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A new teacher education series from Tata Consultancy Services’ Ignite My Future program is giving K-12 educators the information they need to prepare students for the careers of tomorrow.
“We hear a lot about the digital competencies educators need to teach effectively, but many students will pursue careers that don’t even exist yet,” said Serene Gallegos, Ignite My Future Senior Engagement Manager for TCS. “Ignite My Future is designed to help close that important gap with ’Tech Trends for Teachers,’ which provides K-12 teachers with the opportunity to learn — and share — tech innovations that will change the way the next generation will live and work.”
Last month, Ignite My Future held its first Tech Trends for Teachers event, one of six planned before June 2024. During the session, TCS Futurists Adam Boostrom and Alexandra Whittington shared exciting innovations such as digital twin technology.
Digital twins can help solve engineering, design, workflow and traffic problems, among other things. TCS recently demonstrated how the technology can even be applied to create digital replicas of the hearts of elite athletes to reveal secrets of good health and optimum performance. This advanced, problem-solving technology recreates a physical object or system in the virtual realm so planners and researchers can use real-time data insights to assess the impact of different circumstances and influences. Similar to a mathematical model, this helps them to “rehearse the future” by predicting and solving problems before they actually occur. According to a recent TCS study, digital twin technology is expected to become commonplace across business and society by 2035 and will be adopted most quickly in healthcare, mobility and retail, all areas that touch consumer lives every day.
“The steady march of technology shows no signs of slowing,” said Adam Boostrom, the TCS Futurist. “That’s why it’s incumbent upon all of us to stay informed about the tools and devices that will be used to both help and hinder our modern lives. For teachers, who have the power to impact whole generations, this is even more true.”
Tech Trends for Teachers is an ongoing professional development program that connects K-12 educators with TCS experts to explore hot topics in tech through quick 45-minute sessions, providing highlights on their history and expectations for their future. Future topics in the series scheduled during the 2023-2024 school year include the Internet of Things (taking place November 30) as well as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity and 3D printing.
Ignite My Future is a pioneering TCS initiative to empower educators around the world through a unique approach that integrates computational thinking skills such as pattern recognition and algorithmic thinking into core subjects like math, science, literacy, social studies and the arts.
“Computational thinking is a future-ready skill needed for the 21st-century workforce and especially for the AI era,” said Gallegos. “It prepares students to tackle problems by building their abilities and confidence to work with big, complex issues — like ones they will encounter as technology continues its rapid advance.”
Gallegos and her team created the Tech Trends for Teachers series to close the gap between awareness of today’s established technologies and the trends that will shape the future.
"Every day, innovators in IT, healthcare and other industries develop and launch new ideas with the power to transform work and our lives," said Whittington. “It is incumbent on teachers to prepare students for the future and inspire them by staying curious and aware of the latest tech trends."
Learn more about Ignite My Future at https://on.tcs.com/IgniteMyFuture or email [email protected] for more information. Register for the November 30 event on the Internet of Things, here.
