I participated in a fascinating #edchat yesterday morning, during which participants attempted to answer the question, “In light of education reform, what will a teacher look like and be doing 10 years from today?” Unsurprisingly, the conversation focused on what effect technology enhancements will have on education over the next decade.

Given that technology changes so quickly, it’s extremely difficult to predict how education will change in a decade. Consider that 10 years ago Apple had yet to release the iPod, let alone the iPhone or the iPad. Walkmans and portable CD players were the most common ways to listen to music on the go and smartphones had just started to emerge as consumer products. Wireless connectivity was still a fairly new concept and most US universities did not yet offer WiFi services across campus. E-readers were uncommon and most e-books were technical manuals and programming guides. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube did not yet exist and even Friendster was still a few years from being launched.

My work, education and teaching are so dependant on current technology resources that it’s difficult to conceive of my processes a decade ago. I used PowerPoint to put together presentations, but I didn’t have the huge pool of video resources on YouTube to liven up my talks. I browsed websites for lesson ideas and career resources, but I didn’t have a PLN to call on for advice and support.

When I consider how much my life has changed thanks to the technology innovations that have become commonplace over the last 10 years, it’s almost impossible to predict what I’ll be up to 10 years from today. Computers will likely get smaller and smaller, mobile computing will be increasingly common, and educators will be expected to have an online presence rather than reprimanded for it.

What changes do you think technology will bring to education 10 years from now?