shopping , to reading and working , technology is inevitable in today ’ s society . Parents , teachers , community leaders , and governmental representatives are speaking up for their kids and pushing to redefine success and rethink measuring success in the classroom . Skills such as knowledge , social abilities , emotional intelligence and dispositions are all crucial for a student ’ s success in the workforce , yet many of these skills are overlooked in the typical classroom setting . Educators are working toward providing students with meaningful learning opportunities through technology that encompass all of the aspects that make up success for a graduating high school senior entering college or the workforce .
THE WHO
Teachers
Near the end of 2015 , the U . S . Department of Education released the 2016 National Education Technology Plan as a commitment to supporting personalized professional learning to provide greater equity of access to technology for students across America . In addition , the Future Ready initiative , developed by the department in 2014 , had more than 2,000 superintendents across the country who pledged to integrate digital learning into their districts ’ curricula . The National Education Technology Plan also includes a focus on providing each student with the chance to engage in educational experiences led by technology .
In addition , Education Week states that digital instructional content is the second largest spend in the K-12 educational technology market , just behind hardware . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Pearson , previously known for their paperback publishing , are pushing out the most digital lessons in math , English / language arts , science , business , and fine arts .
Students
No student is the same . Each has a different family life , upbringing , ability to communicate and learn , and yet these students are all being taught the same way . Schools across the country are shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to a personalized learning approach . A current buzzword in education , personalized learning allows students to become part of their learning experience . Students will be in control of creating content for learning using smartphone apps . This approach intends to put students at the forefront of molding their learning experience , resulting in stronger student engagement and therefore better outcomes . The Nellie Mae Education Foundation notes that a student-centered approach can “ only be successful if [ it occurs ] within a cultural context that demands continuous improvement and engages collective processes that foster understanding and broad ownership of
Continued on next page >
Murrysville | Fall 2016 | icmags . com 15