Three years of writing about education’s future

It’s hard to believe that, as of this month’s report, FTTE has run for three years.

Three years ago I shared the first issue of Future Trends in Technology and Education.  Back then it was just called Future Trends, and was published as a membership benefit for the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE).  Its mission was the same as now: to scan the horizon for significant trends that could shape the future of education.

Over the months then years that followed categories and rubrics appeared: higher education in context, the higher ed bubble.  Each additional month added to the pile of references and pointers, growing a longitudinal way of analyzing new events.

Now we can look back and see which forces loomed largest over time.

I’ll say more about those trends in forthcoming posts, talks, and… other venues.

Initially there were several dozen subscribers, then over a hundred, then several hundred.  When I transitioned away from NITLE and set up FTTE as my own project, open to anyone, subscriptions trickled in, then poured.  People from around the world and all parts of education signed up.  As of this morning 1261 readers receive FTTE.

When I say “reader”, that’s partly a misnomer, since so many FTTE subscribers contribute content.  Nearly every day someone contacts me with a story of idea via email, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, or even in person.  Subscribers steadily fact- and reality-check my reports.  FTTE owes a great deal to these people, and I’m deeply thankful.

This report has also fed into my other work.  I blog about future trends here, of course.  I also use FTTE details in my talks, presentations, and consulting.  It’s enormously useful as a research tool.

So what next?

FTTE keeps going.  I’m working on learning how to create infographics for key themes.  I’m still mulling over a podcast or video complement.  And hope still more people sign up.

Thank you for a fine three years, friends.  Thanks to NITLE for the start, to George Lorenzo and others for generous assistance, and to my wife for all kinds of help. Here’s to many more years of the future, in the future.

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