The Future of Education & My Educational Philosophy, Based on the Horizon Report (extra post)

What do I think the future holds for education? What an enormous question to be asked of such a little person. 

I think that the future demands strong, intelligent, and educated role models, especially when dealing with technology. Manitoba's teachers need to be well-versed in apps and the internet, and must be prepared to model this knowledge pedagogically. Students are able and willing to use technology in their social lives, but are not as savvy as we would assume when it comes to their academic lives. This needs to change, since, when it comes down to it, technology is the future of both academia and the workplace. And by teaching our students how to use technology academically, I do not only mean teaching them to use Microsoft Word - I mean bringing the social media they know and love outside the classroom, into the classroom.

As was discussed at the BYOD panel, I think filters and uber-privacy are concepts of the past. The future is about seamlessly integrating technology into both our lifestyles and the lifestyles of students, and this means teaching how to use it both safely and appropriately. 

I also think that the future of education is problem-based and inquiry-based learning, a key component of which is differentiated learning. With internet access quickly becoming a norm across the province, students are able to take control of their learning now, more than ever before. Each individual now has access to millions of resources, rather than a single classroom teacher, which will have a huge impact on when, where, what, and how they learn. The teacher's role MUST shift from dispenser of knowledge to facilitator and guider of learning and creation. Technology opens so many new doors for students who are motivated to walk through them, and it is an educator's job, now more than ever before, to help students cross that threshold. 

By no means is the future of education a walk in the park; we have a lot of work to do before we phase out the teacher-centered pedagogy of the past, and replace it with the student-centered pedagogy of the future. But this awkward in-between stage won't last forever. I am confident that educators will evolve because, simply put, education is a profession that demands they do so. I mean, we got into this job to help our students succeed, and what the students need from us now are the tools to do so in an increasingly technological society.