As we take stock of COVID-19’s impact on education and the “new normal” that’s part of our daily lexicon, now is the perfect opportunity to renew our energy and think big as we plan for what’s ahead. According to Dian Schaffhauser, senior contributing editor of THE Journal, here are what education leaders across US look forward to and expect in 2021:
- Teachers Will Become Massive Social Media Influencers
- Data Privacy Concerns Will Draw Greater Interest
- STEM Will Gain Amplified Application
- Districts Will Grapple with IT Sustainability
- Existing Tools Will See Better Use
- Ed Tech Seeds Will Take Root and Flourish
- Connectivity Will Become as important as Textbooks
- Web Conferencing Will Blend Classroom/At-Home Learning
- Seat Time Will Make Way for Purpose-driven Learning
- Tech Will Help Teachers Gain Insight into Student Needs
- Parent-Educator Collaboration Will Be Strengthened by Necessity
- Students Will See More Immersive Tech and eSports
- Augmented and Virtual Reality Will Lead to Better Comprehension
- Schools and Parents Will Invest More in Tutoring
- Early Learners Will Return to Hands-on
- Ed Tech Will Tackle Academic Needs at Multiple Levels of Performance
- First Responders Will Get AI Help
- K-12 Will See More High-Profile School Breaches
- Attackers Will Capitalize on Distance Learning
- Automation Will Drive a Wave of Spear Phishing
- Chatbots Will Become Critical to Student Engagement
- 5G Will Spawn the Next Tech Revolution
- Private LTE Will Address Digital Divide…
- …and Wi-Fi Strain
- Expectations for Flexibility, Assessment and Integration Will Expand
- Districts Will Gain More Right-Sizing, Hybrid and Connectivity
- Attendance Will Drop, Engagement Will Grow
- Display Use and Functionality Will Morth
- The “How” of Teaching Will Forever Change