How will advancing technology shape the future of classrooms?

For those not born into this digital age, the term 'technology in the classroom' might evoke memories of children playing 'Oregon Trail' on an Apple 2G computer in a classroom corner. For those of us who graduated a decade ago, we still remember the excitement when those enormous laser discs first made their appearance in schools.

However, that initial excitement was short-lived. What once seemed like a novelty in education is now a vital part of the classroom. Schools have embraced, or at least aimed to adopt, new technologies as part of their resources. Back in 2009, the computer-to-student ratio in U.S. classrooms was approximately 5:1 [source: NCES]. But as technology evolves at an ever-increasing pace, how does it change the way we teach, engage students, and utilize educational material?

Before diving into the technologies that may soon be commonplace in education, let's first clarify the type of educational system we're discussing. Because, let's face it: not every classroom has the resources to fully leverage future -- or even current -- technology. It's not just about developing countries; consider how just three years ago, there were roughly five computers for every student in American classrooms. Keep in mind, there are still schools like the Bronzeville Scholastic Institute in Chicago, which currently has only 24 computers shared by a thousand students [source: Pandolfo].

While it's true that some schools simply won't have access to these technologies, it's important to recognize that we'll focus on resources likely to be available in educational systems that have the financial backing to support them. In essence, we're primarily talking about progressive, well-funded school districts.

With that in mind, let's move to the next page, where we will explore how technology is transforming the educational experience.

Technology Trends in the Classroom

To envision the future of technology in classrooms -- and how it will alter the learning environment -- we should begin with higher education. While we cannot predict the exact nature of technological advancements, we can speculate on how these innovations will eventually trickle down to lower grade levels. Currently, university students are almost universally equipped with laptops. They frequently use Learning Management Systems like Blackboard to submit papers, access instructions, and engage in discussions about assignments and lectures. This trend is already beginning to appear in younger grades, not only to track academic progress but also to help parents stay informed about students' grades, homework, and overall performance.

This reflects a broader trend that technology might bring about in the future. Tailoring the learning experience to each student has become a widely discussed (and debated) subject. Chris Dede and John Richards, professors at Harvard University, propose a digital teaching platform called Time to Know. This platform enables teachers to design lessons for both large and small groups, as well as individual students. They imagine a classroom where every student has a computer, but the teacher can press a button to freeze all devices, capturing the attention of the entire class. From there, teachers would use broader group lessons to help each student gain a personal understanding of how the lesson applies to them individually [source: Dede and Richards]. But how would this work?

As Dede and Richards emphasize, our classrooms are not lacking in content. With the Internet and technology enabling access to global resources, what teachers truly need is a system to assess which content will be most valuable to their students. These digital teaching platforms will feature assessments designed to help teachers craft the best curriculum for their class, their community, and even for each individual student, all in real time.

The concept of customizing education through digital teaching platforms is intriguing, but let's explore some of the actual tools that might be used in future classrooms, as well as the potential drawbacks of technology's influence on education.

Tools and Warnings

There are some exciting ideas about how technology will gradually make its way into classrooms. And we’re not just talking about providing each student with a laptop. Imagine a biometric system that can track a student’s breathing, facial expressions, and even typing speed to help teachers understand how they are responding to lessons or the classroom environment.

Another concept that’s been receiving attention is outfitting students with augmented reality glasses. These glasses act as a screen that projects information or images onto them, enhancing resources like books or maps. Even better, augmented reality glasses could offer a video of the teacher’s instructions tailored to each student individually.

However, concerns have emerged about the potential downsides of technology in the classroom. For instance, there is worry that classroom technology hasn’t led to improvements in student performance or test scores [source: Richtel]. There’s also the fear that instead of investing in research to better understand how learning works, schools and districts may feel pressured to upgrade technology without a clear understanding of how it’s best utilized or whether it's being introduced at the expense of fundamental skills like reading, writing, and math. Worse yet, the funding could come at the cost of teachers and education professionals.

Along with these concerns comes the fear that teachers could become obsolete, and classrooms could turn into fully automated spaces. There is already anxiety that reliance on technology gives students easy access to vast amounts of information, but at the cost of a deeper understanding that comes from a thorough and analytical research process [source: Hopkins].

There's no doubt that technology will have a significant role in the education system – whether or not every classroom has access to it.