The School of the Future

Thoughts and Facts about Education’s Future

By: Eric Durrand

Forget everything you thought you knew about education. Forget the three R’s, forget classroom teaching. Forget books, dictations, notebooks. Unless, of course, you mean notebook computers.

 Now that I got your attention: relax. You don’t actually have to forget any of that. Just remember that the three R’s, “Reading, Writing, and Arithmetics” alone will not get your students anywhere in the 21st century. In an age where information is everywhere, new technologies make new skills necessary on a daily basis, and employers are looking for people with the capacity to grow constantly rather than repeat the same activities indefinitely. Given that the three R’s are still crucial, knowledge of the “Three W’s” might be what your students are missing.

 The School District of Philadelphia and the Microsoft Corporation have entered into a collaborative partnership, creating The School of the Future, an innovative school that opened its gates this last September. The school implements the latest in technology and educational theory, to create a school environment that makes learning easier, more effective, and more enjoyable, and prepares students better for the 21st century.

 The students communicate with each other, the teachers, and parents through web solutions, share information in a physical location as well as virtual ones, and enjoy a learning environment designed from the ground up to suit their changing needs. A main “street” going through the school allows students to learn in groups or as individuals, and multiple technology labs, including a web lab, allow them to make learning an interactive experience. In addition, the school is wirelessly networked, and each student received a personal laptop to carry around instead of books and notebooks. All materials are digitally distributed and developed.

“The role of technology,” the School of the Future creators argue “is supportive in nature and secondary in purpose. It will assist in inquiry, support content distribution and increase efficiency. It will in all cases be a means to an end, driven by a rigorous curriculum and justified only by its ability to enhance instruction.”

Like a General trying not to “fight the last war” instead of the current one, so teachers need to guard against the temptation of preparing the students for life in the age they themselves grew up in, in other words an age long gone. The School of the Future is trying to guard against it by continuously reviewing and renewing its policies, infrastructure, and curriculum based on the latest results from educational and business research and technologies.

 The school, built as a model of education in the 21st century, can teach us a lot. However, a school does not need the funding of a corporate giant to utilize many technologies that are available today. A school that systematically integrates new available technologies into its curriculum can do much of what the School of the Future is aiming at, today.

 Imagine what it would be like to teach in a school that truly makes use of available technologies in teaching. While the teacher determines the curriculum, the type of materials and the order in which they are learned (I.e. – what the student cannot do for himself), at each stage the material interacts with the student, allowing him to pursue his own questions and leads, and making the absorption of new information more enjoyable.

 Interactive learning tools such as smartboards and classroom various management solutions allow better tracking for the teacher. The teacher can create real-time polls that students can answer using remote controls or their laptops, then tally the answers in real time. Using tools such as these the teacher, even in a traditional classroom environment, better gauge the levels of participation and understanding of his students.

 Using online eLearning tools, as well as course management web solutions, students can continue their learning from home, and manage their schedules and homework online. While parents, using the school web site, can track their children’s homework assignments and grades, as well as special activities.

 Another wonderful opportunity that technology offers is online expression and sharing. Blogs, online communities and discussion forums all offer students the opportunity to express themselves, learn from other students, and pursue their individual interests. A school that fosters an online environment beyond the classroom will be able to engage their students on a much deeper level, and helping them develop writing, expression, and even design skills that are necessary in the 21st century.

 You may have a large budget for technology development or you may not. But whatever your situation, you need to find a way to track and implement the new technologies that are revolutionizing the world of education everywhere, in whatever scale open to you. In fact, limited funds can be partly counteracted only by an increased understanding of the technologies and opportunities. Some solutions are low cost, and some are free. Some may be eligible for government funding, and some may be contributed by a nearby business. The School of the Future already exists in Philadelphia. But you can build something wonderful nonetheless: the school of today.