Some think that just because technology plays a key role in ‘blended’ classrooms, teachers are no longer central to the model. This isn’t true. Blended learning does not imply a silent classroom full of students all working individually on their computers while their teacher addresses technical issues. The model combines the best of both worlds, which means that teachers are just as important as computers.

The technology provides access to the online materials, sure, but it’s the teacher who chooses what to do. The technology also marks closed practice activities, but teachers facilitate open activities and assess students’ language use. Teachers also recognize and praise their effort.

In short, teachers shouldn’t feel threatened by technology, but rather see an opportunity to improve their work.

“Blended Learning myths: busted!”, Graham Skerritt. Cambridge University Press, 5 April, 2017, P10

At the start of the century, we could only speculate about how technology would shape our lives in the coming years. Would people throw out their books in favor of digital content? We couldn’t really tell.

Today, things are becoming clearer. We know that people across all age groups are still reading print books, but they’re also incorporating technology into their lives in seamless ways. Not everything is done digitally, but everyone has their own way of improving their lives through tech.

Online content has helped satisfy our curiosity. We can now follow our passions with a plethora of platforms, including books but not limited to them. We have TV, social media, music platforms, online education, etc. To an extent, we’re witnessing a sort of democratization of content. It’s our interests, desires and goals that drive the content available in the 21st century, not just the whims of the creator. In many cases, products escape the full control of their creators, acquiring a life and following of their own. Even children are having an input in content creation. Parents are increasingly talking with their kids and including them in decision making when choosing what books to buy and shows to watch, so content providers have an incentive to respond to their demands.

Books themselves are witnessing some changes too. Graphic novels and comic books are as popular as ever, and many publishers are putting out illustrated adaptations of classics. Audio is also becoming popular. New formats like podcasts are gaining in popularity, and so are modern radio dramas and audiobooks.

In short, we’re living in an incredible time. Never before has there been such a wide choice of content and communication between content providers and consumers. Should this always be the case from now on, we’re sure that there are bright times ahead, too.

Source: “The Future of Publishing Is…”, Kristen McLean, London Show Daily, P.3

Digital publishing is a hotly debated topic. Most agree that new technologies can help publishers a lot, but there’s a feeling of skepticism around fully embracing new ideas in publishing. The digital world offers ample opportunities for streamlining the publishing process and saving time on content delivery, but new changes aren’t being implemented fast enough.

At times, it feels that the industry is struggling to catch up. As the CEO of MPS, Rahul Arora, points out, “even though more journals and periodicals are being published as e-only and with open access, there is still a high dependency on PDF-based deliverables”. But he also sees a number of progressive trends. “Smart innovation in enriching and harmonizing content to improve discoverability is one of them, the movement from document-based to asset-based workflows is another. Then there are digital-first workflows backed by sub processes such as online authoring and peer reviewing facilitated by cloud-based workflow management systems.”

Monetizing the digital format in publishing is still an elusive goal, however, as Ed Marino, CEO of CodeMantra, claims. “Accessibility, interactivity, and the ability to incorporate games, for instance, are all possible, and yet we have not found the killer app that drives demand and, in turn, revenue… we have to focus on the content and how to make content come to life. This is especially true in the world of academic, professional, and educational content”.

According to the founder and CEO of Vearsa, Gareth Cuddy, publishers face three key challenges in doing so. “Discoverability, which is very important is one of them. Growing the relatively flat digital sales is another, and then there is the challenge of finding actionable insights. Each of these challenges can be met-not solved-by using the data in the publisher’s own sales history and the information available in the industry.”

Source: “Smoothing Out the Bumps in the Digital Road”, Teri Tan, London Show Daily, P.14

In  the classroom of the future, small groups of children work messily together on a number of “expeditions”  to create amazing machines out of LEGO , scan seashells to be printed in  3D to help them explore under the sea, and tell them their own stories using sound.

By using the latest technology , such as 3D printers, fully  immersive work stations – which are rather like working on two screens with one of them a touch screen projected onto the table in front of you- and hybrid text books, it’s hoped that teachers and publishers will be shifted from being providers of information to being supporters and  prompters of the learning experience.

The hybrid textbook is much like a traditional textbook with text and  pictures but also connects to a world of students -, teacher and publisher – generated digital  material with the wave of a smartphone over an invisible watermark.

Its creator Hewlett Packard believes  that this will help the students of today prepare for their own future  in the knowledge economy- if in a rather controlled way that keeps parents and teachers happy.

Education can be innovative and international, and publishers can find new ways of delivering material in the future.

Author:  Mark Piesing 

Source: Frankfurt Show Daily