This is the year 2030 and I am proud to say I work as an educator; the number one respected profession. Here's a day in my work;
I wake up without an alarm clock and get ready for work. I arrive at my office on my bike as we don’t use cars any more. I am dressed in casual comfortable clothing and head to my office. I have a big office space with windows overlooking the beautiful emptiness of the desert. I have decorated my office with my art work and my kids crafts. I have also chosen the furniture to fit my teaching style. We are lucky to have the full support of the administration for making our space according to what we see fits our needs. So I feel quite good coming to my office. I have a small area for meetings with students and for video conferencing. Even though my office is very comfortable and has a casual living room feel to it, it also includes all the latest technology to facilitate video conferencing and virtual learning.
My students also have their own office spaces. They choose their space and make it their own. We no longer meet in the formal classroom like the old days in 2011. These classroom spaces are now restricted to become small office spaces for students and meetings rooms equipped with video conferencing and other technology students need.
Usually I start my first class by having a video conference with my small group of students; 5 maximum. My role as an educator is to facilitate their learning. So we go through what they need to do for the week. I coach them with some tips on how to go about their tasks. Their study is based on authentic projects. They often need to coordinate meetings with students from other countries. I have now also contacted George Town University in New York and we are working on a project together linking the Emirati students with the Americans to find a solution for a problem one of the emirates is trying to solve. The world now is a small place where all the resources are available to everyone and as such we are all responsible for the progress of the human race.
My group suggests inviting a guest speaker from Europe to get the European perspective so we have a video conference call with that speaker.
Students have their notes and tasks for next week so off they get going.
Later on in the day, I have a face to face meeting with another group. We still use this old fashioned style because the human interaction is important. Our meeting is in the desert in one of student’s Majlis. This group have their own Majils for meetings instead of the office space. They like to keep their traditions alive. Even though this is in the middle of the desert we still have the latest technology available so we have an area where we brainstorm our ideas for the next project. We also have a video conference with African speakers to give us their insights. All of the projects assigned are real life projects that need to be applied in society.
Learning basically is project based. Students pick a problem and need to find the solution by researching and collaborating with people from around the world. They do not sit in classrooms and talk about theories. They dig in and have their teachers as their guides. Resources are available at their request.
After this meetings, I listen to a presentation by another group of students working on a project for the World Bank. I am doing this while in the park because I don’t want to waste a perfectly beautiful day!
At the end of the day, I feel relaxed, had my exercise and enjoyed a good facilitation. I feel technology has helped making my life easier and more connected and I can shut it down when needed. I don’t feel that the more connected I am through technology the less real communication is happening like the old days in 2011 when people felt more disconnected because of lack of knowledge using technology.
Hope who finds this letter will find something useful.
Best wishes,
Lana
No comments:
Post a Comment