One Vision of the Future of Classroom Learning

In this thought-provoking blog post, John Katzman, founder and CEO of Noodle, 2U, and the Princeton Review, gives a somewhat unconventional prediction of what the classroom of the future might look like.  Rather than a technology-laden "mission control" type of atmosphere, he predicts that there may actually be less technology in classrooms in the years ahead, as asynchronous learning is enhanced outside of class and the time when students are gathered together in one place becomes more focused on in-depth human interaction.  This remarkably old-school vision for new schools seems like an utterly logical prediction to me.  It puts technology in its proper role, as an aide to rather than a replacement for the most timeless quality of a truly transformative education; the face-to-face exchange of ideas.  It imagines technology as a tool that facilitates this exchange by allowing for more efficient and effective use of students' time beyond the classroom, so that the time spent in community can be richer and more productive.  This not-so-radical vision of the future grows from an abiding belief in the value of social learning, and elevates the classroom to an arena for the shared process of reflection and discernment that is so valuable to the making of meaning. A brave new world indeed!