Response to The Internet of Things

Response to The Internet of Things

George Orwell was off just a few decades. According to this report, the information age and internet is on the cusp of an entirely new society. Thankfully, the report offers two consolation prizes to those of us skittish about these changes. The “human core remains untouched” and privacy issues are critical to the Internet of Things becoming a reality.

At first reflection, the article sends me to the era of the Jetsons. However, when I think back to the amazing changes seen by my two great grandmothers who both lived a few months short of 100 years, I realize that these changes are imminent and probably productive.

What does this report and its implications mean for our students? The world is becoming smaller. The ability for enhanced communications means that continents will no longer divide countries. Students will need a broader knowledge of the world and how it works to be successful in such an age. What our kids will need to know how to do will change drastically also. Education better keep up. Maybe the resistance to change in education will finally break and our country will catch up with countries like China and India.

Internet of things aside, our world is ever-changing. As a new leader in education, it is going to be my job to accept change as the norm, encourage those around me to feel comfortable with new challenges, and filtering all that is being thrown at our students to keep them grounded but knowledgeable about their lives and the world around them.