Our economy is a business one that strives for profit and efficiency. If people can grow protein in a test tube more efficiently than cultivating herds of cattle, then they will do this regardless of the number of jobs that are lost (Scientist create test-tube burger with lab-grown beef, 2013). We live in a disposable society and what lacks value or profit frequently falls to the waste side, becomes obsolete. We see this with the elderly, the disabled, species of animals that no longer hold our interests or needs. The ideals of Eugenics, that were so popular at the turn of the century and that foster the sterilization and murder of millions are still very much alive today and will be a challenge in the future (Eugenics Archive, 2013; Kaelber, 2012; Michalczyk, 1997).
Just as people today strive to keep their job skills up to date by taking classes to be able to have opportunities to get jobs and a better life, while others do not pursue opportunities for improvement, so to will people in the future be challenged to decide upon "upgrades" that will be offered to improve their performance for work opportunities. It is the story of "have and have nots". Only a dramatic change in culture can change such eventual challenges. The recent movie "Elysium" suggests one possible future and the possible results of such a divide. What will we do when humans are obsolete and have little or no value? Will those that can't adapt or upgrade be put on social security and disability? Perhaps, reservations will be created that will allow some humans to live on, while others compete for the next level of abilities.
Resources:
Eugenics Archive (2013). Image archive on the American eugenics movement. Retrieved from http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/eugenics/list3.pl
Kaelber, L. (2012). Eugenics: Compulsory sterilization in 50 American states. Retrieved from http://www.uvm.edu/~lkaelber/eugenics/
Michalczyk, J. (1997). In the shadow of the reich: Nazi Medicine. Retrieved from http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Nazi_Medicine/70073810?trkid=496715
Scientist create test-tube burger with lab-grown beef. (2013). Today Show. Retrieved from http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/Scientists-create-test-tube-burger-with-lab-grown-beef/40257603526/Comcast/Today_in_Video/?cid=hero_sf_TIV
In the same post, one of my professors at Capella University furthered the discussion to the post. He mentioned that he was fearful of the future of teaching and wondered what I thought. Did I foresee a time when teachers would become obsolete? Here's my response with my reading citations:
Dear Fearful,
You have every right to have trepidations regarding the future of education and employment. However, we know that change is inevitable, thus we must prepare ourselves or risk becoming irrelevant or outdated. The key is to maintain one's capacity to keep up with the times, be flexible and to continue one's learning.
As Cornish (2005) posited, "Thus, we can learn a great deal about what may happen in the future by looking systematically at what is actually happening now. The key thing to watch is not events (suddent developments or one-day occurrences) but trends (long-term, ongoing shifts in such things as population, land use, technology, and governmental systems)" (p. xiii). By following trends we create opportunities for ourselves in the future, but of course there are no guarantees in life. Like investing in stocks, one must diversify one's abilities, skills and attentions so as to increase the possibility of a return on our self investments. Specializing in one area is a risk and in an era that has seen the extinction of many specialized jobs, we should all take note; there are no guaranteed jobs any more, or soon to be. Flynn & Vredevoogd (2010) summed this notion up perfectly when they wrote: "It is better to be proactive in assessment than to be reactive to external mandates."
That being said, there is considerable debate about the future of education and the role of teachers in the future. The day may come when we can all look forward to downloading information and experiences directly into our brains, thus making the need for teachers irrelevant (Kurzweil, 2012), however for the foreseeable future (at least the next 20 years?), there will be a portion of the human population that will prefer to be education in the experiential manner and will demand face to face teachers and experiences. Carnevale (2007) supports this view as well as Resnick (2013): "The instructor is still the key to successful learning in both the virtual and the traditional classroom. IT is great at delivering content, but building bridges to wisdom and understanding is a human experience."
The best teachers will be in high demand. The key is to become a "rock star" of sorts in one's area of expertise. In Kurtweil's book entitled "How to Create a Mind" (2012), he explains his "law of accelerating returns" or LOAR. It basically explains how the human evolutionary process is accelerating, biologically and technologically (p. 4). LOAR combined with "pattern recognition theory of mind" or PRTM, which describes how the human brain is able to create ideas and abstractions, will eventually lead to improvements in the capacity of human intelligence and ability (p. 6).
It is obvious from our readings that the "education business" does not value professors as much as they did, or at least not in the same way. Keeping teachers and professors on with tenure is becoming a question of economics and relevancy, especially if the way education is being delivered is changing. Teachers and professors in the future need to plan on being more aggressive in maintaining their relevance and value by leading in their realms of expertise.
Resources:
Carnevale, D. (2007). Technology trends in higher education. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(8), 0-A28. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/214645706?accountid=27965
Cornish, E. (2005). Futuring: The exploration of the future. Bethesda, MD: World Future Society. ISBN: 9780930242619.
Flynn, W. J., & Vredevoogd, J. (2010). The future of learning: 12 views on emerging trends in higher education. Planning for Higher Education, 38(2), 5-10. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/212564903?accountid=27965
Kurzweil, R. (2012). How to create a mind. New York, New York: Viking.
Resnick, M. (2013). Edutainment? No thanks. I prefer playful learning. Retrieved from http://llk.media.mit.edu/papers/edutainment.pdf
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