The world is changing so fast, and we need young minds to adapt and grow with the technological changes of our future. New technology in education is just one area where our future is adapting, which means the need for specialists in various fields of technology and engineering is growing just as quickly. If you played with Lincoln Logs or K’NEX building blocks as a child, you may find yourself naturally drawn to some examples below. You could be the specialist the world depends on to shape the future of education and change the ways of the workforce.

Think Einstein Could Have Used These Examples of Emerging Technology?

We have come so far from candlelight views and a telephone attached to the wall. Imagine what past inventors could do with today’s technological advancements. What will you do with the ability to use some of these technologies? Even if you aren’t tech-savvy enough to bring an invention to life, you may have a general interest in the concepts of engineering and how things work. We all use technology in our everyday activities, and some take what we can do with it all for granted. At our fingertips are AI, automation, and the ability to microlearn various subjects without getting a full degree. Break through your cocoon and emerge a beautiful butterfly of invention with today’s emerging technology. What is an emerging technology, you ask? Below are 6 examples of how tech shows its face in every aspect of our future.

AI-From Your Imagination to Paper

Artificial intelligence in the educational system is not so much emerging right now as it is evolving. It isn’t a new concept in educational improvement but rather an example of instructional technology that educators continue to use to teach each student in the best way possible for each child. Gone are the days of one classroom curriculum and way of teaching. Now, with AI, teachers can systematically teach each child the same information but at their own pace or method of information retention. Imagine what we, as adults, could have absorbed had we had the capacity to learn by doing, seeing, writing, and practicing hands-on. AI doesn’t take OVER teaching or teachers; it helps the teachers reach the minds of several students at one time while enabling everyone to progress together. The teacher can input a syllabus and the students’ requirements and develop different methods to teach one topic successfully.

VR- Is Virtual Our New Reality?

We have virtual learning labs, classrooms via Zoom, and virtual reality augmentation to provide a hands-on learning simulation for kids of all ages. Implementing VR into classrooms is one of the most successful examples of emerging technologies in education by far. When schools don’t have the funding to take a group of kids on a field trip, the field trip can now come to them. In high school and college classes, students can step into a world of imagination and watch the world around them change. The immersive interaction allows students of all ages to look at a concept in 3D, plant a tree, drive a car, or break down chemicals safely while still getting hands-on experience. Not only is virtual reality increasing the ease of education with every class, but it also increases the safety of learning without leaving the classroom or living room.

3D Printing- Think, Draw, Create

The fact that we can take an image in our mind, draw it on paper or a computer, and then use technology to create a 3D replication of what we thought of is the most amazing technology that is becoming increasingly popular in education. Of this list, this is the best example of “emerging” in technological usage. Even so, it may still be a few years before it’s a standard operation of education. Right now, upper-level and college students are replicating bones and DNA spirals to break down and examine or crafting a working model motor to dissemble and reassemble to learn about engine combustion. How amazing is it that technology can physically represent almost anything and study it in a classroom-size model? There truly is no better way to prepare a student for the real world than to start now with the exact thing they hope to spend their careers studying or creating.

NFC- Upgraded Touchscreen with Collaboration and Engagement

Yes, we have touchscreen technology everywhere, but what is the next step in evolution? Take that touchscreen, and add the ability to write your class notes and save them to the cloud. The technology that enables students to use one tablet for every class and save room in their bags isn’t the only reason NFC is quickly emerging in the educational world. When synced, the entire class or group can work on a project simultaneously, sharing notes, ideas, and graphics to get real-time updates and ideas. This technological advancement in learning improves peer support and collaboration when working with a team. Other types of technology tend to be a solo project. Just imagine 2 students in college working together from worlds apart and watching one add notes and editing suggestions to a research paper. Never do these 2 students have to be in the library simultaneously with NFC technology.

Gamification Isn’t Just a New WOW Level

Gaming in the sense of playing video games after school has a reputation of fun, nerdy, and mindless time spent in front of a huge flat-screen TV, but what if I told you that they are actually sneaky ways of learning? Sure, in World of Warcraft, you fight monsters and build your team to be victorious, but what if you consider the “war” a fight to save the planet, the “team” your project group, and the “victory” accomplished when you safely evacuate the village and save them all from some environmental disaster? What about an hour of playing D&D? A session of dungeons and dragons can be easily converted into an active listening and information retention “game” where a small group must recall the last order given and listen for rules and loopholes. This sounds like the perfect logic-building game for anyone learning about business, economics, or a career in law.

Speech Recognition- Can You Hear Me Now?

There is a softer, more subtle side to technology in the classroom, and its concept is called speech recognition. The diversity of this technology is overwhelming. Not only can educators and students learn to adapt to each other’s needs, but once they discover that connection, learning becomes virtually unstoppable. Speech recognition allows students with disabilities to engage with the class so everyone understands everyone, will enable students to perfect pronunciation when learning a new language, and develop a better understanding of the concept of language by developing the skills to hear and sound out syllables. When a student uses speech recognition, the connection to the teacher allows the teacher to understand where each student is in their learning curve and adjust lessons to match each level. What better way to unite a world than creating an environment where everyone is understood and excited to learn together?

Crack the Code on Learning Technologies Examples

There is a growing need for experts in the field of technology and engineering. Our future requires students to gain interest now and grow, learn, and expand their knowledge as fast as the technology around them does. The students will grow to implement and maintain the innovations of their future and continue to teach the next generations. As tech evolves, kids are cracking the code on new ways to use old methods and improve the educational technologies examples listed above. If we don’t get kids interested in science at a young age, we risk slowing advancements. Teachers must keep up with the fast-paced evolution of science and physics, so why not teach younger generations now to enjoy doing the same? Science, technology, engineering, and math are the core solutions to technological advancements. These STEM field-directed minds need to develop at an early age so that students can grow and evolve into the minds of teachers, educators, leaders, and creators. Some of the biggest benefits of STEM field study include creative thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration, leadership, and, of course, the use and understanding of how technology works. Kids think more creatively than adults, so as educators provide the world of learning, kids need to feel comfortable making mistakes, learning, and experimenting with their ideas. That is why we need classrooms and teachers to support the education of emerging technologies to shape the education and the workforce of our future.

To Keep Moving Forward, We Must Not Look Back

Yes, we need to learn from our mistakes and find out what didn’t work, not to repeat those mistakes, but our future is ahead of us. By leading the next generation into the innovative concept of “anything is possible,” we can build a future full of technological advancement that emerges from the creative minds of our children. The students deeply involved in STEM education can use emerging technology in the classroom to study, collaborate, and learn. They can take what they use and create new methods and then go on to teach the next generations to do the same with the technology of their era. It is a continuous loop of learning, using technology in the classroom to learn in multiple ways without leaving anyone behind. In the words of Kevin Costner, “If you build it, they will come.” Build. Dream. Innovate. Thrive.