Technology is always looking toward the future; it constantly develops and becomes obsolete very quickly. Naturally, this leads us, as educators, to thinking about how ever-changing technology will affect education in the future.
Obviously, no one can predict where technology will strike next, but education will most likely align with the current wireless trend. While our globe keeps shrinking due to the ability to communicate instantaneously, our personal, face-to-face interactions seem to be thinning as well. How will this affect the classroom, given that its format is face-to-face interaction?
While our technology seems to be eliminating the necessity of physically interacting with one another, Larry Cuban, in an article he contributed to The Washington Post warns us not to be too hasty in dismissing the traditional classroom: "magical thinking about transforming teaching and learning–dumping teachers and traditional schools disappearing–is close to make-believe even when children have these powerful devices in their hands." Technology, as rapid and engaging as it is, will never be able to offer the same benefits to students as teachers.
I think that technology is slowly eliminating the need for face to face interactions, and that is somewhat unfortunate. With virtual reality, it's easy to ignore people and simply develop relationships online. With what you wrote, it simply made me think of all the dangers this can bring along. People hiding their true identity to manipulate the youth, bullying, and much more. This is why I think it's very important to educate kids on safety when it comes to the internet.
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