This subject may have caught your eye because you have heard about the impact that the following developments may have on education:
- AI
- Mobile learning
- Gamification
- Personalized learning
- Project-based learning
- Social-emotional development
- Mental health and well-being
We actually don’t give credit to just one platform; we understand it’s a culmination of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) that has paved the pathway to helping students have more options than ever before.
While we don’t credit one search engine with all the answers, we can ask the question that might be on your mind: Just what is the classroom Google envisions, and how will my child’s opportunities change because of it?
4 Education Innovations Today
| 1. Simulation & hands-on training: From the university level down to pre-K, students are eager to “try it out” in the midst of the learning process. One of our Learnwell students last week shared a flight simulation while leading a club for peers who were — ready for this? — all older than he was. Yes, he’s in kindergarten. Our students today crave hands-on experience, and at Learnwell, we provide experience at all levels; students in K-5th grade lead clubs regularly to share what they learn with peers. We offer robotics electives at the elementary and middle school levels, and our high school students, in every grade, participate in career readiness mentoring that takes place outside the classroom. On-the-job exploration is for everyone, regardless of your college or career path. StoryLab assistants and interns are responsible for recording, producing, and editing videos that our school uses on its website, in newsletters, and on other platforms. 2. Individualized & mobile learning: Due in large part to the technological advancements made by global companies like Google, we’re using technology to advance the classroom’s mobility and student learning objectives. Do students still need to learn how to multiply and convert fractions to percentages? Yes! But how they do that, and from where, is what’s new! Students are learning everywhere, in the car, at the beach, on their phones, and in airports. Their families can travel, they can do homework in the middle of the school day, or they can take a Friday off to pursue individual passions. This is what a flexible education looks like. Learnwell offers several options for remote learning, such as its Navigator Program, and for middle school students, its Navigator Plus and Navigator Premium options. Learnwell North Georgia is a hybrid school, offering families the structure of in-person classroom learning with at-home learning, which combines the best of both worlds. Many families tell us that the ability to log in to the Parent Portal or Google Classroom from anywhere is what has given them new freedom to enjoy time together outside of traditional school hours. We love that! In fact, intentional margin is one of the four core values that Learnwell was founded on. 3. Artificial Intelligence & gamification: Students are driven by reward; we see this in the gamification that promotes leveling up and in how motivation primes the pump for learning when it involves something a student is passionate about. AI is here, whether we want to embrace it or not, and students are embracing it. Yes, they still need to learn grammar and proper punctuation. But how can students embrace tools made possible by AI in the classroom? How can they envision new ways to do things so that their skills are maximized? These are topics we aren’t shying away from. Starting in 8th grade, students are solely responsible for their Google Classroom login. They earn opportunities to extend learning in the real world by advancing on special field trips with their class as they meet milestones of responsibility and achievement. Our Life Skills & Discipleship classes also explore how our cultural norms are shaping student behavior. Recently, the eighth grade discipleship teacher led students through a unit on social media and how to recognize credible online news sources from counterfeit ones. By helping students envision their own learning rewards and discussing how tech tools can be used to promote higher learning, we want to be at the forefront of these developments. 4. Socio-emotional learning and mental health: One of the downsides of technology can be a tendency to consume rather than lead, a strong propensity toward screen relationships rather than real ones and a struggle with online limits and boundary-setting. These are all topics we discuss regularly among educators, parents and students at age-appropriate levels. It’s one reason our students find Learnwell a safe place to learn social behaviors that help them relate in real life. Students’ mental well-being is something Learnwell takes seriously, too. The margin our educational models provide gives students the time they need to process what they are learning. But it’s more than that. It also allows them time to be bored, help with household chores, explore interests outside of academics, and pick up restorative practices. High school students at Learnwell attend an annual retreat to learn how their spiritual practices can buoy a healthy mind, body, and spirit. All of our teachers and staff are Christians, and we teach from that worldview. However, students and families are not required to sign a covenant or statement of faith here because we want families to feel free to pursue God from where they are right now rather than where others have told them they need to be. A steadfast pursuit of Him is a move of the Holy Spirit, anyway, and we’re comfortable with students’ faith development as led by the Spirit, not necessarily by anything we could require a family to agree to on paper. Authenticity is one of the most significant drivers of our next generation. It’s what compels Learnwell to operate as we do — with honesty, integrity and excellence. If you are looking for an education that provides the flexibility and next-gen opportunities your student craves, we would love to chat. Join us at our next Discover Learnwell to learn about the educational options here and to meet teachers, Learnwell parents and students. |