If you walk into schools these days, you often can tell the environment radiates an atmosphere that is completely created for students.
The teachers will provide each individual student with the support and commitment they require to feel confident learners and individuals. New school energy gets driven by a few important trends:
- Student-centered – We have learned from software and marketing developments to consider user experience in a deep way. That has resulted in a totally renewed focus on learner experience. Steve Gory from Onsego.com, a provider of accredited online GED prep courses, states that student-centered teaching and learning will engage students in their personal success, and will also incorporate their skills and interests into the process of learning.
- Access – Today, internet access is far cheaper than access to textbooks, so providing take-home tech devices to allow for anytime-anywhere learning would absolutely make sense. Learning new things or passing the GED exam is easier than ever, says Steve Gory from Onsego.com.
- Next-gen learning – Modern-day learning models are blending face-to-face and online learning experiences to come up with competency-based and personalized learning sequences.
- Broader aims – It’s absolutely clear that relational skills and mindsets are just as crucial as academic knowledge. But, of course, it all starts earlier as we need to teach our children how to read already at an early age.
- Projects – Our economy is project-based, and project-based learning is a good way to integrate academic subjects and develop career readiness skills.
- Connections – Today it is more important than ever before to acquire work experience. It also has never been any easier to get technical training or earn college credit, and there are high school students with have graduated with an AA degree. Learning new languages can be so crucial for the student’s future and individualized learning plans and good advisory can be very helpful to students in making connections and planning their academic or professional futures.
- Competency-based education (CBE) – To promote college and career readiness, quite a few high schools have shifted to educational models of competency-based learning. These require that students are advancing upon mastery, and the students will receive differentiated guidance and support, and they will participate in related assessments.
While policy openings are contributing a lot to space for highly needed innovation, it is the fact that teachers and school administrators are investing so much time and effort in new learning environments that take most of the systems’ energy.
The good thing is that school networks, school districts, and funding organizations are providing lots of great support and information. Sure, the parents are a child’s first teachers and they should provide all the help they can to assist their kids with things like homework, but the help provided by education experts and school districts should not be underestimated. Let’s take a look at some new variables when it comes to learning.
Preparation variables
- Better prep – Practically all states have adopted higher standards (Common Core) in writing, reading, writing, and math. Over time, that will result in far better college preparation, and don’t forget that school size really matters, as well.
- Better mindset – As they follow the next-gen model leads, more and more K-12 schools across the world will promote a growth mindset as well as high-agency learning. Better executive functions will also result in improved self-management and persistence, also when it comes to getting ready for higher education or if students want to earn a GED diploma fast.
- More credit – The further expansion of college credit and dual enrollment options will be increasing the number of students that will enter college with a better amount of credit.
- Better LX – The more and more widespread application of blended or personalized learning will result in a generation of highly demanding students that will expect high-engagement learner experiences (LX) and the possibility to customize their personal education pathways. Check out as well this post about Using Apps in Early Education as more and more learners will be looking for more applied and active learning in a variety of settings.
- More CBE – There are more and more K-12 students who are able to study at their own pace and that are progressing in line with their demonstrated mastery. Competency-Based Education (CBE) is slowly but steadily working its way in, including credit for outside or prior learning, individualized paced learning, or ongoing enrollment.
- More options – On top of more school choice, in most states, high school students have unlimited access to online learning possibilities and more and more access to externships (authentic external learning experiences, so not at school). The combination of these elements will result in a more demanding learning environment and set the stage for a more varied Higher Education experience.
The bright and large rooms are full of laughter and dedication. There are several outdoor play areas to ensure developmentally appropriate learning and playing where children can develop their skills.