Trends in Education — Magic EdTech

4 Trends to watch for back to school season

As school leaders prepare for the 2022–2023 school year, these four trends can help them identify district priorities and create a strategic plan for the year ahead.

Trend #1: Blended Learning

By fall 2020, 69% of districts offered a virtual school option and 30% of district leaders, administrators, and teachers expect to see an increase in blending learning.

Factors that contributed to this growth include:

• Keeping class sizes lower
• Dealing with staff shortages
• Capitalizing on new infrastructure investments
• Increasing interest and effectiveness in flexible, technology-enhances learning models

What’s the biggest challenge with blended and online learning? Surveys indicate that it is the replication of the conventional classroom experience. Ultimately, they must perfect a very important element: student engagement.

Project-based learning encourages planning and application of a new curriculum. Implementing frequent reflection and student-centered goal-setting both online and offline makes them more aware of what they are learning as well as their progress. To design optimal blended learning environments, educators need professional development. The focus should be on designing student-centered learning experiences that blend engaged active learning online with active, engaged learning offline.

Trend #2: High Teacher Turnover

Due to the strain of the last few years, teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers. Hiring and retaining high-quality teachers will be a challenge for school districts in the upcoming year. As districts grapple with this, it is essential to understand that the transition to a blended learning environment is as much of an obstacle for educators as it was for students. Retaining and attracting high-quality teachers will require school districts to compensate teachers for this demanding work and support teachers with high-quality professional learning opportunities that help them develop high levels of self efficacy.

Professional development is the chief means for improving classroom and online instruction. Therefore, it is critical that administrators provide the essential training teachers need. This training must addresses developmental experiences of online learning as well as provided effective and extensive models for teacher and student success.

Trend #3: Social-Emotional Learning SEL

Teachers have faced tremendous shifts in learning landscapes. The rough transition online and the challenge of engaging students have resulted in a learning loss. The pressure to address learning loss has overshadowed the more significant issue of students returning to school with trauma after social isolation and other struggles experienced throughout the pandemic. Students need to feel connected to a supportive learning community as well as welcomed and safe.

Social-emotional learning and its various frameworks must be woven into the fabric of students’ classrooms. Focusing on SEL will help students manage their emotions, make responsible choices, consider the impact of their behavior on others, and develop healthy relationships. Districts can not view SEL as an “add-on” and rather as a skill set that is integrated into every subject area so that students develop the skills necessary to thrive in schools and beyond.

Trend #4: Equitable and Accessible Learning

The pandemic exacerbated inequalities and has had a disproportionately negative impact on students from underserved communities. There is a need to “create more culturally and linguistically responsive and inclusive learning environments for all students.” Teachers and school districts should begin to develop and leverage frameworks to create more accessible, inclusive, and equitable learning experiences for all students.

Learner variability and technology will not change in the future, therefore schools must help teachers understand how to effectively blend the factors together to maximize students’ engagement and design equitable learning experiences.

Conclusion:

Many flaws in traditional education came to light over the last few years. It is our responsibility as the EdTech community to recognize these issues and work together to implement, integrate, and create infrastructure to solve them. As a community, let us connect to grow impactful blended learning environments that focus on student engagement and professional development, and provide equitable access to all students and educators in our learning ecosystem.