[Pibe-division] Educational Food for Thought: 21 Things That Will Be Obso...

Sat Dec 10 13:56:56 UTC 2011

Thanks for this, Dr. V. My own children are ages 6 and 3, and it will be  
interesting to witness innovation going forward. Currently, at least in  
Louisiana, most things continue to be done using the paper and pencil approach.  
However, there are certain aspects of instruction which are hinting at the  
changes to come. Now, if an affordable multiline braille display solution 
could  be developed and cleverly marketed for blind consumers, we too could 
spearhead  the green movement. I hope and pray that humanity, students, 
teachers, and  parents, will strive harder to utilize these kinds of exciting and 
beneficial  future tools for the greater good of their kids and therefor 
society as a  whole.

A great weekend to each of you!

Eric Guillory
PIBE President

In a message dated 12/10/2011 1:16:42 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
pumpkinracer at gmail.com writes:

A glimpse  into the future? Here is this week’s “Principal's  Message” 
from my eldest  son’s high school newsletter: 
Principal's  Message 
December 2,  2012 
My daughter  Katie will be starting her senior year in the fall of 2020.  
She is only  in the 3rd grade now, but has an email account, which she  
regularly uses to communicate with her teacher about homework.  I often  think 
about how different her educational experience is from what mine  was.  She 
uses her iPad to go over math concepts and reads her books  through a Kindle 
app.  
I often  wonder how different her high school experience will be from what 
I experience  now.  This summer I stumbled upon this article online.  While 
not  expert in any way, it is an interesting opinion on where we are 
possibly  headed.  What a better way to end the year than looking toward the  
future. 
_21 Things That Will Be Obsolete By  2020_ 
(http://mbusd.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b50ae2c8e9e6deded6721ac75&id=e621027afb&e=fbd6a8086f)  
Shelly  Blake-Plock 
1.  DESKS 
The 21st  century does not fit neatly into rows. Neither should your 
students. Allow the  network-based concepts of flow, collaboration, and dynamism 
help you rearrange  your room for authentic 21st century learning. 
2. LANGUAGE  LABS 
Foreign  language acquisition is only a smartphone away. Get rid of those 
clunky  desktops and monitors and do something fun with that room. 
3.  COMPUTERS 
Ok, so this  is a trick answer. More precisely this one should read: ‘Our 
concept of what a  computer is’. Because computing is going mobile and over 
the next decade we’re  going to see the full fury of individualized computing 
via handhelds come to  the fore. Can’t wait. 
4.  HOMEWORK 
The 21st  century is a 24/7 environment. And the next decade is going to 
see the  traditional temporal boundaries between home and school disappear. 
And despite  whatever Secretary Duncan might say, we don’t need kids to ‘go 
to school’  more; we need them to ‘learn’ more. And this will be done 24/7 
and on the move  (see #3). 
5. THE ROLE  OF STANDARDIZED TESTS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS 
The AP Exam  is on its last legs. The SAT isn’t far behind. Over the next 
ten years, we  will see Digital Portfolios replace test scores as the #1 
factor in college  admissions. 
6.  DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION AS A SIGN OF DISTINGUISHED TEACHER 
The 21st  century is customizable. In ten years, the teacher who hasn’t yet 
figured out  how to use tech to personalize learning will be the teacher 
out of a job.  Differentiation won’t make you ‘distinguished’; it’ll just be 
a natural part  of your work. 
7. FEAR OF  WIKIPEDIA 
Wikipedia is  the greatest democratizing force in the world right now. If 
you are afraid of  letting your students peruse it, it’s time you get over 
yourself. 
8.  PAPERBACKS 
Books were  nice. In ten years’ time, all reading will be via digital 
means. And yes, I  know, you like the ‘feel’ of paper. Well, in ten years’ time 
you’ll hardly  tell the difference as ‘paper’ itself becomes digitized. 
9.  ATTENDANCE OFFICES 
Bio scans.  ‘Nuff said. 
10.  LOCKERS 
A  coat-check, maybe. 
11. I.T.  DEPARTMENTS 
Ok, so this  is another trick answer. More subtly put: IT Departments as we 
currently know  them. Cloud computing and a decade’s worth of increased 
wifi and satellite  access will make some of the traditional roles of IT — 
software, security, and  connectivity — a thing of the past. What will IT 
professionals do with all  their free time? Innovate. Look to tech departments to 
instigate real change  in the function of schools over the next twenty 
years. 
12.  CENTRALIZED INSTITUTIONS 
School  buildings are going to become ‘homebases’ of learning, not the 
institutions  where all learning happens. Buildings will get smaller and 
greener, student  and teacher schedules will change to allow less people on campus 
at any one  time, and more teachers and students will be going out into 
their communities  to engage in experiential learning. 
13.  ORGANIZATION OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES BY GRADE 
Education  over the next ten years will become more individualized, leaving 
the bulk of  grade-based learning in the past. Students will form peer 
groups by interest  and these interest groups will petition for specialized 
learning. The  structure of K-12 will be fundamentally altered. 
14.  EDUCATION SCHOOLS THAT FAIL TO INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY 
This is  actually one that could occur over the next five years. Education 
Schools have  to realize that if they are to remain relevant, they are going 
to have to  demand that 21st century tech integration be modeled by the 
very professors  who are supposed to be preparing our teachers. 
15.  PAID/OUTSOURCED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
No one knows  your school as well as you. With the power of a PLN 
(professional learning  networks) in their back pockets, teachers will rise up to 
replace peripatetic  professional development gurus as the source of school 
wide professional  development programs. This is already happening. 
16. CURRENT  CURRICULAR NORMS 
There is no  reason why every student needs to take however many credits in 
the same course  of study as every other student. The root of curricular 
change will be the  shift in middle schools to a role as foundational content 
providers and high  schools as places for specialized learning. 
17.  PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE NIGHT 
Ongoing  parent-teacher relations in virtual reality will make 
parent-teacher  conference nights seem quaint. Over the next ten years, parents and 
teachers  will become closer than ever as a result of virtual communication  
opportunities. And parents will drive schools to become ever more tech  
integrated. 
18. TYPICAL  CAFETERIA FOOD 
Nutrition  information + handhelds + cost comparison = the end of $3.00 
bowls of  microwaved mac and cheese. At least, I so hope so. 
19.  OUTSOURCED GRAPHIC DESIGN AND WEB DESIGN 
You need a  website/brochure/promo/etc.? Well, for goodness sake just let 
your kids do it.  By the end of the decade — in the best of schools — they 
will be. 
20. HIGH  SCHOOL ALGEBRA 1 
Within the  decade, it will either become the norm to teach this course in 
middle school  or we’ll have finally woken up to the fact that there’s no 
reason to give  algebra weight over statistics and I.T. in high school for 
non-math majors  (and they will have all taken it in middle school anyway). 
21.  PAPER 
In ten  years’ time, schools will decrease their paper consumption by no 
less than  90%. And the printing industry and the copier industry and the 
paper industry  itself will either adjust or perish. 
Go  MUSTANGS!  
Ben  Dale  
Principal  
Mira Costa  High  School

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