IN Peters Township August/September 2019 | Page 71

SPECIAL SECTION:
PRE-K – HIGH SCHOOL
The first public school opened in the United States in 1635,
and the Boston Latin School remains the nation’s oldest public
school. Early education didn’t focus on math or science, but
on the virtues of family, religion and community. Nearly 400
years later, schools are harnessing the fundamental principles
of community, and although it may look very different in this
day and age, a strong focus is being put on the importance of
creating a safe school culture and tapping into technology for
limitless learning.
In 2019, students, parents, teachers, and administrators are
seeing changes both inside and outside of the classroom. One
EDUCATION
of the biggest changes in recent years comes in the form of
technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to change
education tools and is expected to increase in implementation in
U.S. classrooms by 47.5% in the next three years, according to the
Artificial Intelligence Market in the U.S. Education Sector report.
In addition to AI, other technologies are providing students with
the opportunity to connect with classmates in other countries,
giving teachers the ability to educate a virtual classroom from
the comfort of their own home, and expanding access to
applications that were once inaccessible.
Another key focus in education this year is on ensuring
that students feel safe, connected, supported, and challenged
through a variety of different ways. School culture and safety
are being addressed and adapted based on recent school safety
concerns across the country. Teachers, administrators, families,
and community groups are putting a critical focus on social-
emotional learning activities to facilitate a better look into dealing
with anger management, conflict resolution, empathy, and other
important life skills. School is often the only place where social
and emotional learning deficiencies can be addressed; therefore
teaching students these invaluable life skills ultimately prepares
them to become active members of society. This is another
pivotal point in a teacher’s role in the classroom.
Continued on next page >
PETERS TOWNSHIP
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