Education trends are important to stay on top of as your children grow; here are three shifts to pay attention to, along with what Learnwell is doing to stay ahead of the curve.
According to an article in Forbes, one of the trends is that students will take a much more proactive, collaborative role in not only their own education but also the future of the field.
We’ve seen this growing among higher learning institutions such as trade schools and colleges, and now it’s filtering into K-12 schools, too. This is a significant development because where education that’s inside the box lags, students are examining whether or not it fits anymore.
How does this impact students today and tomorrow?
The great news is that when groups of students get to be partners in their education, they also get a seat at the proverbial table. They get to tell us what works and what doesn’t, what’s helpful and what’s not, and how they’re inspired to become deep thinkers — not just for right now but also the future.
Guess what deep thinkers do?
They transform the way we do things. Think about Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. These men shaped Western civilization by refusing to take information at face value, asking questions, starting outdoor schools, and one of the world’s first libraries based on the idea that studying the thoughts of others is essential to reform.
Modern-day examples challenge the status quo (Malala Yousafzai), look for solutions through a multipronged lens (Adam Grant), and are willing to collaborate to create new inventions (Bill Bradley and Chris Bradley).
Education Trend No. 1: Collaborative Partnership with Students
How does Learnwell allow for collaborative partnerships with students? Its model is built on this success, particularly as students move from middle to high school. Learnwell offers students opportunities to be problem-solvers and take a personal stake in their own education.
They drive the way they want to receive an education as they enter eighth grade by choosing which classes they want to take in person, as an independent study and whether or not they want to pursue honors or AP-level coursework. They’re given the freedom to learn at school two to four days a week, based on what works best for them.
The partnership that begins with a younger student’s parents transitions to the students themselves, gradually, in sixth and seventh grade. This way, students are prepared to look at education through the lens of what helps them work hard, master material and decide which subjects relate to their interests and long-term goals. Students in 9th-11th grade take an active role in deciding where to fulfill their work-study programs, too, as they recognize who God has wired them to be and where their unique gifts lie.
Job shadowing and internships at Learnwell are a highly collaborative process, and Learnwell is continually refining this not just as students partner with school advisors but also with other parents, community members and businesses.
Another trend in education is learning within the context of the real world. While high schools have been attempting this approach in some capacity for decades, the shift here is in the cultural recognition that context matters.
If you are learning how to create a budget, then it makes sense to use real-world numbers, have to live by the budget, and understand what investment, savings, and spending do to impact that budget. Math takes on a whole other level when students can see it through the eyes of a person who has money to earn, spend, save or lend.
Schools are taking note, too. They’re designing pathways that help bridge the gap between a K-12 education and what comes next. Many develop focused career learning modules for students to choose from or allow students to pursue an education in a different district that better aligns with career interests.
Education Trend No. 2: Real-world Learning Contexts
Learnwell uses real-world learning in its youngest to oldest grade levels. Some examples include a school garden that helps even kindergarten and first graders understand that the food their parents purchase at the grocery store starts with a seed, soil, water and sun — and that there’s an entire production crew that brought the elements together to grow that food.
They learn about composting and how the food waste can be reallocated to make a garden grow, and they learn about how to measure various planting needs, depending on the crop. Some crops need to be rotated, planted a specific number of inches deep, and harvested at peak seasons.
Students learn concepts such as math and geology while they’re in the garden.
Another real-world context opportunity Learnwell students participate in is the StoryLab. It’s an in-school studio where they learn marketable skills such as concepting, video editing, production and even how to coach and teach others. Students in 8th-12th grade can apply to work in the lab, some as mentors for younger students.
The third education trend that’s making waves is the cultivation of learning ecosystems. Learnwell Collective has the ecosystem built into its name; we are a collective of families — on campus in Alpharetta and off campus all over the world — who seek a more personalized approach to education.
Such environments allow families to view learning as much more than what happens at school. This mode of thinking enables community partners to provide input when it’s helpful and allows parents and educators to collaborate toward an excellent education.
Because of the partnership among families, educators and community stakeholders, it’s proposed that the students benefit by understanding education to be a lifelong process and one where mastery is achieved at deeper levels, the more you absorb.
Education Trend No. 3: Cultivating Learning Ecosystems
Because Learnwell North Georgia and Learnwell Navigator Programs are built on a partnership model, the ecosystem idea is not a new one. We understand that students get a better education when more than one mind is involved.
Teachers craft lesson plans that meet the scope and sequence of curriculum state requirements, but they go many steps beyond that, too. They’re consistently helping families tweak lessons to work for their students, thus individualizing students’ education for the way they learn best.
One family recently took a trip across the country, and they were able to continue the learning process while they traveled. This isn’t a unique occurrence, either. Learnwell families view education from a holistic perspective, and they’re able to work within the school’s partnership model to ensure learning is both deep and varied.
Some families are business owners or community volunteers, and they partner with the school to provide deeper, real-world contextual learning for all students — not just their own. Several parents help high school students find internships at local companies to help them “try on” a career and see if it’s a good fit. In addition, these students are learning that collaboration, at its best, will take them further in life than a solo pursuit can.
Our school regularly invites community guest speakers to broaden students’ understanding of what they’re learning about. Writing a business plan in sixth grade helps them see that entrepreneurship is a path they can pursue, and it makes even more sense to them when a local entrepreneur shares his or her business story.
Many of our students run businesses of their own, such as making and selling jewelry, art and baked goods. Middle school students raise money each year for charity through handmade items that are sold at a school fair, teaching them about what it takes to invest, design and make products, and how their return on investment impacts others.
Finally, students in 12th grade start their own microbusiness or service program, learning the tools necessary to transform an idea into a viable business or service that benefits the community. Even if they don’t choose the path to entrepreneurship after high school, they’ve learned valuable life skills in the process.
If you’re looking for an education where outside-the-box thinking is encouraged, we’d love to share about the educational options at Learnwell. Contact our admissions department for a school tour, attend a parent preview night (Discover Learnwell), or connect with our 100% at-home option, the Navigator Program.