The classroom environment has kept up with new technologies. First, we had blackboards and chalk. Then whiteboards and markers. Now we have interactive (交互的) whiteboards. From big, heavy televisions that were wheeled between classrooms, to flat do-it-all screens. So, what could the school of the future look like?
Improved courses
Different from the old-school traditions in English, math, social studies and science, we'll have more meaningful and colorful courses. Instead of limiting students' choices, teachers can let students choose whatever they like according to their interests and needs for their future career. Schools can create more opportunities for students to get useful skills through real-world practice, like cooking, money management, fixing the computer and gardening. Students will develop their deep thinking, problem-solving and communication skills through these courses.
The classroom environment
For the school of the future, there will be no need to fight with heavy curtains or dust-covered blinds. And we'll have smart glass. Windows can change their color to make up for light outside, protecting both our eyes and screens.
As summers get hotter and winters become warmer and wetter, air-conditioned classrooms will become common. And they will be cleaner and more environment-friendly, with built-in air cleaners to remove bad stuff and dust from the air.
Augmented(增强的)reality and AI
Adaptive (适应的) learning systems driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become part of schools by 2050. These systems will give each student a special learning plan based on how they can learn better and will offer leveled tests depending on how the student is doing.
AI may be also used to analyse (分析) students' work, helping teachers understand which students need more help on weak lessons before they fall behind. Students will be able to get teachers' advice quickly, with what needed to be improved and more personal guidance, fit for a student's advantages and weaknesses.
Undoubtedly, the biggest development we've seen in recent years has been in great progress in technology, so we can be quite certain that it has the ability to change schools over the next 20 or 30 years.