Running head: FUTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Future of Teaching and Learning at Shelton Intermediate School

Chris Maksymiw
EDU505: Future of Education
Professor Waters

FUTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Future of Teaching and Learning at Shelton Intermediate School

Shelton Intermediate School (SIS) is a public school located in Shelton, CT that serves
students in 7th and 8th grade. Currently, there are 840 students enrolled in the school; of the 840
students, 81% identify as White, 10% as Hispanic, 6% as Asian/Pacific Islander, and 2% as
Black non-Hispanic (NCES, 2015). Shelton, Connecticut is a large suburban community with a
population of 41,295 and a median household income of $85, 369 (US Census, 2014). Driven by
a mission of leadership, teamwork and focus, Shelton Intermediate School (SIS) successfully
serves its students with a variety of programs, innovative technologies and instructional
strategies in the classroom. There are many trends that currently affect students and teachers at
SIS and more that will affect them in the future. Through the use of scenario planning and
scanning, educators at SIS will be able to recognize and understand these trends so that they can
adequately prepare for the future and for the future of students as well. New technological trends
will improve teaching and learning, economic trends will influence how SIS is funded, an aging
population, a more youthful teaching force, and an increase in minority students will affect great
change in the future of education. Teachers at SIS need to be ready and willing to embrace
change and to innovate in order to create the best learning opportunities for students and to
cultivate an environment driven by success.
History: Past & Present
The city of Shelton was established in 1919 (Shelton History Center, 2016). SIS most
recently experienced a major change in 2001 when it moved its campus from the Perry Hill Road
location to its current location on Constitution Boulevard North. The new building was designed
with a middle school model of instruction in mind. Core disciplines are grouped into teams and
students spend the majority of the instructional day in the same team area with the same group of

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students. Students leave the team area for electives and physical education. Classrooms are in
excellent condition and there is a great deal of technology available to teachers and students to
enhance teaching and learning.
The current mission driving education at SIS is:
Through shared leadership, the Shelton Intermediate School fosters student growth by
means of diverse and challenging educational opportunities. With the teamwork of our
staff, parents, and community, we commit ourselves in providing a comprehensive
educational experience with high academic standards for all students. We commit to
developing successful citizens in an ever-changing global society through a learning
environment that has a focus of respect, responsibility, and safety (Shelton Intermediate
School, 2016).
Challenging educational opportunities are created in the core academic classrooms and
are supported by a variety of elective courses, clubs, and an intervention program. Students have
the opportunity to take up to three elective courses including: art, music, business technology,
communications technology, French, Spanish, and exploring world cultures. In addition to these
elective courses, students can join a club, such as garden club or ESPN club, which meets every
Wednesday to enhance their learning experience. In addition to electives and clubs, SIS has a
successful intervention program dedicated to helping students who are struggling in reading and
math. Students who do not require intervention utilize this period to take an additional elective
course. Many students work their way out of the intervention class and earn the opportunity to
take additional electives as well. Data from the 2015 science Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT)
suggests that SIS successfully serves its students. In 2015, 87.4% of SIS students in grade 8
scored at or above proficiency, compared to 76.7% average across the state. Similar results have
been achieved in past years on other CMTs, with SIS students consistently scoring better than the
state average (Connecticut Mastery Test, 2014).

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Trends in Education
There are many trends that currently affect students and teachers at SIS and even more
that will affect them in the future. New technological trends will improve teaching and learning
and will create more rigorous, engaging learning opportunities. Economic trends will influence
how SIS is funded and how administrators choose to allocate resources. An aging population, a
more youthful teaching force, and an increase in minority students will affect great change in
education. Innovation will be necessary to meet the needs of a changing society. The skills that
students develop in school will have to match the necessary skills of the society of the future.
Technology Trends
Teachers at SIS regularly use technologies that are available to enhance instruction. The
future of education will be directed not only by the new technologies that are developed, but also
by the ways in which educators utilize those technologies to deliver content and how students
interact with them. Through the use of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs, flipped
classroom instructional models, and game based learning, educators at SIS can personalize
students educational experiences, enable them to use their contacttime with students more
effectively and prepare students for an ever-changing society. Leer and Ivanov (2013) reminded
us that having technology is not the goal; rather, understanding students' challenges and meeting
students' learning needs so that they can be successful must be the goal of all education faculty
and administrators (p.19). Therefore, the goal of educators at SIS needs to be to use technology
as a means to enhance teaching and learning, ultimately resulting in increased student success.
Bring Your Own Device. Currently a BYOD program is in place at SIS and, at first,
many instructors were hesitant to utilize Mobile Learning Devices (MLDs) in the classroom.
However, as instructors become more comfortable and familiar with the capabilities of these
devices and understand the benefits they offer students, MLDs are being utilized more and more.

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Currently, teachers use mobile devices in class as research tools, study aids, and even as a source
for audio and video recording. Outside the classroom, students are accustomed to using their
mobile devices constantly, to engage in social media, to communicate with peers, to entertain
themselves and even to look up information. Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, and Freeman
(2015) found that personal devices, are gaining traction more so because they reflect the
contemporary lifestyle and way of working (p. 36). It is part of the SIS mission to develop
students as successful citizens in a global society and Cristol and Gimbert (2014) found that
using, mobile devices prepares students for the (Science Technology Engineering and
Mathematics) [STEM] focused globalized economy because the devices are consistently used for
the communication and informational needs of students and teachers inside and outside of
learning environments (p. 24). MLDs are being ultilized in the workplace and students will
need to understand how to use them efficiently and effectively if they are to be succesful in the
future. Furthermore, as students use their own devices in the classroom more frequently, it will
personalize their learning and, ultimately, make it a more efficient process. Johnson et al. (2015)
added that, often BYOD is less about the devices and more about the personalized content that
users have loaded onto them (p. 36). Students can use the programs and applications that they
feel comfortable with and that they are accustomed to using to more efficiently gain access to
content.
Flipped Classroom. The flipped classroom is a relatively new technology, or teaching
modality utilized by teachers at SIS. The purpose of the flipped classroom is to provide teachers
with more time dedicated to engaging in higher-level discussions with students, developing
skills, and working through challenging content. The flipped classroom instructional model
allows instructors at SIS to better utilize class time because they no longer need to spend the

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valuable class time delivering entire lectures. Johnson et al. (2015) found that, by reviewing the
comments and questions that students pose online, instructors can better prepare for class and
address particularly challenging ideas (p. 39). Instructors can focus their attention on the most
challenging aspects of learning and lend their expertise to students and guide them as they work
through complex ideas and concepts. Therefore, students spend class time interacting with
content, with complex ideas, with peers and with the instructor. In the flipped classroom,
learning becomes a much more collaborative effort, increasing the need for students to work
together as a team, and develop useful, real-world skills.
The flipped classroom can improve lower-level skills as well because students can learn
at their own pace and review the learning materials that are available to them. Along with these
benefits, comes greater responsibility on the part of the student. Obviously this instructional
strategy is completely dependent on student buy-in, as successful implementation requires that
students truly engage with the lecture material outside of class (Heyborne & Perrett, 2016, p.
31). In the flipped classroom model, students become responsible for learning on their own.
Even though this adds responsibility, it creates additional benefits as students strengthen
independent learning skills. Kvashnina (2016) found that for English language learners being
able to work at their own pace and being exposed to a variety of supportive materials and
instructions students with a lower level of English feel more confident and prepared when they
come to the traditional class (p. 73). The flipped classroom is used sporadically at SIS, but
similar to MLDs in the classroom, its utilization is on the rise. SIS values the importance of
dedicating time to developing higher-level skills and preparing learners for the future and this
model provides an opportunity to do just that.
Game-based Learning. In 2009, Quest to Learn (Q2L) opened in New York City and
became the first school to teach primarily through game-based learning. Q2L blurred the lines

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between academic subjects and reimagined the typical American classroom so that, at least in
theory, it came to resemble a typical American living room or a childs bedroom (Corbett,
2010). Currently, there is no plan to implement game-based learning at SIS. However, it
deserves consideration as it provides students with access to the same curricular goals and
learning objectives as a traditional classroom, but it presents them in more relevant, engaging,
impactful ways. Not only can it increase engagement and student interest, but, at its best,
game design can be an interdisciplinary exercise involving math, writing, art, computer
programming, deductive reasoning and critical thinking skills (Corbett, 2010). All of these
skills are higher-level skills which SIS attempts to teach students to prepare them for the future
so that they will be ready to navigate and thrive in the real world.
Economy and Public Policy
In addition to technological changes, there are economic motivations pushing the trend to
re-evaluate the traditional model of education. As noted in the Education Commission (2013),
The use of property taxes as the primary source of education funding has resulted in a system
where students living in property-wealthy communities have received a significantly higher level
of educational resources than students living in property-poor areas (p.1). This disparity in
educational resources has created a significant achievement gap, allowing some schools to thrive
while others fail. However, educational spending is not the only factor, or even the most
important factor in student success. Education is becoming vastly more expensive without
producing significantly better results (Reynolds, 2013). This lack of student success is causing
many people to seek out different educational options such as charter schools, home schools, or
online schools. SIS consistently spends below the per-pupil state average, yet continues to
achieve better than the state average results on standardized tests (NCES, 2015). Therefore,

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currently there is not significant number of families looking for alternative educational
opportunities. Administrators need to continue to ensure that funds are allocated efficiently so
that students can continue to succeed and families are satisfied with the quality of education SIS
offers its students.
Demographics
Demographic trends are essential to identify and understand in order to successfully plan
for the future of education. Three such trends that are important for the future of education are
the aging population in the United States, the emergence of a more youthful teaching force, and
the growing number of minority (non-white) citizens. The population in the U.S. is growing and
as it grows it continues to get older, which creates a number of societal implications relating to
the workforce, retirement, and healthcare. Shrestha and Heisler (2011) noted that, critical
policy challenges in countries with old population structures are to develop retirement and
health systems to serve the older population, often with simultaneous reductions in the number of
working-age persons to support them (p. 13). Educators at SIS need to be aware of how society
is changing so that they can prepare students for the world they will be entering. Experts already
foresee problems in the health care industry due to the growing number of elderly citizens.
Based on current trends, there will not be enough health care providers who specialize in the care
of the elderly. At SIS, there should be a push for more students to study sciences, particularly
anatomy and physiology. If teachers at SIS can create interest in medically relevant sciences at
an early age, they can contribute to solving some of the problems of an aging society.
Interestingly, as the population of the country gets older overall, educators are getting
younger. Feistrizer (2011) noted,
The proportion of public school teachers who have five or fewer years of teaching
experience increased from 18 percent in 2005 to 26 percent in 2011. At the other end of

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the spectrum, the proportion of teachers with 25 or more years experience dropped from
27 percent in 2005 to 17 percent in 2011. These newer teachers are considerably more
open to proposed reforms in the profession and in American education (p. 10).
This is essential for the future of education because there will need to be innovations in
order to meet the needs all students. Administrators at SIS need to consider this when hiring new
teachers. Over the next five years many teachers will retire and there will be opportunities to
hire young, innovative teachers that can increase the success of SIS and, therefore, its students
into the future.
The population in the U.S. continues to grow and as it grows so does the number of
minority (non-white) students, specifically Hispanic students. This is a significant change
because it signals a current and continuing concern for serving Hispanic pupils effectively in the
schools of the nation (Yates, 2008, p. 5). In some districts across the U.S., Hispanic students
actually make up the majority; therefore it is essential for education systems to be able to meet
their needs. Yates (2008) pointed out more than half of Hispanic students fail to complete high
school (p. 7). At SIS, Hispanic students are still a minority, making up 10% of the student
population (NCES, 2015). However, educators at SIS cannot afford to ineffectively teach 10%
of the student population; especially if that is a percentage that is going to continually grow.
Therefore, plans need to be made and programs put in place to ensure that all students are able to
achieve success.
Futuring and its Importance
Futuring techniques assist in planning for the future and when applied appropriately, they
improve the success of an organization. Experts utilize many techniques, however regarding the
future of education at SIS, scenario planning and scanning are the most relevant. Futuring
techniques differ from typical planning because they consider what the world will be like much

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10

further in the future; futurists regularly plan for the world five or even 10 years into the future.
Furthermore, these techniques aim to guide the direction, vision, development and improvement
of an organization. It is important to consider the future because as Clardy (2011) stated,
People who can think ahead will be able to live much better lives than their parents did, because
they will be prepared to take advantage of all the new opportunities that rapid social and
technological progress are creating (p.1). Similarly, educators stand to be more successful in the
future if they understand the changes that may take place and are prepared to take advantage of
them along with new technologies that may exist.
Scenario Planning
Scenario planning is a way for an organization to systematically plan for the future, no
matter what challenges lie ahead. As Mietzner and Reger (2005) described, Scenario planning
can be regarded as a tool for improving decision making against a background of possible future
environments (p. 224). Scenario planning is often used in the corporate world, yet the same
principles can be applied to education as well. Gobble (2012) stated scenario planning seems
straightforward enough, but enough firms fail at innovation to suggest that it isnt easy as it
seems. And the effort becomes even more complicated when conversations about strategy
become muddled with nebulous ideas about vision and mission (p. 63). It may seem like an
easy task to plan for the future of education and to develop new ways to integrate technology
into the curriculum, but it is quite complex. Gobble (2012) also noted, The lesson for
innovators is that they need to understand strategy-both to see how innovation fits in the
company strategy and to help shape that strategy so that the company can fully capture the value
of its innovation activities (p. 65). Therefore, educators cannot simply add technology to the
curriculum and hope for the best. They must understand how these technologies can be applied

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11

to supplement a new educational strategy, one rooted in developing the skills students will need
in the future. SIS needs to utilize appropriate scenario planning, considering both the pros and
cons of technology integration to achieve that goal. Table 1 lists the pros and cons.
Table 1
The Pros and Cons of Technology Integration as Part of Scenario Planning
Pros
Cons
new technologies are available to
educators need to learn how to use
advance student learning
technology, they need to adapt
new technologies make delivering
in some cases students seem like the
instruction easier
technology experts
utilizing technologies will make
digital communication is less
students more prepared for the future
traditional (face to face)
digital communication resembles real
life communication
Scanning
Scanning is a process by which experts examine the world, the technologies that exist,
along with the best practices that are utilized, and attempt to fit them into a context. In the case
of an educational context, experts consider the skills students need in the world, the technologies
that will help them develop those skills, the technologies that students will need to use, along
with the best instructional methodologies to ensure student success. Sobrero (2004) stated,
Scanning the environment and turning data into usable information gives the organization true
data-driven intelligence that can inform scenarios, forecasts, and issue briefs (p. 1). Clardy
(2011) emphasized the importance of scanning in The Six Worlds of Tomorrow, The futurists
recognized that the future world is continuous with the present world, so we can learn a great
deal about what may happen in the future by looking systematically at what is happening now
(p. 8). By understanding what is happening now in the classroom and by analyzing data
educators can learn how to improve the future. Teachers at SIS constantly analyze data
generated by formative assessments. They use this data to inform instruction and to ensure that

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12

those students who need the most assistance receive it, while students who do not require
assistance are free to enhance their learning and can even take additional classes. Data-driven
instruction is beneficial to students and it is essential to the future of education, however, it
creates challenges for educators as well. It is a daunting task to collect and to analyze the
amount of data needed to personalize education. The process is extremely time-consuming and
poses the greatest challenge for educators to consistently utilize data to inform instruction.
Futuring experts need to develop a plan to effectively and efficiently create and analyze data.
Then, it will become common practice and all students will benefit from a more personalized
education.
Vision for the Future
In five years, all classrooms at SIS will integrate technology to enhance the learning
environment. Technology will be the center of learning, interacting, communicating, instructing,
and assessing. The BYOD program will be thriving; the use of MLDs within the classroom will
be standard and classrooms will have supplemental devices for students who do not bring their
own. The use of MLDs will create more meaningful and personal learning experiences because
digital learners wish that their school based education experiences more closely replicated how
they are using technology outside of school (Speak UP, 2013, p. 1). By resembling
communication outside of school, the use of MLDs in the classroom will increase student
engagement and success. Additionally, there will be a major shift in classroom teaching models
as teachers flip their classrooms to take advantage of readily available technologies, and utilize
time with students more efficiently. Thus, the focus of instruction will be on developing higher
order skills, collaboration and teamwork. SIS will continue to be a data-driven school, and
technology will help ease the burden of collecting and analyzing data. Educators will need to
proceed with caution as they utilize and implement more technology because, technology can

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13

be an incredibly powerful tool in assisting students to learn in a way that suits them best, but
administrators must be careful not to give greater priority to having technology than to using it
effectively (Leer & Ivanov, 2013, p. 18). Furthermore, SIS will continue to improve upon an
already successful intervention program, focusing on students who struggle the most. Economic
trends and budgetary restraints will continue to affect educational programs. However, SIS has
proven to be successful in the past, despite below average spending per-pupil (NCES, 2015).
This future vision of SIS will present various challenges and opportunities:
Challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

All teachers at SIS will need to agree to utilize MLDs in class

Teachers at SIS will need to adapt lessons and teaching styles to accommodate MLDs
Teachers at SIS will need to be proficient in using current and future technologies
Teachers at SIS will need to be willing to accept change and to innovate
Teachers at SIS will need to be aware of the technologies that students have available at

home
Opportunities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Teachers at SIS can embrace MLDs and realize their full potential
Teachers at SIS can take advantage of opportunities to innovate
Teachers at SIS can become more proficient at using technologies
Teachers at SIS can be leaders in educational change and reform
Teachers at SIS can provide students with the necessary tools for them to succeed
If SIS does not plan for the future and embrace necessary changes, it will not create

opportunities for students to be successful. Students will not be prepared to use technologies
available to them and they will be unprepared to enter institutions of higher education or the
workforce.
Plan for the Future
In order to realize this future vision of education, SIS will need to re-evaluate classroom
instructional models, school rules, and available technologies to ensure that classroom time and
learning opportunities are maximized. MLDs will need to be purchased and made available to
students who do not have their own. Even though money for these devices will come from the

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14

budget, it will be much less burdensome than the current technology budget because the majority
of students will supply the MLDs. Teachers at SIS will need to be innovators because the
traditional lecture-style classroom model will not suffice. In order to meet the needs of future
students, classrooms will need to look, feel, sound, and function differently. The future
classrooms at SIS will be creative learning spaces in which students collaborate with instructors,
technology and each other to develop problem-solving skills in inter-disciplinary learning
activities. SIS will continue to be a data-driven school and improved technologies will enable
educators to more efficiently collect and analyze data. This will allow them to develop a more
personalized learning experience for each student, focusing on each individuals needs,
capitalizing on strengths and improving on weaknesses.
A Call to Action
Innovation in education is essential if there is to be any major change in student success.
The driving force behind this innovation will certainly be technology. However, technology
itself will not be enough. The innovation will come from the learning environments that are
made possible by new technologies. SIS will need to work with other districts to share
information and to decide which technologies are most effective for students learning and how
they are most efficiently integrated into the classroom. Teachers at SIS need to be ready for
change; they need to be willing to reject the notion that what worked in the past is good enough
for the present. It is precisely that attitude that has kept the world of education relatively
unchanged for the past 100 years. Educators need to be ready and willing to fail if there is to be
any major improvement, and major improvement is exactly what SIS will be aiming to achieve
in the future.
Conclusion
Shelton Intermediate School (SIS) is a large public suburban middle school driven by a

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15

mission of leadership, teamwork and focus. Through the use of varied programs, innovative
technologies and instructional programs, SIS successfully serves its students. With the
implementation of a BYOD program and flipped teaching models, the success of SIS and its
students will continue to grow in the future. There are many trends that currently affect students
and teachers at Shelton Intermediate School and more that will affect them in the future. New
technological trends will improve teaching and learning and will create more rigorous, engaging
learning opportunities. Economic trends will influence how SIS is funded and how
administrators choose to allocate resources. An aging population, a more youthful teaching
force, and an increase in minority students will affect great change in education. It is important
for educators at SIS to recognize and understand these trends so that they can adequately prepare
for the future and for the future of students as well. Furthermore, teachers at SIS need to be
ready and willing to embrace change and innovate in order to create the best learning
opportunities for students and cultivate an environment driven by success.

FUTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

16
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