Trends in Education - Shannon Burton

The education of the youth has been debatable for many years. Most parents send their kids off to school before the age of 5 to begin their learning journey. Some other parents decide to leave their kids home for homeschooling. With the ever-changing presence of technology, educating children can work both in a large classroom setting or the privacy of the home, monitored by an instructor virtually. Where is the future of education headed? 

Recently, there has been a unique light on the education system. With increases in bullying and suicides amongst school-aged children, there has been a need to redevelop the education system. Ultimately, the goal of education is to make more well-rounded children, and this new progressive movement is designed with that goal in mind. There have been suggestions about the best ways to aid in educating that well-rounded child. 

The biggest suggestion includes the incorporation of family and community in the education of youth. There must be a focus on the real world. Involving families and communities’ steps away from traditional education and explores a new world of possibilities for educating youth. Hands-on experience and engagement with the community open the door for real conversations from learners and their communities. There is a real push to get parents and families more involved in their children’s education. 

There is also the incorporation of alternative learning communities, which involve technology and the internet. It allows for additional skill sets like time management and collaboration through technology. Technology is essentially the most responsible for a need to progress the education system. Technology is being used in the classrooms now more than ever, even down the assistant devices being rolled out into the classroom. The concept of integrating technology into the classroom has also advanced the idea of using technology outside of the classroom. The use of online materials inside and outside the classroom proves that technology will continue developing the educational system. 

The trend of being more aware of individual learners is also on the rise. Where standardized testing does not account for an individual learner, schools are looking for more personalized learning and teaching strategies.