"School in the Cloud" Gives New Meaning to 'Remote Learning'

Advancements in technology have not only allowed for progression in the lives of everyday professionals, but in the classroom as well. While colleges and universities have continuously led the way in this theatre since the 1960s, K-12 schools have been progressing steadily in advancing their efforts in the online (or virtual) classroom since around the late 1990s. Matt Donnelly advises in his writings that almost two-thirds of schools in the 2005-06 school year had at least one student taking blended course[s], or one conducted entirely online. Furthermore, Donnelly adds that number is suggested to increase 19% over the next two years. That being said, while there have been plans in place at most K-12 school districts nationally to continue to advance in the online learning arena, we must also consider how COVID-19 has caused superintendents and principals to expand their efforts more rapidly than planned. Overall, based on my own assessments, the advancements of technology in the classroom leads me to believe that, while the system in place as a whole is not perfect, it does offer more benefits than disadvantages to those who partake of it.

While the virtual classroom is still continuing to develop, there is value in it as present by Sugata Mitra’s in his TedTalks  from 2010 and 2013 on his "School in the Cloud" project. Simply stated, in this talks Mitra communicates, if the technological means are provided along with positivereinforcement, young students of any age are capable of teaching themselves and learning almost anything. This is where structure comes into the picture. By having a set curriculum and then allowing for the student to learn on their own at their own pace, I believe, we will see higher levels of education achieved, not just in the United States, but in other parts of the world as well. Technology is a fantastic vehicle for education, all that is need a clearly defined road map of how to maneuver the vehicle to where we need to go.

Below is Sugata Mitra's 2013 Ted Prize winning talk that garnered the funding to make the "School in the Cloud" a reality.  

Donnelly, M. (2019). Web-Based Instruction. Salem Press Encyclopedia. [Web Edition]. https://search-ebscohost.com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89164554&site=eds live&scope=site

Mitra, S. (2013). Build a School in the Cloud. [Video file]. http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education?language=en#t-10645
Mitra, S. (2013). Build a School in the Cloud. [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jYVe1RGaU