May22Update_DPS Tech Plan 2021 - 2024

A Look Ahead... the 5th Industrial Revolution? 1750 1800 1850 1900

1950

2000

1st (1748) Mechanical Production, Railroads &

2nd (1870) Mass Production, Electrical Power, & the advent of the Assembly Line

3rd (1969) Automated production, electronics & Computers

4th (NOW) Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Robotics, & more to come

Steam Power

Technology moves rapidly and advances changes in education that are often difficult to anticipate and at times inconceivable. Transformational changes, that often feel revolutionary, happens at a fast pace that young learners are growing accustomed, often with more ease and facility than adult learners. Sensors, the internet, cloud computing, local detection, and artificial Intelligence are just some of the elements of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Given advancements in augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality, middle school students could, in five year’s time, walk into Biology classrooms that are converted into the interior of the human heart with one click. Imagine walking around the room and interacting with the circulatory system instead of watching someone else have that experience. These same students may receive notifications on wearable technology when walking past school libraries to remind them that books desired are now available. Certainly these developments will spark questions around infrastructure, budget, professional learning and more. Nonetheless, these technologies will become available sooner than anticipated. The current learning environment taught the world that connecting over video platforms like Zoom is possible. So how will this influence connecting to outside experts, classrooms around the world, and opening new possibilities for home to school connections? Devices are mobile so the need to be housed in four interior walls for learning in traditional schools is a question with exploring. Teachers can now create their own interactive textbooks with video, audio and formative assessments which can be digitally annotated. Implications for future budgets, teaching and learning, and professional learning need to reflect evolution in these areas. Anticipating the technology of the future requires a future ready mindset. While there are great benefits to job-embedded learning, professional affiliations and attendance at various technology conferences will keep our teachers and leaders on the cutting edge of technology education. Additionally, site visits to innovative programs and continued support in the operating budget from the Board of Education and Community will support the daily learning of our students as well as efforts to prepare them for the future.

6 3