From the preceding sections, as well as the earlier units, it should be clear that the twenty-first century globally networked school will be quite different from the schools (even the smart schools) that we inhabit today. By and large most of the schools that have integrated technology currently into their classrooms have done so on a piecemeal basis as and when funds become available. The schools and colleges that are being built, today, may be a little luckier as from the planning stage onwards, the technologies would have featured quite extensively. Such schools will be the models for others that are being newly built and those that are being renovated to accommodate the needs of the learners and that of the teachers and administrators. Networked schools will require total digitisation of every aspect of the school from security consideration to the management of its curricular development. The visual below shows the circle of needs of a fully well functioning digitised school of the future.

Figure 5.3 The circle of needs of a fully well functioning digitised school of the future

Source: http://www.thethinkingstick.com/files/planning-for-21st-century-technologies.pdf

Jeff Utecht is a educational technologist, consultant and author and he also runs a blog called the thinking stick.

Jeff Utecht is currently working as the Technology and Learning Coordinator at the International School of Bangkok. Jeff Utecht declares that he is "constantly looking for ways to improve education for students." Arising out of a number of blog postings in The Thinking Stick, Jeff Utecht recently released an e-book titled Planning for 21^st Century Technologies in Schools.  This is an excellent primer for all those interested in building a 21^st century school. Jeff Utecht has generously made the book available under a Creative Commons license. For your next activity I want you to read this book of about 21 pages. It is full of very useful information and advice.

Now that you have some idea as to the how and what are appropriate ways to incorporate technology in the school of the future, how does that translate into a building (of a school of course) appropriately wired in the twenty-first century - i.e. now. For that we need to get into the head of an architect who designs such buildings.  I would want you to watch the video suggested in the following activity. It is presented by Mr. Randall Fielding, AIA, Chairman and Founding partner of Fielding Nair International, an architectural firm (www.fieldingnair.com)