Education
community organizations and other stakeholders that monitor and grow the well-
being of the entire community.
• Early Childhood Development – Community schools focus on ensuring that high-
quality early learners enter school with confidence and readiness to learn.
• Family Engagement – Community schools offer critical support for family growth
and development through activities to increase
family engagement.
• Youth Development Activities – Students
are given the opportunity to engage i n
hobbies outside of the classroom for the
chance to find out what makes them
excited to learn.
TEACHING THE FUTURE
Teachers are tasked every day with
correcting spelling tests, entering
grades, writing lesson plans, and now
with integrating technology along the
way. They would be doing their students a
disservice if they choose to ignore the fact
that technology has become woven into our
daily lives, but they are taking cautious steps to
ensure that they are using and teaching technology
in a beneficial way. Doing so provides students with a
fundamental approach to utilizing technology to increase productivity, access resources
and to lay the groundwork for use in their future careers. Teachers continue to learn and
grow through continuing education courses that allow them to integrate new methods
for incorporating technology in the classroom to ultimately guide our students to a
successful future.
Providing students with access to technology in a structured setting provides them
with the freedom to individually learn and discover solutions to real-world problems
and prepare them for the future. Students have a paved path to achieve success with
the help of cooperative, communal workspaces, online portals that encourage cross-
collaboration, and support from their teachers, peers and parents.
PRESCHOOL TRENDS
IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
LEARNING
Early childhood learning has been
studied by educators, lawmakers and
researchers for years to identify the
importance of learning at a young
age. Research has confirmed that when
educators provide a valuable education
to early learners, the benefits last a
lifetime. According to Educa, preschool
stakeholders across the U.S. are addressing
the need for a standard in consistency and
quality in early education. States are taking a
look at child care centers, daycares and
preschools to develop an accreditation program
that ensures quality in a number of areas including
learning environment, increased parent engagement,
teacher experience and quality center management.
Continued on page 37 >
5 ONLINE
EDUCATION TRENDS
FOR COLLEGE
Online education allows
non-traditional students the
opportunity to earn a degree
without leaving the comfort of
their own home. This educational approach
has opened doors for individuals with
circumstances prohibiting them from
participating in on-campus education.
Whether they are working full time,
raising families, or they live in a different
state, online education provides
the opportunity to earn a degree
remotely. According to U.S. News and
World Report, the number of online
students is continuing to grow and
experts are predicting a number of trends
within the next year for online learning.
1. Adoption of “Microcredentials” –
As non-traditional students are on the
rise, universities are developing multiple
program levels since not everyone is
looking to complete a four-year degree.
Microcredentials offer certificate programs,
digital “badges” of completion, and other
types of credentials to prove successful
completion of continued education
coursework.
2. Tailored Curriculums from Data
Insights – Since students complete all of
their work online, universities are receiving
data that is not typically available in a
traditional classroom setting. Analytics
teams are using this data to predict student
success, and in turn, teachers are enhancing
their curriculum to meet the needs of their
students.
3. Artificial Intelligence – Universities are
investing in artificial intelligence, such as
virtual assistants, to provide an additional
layer of support on top of that which
students receive from their professors.
4. Nonprofit Programs – Experts are
continuing to see a drop in for-profit
programs as more nonprofits are ramping up
their online education offerings. Nonprofit
institutions are working to keep up with the
demand for more online programs.
5. Ranging Disciplines – As online
programs continue to grow, they are offering
an increasing number of focus areas that may
not have been thought of until recent years.
Some students who already have degrees
are looking for specialized programs to learn
new technology in their field and to increase
their knowledge and credibility.
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