2. Future network scenarios (1)
SCENARIO 1: ENET - EUROPEAN EDUCATION NETWORK
In 2025, eTwinning has evolved into a European Education
Network (eNet), a centralised network of networks
which unites different education stakeholders together.
The platform is owned and managed by the European
Commission and is available in all the official languages.
eNet has become part of the initial teacher training
(ITT) and an eTwinning "license" is given to all teachers.
As safety and security is of paramount importance for
eNet, all other users are requested to undergo a
verification process when requesting a username and a
password.
3. Future network scenarios (1)
SCENARIO 1: ENET - EUROPEAN EDUCATION NETWORK
eNet is now the main working tool for any teacher in Europe,
through which their Personal Teaching Record is
developed. This is linked to a career recognition system.
eNet enables teachers to share and access high quality
resources for free (through an open content license) in
different European languages, prepare classes, document
their work, assess their students, connect with other
teachers through projects, look for jobs, search and apply
for training and be active in suggesting changes in the
curricula.
4. Future network scenarios (1)
SCENARIO 1: ENET - EUROPEAN EDUCATION NETWORK
Parents are also able to log in specific areas to view their
children's progress.
Students, on the other hand, have their own pages on this
new tool, but their activity can be monitored at any time
by their teacher. Students feel it is a fun way of maintaining
a form of "diary" of their scholastic work and collaborating
with students from other schools.
Education researchers have a section where they share
articles which could be useful for teachers.
5. Future network scenarios (2)
SCENARIO 2: MYNETWORK
The MyNetwork scenario presents a personalised Social Networking
approach to diverse and fragmented networks that exist along each
other.
In 2025, teachers are able to manage their networks through a single
application and have got tired not being in control of their own data.
A new application, MyNetwork enables teachers to create multiple
profiles through a single log-on, whereby they are able to manage
their personal data, its visibility and their list of contacts.
Teachers are able to link to different applications which they think are
useful, without losing too much time dedicating time to learn each
and every one of them.
A complex identity management system allows them to change
from one profile to another at the click of a button.
6. Future network scenarios (2)
SCENARIO 2: MYNETWORK
For the school profile, the teacher enters into a secure
environment, which is compliant with the school's
policies. Teachers can also connect with teachers outside
Europe to share ideas and resources. As an application
which runs from the cloud, log on happens from
anywhere, at any time.
Students also have their own profile on MyNetwork, and there
is no need for them to compromise their personal
freedom because they are in control of what their teacher
are able to see: their school profile.
The teacher can observe how active the students are and see
that they are more involved in active learning and
take more initiative in using technology for learning.
7. Future network scenarios (3)
SCENARIO 3: INTELLIGENT AGENTS
In 2025, teachers are now connected 24/7 through different mobile
devices. Given teachers often feel isolated, an Intelligent Agent
(IA) has been created to assist them in their work, help them
rummage through extensive pool of information and
enable them to stay connected with other teachers.
The teacher has opted for an IA avatar, a technology based solution
which is programmed to perform searches, identify resources,
present draft lesson plans and suggest a number of buddies who are
also working in similar areas.
This solution is provided by a private company and is paid by the school.
Several companies offer competing solutions.
8. Future network scenarios (3)
SCENARIO 3: INTELLIGENT AGENTS
The IA avatar frees-up time for the teachers which can be dedicated to
preparing lessons and attending continuous professional
development (CDP). As a result, teachers feel that their teaching
has improved and their students seem to be more motivated. The
IA avatar helps to keep lesson plans diverse and through CPD,
more creative and innovative activities can be developed in the
classroom.
The IA avatar can also identify buddies in the local area, so that teachers
can maintain contacts with peers in the same area, and with other
teachers teaching the same subject in other schools. In the
past few years, there has been a big change to teachers’ profession.
A huge proportion of what they used to do outside school hours is
now done by the Intelligent Agent and teachers are now able to
concentrate more on their work as a teacher.
9. Future network scenarios (4)
SCENARIO 4: DIVERSIFIED TEACHING CAREERS
In 2025, students are accustomed to personalised learning. Students
go to school every day, but two days per week, they are expected
to be autonomous in choosing how they want to learn. The
school is responsible to provide different methods of how each
student may receive different lessons.
Lectures are available in three different modes: (1) in situ with the
physical presence of teachers, (2) virtual in real-time
learning with online presence of teachers, and (3) virtual
learning in play-back mode or by an interactive application
with the presence of a teacher.
It is up to the student to decide how they want to attend the class, in
which order, where they want to do it and in which language.
Within such a student-centered system, Initial Teacher Training
(ITT) is now divided into different career paths: teaching in class,
teaching virtually or mentoring digitally.
10. Future network scenarios (4)
SCENARIO 4: DIVERSIFIED TEACHING CAREERS
Digital mentors will be trained to be responsible for a group of students
through a network which links students' performance to the
mentor.
While students' mentors will be alerted if the student has not completed
his/her task for the month, at the same time students may refer to
their digital mentor whenever they come across a difficulty in their
work.
The role of the digital mentor has become indispensable for any
student. Students are given various options to personalise their
learning paths.
11. Future network scenarios (5)
SCENARIO 5: OFFLINE NETWORKING
By 2025, collaborative technology has failed in many aspects. Teachers
have spent the last five years substantial amounts of time learning
new networking applications, but it was not always clear if and how
these technologies improved their teaching.
An alternative group of teachers has emerged that almost exclusively
teach offline.
This new education scheme offers rotating teachers working for
different schools within the area.
They get to rotate schools within the city and now dedicate more time
discussing things with other teachers face-to-face.
12. Future network scenarios (5)
SCENARIO 5: OFFLINE NETWORKING
Once a month, various teachers' collaboration networking events
are organised. In these events, teachers get an opportunity to do
collaborative projects with other teachers. Students are also
involved when these events take place locally. Interacting and
collaborating with students from other schools has increased
student motivation for learning new things.
Attendance to such events is recognised as Continuous Professional
Development and is no longer a problem in terms of teacher
replacement, as the rotation scheme takes into account these
events. Teachers feel the attendance to such events and their new
role as a rotating teacher has improved their teaching. The
monthly networking events are organised by a European body
and supported by the national ministries. In other to facilitate face-
to-face networking, a simple networking system has been set-up
where teachers can look for other teachers prior to the events.
13. Future network scenarios
FUTURE NETWORK SCENARIOS 1 – 5:
1: ENET - EUROPEAN EDUCATION NETWORK
2: MYNETWORK
3: INTELLIGENT AGENTS
4: DIVERSIFIED TEACHING CAREERS
5: OFFLINE NETWORKING
1. Do you think these scenarios are realistic?
2. Do you think these scenarios are likely to happen by
2025?
3. Do you see yourself as a teacher in this scenario?
Possible answers: Yes / No / Perhaps / I don’t know
4. Which aspects do you find desirable and which not?
