Educational Technology for the future

After reading several articles in our class on computer technology and the future of education I had to write about what I believe the future will look like.  I definitely disagree with Alvin Toffler and his vision and firmly believe that schools in the future will look the following:

Schools in the future will definitely utilize technology more effectively to provide students the opportunity to have differentiated instruction  whereby all students can move at their own pace and their parents will be held 100% accountable for their academic progress.  However, this will only occur in grades 7th through 12th and at the college/university levels.  

Students from kindergarten through 6th grade will need to be instructed in reading, mathematics, social studies, and science.  Moreover, students at this age will be socialized and trained to act appropriately in a plethora of social settings.   Once these students are educated in the core curriculum they can then graduate into taking courses at home.  Instead of "I Chat" they can easily "We Chat" thereby maintaining a social educational setting.  

Computer technology in the future will create massive teaching at the home.  Teachers as we know it today will be an anachronism and higher education  teachers will end up being software designers.    

Readings for 11/9

Believe it or not I'm starting to feel comfortable with blogging.  I've just finished reading several blogs and I am truly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading everyones blogs.  They are full of great ideas and it's a great way of socializing online. 

I just read the article on Ohio and its strategies on addressing the needs of attracting students for the 21st century.  It was interesting how Ohio was able to identify its weaknesses & able to formulate a strategy to address the challenges of enrolling more students especially adults from the age of 25 to 49 years old.  I guess educational institutions also must utilize marketing strategies to remain competitive and financially solvent in today's economy.

It was also interesting to me how the article states that buildings become physically obsolete after forty years.  Ohio like other states will be facing a budgetary crisis in renovating and replacing old and obsolete facilities.     

The other readings were just as interesting although I was not able to get printouts and had to read the material from my computer monitor.  I have to get used to reading straight from a computer monitor since this is a "paper less" class.  It was frustrating, however, not to be able to get a reading that was assigned.       

Vested Interests vs. public spirit

Toffler's  article on technology and innovation painted a rosy and optimistic picture of new and innovative technology for the future.  Undoubtably there will be a convergence of a plethora of technologies at blazing speed in an ever changing global economy.  However, the distribution of new technology to the public may ultimately be hindered by corporate greed.   I hope that the public spirit and not the vested interests of pharmaceutical companies dominates in the near future.    It would be great for society to be able to have remote healthcare services and possibly make self surgery at the home.   Would drug companies make cellular devices to make drugs in our bodies all the time?    How could this be profitable for these companies?  I hope drug companies do not obtain patents for the new innovations and withhold these new creations for the sake of profit.