We talk about digital transformation but we have little idea about the supersonic speed at which we are transforming. What once seemed fantastic and in the realm of science fiction is an everyday reality now.
With these rapid changes in technology, adapting and embracing new teaching practices are needed for K-12 students to be ready technology of the future. In an age of automated stores like Amazon Go, augmented reality, and virtual reality, the mind boggles to imagine what today’s kindergartners will know in terms of technology when they graduate from college.
In less than 20 years, our roads will be filled with autonomous cars and computing power in that rivals or surpasses the human brain will cost just around $1,000. A technology revolution like this will mean fewer jobs in the service sector and a massive shift of the workforce. Today’s students will need to be prepared for these changes.
The philosophy behind education will change, as individuals have to continually evolve and reinvent themselves, even when they are 40 or 50. Learning to learn will be the true nature of future education.
Students will need to inculcate new attitudes and change the way they behave and react to be highly competitive and deal with a rapidly changing environment. K-12 schools must employ a holistic view of education that embraces not just quality academics, but social and emotional skills along with the technical skills as well
The rapid acceleration and pervasiveness of digital technologies requires a different kind of K-12 curriculum that will prepare students to work in this shifting landscape and assume leadership roles. The pace of innovation is accelerating, and the impact of these technologies is ubiquitous.
The changes required in education would go beyond advance computation, which is of course of primary importance. Students no longer have the luxury of graduating from high school with rudimentary computing skills and then taking college courses to improve their technical expertise.
By integrating emerging technologies like inverted classrooms and AI-enabled learning techniques today, K-12 schools can pave the way for a more personalized, outcome-based education.
In this rapidly changing world, many of the jobs we perform today are going to disappear in just a few decades. In such a scenario, interdisciplinary education and a deep understanding of computers become imperative.
This means that along with the K-12 curriculum, teacher education needs rapid improvements. New-age teacher education needs to focus on mobile devices for learning; technology-enhanced classrooms; immersive simulations across disciplines; improved opportunities for communication and collaboration; and opportunities to explore out-of-school learning opportunities like video games, educational applications, and toys.
