Thing 4

When I think of the speed of change in the last few years, even months, it boggles my mind. I remember that when my grandmother passed away, it happened just before the Sputnik was launched, and I wished that she would have lived to see something so amazing happen. Now we have the International Space Station.

I remember when my family purchased their first black and white TV. I switched from listening to Dragnet’s Sergeant Joe Friday on the radio to watching Zorro and the Lone Ranger on the new state-of-the-art set. Now we watch educational programs and news from around the world as it happens.

The next big advancement in technology was the electric typewriter, and of course, the white-out cartridge you could plug in to correct mistakes that was ready to go at a moment’s notice during my college years. Now we have computers with software for word processing, and online textbooks.

When men walked on the moon, I thought I was living in the most high tech society anyone could ever imagine. Now we have Google Earth in the classroom. On a side note, I often think how we sent men to the moon and back but still can’t design a stapler that doesn’t jam.

I look back over all of my years in education and notice many exciting advances in spite of many strong traditions that still remain. A teacher’s instructional flexibility and willingness to learn new techniques, utilize appropriate technologies, and adapt to an ever changing society is what I call basic survival in education today. Instructional resources on quality websites packed with research, best practice recommendations, and instructional strategies are waiting for us to connect and apply. Along with all of the communication tools and technologies evolving, becoming a knowledgeable student, parent and educator is essential for sorting out the good, bad, and ugly. Viruses are continually programmed to harm computers and programs. Cyber safety was no issue years ago. Today, with so many students having access to newer technologies, educators must help students understand the potential and inherent dangers for anyone who uses the Internet.

Now we have students who are far more connected with the outside world than they may be with learning in the classroom. Our job as an educator is to increase our knowledge in order to become a significant link in the education of our students. Imagine if your own instructional environment could be an important and interesting to students as My Space and Facebook. Just think how students would connect and learn with and from and in partnership with teachers who could and would design “global classrooms” to include shared learning experiences with other educators and students from around the world. When I think of the future, it frames my picture of the teachers we will need in education.
In all honesty, I believe the future is now.