What will a classroom look like in 10 years?

I went to a strategic planning action committee meeting tonight. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Although not sexy, it is important as we look at concrete ways to implement the strategic plan our district put together. I'm on the facilities committee since technology falls under the facilities umbrella as we've defined it. Fair enough.

As discussion turned to new building projects, though, one gentlemen asked what a classroom would look like in 10 years and how we might plan for that. Taking this a bit further, it's easy to ask what a classroom would look like in 20 or 30 years, the latter of which is considered a useful lifespan for most schools. That's not a bad question, is it?

Will 1:1 be as ubiquitous as Internet access? In 10 years, maybe. Much beyond that, though, and one really has to wonder if there is some way to anticipate how students might be using technology in the average primary or secondary classroom.

Will pocket-sized devices be the norm? Should we leave room for the giant multi-touch screens that Bill Gates demonstrated at his CEO summit? Should we even bother since kids will probably be collaborating easily via some super-MID devices?

These are all interesting questions and I'm interested to hear your answers. Talk back below and tell me where we're headed. Since most of us don't know, educated guesses would be much appreciated. Those of you who happen to be in some really cool lab at MIT thinking about this very thing right now, tell us where the mainstream will be in a decade or two.