The most important pillar behind innovation and opportunity
–education– will see tremendous positive change in the coming decades as rising
connectivity reshapes traditional routines and offers new paths for learning.
…schools continue to integrate technology into lesson plans
and….replace traditional lessons with more interactive workshops. Education will be a more flexible
experience, adapting itself to children’s learning styles and pace….learning
will take place employing carefully designed educational tools in the spirit of
today’s Khan Academy, a nonprofit organization that produces thousands of short
videos (the majority in science and math) and shares them online for free.
….educators in the United States are increasingly adopting
its materials and integrating the approach of its founder, Salman Khan, modular
learning tailored to a student’s needs.
Some are even “flipping” their classrooms, replacing
lectures with videos watched at home…using school time for traditional
homework….Critical thinking and problem solving skills will become the focus in
many school systems.
For children in poor countries,…kids with access to mobile
devices and the Internet will be able to experience school physically and
virtually.
Today numerous pilot projects exist in developing countries
that leverage mobile technology to teach a wide range of topics and skills,
including basic literacy for children and adults, second languages and advanced
courses from universities. In 2012, the
MIT Media Lab tested this approach in Ethiopia by distributing preloaded
tablets to primary-age kids without instructions or accompanying teachers. The results were extraordinary: within
months the kids were reciting the entire alphabet and writing complete
sentences in English.
Sources:
Schmidt, Eric & Cohen, Jared. (2013).
The New Digital Age—Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and
Business. (Alfred A. Knopf, NY), p. 21.
