Class Assignment - Synthesis Paper #1

One of the first assignments in a graduate course I am taking is to compose a synthesis of the change in the content of history and social studies along with student skills in the year 2025.  You may think my visions of the expectations of education and its reform are way off in the distant future, but from a technology standpoint the changes we will face in 2025 are just around the corner.

The content of social studies and history in the year 2025 will become not only a standard study of important dates and facts but also about attaining analytical skills to aid them in becoming part of a global community.  Students will gain a broader understanding of how the world is connected in the age of globalized networking.  The social network through the Internet will enhance the student’s exploration of different cultures by conversing directly with students in other parts of the world.  Students will no longer be expected to attend class in a traditional school building but will work from home in accordance to their own schedule.  There will be international communities of learning that will connect students from all over the world into online classrooms.  Social studies and history will no longer focus on regurgitating facts and dates but will entail tangible thoughts that question the students understanding of the past to anticipate and manipulate their future successes.

As a student of history and social studies in 2025, students will have to take on a variety of skills in order to excel in this content area.  Collaborating with other students will become a major tool in organizing and producing historical analysis.  Singular thought processes will no longer be a desired skill to translate into the workforce of 2025.  Efficiency and self discipline will be essential skills for students in 2025 due to the transformation of learning and work environments.  The outcome of a student’s work will carry more weight than the amount of time they put into their results due to the demand for instant gratification.  Even fundamental skills such as language and methods of communication will change drastically as handwriting and cursive classes will be replaced with keyboard and browsing instruction.  Students of 2025 will need to be perpetual learners and cannot afford to be anything but insightful not only in their studies but in their future careers as well.  A student’s judgment of reliable information from the Internet will become a vital skill since most of their gathered research will come from websites.  Innovation will take on an entirely new meaning for students.  Creativity and originality will become a basis for problem solving and will be essential tools in the workplace. 

In order to keep my students engaged in my classes it will be absolutely essential for me to keep up with the times of technology and be willing to try new things.  I will always be open to use new forms of technology suggested by my students as long as it does not dissuade the goal of our lesson.  Along with the use of technology, I will encourage students to challenge their analytical skills by solving their problems with innovation and creativity.  Our students will always be the future and as a teacher, I intend to give them every opportunity to meet that future with innovation and originality.