Education for the Future: Innovations and Challenges

Back in the days, young teens could get a job without a work permit. Now, you would at least need a GED to get a job that pays just above minimum wage. Why? Because education has become more vital towards society. Without development to the education system, education methods and materials from 40 years ago cannot make sense nor will students thrive often with the constant improvements to society. This is future of education essay in which this topic is discussed. Education in the future will need a modern touch with a hint of old methods. The future of education from kindergarten through college is constantly changing and only getting better. Things like artificial intelligence, homeschooling, and new methods of teaching specifically for children with disabilities will be designed to be equity.

Artificial Intelligence plays a big role in education. Nowadays, students become more and more absorbed in finding new ways to form different methods of learning while accommodating their interests. Students will be able to have a digital ‘on hand’ textbook, it will basically be a PDF on a tablet that students can carry around, there will be no need to waste paper and to carry so many unnecessary textbooks .”A study by the United States National Wildlife Federation partnered with textbook publishers and the United States Environmental Protection Agency discovered that 640,000 tons of books are deposited into landfills every year. That is .4 percent of all municipal solid waste in a year!”. In the years to come, students will incorporate so much independence into their learning process, that mentoring will become fundamental to student success. Though students will be more independent in their education, teachers will play an important role in their learning process as well. Also with more independent learning, social skills will be considered. There will be a social skill simulator students will have to interact with in order to prove their understanding of social skills. Though, soft skills will be the focal point of the social skills due to the constant change and improvements to hard skills. Some soft skills include communication, creative thinking, problem solving , teamwork, personality and social traits. Hard skills are your abilities such as, writing, reading, using microsoft. I really believe that the future of technology in education is about adapting to the constantly changing world, giving students an opportunity to pick their choice of learning method that they feel will benefit them most in their future.

Homeschooling will soon be favored over the traditional high school and college education. The demand of convenience for the fast paced and busy lives of teens nowadays is at an all time high.. There will probably be no campuses as we know them today. Learning won’t be limited to a physical school, though it will definitely be an option. Having your classroom and homework ‘on the go’ calls for students to be more efficient and learn how to pace themselves . Students will be able to have the option to study and learn what they want, when they want, and for however long they want. It will also give students a more physical, emotional and religious leniency as well as freedom to spend more time with family. To ensure that students will cover the material, they will be given study tools adapted to their learning capabilities. As a result, students will be tested with harder tasks and questions until the mentor is satisfied with the work shown. The students having difficulties with a subject will get the opportunity to practice more until they reach the desired level requested by the mentor. There will also be a chance to get face to face help, mentors will stay during school hours to help any students that may have any concerns with their work.“According to the Academic Statistics on Homeschooling, many studies have found out that homeschooled students on average outperform their peers on standardized tests. Another study from the National Home Education Research in 2003 also found that homeschooled graduates are active and involved in their communities, are more involved in civic affairs, and more are “very happy” with life, compared to the general US population”. The new homeschooling method will not only help children get one-on-one attention, but it will also call for a faster and healthier mental development. By having more students homeschooled, it will be cheaper for the districts budget to have a student provided a tablet or laptop which ever is preferred by students to be efficient with the work being given. Since the districts budget will not decrease regardless of the amount of students being homeschooled, the extra money can also be used towards other important areas, for example such as helping fund better learning environments for children with disabilities.

Piggybacking off of artificial intelligence and homeschooling, another development of education is in the area of children with disabilities. Students with disabilities from pre-k to college continue to encounter physical barriers to education before they can even step foot into the classroom, such as a lack of ramps and/or elevators in multi-level school buildings, heavy doors, inaccessible washrooms, and/or inaccessible transportation to and from school. Almost as if they are being set up for failure before they can learn anything. “All children need love, encouragement, and support, and for kids with learning disabilities, such positive reinforcement can help ensure that they emerge with a strong sense of self-worth, confidence, and the determination to keep going even when things are tough”. To ensure that children will receive the full love and care, if homeschooling were to become a trend, there would be enough teachers left to help disabled children with a more one-on-one approach. Students shouldn’t have to be limited in what they are capable of learning just because of their disabilities. In the near future, there will be an implant better than a hearing aid for children with hearing disabilities. By the popularity of homeschooling, the budget that would normally go to a public school , home to hundreds of students, will be used to fund students with disabilities that make it hard to learn. Microelectronic lenses will be designed for those students with reading and sight problems. No longer will a child be left behind because of his or her disability. All education for children with disabilities will be made as equal as possible. Every child should have a right to fair education. By helping improve their disabilities, I hope it sends a message of motivation and confidence to really step out of their comfort zone, letting them know that change can be a good thing.

In my opinion, the future of education relies on the generation of now. Artificial Intelligence will bring convenience and equity. Homeschooling will help students thrive in their future success. Providing a stable mentorship and an accommodating environment for children with disabilities will help their learning process in the near future. If all of the previous topics stated are to be followed, then education in the future for students will be great.