Page 132 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Preparing for an Unknown Future

We cannot predict the future. Educators can use the past and the present
to project what to expect for students, but it’s not a perfect science. If we
base our assumptions on the increasing speed of technological change
and continued automation, we can forecast that future careers will be
vastly different from those of today. So how do you prepare students for
an unknown future? How do you navigate educating students for future
occupations for which we likely don’t yet have names? Do we try to make
our best guess?

If we do, we will likely be wrong. Look at the past: there are a handful of
surprisingly accurate predictions, but most depictions of what the future
would be like are wildly inaccurate. A wiser approach is to build skills that
we know are useful, such as those outlined in the ISTE Standards, update
our information regularly, and strengthen students’ abilities to be creative,
flexible, and innovative. This approach pairs naturally with STEAM learning
and works in tandem with it. It’s important to occasionally step back and
examine the curriculum to be sure this is all being reflected in the projects
and assignments. Teachers often lean toward one discipline or another and
sometimes grow too comfortable in what they teach, but it’s vital to make
sure students are getting a well-balanced, modern STEAM experience.
When I was in middle school in the 1980s, my teachers predicted computers
were going to be the key tool of the future. They were correct. But the way
they chose to prepare us to work in this new computer-centered world was
with keyboarding classes. In retrospect, it was not the best skill set to build,
but I understand why they chose it. At the time, keyboards were the new
technology, replacing punch cards and other computer input methods, but
being an amazing typist today doesn’t give anyone a huge edge in the digital
world. In truth, keyboards themselves now seem antiquated as devices
evolve, touchpads grow more dominant, and voice controls become more
ubiquitous. I can envision keyboards disappearing in the next ten years.

I don’t fault my teachers for not preparing me fully for the digital age. As
an educator, I understand how easy it is to base your teaching on present
circumstances. Knowing how quickly technology moves, I can’t even guess

102 Part III: Next Level STEAM Learning

STEAM Power: Infusing Art Into Your STEM Curriculum 132