The IT industry looks promising for the K—12 space, according to the recent Data Center 2025 report. This report shows that 20% of the people who have edge sites or who plan to have them by 2025 expect them to increase by 400% by that time. Another important implication for the K—12 space is that of all the IT people surveyed, only 56% expect to be still working in that industry in 2025. A massive 33% expect to be retired by then.

What does the shifting data center ecosystem mean for education? Let’s take a look!

What It Means for Schools 

Core data centers are becoming obsolete in the education space in favor of distribute networks that can provide computing for schools close to users. Instead, they are using edge computing, which unlocks numerous opportunities.

While an investment, the edge ensures more excellent connectivity, availability, and efficiency and lowered operating costs and service requirements. Most important to the school’s budget, it is driving down the capital costs.

What It Means for the Students

According to the report, there will be a lack of IT professionals come in 2025. That’s only about four years from now! The good news is that many K—12 schools are looking for ways to integrate IT into their curricula and classrooms. Therefore, there is a good chance that there will be plenty of IT-trained students to fill these open spaces.

The hope is that our schools will continue to provide the necessary IT training that is focused on IT and computing. For this to succeed, schools must make this a part of their modern curriculum and use every opportunity possible to build computing proficiency and encourage IT activities across the student’s schedule. 

Schools must also nurture the soft skills in students that are valued by IT pros. These include problem-solving and critical thinking. These and the hard IT skills will encourage students into this field. 

There is a problem, however. Most schools do not receive federal and state funding to keep up with the technology curve.

However, schools do have help through a nationwide program called Code.org! This program is dedicated to bringing more access to computer science to the schools. Their goal is to get more women and unrepresented minorities to participate in computer science.  As of now, there are one million teachers using Code.org, and 30% of students in America have accounts with this resource.

What It Means for the Teachers

These changes can be difficult for those teachers who don’t like change, those who are used to teaching without technology. Education technology, however, is the goal of today and the tool of the future. You must put technology on your priority list. If you need help with it, talk to the EdTech coach. 

For the EdTech coaches or IT professionals in the K—12 space, contact the infrastructure experts and industry IT. Ask them about the most efficient and cost-effective ways to teach the students about the data center technologies. The future of IT depends on it. Let’s use edtech to create zones of learning.