based Learning Units. I believe that PBL Units are awesome ways for students to learn the content in a meaningful approach (collaboration, cross-curricular, worldview, or even community opportunities). I utilize Project-Based Learning with my students in Spanish and it is awesome to see what my students have created! With PBL units, you are expanding your students' knowledge with more exposure to different skills (such as problem-solving skills, collaboration skills, etc.) that will assist our 21st-century learners in their future careers. I love using PBL units with my students because building a positive rapport with my students is vital for student success. By allowing my student's different opportunities to connect their interests and experiences with the PBL unit, the students are actively engaged with the content and the students can immerse themselves with authentic Spanish topics.
If funding were not an issue, I would ensure that all students have access to either a tablet (such as an iPad) or even a Chromebook to use during the school day. With each student having access to a Chromebook device throughout the school day, the teachers would not have any issues or concerns on which student(s) have a Chromebook device or which student(s) do not have one. Also, I believe it would be useful if schools had an iPad/tablet cart where teachers can check out the tablets for their classrooms. Some apps such as ChatterPix Kids work better on an iPad device, so having different options for teachers as well as their students to use in the classroom as opposed to only utilizing a Chromebook would be awesome when completing different activities.
Furthermore, if funding were not an issue in my Spanish classroom, I would ensure that all students have access to a software that is geared towards their specific learning style following Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences (such as visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, musical-rhythmic, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, logical-mathematical, etc.) and learning levels (specifically for reading, listening, speaking, and writing in Spanish). Having a diverse amount of learners in my World Language classroom, having access to different resources such as books, articles, magazines, video segments, etc. would be vital for students to learn Spanish authentically. The different software programs would allow my students to demonstrate how they learn best in my classroom in a way they feel they can be successful.
In regards to teacher training, teachers should be required to attend at least one professional development session, if not more, every school year to learn how to integrate/implement new tech-tools and find new methods to keep their classrooms up-to-date with different trends in educational technology. Many strategies and even new trends are growing every day. It is our duty as teachers to ensure that our students are receiving a valuable educational experience while they are in our classrooms each day. By using our knowledge that we have learned during our professional development sessions and sharing our ideas and collaborating with our grade-level teams or even our departments this will translate to our students being successful 21st-century learners. As educators, it is our job to stay on top of the latest trends in educational technology by conducting our own research on different web 2.0 technology resources as well as opportunities for training so we are comfortable and familiar with these tech-resources to use them with our students. Finally, technology is constantly evolving every minute of the day, and as educators, there is always something that we can do to improve our students' learning and development in our classrooms.

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In the future, I envision our classrooms looking much more technologically advanced than they do today. According to “Future of the Classroom,” The average amount of time Americans under 8 years old spent with mobile devices each day tripled between 2013 and 2017.” This research tells us that students are being exposed to the technological world at a very young age and are interacting with technology for a large portion of their day. Therefore, I not only believe that our future classrooms will provide students physical access to more technology, but they will integrate digital citizenship and digital literacy programs into the mandated curriculum. As an early childhood educator, we are required to show a 10 minute video on digital citizenship and lead a follow up discussion with our students at the beginning of the year. I do not believe that the content in the video is suitable for K-1 students and I think it is very challenging to teach students digital citizenship/digital literacy skills and expect them to fully grasp the concept in 30 min. I believe that administration needs to put a team of administrators, tech coaches, and teachers together to develop a digital citizenship/digital literacy skills curriculum to implement for K-12. If students are expected to enter the workforce with the ability to problem solve unforeseen challenges, think critically, and apply computational thinking, then they must be taught how to interact with technology at a young age.

I believe that our next generation would learn best in a learning environment that is collaborative and student centered. I believe that all grade levels K-12 will start using more tables versus individual student desks in the classroom to enhance teamwork and collaboration. Also, I envision teachers offering more flexible seating choices to meet the needs of their students. Future learning spaces will be more open and less cluttered to allow optimal room for movement and technology devices. In the future, I predict that student led learning in the classroom will become the norm. According to “Future of the Classroom,” 89% of US educators rate student led learning as “very important” or “important” to student development.” Instead of the traditional teacher led lessons in which the teacher tells the students what they need to know, the students will learn the target concepts through self discovery and experimentation. Access to various types of technology will allow students to have choice in their learning. Learning will become much more individualized through differentiated types of technology.

If funding weren’t an issue, I would want the students in my school to have full access to Wevideo or another video editing program, 3D printers, 3D print software, virtual reality headsets and software, coding programs, student response systems, and Dash and Dot coding robots. In addition, students in middle, high school, and college should have access to a live scribe pen for note taking. I believe that a live scribe pen would’ve been beneficial for me when I was in school.

In order to keep up with teaching trends, I believe that educators need to be supported and encouraged by administration to experiment with new technology trends. Administration needs to foster and build a working environment in which educators feel comfortable to take risks. If funding wasn’t an issue, it would be ideal for each elementary and middle school as well as the high school to have a plethora of technology coaches available to support teachers in implementing technology into their curriculum. The technology coaches must have knowledge of the most current and innovative technology trends as well as the educational standards to best help teachers to enhance their teaching.

Future of the Classroom | Google for Education.
(n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://edu.google.com/latest-news/future-of-the-classroom/?utm_source=web

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I see the future classroom becoming a space where education becomes more student-focused where they are challenged to solve problems on their own with a heavy focus on STEM.  Also, I think the COVID-19 pandemic has show both educators and students what can be done in remote learning environments and what issues need to be addressed with remote learning.  I can see more educators feeling comfortable flipping their classrooms or adding flipped classroom activities more frequently to their classes, as well as incorporating more Project Based Learning to replace some summative assessments that used to be done with a quiz or test.

As for what technology was made available for both the staff and students, every student should have a laptop or tablet that they can take home to do their work.  It’d be awesome if all schools had maker-spaces and computer labs with more powerful computers and VR setups so they could experience real virtual field trips that aren’t powered by their cellphones and a Google Cardboard.  Also, it’d be great to give every student access to create programs like the full Adobe Creative Suite, so they could use programs like Photoshop and Premiere to make professional-looking projects, using the same software that the pros use.

All of this technology would be wasted if the staff didn’t have any training with the equipment, teacher training is a vital part of the classroom of the future.  The teaching staff needs to get frequent exposure to new trends and technologies that they can bring into their classrooms that can help them teach their curriculum in new and exciting ways that get the students engaged and learning more.  The COVID-19 pandemic forced many teachers to experiment and try new ways of teaching their students, and this would be better supported through formal professional development, and I’m sure many districts are working on this issue right now as we move on to another abnormal school year that will have many of us teaching and learning from home.

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I see our classrooms becoming much more student-driven with technologies integrated authentically and much more frequently. The changes in classrooms continue to progress towards innovative pedagogies and technologies. I believe this will not only continue, but increase as the needs of our students to be prepared for adult life becomes more apparent. Teachers are irreplaceable, and I see them becoming an even larger part of the digital world as it makes it way into classrooms.

Students are becoming increasingly savvy with technologies. However, one thing will always remain the same: our students are not the same, nor will they ever learn the same way. While I believe there are many benefits to using more technologies and even creating STEM programs, it is important to remember that not all students will be successful in those types of classrooms. I think a well-balanced environment that incorporates technologies but also fosters soft skills is crucial for the next generation. There is something to be said about face-to-face interactions and communications.

If funding were not an issue, I believe all students should have access to a Chromebook/laptop, with various programs and resources available. I also think Makerspace should be accessible to all students, as there are a plethora of tools, resources, and programs that meet the interests and needs of all types of students. Video recording/programming resources and tools should also be available, as there are so many ways to teach and engage students in their learning with those tools.

Learning new trends and technologies can be very intimidating for teachers. I think it is important that teachers not only receive proper and regular training, but also ample time to practice using the new technologies/trends so they are confident with them. Oftentimes, teachers walk away from PD sessions feeling overwhelmed without an idea of where to even begin. Streamlining the PD would be beneficial to help teachers overcome those feelings and have a sense of ease and confidence to learn and implement the new technologies/trends.

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I see the positive changes in the future of classrooms. However, due to the current pandemic, it is unforeseen how it will effect the learning environment when we return back to school in the fall. Instead of students working directly in groups, there might be much more interaction and a distance and greater reliance on technology. In part, this could be a positive change, especially for those in our masters program. Many teachers will get increased training and practice with technology and see the benefits of utilizing it more in the classroom. The pandemic can certainly push classrooms of the future ahead of schedule, from a technology standpoint.

In a perfect world,  educators would have access to all the technology and opportunities available to the wealthiest of districts. This starts with simply making sure that each student has a personal device, such as a chromebook. (In my district we have to share a cart throughout our grade level, which can be frustrating) Not only would it be ideal to have access to the technology tools, but having tech classes offered to students earlier in their education would be beneficial - such as computer science, robotics, coding, etc. That way when students are presented with tech projects in class, it would be second nature to them.

The learning environment should be highly interactive and applicable to their lives and interests. Project based learning is a great place to start, and even developing projects where students can make real change in their communities. The use of lecture classes is slowly fading (although it does have it's necessary place) and with the ease of access to information, it's not as important for students to simply memorize facts. They need to develop ideas and become critical thinkers.

There certainly needs to be extensive teacher training to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology. Teachers also need to feel as if they have the proper resources to use tech in the classroom, or they wont take the classes seriously. I see a positive outlook for our future classrooms!

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I believe that future classrooms will be much different than the classrooms of today. The use of technology in schools will continue to rise from year to year. Technology integration will be part of each lesson.  Most classes will transform from teacher-led instruction into a student-driven model.

In the future, I see more school districts switching to a STEAM-based learning approach. The STEAM learning environment is much more engaging and exciting for students. That is why I consider it the best fit for the next generation. If you were to walk into a STEAM classroom, you would see educators helping students develop critical thinking skills and collaboration skills to prepare them for the real world. You would observe students participating in hands-on activities. Each student would have a digital device that he/she uses to research, explore, and create interactive presentations. You would also notice students collaborating in groups and having meaningful discussions as they try to come up with solutions to problems.

If funding were not an issue, schools should provide each student with a laptop. In addition to the laptops, each classroom should also have a set of tablets to use for video production. Providing students with devices allows for more technology integration in the classroom. Using a variety of digital devices will benefit students and prepare them for the future.

Technology is continually changing. Therefore, teachers should be provided with training regularly. School administrators need to ensure that educators are receiving enough training to keep up with current trends. In addition to training, teachers should also receive time to practice newly learned technologies. Often districts provide training on new technology trends; however, they fail to give teachers the time to experiment with the new technology. As a result, teachers choose not to implement that new technology trend into their instruction due to a lack of confidence. I believe that with increased technology training and practice, teachers will be more likely to implement new technologies into their teaching.