“The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Predictions: 2012-2022 Summary stated that nineteen of
the thirty occupations predicted to grow the fastest in the next decade will
require postsecondary education for entry and will pay higher than other jobs.
It is also interesting to note that the highest starting salaries for 2014
college graduates were for those with the following majors, in this order:
engineering, computer science, business, health sciences, communications,
mathematics and sciences, education, and the humanities and social sciences”
(Schrum & Levin, 2015, p. 14). Similarly, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported that employment in STEM occupations grew by 10.9 percent in
the last six years (Fayer, Lacey & Watson, 2017). Research has also shown that
some of the jobs our current students will have once they graduate from college
do not even exist today (as discussed in the video above)! As new technologies
are being created and developed, new jobs are simultaneously being created and developed
to ensure these technologies continue to be implemented correctly and are
continuously improving. “Even workers in “non-tech” jobs are discovering the
technology revolution has not passed them by. In fact, it is rare to find a job
that does not require some knowledge of computers or computer-based systems” (U.S.
Department of Labor). While we cannot teach our students about the future and
the jobs that they could one day have (because this, really, is unknown to
everyone), we can give them the
skills they will need for these jobs of the future. If our job as educators is
to ensure our students are college and career ready, shouldn’t we start teaching
them the essential 21st century skills they will need to be
successful tomorrow?
There is not time like the present to start preparing for
the future!
I believe the most simplistic way to start preparing our
students for the future is by integrating technology into the classroom. This
may seem obvious, but research has shown that only 85% of classrooms have
projectors in their classrooms (Whitehead, Jensen & Boschee, 2013). Why is
this technology not present for 100% of the classrooms? This is a simple, yet
extremely useful, technology that should be standardized amongst classrooms in
the United States. Similarly, only 49% of classrooms have wireless Internet
access; only 22% of classrooms have an interactive whiteboard; and, sadly, only
6% of classrooms have a tablet for every learner (Whitehead, et al, 2013).
There is more than enough research supporting the use of technology in the
classrooms. So why is technology not more of a focus in our education system?
Sadly, technology requires money, something many districts simply do not have;
and requires the willingness of teachers to learn how to properly implement
technology into the classrooms. “Many educators continue to depend on
foundational pedagogies…that are based on a nontechnological educational space.
This creates a unique philosophical conflict between how learning is conceived
and how learning happens when technology is added to the equation” (Whitehead,
et al, 2013, p. 9). It is essential for educational leaders to encourage
teachers to become educated on the importance of integration of technology into
classrooms. With knowledge comes power. If educators are knowledgeable of how
technology is beneficial to students, they are, more than likely, going to
strive to include technology into their instruction. A true educator wants to
provide the best for his or her students, no matter what it takes. I believe educating
and encouraging teachers about technology will help increase the amount of technologies
seen in American classrooms, and, thus, will start helping prepare our students
for the future.
Fayer, S., Lacey, A., & Watson, A. (2017).
STEM occupations: Past, present, and
future. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Spotlight on Statistics. Retrieved
from https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2017/science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-occupations-past-present-and-future/pdf/science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-occupations-past-present-and-future.pdf
Schrum, L. &
Levin, B. B. (2015). Leading 21st
century schools: Harnessing technology for engagement and achievement.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
U.S. Department of Labor: Office of the
Secretary. Reports: Future work. Retrieved
from https://www.dol.gov/dol/aboutdol/history/herman/reports/futurework/report/pdf/ch6.pdf
