The articles and videos that we examined in preparation for this week’s discussion re-enlightened me to the ever changing workplace environment and how technology has transformed it at a much greater pace than the educational environment. As an educator, I still must provide my students with critical thinking skills, communication skills, and problem-solving skills. However, the manner in which I do this needs to keep pace with the environment into which I am releasing my students.
The impact of technology is felt everywhere, from my cleaning products that both clean and sanitize my floors (some with the help of GPS navigation) to the cell phone that allows me to take a picture and upload to the website that connects me to friends and family. What does this mean for the workforce? If these technologies are permeating our private life, then they are also being embraced by the workplace. Teleconferencing is shrinking the workforce so that students are competing for jobs not just locally but globally. Web 2.0 is creating a collaborative workforce where individuals contribute to a collective whole rather than being the sole expert within the company. Information is ever changing and is available 24/7 to anyone with the resources to access it.
What does this mean for the future of education? If we are to prepare students for the 21st century, then we need to imbed the means of utilizing the existing technologies along with the critical thinking skills that students will need to be competitive. The educator who does not utilize these technologies (wikis, blogs, podcasts, and the like) is setting their students up for a difficult transition into the workplace. That being said, not all classrooms are set up to be able to incorporate these technologies at this time. By including the technologies that we are discovering in this course, we are starting the journey to creating life-long learners.
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