Where we're going we don't need roads. 3/1's vision of the future.

“I don't think necessity is the mother of invention. Invention . . . arises directly from idleness, possibly also from laziness. To save oneself trouble.” Agatha Christie, An Autobiography

Agatha, you say that like its a bad thing?! So it followed that, after a weekend away in Pha Taem National Park and much too'ing and fro'ing in between Phibun Mangsahan and Ubon Ratchithani to retrieve my apartment and scooter keys, I didn't have much time to plan lessons for some of my classes.

Therefore my 3rd years were given a lesson I'd previously prepared for my 4/1 class based on talking about what they think will happen in the future.  I bet some of you thought that the lesson plan was merely just a covert excuse to introduce the children to one of my favourite films of all time by showing them clips such as this:

and even this:

Well if you did. SHAME ON YOU!

Anyway, back to 'the Future tense', the original theme of this post. We have no time to waste.

After we'd cleared the popcorn away, I asked the class what they think we will have in the year 2030. I put them into groups and gave them a couple of sheets of paper and asked them to design an invention for 2030.

Previously, when I had run this lesson with my 4th years the answers were pretty unimaginative.
A hat with propellers that makes you fly, shoes with wings that make you fly, a magic door that lets you go anywhere*. Nothing that they haven't seen in a film or cartoon already.

I was expecting the same from my 3/1 class, but Whoah. These guys really went to town.

Anyway: Let's take a look at the gallery. For the full Tony Hart Vision On experience please click here..


I start with a submission from Zack. The strongest  English speaker out of all the lads in the class.

.Credit to Zack. He sure knows how it suck up to teacher. Zack has obviously picked up on Teacher's concern that Everton will lose Maroune Fellaini at the end of the football season and has suggested that should we lose our midfield engine we should simply build a replacement using parts of old washing machine.
It looks like the game may lose it human touch, but never fear. Zack seems to have kept some of the traditional football ideals by programming his players to swear (Zack regularly likes to try and drop the word 'retard' into his conversations, knowing its naughty without actually understanding its meaning).
His classmate, Nam Wahn, seems to be behind the decision to introduce a new living breathing ball that complains vigorously every time it is kicked, much like Luis Suarez.
The main difference being that if this invention ever came to pass I'd feel guilty about kicking the ball.

The super rocket shoes are a nice touch. I want some.



Overall a decent effort: 7/10

Zack's friend Dew takes an all together different and bleaker view of the future. Perhaps Dew is more aware of the times of austerity in Western economies?

Dew predicts that the launch of the iPhone 15 will be a substantially underwhelming affair, as Apple react to the realities of people actually realising what the numbers on their credit card bills mean. We're going to revert back to simpler times. Customers won't be queueing overnight, instead they will physically hiding in their cellars to avoid being downgraded to this primitive bit of tat.
The phone 'boasts'  a massive 20 pixels (obviously) perfect for taking pictures should we wish to imagine what we might look like as Lego characters. All of the other features show no improvement from ancient 2012 models.
Am I slagging Dew off for his effort? Well, no. Eagle eyed pedants will notice that the pictured screen shot shows the camera to have least 21 apps on it. One more than the amount of pixels he claims it can handle. It's tongue in cheek.

My  view is that Dew is highlighting the fact that regardless of the quality of the core product, if its launched with much hoopla over a new inconsequential feature, people will snap it up regardless.
THIS NEW iPHONE IS ORANGE FOR CHRISAKES! Where can I get my hands on 30,000 baths by 2030? At the moment I only have a shower. I MUST HAVE IT!
Dew is going to go far.

7/10

This rather sweet entry describes a railway line that significantly shortens the journey from the UK to Thailand (or more specifically from South East London to Pathum Ratwongsa, a journey that would currently take, by my calculations, with good connections at least 19 hours via Bangkok and Ubon Ratchithani airports).

The USP of this train line is that the tracks can actually fly, presumably at close to the speed of light.
As well as there being serious question marks over the financial viability of the project (A single journey costing just 100 baht (£2)) the children have clearly never experienced a journey with South Eastern railways yet. I don't think they appreciate that 75% of the project journey time will be spent between East Croydon and Norwood Junction and what happens when a rainbow gets in the way? The station announcers will veritably wet their pants with excitement at the prospect of adding another excuse to their already substantial repertoire.
This invention scores points as they told me that it would enable me to continue teaching at the school after I returned to live in the UK. Arrr, bless! I've had more painful commutes, at least its a job I enjoy.

8/10

My word, where do I start with this one? It's insane.
The premise behind it is that in 2030 buildings will be able to move around on wheels, so that you can live anywhere*. presumably the wheels will be able to adapted to travel on the international flying rail.
In addition the building has a face through which through its mouth can eat garbage. No more stinky Bangkok!

I'm a bit worried that if this invention comes to pass, in years to come this drawing will be held up as a chilling premonition, should the terrorists of the day decide to crash their UFOs or a Massive Flying Shark into one of the showpiece moving buildings. That's if they aren't destroyed accidentally when someone tries to take them under a low bridge in East Sussex.

I love this picture. It has pride of place on my fridge door.

10/10 (don't ask about the brain with the flower growing out of it.

* = 'anywhere' to a Thai student in Pathum Ratwongsa usually means Big C Supermarket in Amnat Charoen.
Apparently its the number one choice for shopping, first dates, hanging out with friends, holidays, you name it.  I prefer to put this response down to the children's lack of confidence in their narrow vocabulary, rather than any lack of imagination. In the authors opinion Big C is handy for buying overpriced Coco Pops but offers little else in terms of excitement.