Pondering the Future of Learning

The biggest question on my mind -- and I'm sure on the mind of many others -- is simply, what is the future of learning? Not necessarily education. I'm not sure which direction education will go. There are a lot of forces that have to be accounted for when you think about the future of education as an institution. As a result, there are countless articles, research and opinion pieces that try to analyze this. While I think that the conversation on education has been interesting and very necessary, my focus lies on the concept of learning itself.

As I stated in my first blog entry here over a year and half ago, learning is a phenomenon that is exclusive of education. Learning occurs everywhere throughout the day. And much like education, one of the biggest variables in 21st century learning is technology. What do we do with it? What can we do with it?

Technology has completely changed the realm of possibilities for learning. However, the rise of technology has happened so fast, it has become a monster of its own that has been difficult to harness. As such, we have powerful capabilities (like the ability to easily collaborate with people from around the world), yet haven't had the time necessary to master what's in front of us. I do believe, however, that we are reaching a point where we are catching up to technology and preparing to do amazing things that we couldn't have dreamed of even five years ago. The most far-reaching possibilities for learning may soon become influential realities.

Thus the future of learning is certainly exciting. It is also not something we will be able to figure out easily. Perhaps at times this future will be confusing or even frustrating... but I believe this future can be fantastic. I am thrilled to be part of this conversation, and look forward to seeing what happens.

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