2019 Year In Review and Trends To Watch For 2020

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

Happy New Year!

Each December, Google sends out their "Year In Search" video. They look at what topics, names, news items, and events were the most searched and then they create a video montage. You can see the analytics of what was searched the most in 2019 by clicking on  Google's Year In Search.

Take a look at this year's video. It's only 2 minutes long and will definitely give you some talking points with both colleagues and students.




Reading the Year In Search had me thinking that this would be a good time to review the posts that were most looked at in 2019 and to make some predictions about what trends we will see in 2020 with technology integration.

Here are the top 5 viewed Giant EdTech posts from 2019. 

Remember, all posts are archived and searchable. If you missed these the first time around, you might want to take a look. These are the posts most viewed in 2019.

1. August: Your Back To School Checklist

2. November: Organize Your Digital Life With Google Keep

3. October: Gmail Filters And Labels

4. December: How Did You Do That? 5 Great Ways To Use Google Drawings

5. May: Have Some Fun Learning With GimKit!

Where Are We Headed In 2020?

There are lots of predictions about what will be trending with instructional technology in 2020. My predictions are based on what I am seeing here in our district and not global trends. I get to see a little bit of everything and for that I am so lucky! I really wish our staff could get to see each other teach because we have some incredible teachers. When I refer to teachers, I'm really referring to all adults who come in contact with our students. Yes, even if you are not in charge of a classroom, you are teaching every day. I am seeing a lot of energy and movement in the following five areas. These are the trends I see happening in our buildings for the coming year. It will be interesting to look back at this list in 2021 and see how I did. 

1. More Student Creation

I have more and more teachers requesting digital tools that will allow students to create as opposed to consume. We are asking our students to make videos, podcasts, infographics and websites. I see this as a continuing trend and I believe we will have students do more and more of this while we do less.

2. More Collaboration and Interactivity

Google Docs officially became Google Docs in 2012. That was not that long ago! And yet the functionality of being able to collaborate in real time and have multiple edits sync is something that we have come to expect from all of our tools, not just word processing. I believe that the tools that allow for real time and asynchronous collaboration will dominate our classrooms over those that can only be used under one account.

3. Need For Real-World Connection

If you have ever done a project with students where "experts" were brought in to consult or even judge student work, you know that the quality of work goes way up, as does the enthusiasm from the students. I see our students being less and less satisfied with simply turning in work to teachers and then getting it back with a grade on it. When our students believe that their work can make a difference, or will be viewed or judged by someone prominent in their field, they are authentically interested in learning.

4. Modification and Redefinition

For those of you unfamiliar with the SAMR model, where have you been?

You can get a 2 minute tutorial by clicking here.

I am noticing a trend away from substitution. I think we will see more and more modification and redefinition of learning tasks, which means more student-centered learning that utilizes technology to perform tasks that were previously not possible.

5. Assistive Tech For Everyone

As I continue to work with case managers and counselors to find solutions for students who are struggling, I believe more and more of the "assistive tech" tools will become mainstream. For example, the use of audiobooks was originally created for people with visual impairments. Now audiobooks are used and enjoyed by everyone for a wide variety of reasons. I see this as a trend that will not only continue but expand in the coming year as more tools become available to all of us.



What do you think? Did I miss any that you see?
Feel free to post in the comments section.
Happy New Year!