2. There are several types of technologies that exist in todays
classrooms and schools. These technologies tend to complement some
of the more traditional learning methods rather than replacing
them. The current school technologies are only available to some
schools thus widening the technological gap between the schools
with technology and the schools without technology. 3. In my
opinion most of the technologies currently in use will still be
used by schools in 2020. If a technology is bound to disappear or
at least to lose relevance in the near future is the printer. Even
now some teachers are accepting work to be emailed and not printed
so the printers are slowly becoming obsolete as more teachers join
the trend. There is also an environmentally conscious movement and
projects such as the paperless office being implemented in some
schools. 4. Books and notebooks could be dropped and replaced by
Kindle-like devices that would allow input or just laptop
computers. The Kindle-like devices could be school issued and thus,
may contain software that would prevent open internet access
creating a distraction free laptop. 5. There have been several
changes from the 1990s to the current times in the way technology
is used by schools. Firstly back then technology was much more
expensive than it is now and thus its use was lower. The school had
computer rooms during the 1990s and students needed to use them if
they wanted to use a computer, now most 11th and 12th grade
students have their own laptop computers that they carry around
with them without depending on computer labs. Teachers in order to
enter the school used to have keys, now they carry keycards with
RFID technology that opens the gates for them. 6. Teachers in 2020
with the use of voice recognition software and smartboards could,
in theory, stop writing on tradicional whiteboards. The software
could make it easy for a teacher to give the class as he or she
could just dictate the lessons to the computer and the computer
could make a presentation out of them. Teachers could use TabletPC
technology in order to stop grading in actual paper and thus reduce
costs and environmental impacts. Senior teachers would have to be
trained to use the new technology and some of them could prefer the
traditional teaching methods they grew up with. Some teachers could
even be technophobic (afraid of technology). 7. Students would not
have to write in actual paper so their calligraphy might not
benefit from this. When students come to write in actual paper
their orthography and grammar could be bad because of lack of
practice and overdependence in technologies like spelling and
grammar checkers. Students could now have access to many books for
every subject in their Kindle-like devices, this would be a benefit
because e- books are cheaper than regular books. 8. There will be a
possible increase in costs for the school, improvements to
networking and general infrastructure will need to be applied in
order for the new technology to work. Some schools could become
virtual schools and thus it would be difficult to control student
behaviour as in a virtual world they could behave differently than
in real life.
