FUTURE OF EDUCATION: SCIENCE TAKES LEAD

Classrooms on space ships and submarines?

Coed baseball teams?

Mall-like food courts in school cafeterias?

According to some, these are just a few of the developments coming in the next millennium. Schools have changed drastically in the past 15 years, and several forward-thinkers said the sky is the limit for the future.

"I think that science will kind of take a lead," said Twan Robinson, chief professional officer at the Cape Girardeau Civic Center. "The Jetsons and all that stuff will come into being, but our basics, like reading writing and arithmetic also will become more important."

Robinson said educational systems will include an eclectic mix of old and new technology and values. She expects to see trade apprentice programs developed at the high school level, and education via satellite will become a normal part of the school day.

"We might have a space class. I also think another place of education could be like on the water on a submarine or a ship," Robinson said. "You could live anywhere and go to school."

Rob Huff, principal at Louis J. Schultz School, said advanced computer technology will become commonplace in classrooms. Interactive classrooms and distance learning programs will be expanded so that students have contact with experts whatever field they are studying.

"This will provide more authentic instruction to place the knowledge kids receive in context with real-life experiences," said Huff. "We'll always listen to lectures and that sort of thing, but there's a greater emphasis on doing things."

Huff and Robinson agreed that despite the emphasis on technology, the 3 Rs will continue to be emphasized. Computer technology is rendered useless if a person cannot read a message or complete a math problem, they said.

"Even though the computer age is here, without some of those basics it's not going to be worth anything," Robinson said. "A mouse can only do so much."

As classrooms become computerized, there may be less of a need for traditional textbooks. Huff said textbooks are expensive to purchase, and information on computer disks would cost less and be easier to update.

"You can update software a lot easier than you can buy next textbooks," he said.

Olympia McMackins, an employee at the Cape Girardeau Public Library, said teachers may look different in the future, but they won't be replaced by robots. "I have a feeling that robots, like computers, could crash, so they won't be there," she said.

Another reason robots won't be heading up classrooms in the future is because children have a basic need to be around real people. Teachers have emotions that cannot be realistically simulated, said McMackins.

Melissa Herbst, a professional development coordinator at Educare, also disliked the idea of robots replacing teachers in classrooms of the next millennium.

"I don't want robots to be there because nothing can take place of human touch and kindness," she said. "It's important to be able to hug a teacher and have a teacher hug you and tell you how proud they are of you and that you're special."

Herbst is predicting growth in the number of private and parochial schools. Students will also be able to stay at home and call up a computer classroom one day, she said.

"Private schools will grow so children can have smaller classrooms and more opportunities to explore other areas of life," said Herbst. "I think it'd be fantastic for a kid to get to learn outside of the classroom because there's a lot more to life than just sitting in a classroom eight hours a day."

Robinson had a different point of view: "I really think there's a great need for kids to get a sense of what life is like, and going to public school you get a greater sense of that than you would in private or charter schools because those tend to be more homogenous."

Either way, over the next 1,000 years, McMackins said students will enter educational systems earlier than they do currently.

"I think pretty soon it'll get to where as soon as you're born you'll be in school," she said with a laugh. "At 4 I was just learning my ABCs, and now we're seeing kids here who already know their colors, ABCs and all of that."

Huff said students of the next millennium will have longer school days and school years. Extended learning opportunities will be offered before and after school, and school calendars could develop so that mini-vacations throughout the year replace the traditional three month summer vacation.

As those developments take place, schools will become more creative in their support services, including food offerings, he said.