Technology and the Future

We had an interesting class discussion around the SAMR model and how technology can impact student learning depending on how it is used in the classroom, which led me to think about the bigger picture: technology is developing tremendously every year and it is definitely going to be a huge part of our lives in the future. So, then how will this affect how people think and behave, and how might technology change people's beliefs and values? Nowadays, many children just don't know what to do without a screen in front of them whether it be a computer, tablet, TV, phone, etc. This actually concerns me quite a lot because I think having too much technology can have some negative consequences, such as lacking social skills. However, on the other hand, could the benefits of technology outweigh the negative impacts and there's no need to be worried about such things? What would the future look like? No one knows the answer, but one clear thing is that human brains will adapt to the environment. The uncertainties can be scary, but exciting at the same time.

I recently watched this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqZiIO0YI7YHere are some very interesting points:

- today's learner will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38

- the top in-demand jobs barely existed 10 years ago (iOS and Android developer, data scientist, UI/UX designer, digital marketing manager, etc.)

- we're currently preparing students for jobs that don't exist yet

- those jobs would involve using technologies that haven't even been invented in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet

- for the first time in history, we have 4 generations working side by side who are very different in the way they grew up communicating

- lots of data (factual knowledge / content) is available online and the amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years, which translates to ----> For students starting a 4-year technical or college degree, half of what they learn in first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study

- predictions are that by 2049, a $1000 computer will exceed the computation capabilities of the entire human species

While we shouldn't take all of this information and believe everything that's presented, the video does point out the general trend of where technology might be taking us in the future. Keeping this in our minds, I do believe that we, as educators, need to focus a lot more on teaching students some essential skills that will prepare them for the future:

1. Self-control (quite hard to train with instant gratification kids are getting these days)

2. Critical and creative thinking skills

3. Adaptability to new environments / change

4. Problem-solving skills

5. Love of learning

6. Open-mindedness

7. Being comfortable with complexity and uncertainty

8. Communication and people skills

Are there any other things that I have missed? By the way, how do you even teach these abstract ideas? Through modelling and practicing together? I wonder how technology will change our world in the next 10 years...