The Promising Future of Education

By: Max Rosado

In the world we currently live in, it's difficult to find someone who is completely shielded from technology. Technology has become so increasingly immense, that it's changing our way of life. At the 2011 AMLE Conference, I met with a representative for the Classroom 2.0 booth that could really change our way of life in ways unimaginable. In Classroom 2.0, the subject at hand was innovation in the classroom. Using the newest and trending technology, such as tablets, SMART boards, and even laptops, students will use these new ways of sending and receiving information to learn in ways some people never could even dream of. In the few moments that I was viewing their trial lesson, I was impressed. The teacher would hand the tablet to the student, and the student would, from his seat, take his finger and drag it across the screen of the tablet. From the tablet, it would go directly onto the digital whiteboard. The way students learn defines their creativity and how they view a certain subject. So now, when math for kids can be boring and uninteresting, it's now exciting and fast paced. Not only are students learning, but they're learning to the point where they will retain the information. Maybe the overall best quality that develops from using this new system is how it promotes creativity. The computer, tablets and digital precision allow students are to better express how they feel about a subject. Since digital learning is meant to fit your personal level of comprehension, there won't be that lingering fear of resentment just because it takes you longer to understand the subject at hand. Lastly, I asked the representative where she thought learning would progress in a future where Classroom 2.0 is not only integrated but common in even the poorer schools? In response, she said, "When we are at that point, students will begin to start surpassing us in ways WE can't even dream of; and if that's the case, I'm looking forward to the future."