Hindsight is 20-20

From Wikipedia, "20-20 Vision - the numerator refers to the distance in feet between the subject and the chart. The denominator indicates the size of the letters, expressed in millimeters?  In technology, 20-20 vision could refer to clarity of thought with the use of appropriate tools to serve a purpose.  Selecting and utilizing computer tools and related technology devices or apps that perform tasks simpler, faster, and easier.

Hindsight - we all have it.  We often see, too late, the consequence of our actions.  The clarity, the 20-20 vision, comes into focus after the event and upon reflection.

Foresight - we all have this too.  Peer into the future, dream big, reach for the stars.    So, what will technology, in the world and in education, look like in 2020?

What is my vision of what the world could be like in 2020?   

• The Read/Write Web will continue to thrive and drive our culture, our economy, and our learning.  All aspects of living, globally, will continue on the path of user-generated content - politics, journalism, retail, media, news, sports, entertainment, etc.  This web authoring by the masses will direct quality in both products and services
• Ubiquitous mobile devices will allow users to connect to any arena at any instant from any location.  Easily, simply, and efficiently permitting connections between opposite ends of the spectrum: the novice connecting with the expert, presidents connecting with the work force, wholesale connecting with retail, the elderly connecting with teens, the sophisticated connecting with unsophisticated, the rich connecting with the poor, the Eskimo connecting with the Asian.   
• The technology software playing field will be level, and applications will not be device-dependent or restricted by local drive space.  We'll all be in the cloud, driving further technological and cultural changes with the amount of collaborating, sharing, communicating, and new learning that arises.
• RSS aggregation is available through television networks, allowing homeowners to select their aggregator of choice.  Flat screen TVs are touch-sensitive and use infra-red technologies to sense hand motion commands from a 12-foot distance.
• Subscriptions to commercial site's blogs create an opportunity for advertising and marketing for small business, allowing local ads to display on home televisions (at low cost to the small business) depending on the key words, or tags, the homeowner uses.  Community growth from these local ads stimulates local economies, providing jobs, increasing the standard of living, and allowing support to increase for the poor, needy and homeless.
• World Album - online image storage reaches new heights as the world's largest web album illustrates the story of our civilization.  Encompassing all cultures, continents, and people, the album celebrates the richness of humanity in every field and endeavor.  From technology to the arts, from atop snow-encrusted mountains to the depths of the ocean floors, the World Album is hailed as the single biggest collaborative effort of all time.  (Digital copies available at www.worldalbum.org)

How will changes in the world affect education, and how will changes in education affect the world? 

• Online learning platforms will thrive - Moodle, Sakai, Blackboard, Elluminate, etc. will grow and provide affordable learning opportunities to all ages of learners.  
• A mix of face-to-face classroom time will be balanced with at-home, online learning.  Middle, high school, and college students will be in blended, or hybrid, learning environments with educators utilizing online platforms to deliver content in both F2F and online settings.
• No longer proprietory, learning management systems will be completed online and either free or shareware-driven.  Cost issues will be negligent as open-content, free courses are offered through public schools, charter and private schools, colleges and universities.
• Net Generation students will be our young educators, using technology applications to deliver content-rich media to learners.
• As learners create new networks and new learning, the web of connections will grow exponentially - this growth will increase the need for web filters, searches, pipes, and feeds that users can modify to suit their ow particular interests and needs.
• Internet Safety, Netiquette, and Copyright learning units exist in every curricula, in every classroom, and at every grade level.  Society demands it as technology drives nearly every aspect of our lives.
• Administration is technology-savvy and supports use of online applications via student accounts.  Safeguards still in place, teachers and students are permitted access to online tools to enrich learning, to create new learning, and to make connections with a live audience on the Internet.
• Technology infrastructures within district buildings are the focus of budgeting costs to support Net Gen learning strategies.
• Administration and school boards are tech-savvy and support web site creation, blogging, wikis, document-sharing, podcasting, vodcasting, voice threads, Skype, video-conferencing
• Wiki Model - School nation-wide and beyond adopt this model to create online spaces for students to collaborate, create, and learn.   Wikis are tagged and searched by learning communities, and wiki collaboration across state and countries reinforce cultural awareness and tolerance.
• School Cast - Schools also adopt podcasting and vodcasting as the premium media that students use to express their learning, demonstrate skills, and model tasks.  "iTunes Me" becomes the single richest collection of school podcasts and vodcasts made by learners at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
• Educational communities unblock Facebook and MySpace.  After extensive teacher training, social networking is permitted through district servers, allowing teachers to use informal learning strategies to support and enhance curriculum content.  Social learning becomes a rich resource for learners and academic success is proven through research studies.

How will your choices and innovations in the classroom affect others? 

• The world, including all classrooms, will become expert bloggers.  Everyone has a voice, especially young learners, and will use blogging extensively.  In the year 2020, it would be unheard of not to have a blog to express yourself, academically, personally and professionally.  RSS feeds among educators, classmates, friends, family, community and religious groups will create a personal learning community that support each other in dynamic, positive ways through the sharing of ideas, thoughts, feelings, and dreams.
• Conversation tagging becomes a crucial means of sorting and sifting through blog posts.  Apps that sift tags become a must-have on mobile devices.  Tag etiquette and protocol offer guidelines to bloggers to ease connections of shared interests
• The volume of conversations through blog posts and comments create such incredibly long threads that online servers are forced to back-up and upgrade monthly.  Donations to free blogging applications increase to support increased volume.
• Blogging becomes an interactive tool of choice in classrooms as students connect with experts in many fields - biology, space, literature, art, technology, construction, music, medicine, economy, business, etc.  Experts in all fields maintain classroom connections in global-wide efforts to groom newcomers to their fields.
• Game On - Gaming applications are created in every curriculum area to support key concepts, terminology, and practices.  Self-direction, competition, group decision-making, and collaboration skills improve globally with this gaming movement in education.  No longer commercially-driven, game developers support and promote prototype games in schools, gaining audiences and future sales.

How will being a teacher be different in 2020 than it is today?

• All educators are tech-savvy, using appropriate technology tools and applications to meet the Net Gen Baby's needs.  Educators are involved in the blog-o-sphere, maintaining connections with experts in the field and use the Wiki Model as a platform for student creativity and collaboration.
• Educators' classrooms are technology-laden work spaces where students are organized into project-oriented teams that tackle authentic, real-world tasks.
• Mobile devices are in every classroom, supported financially through real-world experts, as the importance of being stakeholders in their field's future becomes more evident.
• Social bookmarking tools such as Delicious and Diigo become a resource hub in academic communities.  Resources are tagged by age level, curriculum, and topic.  Teachers follow each others' bookmarks, creating an educator network rich with content and resources for students.  Students follow teachers' bookmarking applications.  As links are added and stacks are updated, site portions are highlighted, or notes are added, students are updated with class projects immediately.
• The Academic Library Association creates a global application for searching not only traditional reading materials but also online sites, blogs, wikis, and bookmarking tools.  This mashing tool, "Find It Now", becomes an instant success as it makes pertinent lists of resources while rating author credibility.  Research becomes as simple as entering a few key words.
• Cross-curricular projects exist at all grade levels and across all curriculum areas.  Because of the ubiquitous technology and seasoned technology leadership in education, students are provided ample tools and time to mimic real-world tasks through integrated technology projects.
• Big Shifts are still occurring as people's needs demand changes with technology use.  Fads drive app development, celebrities spark interest in media preferences, politicians connect with the masses via blogging, business products and services live or die through rating sites.