Classroom of the Future

My vision for the classroom for the future is on where there are computers for every student in the room and there are big tables instead of individual desks. The classroom of the future will have no desktops, but laptops that can be used in and out of the classroom. Students will be able to access internet from home and continue learning from home. They will bring learning to their parents and their younger siblings. It will become more family oriented because there will be more access in more places.
The tables in the classroom would provide students the opportunity to work together and share learning. They would teach each other and in the process become more acquainted with what the lesson is about. Students will teach each other how to find things on the computer as well as help on the lesson. It would allow technology and content to go hand in hand.
The fact that learning can happen anywhere is the future of the classroom. Students would have portable devices such as cell phones and MP3 players that allow them to listen to their homework or review lessons for the day on their way to or from school or any other place they like. If teachers make learning portable and popular (because who doesn't have a cell phone or MP3 player these days?) students will be more likely to learn. It becomes more individualized for them. Teachers can individualize lessons for each student with downloads for different levels of the same content. That way, when presenting or doing a project, everyone has the same information, only on their individual level.
The classroom of the future would have television and computers for students to learn what is going on in the world around them. The technology would allow students to realize that history or science happens for a reason. For example, they would know that the reason we celebrate Independence Day is because of the American Revolution that we are studying currently. They could learn about why the stars shoot across the sky as they watch it on their laptops. It is bringing real authentic learning to their finger tips.
The classroom of the future will take a while to come into play. I think that administrators and staff have to be on board 100% for students to understand that the technology is there for their benefit. Some teachers are very traditional and might not want to comply. There will also need to be training and new curriculum written to accommodate the technology in the classrooms. I think once teachers realize they can act as facilitators, it would be a great thing to see students learning on their own and teaching other students and the teacher.