The Future of Computing

Where do I begin? I would never would have believed the future of now back when I was young. I grew up thinking computers where for games and word-processing. Don't get me wrong, I am one fast-typer and an expert game player. Looking at all a computer offers the user now, I can hardly image what will come in the near future. I will say, computers will be everywhere in the future. I tend bar on the side for extra cash, and I was discussing this with a common patron who feels computers are the root of all evil. I chuckled at his remarks that the 'government' is to blame for these so called 'monsters'. He is standing his ground against ever buying nor touching a computer. I applaud his stance, however I laugh. This may be possible now, but I don't see a future for the revolters. Whether we like it or not, computers are the way of the future. For this fact, I embrace it and want to learn more to better prepare my students.
I see my art classroom still having small built in screens where I can post a questions to my students, and they will touch the correct answer on the screen. I will instantly be able to see students answers. They would be able to take their own attendance through fingerprints on screen. I will still be teaching the value of hands-on paper and pencil drawing, but will incorporate technology where possible. I am already looking into programs like, TECC and International Youth Art Exchange to bridge my students with students of a different culture to find ways to use art as a solution to problems in the city. Or perhaps critique a student's art with various cultural influences to broaden my students ideas of issues and problems in other societies. To find common links and differences. Once a week we could connect with Chinese students to learn not only art styles of China, but great lasting global relations.
My goal is to instill the importance of self-learning. I want my students to take the responsiblity to gauge appropriate learning and to teach others their knowledge. I image my students running home and showing their parents or grandparents how to talk to their pen-pal online. Giving my students this knowledge, they will be better prepared for a life surrounded with technology. To encourage my students to be life-long learners will force them to adapt to the changes surrounding.
The affect technology is going to have on myself and my students is going to be great. The ease many tools will be able to offer us in daily tasks will be astonishing. My fear is that students will lose the social interaction of face to face conversations. Will our youth still be able to have those 'hard' confrontations needed at times? Will our youth hide behind the walls of technology with bitter/bold words that would necessarily be spoken if face to face? Currently we are already missing out on interactions with others due to self-checkout lines, automated check deposit, internet shopping, online dating, etc. These are all things we do daily which used to force us to meet new people.