By Susan Marshall, Tracy Robart and Cindy Smith

The 2011 Horizon Report said, “the abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching, and credentialing” (p.3). What examples could you site to show the ways in which this is happening?

Trend #1: Flexible learning environments.  people today want to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want  wireless devices and portable labs makes this possible

Trend #2: Adaptable assessment options.  students and teachers are being assessed and evaluated using devices such as Ipads, student response systems (senteo’s, phones)  this is making it easier for students and teachers to receive immediate feedback in order to monitor their progress

Trend # 3: Emphasis on communication and collaboration.  sharing ideas with the world through blogs, wikis, and other social media  ethics of online communication needs to be taught and revisited (teacher’s role)  Crowd-sourcing is happening in many schools and organizations and as a result community of learners are sharing more

Trend #4: Reliance on learning at a distance.  the number of students learning through virtual systems is steadily increasing  schools are being redefined by this trend  online courses are readily available to many types of professions, not just education

Trend # 5: Increased educational options for students with disabilities.  technology today is providing more opportunities for people with learning disabilities  schools need to invest in assistive technologies

 Teachers need to have a positive attitude towards technology and be open to learning.  Try to keep up with the technology changes with very limited funds.  Teachers need to educate their students on the proper etiquette of communicating when using technology.  The debate between textbooks and e-readers.  Socio-economical concerns.

Is the familiar classroom on its way out?

In Clay Shirky’s 2010 book, The Souls of the Machine, he predicts a future transformed by online tools: “Who needs an academic association, for instance, if a Facebook page, blog, and Internet mailing list can enable professionals to stay connected without paying dues? Who needs a record label, when musicians can distribute songs and reach out to fans on their own?” (Young, 2010, p.7). What examples can you give to refute or support Shirky’s predictions.

 Anything we question or want to learn about is instantaneous.  Communication can happen anytime and anywhere.  Management of time, for example, On-line banking.  Costs of books versus e-texts.  Availability of goods and services at any time.

 The lack of communication skills  Human connections will be lost  Controlled Learning – Are websites giving true information and accurate data?  Standards are set for Organizations - Will these still exist?  Jobs will be lost.