Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of Classrooms & Schools?
Is this the end of Classrooms and Schools?
Having a passion for Technological Innovation and Education I am always on the look out for trends associated with shifts that are as a result of advances in technology.
This morning I had an amazing chat with a fully qualified School Teacher who has recently decided to leave the Education System as a result of a number of disheartening factors.
The list of reasons was quite overwhelming, but if I had to select just a few, they were; lack of funding in school infrastructure, lack of support for teachers, lack of appreciation, lack of enthusiasm from children and a real sense of disconnect of the education system from the real world.
The conversation was by no way a means for her to vent her anger, far from it.
If anything it was a wake up call from someone explaining the concerns with firsthand experience.
STEEMIT
The reason why I wanted to share with you the chat I had was that the topic of STEEMIT came into the conversation.
She was asking what it was I was involved in and I quickly gave her a rundown of what STEEMIT was about.
Her reaction may come as a shock to some of you.
A World without Classrooms and School as we know them!!
The part of the conversation that took me quite off guard was when she said that it was her belief that she could see a World without Classrooms and Schools as we know them today, within the next 25 years.
Without hesitating she supported this by simply saying "Online..!!"
I will come to this in a minute.
Dilapidated Buildings
I asked her if she had to choose one single concern that she had about the current Educational Schooling System, she said that was easy, "Funding..!!"
It was the lack of funding in the school infrastructure that was the number one concern of the majority, if not all teaching staff.
The schools are simply crumbling around the children.
What is the Solution
When I realised that what she was saying made absolute sense I asked her what she thought was the solution.
"That is easy...." she replied, "...a total rethink of the Education System..!!"
The conversation simply went back to "Online..!!"
It was at this point that she then explained that over the last couple years there has been a mass migration of homework being done on online.
"Why stop there..??" was her question.
It was at this point then that I was educated as she explained a new way of teaching. "Online Teaching..!!"
I was then given a website to check out .... "Hegartymaths".
Online Teaching
https://hegartymaths.com/story
For the ones unfamiliar it appears that this could well be the future of Education and that Classrooms and Schools will be reshaped into more; Social, Sporting and Interactive Centres.
Families of the Futures
Could the future see children being taught at home, or at Day Centres where teachers are actually replaced by screen and online educational systems.
Let's face it, parents are losing their jobs to robots so it's not a matter of the parents not being at home..!!
Schools 25 years ago
Could we really see the end of Classrooms and Schools in the next 25 years?
You only have to look back 25 years ago to the year 1992 and realise that most people had never even experienced being on the Internet at that time..!!
So I guess I should ask the question again, "...could we really see the end of Classrooms and Schools in the next 25 years?" ......"...Probably, YES..!!"
Thanks again for reading.
Stephen
Online indeed, and it's been heading that way since the end of the 90s. Having worked in the sector since that time, I was involved in designing and implementing a VIrtual Learning Portal.
This was an early Blackboard or Desire2Learn (D2L) to name a few - these are both multi-million pound applications. The purpose of which is to bring the classroom to the pupil by provide materials and lectures online.
So, it's been close to 20 years already, major adoption is slow but steady but for a few reasons I don't think we'll be fully online for a long long time. Why? I'll give you two for starters.
Money! Student halls/housing is a huge economy for the universities and the city businesses.
Some courses will never suit online learning. That spark when you see live science lab explosions, or piece together a circuit board and the bugger lights that LED!
So for me, 25 is way to short a time frame, but we shall see. Asher.
Thanks Asher. I appreciate your contribution having had firsthand experience. I hope others read your reply. Thanks again Asher. Stephen
Reason number 2 is true, and for a teacher there is nothing better than to notice that spark ^^
Ironic as I enrolled my grandson for online learning yesterday!
Nice post :) and I totally agree I was discussing this with my wife the other day. We have an 11 year old son and back in the day we had text books. Now they has fold out PAMPHLETS and the one text book he has says history and Discovery Channel on it! (is that a joke or what?) The internet is the now and future for classrooms but I also feel the classroom helps develop social skills.
Thank you. Discovery Channel? Crazy! You can see why I made this Blog. It won't be long until children will be practically self taught. Stephen
Yes Thank you for this blog it's great check this out my sons textbook I forgot A&E lol
Its like a Picture book!
things changed a lot during past 20 years. New generation can't imagine the life without internet, mobile phones etc. When i'm telling to my children what it was like 30 years ago, they only smiling and surprising a lot:) But in some countries education system is not changed a lot yet.
Excellent post as usual Stephen. Yes! The old is crumbling away...
Time for Highly Independent Schools.
Upvoted and Highly rEsteemed!
AWESOME..!! Thanks Frank. I appreciate it. Stephen
Yep......... agreed
Thank you. Stephen
I am an online teacher. I have full day classes. We have our own platform where student have a calendar with their daily work and links videos etc that might assist them with the work. We have a virtual classroom and students log in from wherever they are and I log in from my side. We have video, audios and a chat box. I explain everything on a board just like I would've in class. This is the future of schooling, no more interruption in classes or throwing around papers...we send an email if a child does not attend class. All students complete projects or classwork and upload so that I can mark. I even do speeches. Students upload a mp3 file and I listen to the speech and give them a mark. All assessments are done online and works the same way. We have nearly a thousand students worldwide. Best invention since sliced bread. I can now even teach in my pajamas...which I often do! LOL
AWESOME..!! Thank you for your comment. So just to clarify, with your knowledge and experience can you see an end to classrooms and school as we know them within the next 25 years? Thanks. Stephen
Honestly I hope so. Here at school there are no bullying, class disruptions, or stressed kids. Kids are free and relaxed. This is still real teaching. Just because it is online it does not make me less of a teacher. Kids at school here have the freedom to travel with their parents and they can log into class from anywhere. I once had a girl that attended class from a train in Germany. Her father was there for a conference and she and her mom were sightseeing. She did not miss one class. We have kids here that play professional soccer in other countries and they attend school when they can, and catch up on their own. Kids do need discipline though, but just the same in a "normal" school....I love this and will never go back to another school.
Wow..!! Thank you very much for your valued contribution. I am sure many will agree this has brought added value to the Blog. Once again, many thanks. Stephen
Thank you @stephenkendal appreciate your kindness!
Shared on twitter. Stephen
here is another great site to continue your education. I use it for its great math department. It is really well done, with reviews and testing your knowledge, and a award system.
https://www.khanacademy.org/
(muttering about history)
The current public school method is based on the 'factory model'
we all know what's happening in factories.
We need a new paradygm.
I suggest homeschools.
The new (well, old) paradygym is growing in favour, Montessori schools are fast on the rise. Still a school though, just the the materials in the factory and the methods of production are entirely different. And yes you guessed it, they are mostly private schools..£££