Some predictions for the new decade

Last year, I commented on a number of blogs that I thought the future of elearning would be in mobile technology. In fact, Michael Hanley had a good post evaluating some of the new mobile elearning apps last year.

So, taking my crystal ball, what do I see the trends being in elearning, technology, and higher ed/training in general? These are based on my observations in the classroom, my own children's technology habits and what is happening in their classrooms, and my own research.

1. Mobile technology (including ebooks, smart phones, and smartbooks) will continue to grown and make learning mobile. In the US, if the transportation plans come to fruition, commuters will spend commuting time learning. This might already be happening in other parts of the world.
2. If wifi and 3g technologies are expanded enough, learners will be able to access learning tools anywhere. As a result, learning will take place outside of traditional classrooms, with less face to face time in the classroom and more individualized learning plans. However, the classroom will continue to be the location for assessment. This means there will be a shift for educators from being the source of learning to being the assessor of learning. Universities will still be the source of research (at least in the US) but the location of the research will expand as there is more incentive to work with businesses in developing research that is economically viable.
   
3. In the US (and I think other countries as well), there will be a push for universal standards at the University level to be maintained through technology based assessment tools. The current K-12 standards based education has developed a student that requires structure for learning and assessment. (Disclaimer: I don't think this will be good for education, but I feel the pressure in my own teaching these days).
4. There will be a shift from learning about various tools to learning how to use different classifications of tools to acheive results. There will also be demand to find new apps and tools through a central location. An apps search engine will probably come into popularity at some point in the next few years. For example, need to find a note taking software that can be used on a Mac for academic purposes? Go to the Apps search engine and input the parameters.
5. Video will become more important, especially subtitled video. Why subtitled? Because users can access the images and read the information without others in a room knowing they are accessing the internet/video. This currently happens with texting. Being able to have an instant subtitled video or attaching comments to the video means that the image can be shared privately in public spaces.
6. Learning, business, customer service, and societal values will be customized. Businesses and educators will need to offer options that allow choice by users. (See my earlier post).

So what are your predictions for the New Decade? Write a post and link it to this post or put the location in the comment section. I can't wait to see what others have come up with. To get it started, I'm going to tag 5 people, who I hope will tag 5 others.

Ken Allen (He already made his predictions and inspired this post)
Michael Hanley
Paul Cornies
Anita Hamilton
Sahana
Andy Cloverdale

People who inspire me

I have been thinking recently that the biggest role of the instructor is to motivate and inspire students to learn, to take risks, and to try new things that may flop initially, but can lead to even greater knowledge. However, a benefit is to learn from students as they go through their journey.

With this in mind, I have a few students that stick out in my mind as inspiring to any teacher.

One of my students was the child of an immigrant. The eldest of 6, he came to me three weeks before the end of the semester to explain that he had to drop out of my class, but that he had enjoyed the class. His mother had breast cancer and he had to be home for his siblings, as his father was barred from the house under order of protection, and my student was afraid his father would return to cause problems. I explained to him that he could work out a study plan with his professors, and I am glad to say that he not only stayed in school, but managed to graduate (only 2 semesters late) and receive his citizenship.

Another one of my students was a single mother, semi-retired from the air force. She gave me one of the best tips on reconciling a checkbook (if the difference is a derivative of 9, you have a number reversed). She was one of the best teachers I have ever seen in action, and she motivated me to learn how to do web pages.

Three of my students have been from inner city New York. Two of them in my public speaking class had me riveted as they gave an insight into the issues of living in inner city New York. Their passion and conviction made me encourage them to present the speech in a more public forum (although I don't think they ever did). The third was a teacher who taught technology at a grade school in Harlem. She told about the most up to date technology they had at their finger tips in a school that was falling apart around them and which needed to have the circuit breaker tripped at least once a day due to the power surges caused by the use of the technology. She worked in the worst conditions and would not trade her job for anything. Rather, she wanted to find resources so the school could be upgraded and create opportunities for her students to make change within the system.

Finally, I have had many students who approach learning with a great deal of enthusiasm. I currently have a student who's enthusiasm is contagious. Others in the class seem to feed off his energy to learn. The first day of class, he looked through notes from a previous class (the semester before) to answer the question. He asks questions (sometimes hard to answer) and wants to understand when he doesn't get something right. I had similar students last year who were never content with just going through the motions. They would disagree with what I said, ask for clarification, or give examples of exceptions to what I presented. These students push me to change my classes every semester, to learn new things, and research their questions when I don't know the answer.

Who inspires you?