Week 1: How will high school change?

High school in 50 years will be drastically different (as i said in the poll). I don't think that info will be beamed into our heads nothing like that. "common" people like me wont be able to learn. The reason is the government want so keep themselves in power so they don't let the common people learn because they might think there smart and they will try to over through the government many political people probably think that. Unfortunately for them the U.S.A. is totally against that. All men shall stand equal. Unfortunately we found out people were not willing to obey that in the early days like segregation. All men not just those who we want or choose.....

I mean thats what happened in the past.... so it probably will happen in the future. I mean history repeats itself.

I agree with Daniel B., we definitely do have to look at different trends throughout history and find how they will reappear in the future, but it may not happen so obviously. With technology advancing so rapidly reoccurring patterns may be changed some.

I answered "some what changed" to the poll for many reasons. Frank Douma talks about in the video the reoccurring wants and needs and things, just evolved. I feel we have to take this into consideration because even as the opportunities to take classes online and maybe even be "downloaded" with information, kids will be kids as they say, and we will still have the need to do something social in our everyday life, which for many is something school provides.

Possibly instead of simply evolving our education, more options may come out of all the new opportunities. We have to be prepared that some students simply learn better in a group environment so this way of obtaining an education will probably still be provided. As seen today though, others will obviously choose an online option for getting their education. These ways will definitely become more advanced.

The possibility of not even having to attend classes (of any sort) is simply amazing. It is definitely something that could happen in almost fifty years. Today there are studies about learning things in your sleep and many people are focused on learning as much as they can about the brain. If it could be pulled off, a nearly hassle-free way of learning that wouldn't occupy countless days would definitely be opted for by many citizens.

I agree with Ann that online schools will definitely become more common in the future, however, there will still be traditional schools as well. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Online schools would allow a more flexible schedule for students and teachers, it would be cheaper for the state and students would become more familiar with how to use technology appropriately. However online schools might stifle social growth, and some classes would be difficult to take online such as orchestra or gym.

Although it wouldn’t be the same as sitting in a classroom and interacting with each other, I think you it would still be possible to work together through the internet and create more of a “group learning” atmosphere. Students could interact with each other through a variety of ways including e-mail, blogs, webcams, skype etc. Also, I think it would be a great learning opportunity for students to have online schools where students in the online “school” were from different states or even different countries. If these online schools allowed students to interact with each other through technology, it would allow them to have a more global perspective of the world and a better understanding of different cultures.

Right now it seems like schools are strictly either online schools are traditional schools. However, in the future maybe we could combine these different types of schools. Perhaps this would be a day to day system where one day students would go to a physical building with a classroom and the next day they would take their class online. Or it could be a system where for one semester, students would go to a traditional, and one semester students would go to school online. This would allow students to maintain their social skills while still being able to have a more flexible schedule at times. In the online semester students could travel or have time to focus on a sport/hobby/interest yet still get their regular school work done online.

I certainly hope high schools don't all transfer to online courses... call me old school but the teacher-student communication is by far too valuable to lose to online relationships. Video chat is fine and dandy, but it's no where near the same as having someone physically there to help you grow and succeed.

I definitely agree that online schooling is going to stunt our ability to grow socially. School is a time where we not only learn how to learn book-stuff (for lack of better terms) but we also learn how to act in a socially acceptable manner. Our interactions as young children to the time where we are young adults not only shape our sphere of friends, but it shapes who we are and who be become in future years.

I personally can't wrap my head around these ideas.. the internet can take place of everything.. it's just asking for trouble. To me, this is leading to text-based marriages and Skype family dinners, and I just don't like it.

In fifty years, high schools will have a more integrated focus (in my opinion).. schools will be focused more towards real-world learning experiences with more opportunities to get outside and learn by doing not be hearing. The combination of technology and traditional schooling-- I can see being big. Even now, a lot of schools do combine their classes with internet programs.. A lot of schools in District 196 use a website called Moodle to put assignments online as well as host discussion forums and it integrates the use of technology into a traditional school.

One last point.. Online schools can be difficult because there is no "my dog ate my homework" or "I left it at school". There really has to be the motivation to get work done and to do it on time and to the best of one's ability. I've had a couple friends who transferred to Online Schooling for senior year and decided to switch back because they just couldn't motivate themselves to actually get their work done.

High school for me changed after two years. I went to a traditional school freshman and sophomore year and then for junior and senior year I switched to a non-traditional school where everything is hands on and experiential. To be honest, I would really like to see more schools like mine in 50 years.

High school will not be anything like it is today. Most school will be conducted in online classrooms with more individual, isolated learning. I don't like this idea. People need people. Also, while the idea that the state could save money, the questions comes into mind is that schools serve as community hubs - with voting and community education etc happening in them - what will take the place as our social center? I wonder if eventually what learning will actually be like is probably like downloading. There are books called Shadow Run - set in the future - where people have data jacks directly into their brains - where people interact with each other and with information in a matrix based world that sounds not unlike Tron. This may seem a bit fanciful, but scientists are looking into the possibility that DNA could be integrated with machines on a nano level - so it makes the idea of coupling with machines more real and less science fiction.