Kids that are in school today will be wiring, building, programming and coding before they know it. The skills they will need to possess have evolved dramatically and the days of focusing on reading and writing should be over. It’s time to replace pencils and notebooks with programmable robots and problem-solving courses that focus on interactively developing an unrelenting desire to improve creativity and inquiry-based knowhow.
Committing to Future Ready Initiatives to Enrich Learning
Like all great education initiatives, providing students with the environment and the tools to succeed as effectively as possible starts with a plan. Well, a plan and a desire. When digital education and tech-focused projects become a priority for educators, rather than a luxury, they put their students in a much better position to be able to succeed. They can be statewide, district-wide or even just encompass one school, but the success or lack thereof comes a bit more so in the planning stages rather than in execution. Strategies tend to differ as there are lots of different considerations to take into account, like grade level, affordability and other things, but clear-cut plans help ease the process of bringing technology into the classroom.
Clearly thought-out plans allow for enhanced preparation in the classroom and affords educators the opportunity to learn about and implement innovative resources all year long. Whether they’re Web-based (or even other educators), resources are available for teachers to help them integrate all forms of technology in the classroom and help teachers to personalize educational experiences. One of the emerging trends in 21st century education is even customizing learning in order to more effectively reach each specific student. This focuses on a few key areas within education, including curriculum, assessment, time and space, revamped professional development and budget considerations in order to create learning that prepares students for the future.
When formulating EdTech initiatives intended to be implemented over a period of three-to-five years, following these and other guidelines can prove to be extremely helpful. In part because technology tools enable a greater focus on personalized learning, they’re very valuable for allowing students to work with their hands and develop the skills they will actually need for the future. Let’s not forget the potential of blended learning, either. Much of life in the real world is made up of collaborative work that often requires at-home completion and a variety of different tools. Piloting a blended learning program in K-12 schools gives kids the chance to see what this is like while, at the same time, getting more comfortable with using technology. In order to build students that are ready for the future, schools must provide them with experiential learning opportunities, relevant coursework, opportunities to explore technology and a variety of resources that they can then apply to real-world success.
How Schools Can Actually Become Future Ready
Knowing that your school should be ‘Future Ready’ is great. Making it Future Ready, however, is about much more than just deciding that is where you want to go. Even together, teachers and administrators are not going to be able to create a truly Future-Ready school simply by collectively realizing that they all would like to do so. Creating truly dynamic and relevant 21st century learning environments requires consistent, measurable and goal-oriented steps toward accepting and implementing the tools that students need to succeed. All the ways in which students will use technology and other powerful tools is still very much uncertain, but one thing that does remain true is the need for them to be as prepared as possible for the future.
The importance of creating Future Ready schools has even been recognized by the Department of Education and resulted in the creation of initiatives designed to permanently connect teachers with technology for learning. As is the case a lot of the time, implementing Future Ready programs starts with school administrators and, specifically, with the way that they think about technology, professional development and their curricula. They need to empower their teachers to create a modern educational environment by removing restrictions and supporting a shift in the way concepts are taught. Many administrators and even superintendants have advocated for increased school tech use, but widespread EdTech movements have failed to gain as much steam as they could due to longtime teachers wanting to stay true to their roots.
To achieve true future readiness, teachers should remember that it’s not all about devices, like iPads and other tablets. There is plenty to be said about the effectiveness of maker technology in fostering growth and creating skills in students. To keep tech programs going strong, funding may be key. Thankfully, there are academic discount and partnership programs (like ours!) to help with what can sometimes be a financial burden. Also, it’s important for teachers to be prepared when it comes time to take the reins in the classroom, meaning that personalized professional development can come in handy before they get there. Follow these suggestions (while keeping a positive attitude) and you’ll be much better set up for teaching students how to excel in an unknown future.
New Standards Designed to Prepare Future Ready Students
As education and technology continue to evolve—sometimes together and sometimes independently—the education system is compelled to alter state and national standards to better reflect the times. The latest standards from ISTE were introduced a couple of months ago and are designed to have a real impact in creating Future Ready classrooms and learning environments for students of all ages. The standards aim to guide authentic education transformation worldwide and promote meaningful, future-ready learning. Once adopted, the hope is that they truly empower students to enjoy a self-driven process that centers on hands-on projects and critical thinking.
The new standards were designed to accommodate teachers who are committed to incorporating technology in their classrooms on a daily basis. Many programs and products align with the requirements set forth by ISTE and each is able to empower students to take the lead in technology-infused classrooms. Thousands of technology products from maker tools to 3D printers all create positive learning environments for students and fall into line with ISTE’s vision for what Future Ready standards should include. Not to mention, there are hundreds of thousands of online resources that kids are able to access thanks to 1:1 programs in schools.
Perhaps most importantly, ISTE’s new standards go a long way towards ensuring that children have every opportunity to develop and showcase their creativity. While not replacing textbook learning entirely, there is a clear focus on the importance of hands-on learning, project-based learning and collaboration. They want students to focus on making their learning meaningful and, therefore, promote the use of simply worded, step-by-step tutorials and tools for teachers as well. As for assessment, there is and will continue to be a much greater focus on performance-based tasks, but with some standard tests still built in as well as the education community continues to move full STEAM ahead in the 21st century.
So, What Do Future Ready Students Look Like?
Students attending elementary, middle and high school today are facing an uncertain future in terms of the economy, job availability and even the creation of new jobs. For teachers who are trying to prepare them for such a world, it is not easy. Since there is so much unknown, it’s tough to decide on the best ways to get students Future Ready and whether or not they are prepared for their next step whether that is a college education or immediate entry into the workforce. Recently, experts have begun weeding out the most relevant and important Future Ready skills in an effort to give educators anything to zero in on from day to day.
Some of these skills—by now—should be fairly obvious to 21st century educators and include things like creativity, problem solving and knowing how to work in groups. Other less obvious ones included in this group might come as a surprise. In no particular order, they are content mastery, adeptness at lifelong learning, passion, having a sense of humor and knowing how to recover from setbacks. Since many of the most pressing problems facing the world today involve the challenge of improving living conditions through massive social efforts, students should be challenged with similar projects throughout their schooling. To prepare children for their futures, teachers should simulate it now.
In school, there are several ways in which students can maximize their skills and improve their likelihood for success. The first factor involves knowing how to learn. You have to be creative and often try many things before finding something that works effectively as well as looking at outcomes from all possible angles. Teachers should also focus on developing students’ strengths, but should put them in situations they’re not completely comfortable with as well, such as collaborative tasks, to essentially throw them off the deep end in this trial-by-fire approach. This helps kids share their passions and brings out their collaborative skills from a young age. And, what’s the goal of all this? Adversity helps kids—like all of us—bounce back stronger and more prepared for that uncertain future that’s coming up quick.
Strategies to Make Kids Future Ready
Future Readiness is a simple concept. Essentially, the point of creating Future Ready students is to make sure they’re able to react and adjust to anything that the future throws at them. Whether it’s in the classroom or on the job, innovations are being added all the time and it’s fairly likely that the way things are done right now will be a lot different in a few years when students are trying to make it for themselves. To meet the needs of employers and the economy, these same students should be challenged with real-life examples during their years of education—with tasks that mirror what it’s like to draw on innovation and work together to succeed.
One of the ways to do this, especially for high school-aged students, is to immerse them in the community and challenge them to solve a local problem together. An example that educators keep coming back to is poverty. Obviously, it’s had a devastating effect on our country over the last decade or so, but many children fail to realize the effect it has on their community, parents of their friends and their friends, themselves. Student-led taskforces are instrumental in helping them prepare for problem solving while, at the same time, giving them the opportunity to improve their skills by doing something they can become passionate about and truly leave their mark on the community.
Another strategy is to start preparing students long before they even get to high school—say in the early elementary years. Regular exposure to technology (even as simple as building computer proficiency) goes a long way. As they get older, many teachers even involve students in the planning of their lessons, knowing that child feedback is key to providing outstanding educational experiences and enhancing personalized learning. Many elementary educators even introduce coding to kids, partnering with local companies or online resources to give them extremely valuable experience with this new language. Recent trends are showing that coding fluency might just be the ticket to, well, frankly, a lot of success and, even for younger students, there are ways to get started With so many possibilities to get students Future Ready, what are you waiting for!? Let’s go!
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