The Future of Learning

"If the future is now, then what happens tomorrow?"

I suppose what I am doing right now as I type this is the future of learning, or, at least one aspect of it. The blog. One of those words that doubles as a noun and a verb, but whatever way you spin it, the blog certainly employs many principles that harbor our visions of 21st century learning - collaboration, connection, and Web 2.0. A blog gives writers instant recognition, if only in the form of a tiny niche of the vast internet. Truly, a blog is a tool of empowerment, and can be for numerous students, young and old. Reading a blog can facilitate positive interaction between a reader and user, while also giving readers another opinion/information on a subject that may be more unfiltered than a mass media outlet. How important have blogs become? Do more people turn to blogs and websites for news and opinions than actual newspapers? Jay Marrioti thinks so, and he quit his position as a highly-paid columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times because (allegedly, although others disagree) writing for a newspaper is like being on the Titanic taking on water (a quote used facetiously by Tribune columnist Teddy Greenstein). Is Jay right - that the blogosphere is quickly filling up the atmosphere?

The future of print news notwithstanding, Jay's parting comments do actually speak boldly to the perceived future of technology in our world, and has sparked much dialogue (not just on the web, mind you) on the takeover of the Internet. The Internet is not going anywhere soon, that much is clear. What remains to be seen is exactly how the Internet will evolve, from its current status as Web 2.0 to who-knows-what. Point being, teachers, education, and students need to evolve with it. Educators, especially, need to be mindful of where students come from. A teacher drops a textbook on a student's desk; the student goes home and reads news on CNN.com. A student comments using a Bic pen on a peer's essay during school; the same student goes home and digitally comments on his friend's Facebook page. A teacher gives a 20-minute lecture on angioplasty; a student plops on the sofa to play Nintendo Wii's Trauma Center. The differences between a student's home life and school life can be striking - but they don't have to be.

While education has been slow to embrace the fundamentals of technological evolution's rapid expansion, it will play catch-up real quick. Computers are not a quirky fad; they are the pulse and heartbeat of our world's economy. It will ultimately be technological interaction that will facilitate the shift from a national-based economy to a global economy. Once this becomes clearer, the focus of our schools will shift to promote a more-technologically based curriculum to keep up with the world. Students need to see that their studies are rooted in real-world principles, and technology reflects that. While preparing students for careers that do not yet exist is important, it is also important to prepare them for the all-encompassing future. When technology evolves into places we don't even know about yet, students can be elevator designers as opposed to elevator riders.

It is impossible to predict where the future of technology lies - whether it be tablet desktop computers, PDAs being a necessary living device, or Second Life being the most accepted form of social interaction. What is known is that educators must do their best to incorporate new technologies into existing curriculum, and then watch those curriculum's evolve with the students and the world. From a technological standpoint, if you do not try to be ahead of the curve, then you may eventually find yourself holding on for dear life.