A trend that I see becoming more common, and which has come to the forefront due to COVID, is the practice of student-centered teaching. Through this practice, students have much more control over their learning while teachers, instead of being the absolute authority in the classroom, act more as guides through the learning process. I feel that the days of teachers distributing information are coming to an end; students taking an active role in their own education is incredibly beneficial and a path that should be pursued. Another path I see future classrooms following is the idea of the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom being eroded. Before the advent and increasing adoption of online and hybrid learning, there was a clear and designated learning space - the classroom. Nowadays, and in the future, learning can take place almost anywhere and at any time. I feel this shift will greatly impact the idea of education as a whole and we, as educators, need to reimagine content delivery outside the parameters of an actual room.

2. What kind of learning environment do you think the next generation would learn best?

This can be a difficult question because people learn “best” in a variety of different ways and environments; I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution. Having said that, I do believe that a fantastic learning environment would be one that affords students the opportunities for hands-on and real-world learning. This, most likely, would be a hybrid model - a blend of in-person and online instruction. While certain subjects in school are more abstract than others, that doesn’t mean they need to be presented in an abstract way. It is critically important for students to be able to relate their education to real-life examples as they will be expected to apply what they know in the “real world.” An environment that also focuses on collaboration is important as well. The ability to work effectively with others is incredibly important and will be vital in our future.

3. If funding weren’t an issue, what kind of hardware/software should all students have access to? 

If funding weren’t an issue, I think all students should have access to some kind of hybrid device, most likely a 2-in-1 laptop (or a dedicated laptop and separate tablet). This would give students the widest availability in terms of learning potential because there are some subjects that are just too difficult to sufficiently teach without pen and paper (or their digital counterparts). High-speed and reliable internet is also a necessity. If the hybrid model of school continues, which it undoubtedly will, then access to fast and stable internet is a must. Without it, students will be left behind. Finally, students should have access to any software that is important for education. This includes, but isn’t limited to: Microsoft Suite, Adobe Suite, Apple Education Apps, and more. Finally, all of these fancy bells and whistles are useless without the knowledge of how to use them. Students should be able to receive training on how to use these technologies to effectively use and learn from them. 

4. What consideration would you give to teacher training and keeping up with current trends?

For me, teacher training and keeping up with current technology and education trends are a must. It is vital for teachers to be able to keep pace with ever-growing and -expanding technology trends; otherwise, they will be left in the dust. I think this past year was a wakeup call for everyone and showed all educators that we can’t really use ignorance of technology as an excuse when before COVID it was easy to fall back on this excuse. Of course, teachers don’t have to be experts in ALL forms of technology; what is important is their mindset. If they want to learn, they will. I think professional developments would be a great method of getting, and keeping, everyone up to speed; this way, no individual is singled out for any gaps in knowledge. These professional developments can foster a sense of community among teachers so we can continuously lift each other up for the benefit of ourselves and our students. For this to take place, however, teachers need to recognize that the “old” methods of teaching just can’t cut it anymore; we have to learn and adapt to keep up with the times. Many teachers are often overwhelmed, this past year in particular. It would not be wise to burden every individual teacher with their own technology education and practice; that is why professional developments are incredibly important as the burden of learning falls on the group and not the individual.