Source: 
“The future of education is digital. We live in an increasingly digital world, where technology is a part of our lives in so many ways. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we incorporate digital technology into education. To prepare students for higher education and future jobs, we must ensure that they are familiar with technology. Administrators who want to prepare their K-12 school for the future of education should look at the ways they use technology in the classroom. Schools that are future-ready are those that blend technology with learning seamlessly and include technology in nearly every lesson.”
I just shared my thoughts on the future of education, but what do my peers think? To find out, we decided to produce an expert roundup on the topic of the future of education. We asked 106 education experts to answer one question: “What are your thoughts on the future of education?” In part 1 of this series, we will focus on the future of K-12.
Todd Brekhus, President of myON
“The future of education is exciting. The next wave of products and solutions will move from “drill and kill” products labeled as personalized learning to what I call the “curiosity creation wave.” Future products will be exciting and innovative, have the ability to meet the needs of students with a variety of learning styles, give students the freedom to consume content in new ways, and provide supports to ensure learning is understood. I also look at a global education model where learning is tied to not only current events but historical and cultural realities as well. I am further excited by the idea of personalization of teaching. Teachers will curate innovative streams of rich teaching models personalized to their style and their students’ needs.”
Twitter: @ToddBrekhus
Marina Umaschi Bers, PhD.
Professor at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University and Co-Founder and Chief Scientist at KinderLab Robotics
“The future of education depends on engaging our youngest learners as creators with technology. When young children develop technological fluency—an ability to express themselves with technology—they gain problem-solving strategies and cognitive skills that represent a fundamental literacy of the 21st century. Learning computational thinking and sequencing skills at this young age is a predictor for academic success in literacy and reading as well as mathematics and other STEM fields. Introducing playful learning, collaboration, and coding in education allows children to see themselves as producers rather than consumers in today’s technology-driven world.”
Twitter: @marinabers
Shantell Thaxton BerrettLead Professional Development and Dyslexia Specialist for Reading Horizons
“In 2015, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services created a policy identifying dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia as specific language disabilities. Today, 39 states have statewide dyslexia laws, and many others have handbooks or resource guides. For teachers to support dyslexic students, they need in-depth professional development on teaching core reading skills, including phonological awareness, decoding, an understanding of structured language, and literacy in general. With the recognition of dyslexia as a language disability, I believe we will see more schools providing professional development in this area.”
Twitter: @ReadingHorizons
Jason Stricker, CEO, Insight Education Group
“In the U.S., 46% of districts have fewer than 1,000 students and one-third of all public schools are located in rural areas. While many of these smaller school districts face the same challenges as larger school systems, they often lack the infrastructure and supports of larger districts. Educators in these districts often experience “professional isolation” making it hard to gain traction with the greatest school-related influencers on student achievement: the recruitment, development, and retention of teachers, teacher leaders, and principals. At Insight, we believe that the future of education lies in networked improvement communities whereby teachers and school leaders, especially in small districts and rural areas, can participate in “cross-school collaboration” with a broader network of peers for meaningful, job-specific collaboration for school improvement. These networks offer the promise of providing the professional support and growth educators need and want“
Twitter: @StricktlyJason
Greg Firn, Chief Operating Officer at RoboKind
“The future of education is summed up in two words, “renaissance” and “coherence.” Education will experience a renaissance, a “rebirth” of the “love of learning” underpinned by authentic access and opportunity for each learner to construct, apply, and demonstrate their learning that is meaningful, relevant, and timely—not according to antiquated instructional calendars or age-based grade configurations. The process and the product of learning will be equals in import, value, and worth. This unprecedented coherence of education will benefit individuals, communities, and states—and our nation will benefit, at last, from the promises and best hopes of “an educated citizenry.”
Michael Moody
Founder and CEO of Insight ADVANCE
“The future of education depends upon supporting teachers to ensure they’re at the top of their game. Rather than pretending that the status quo is working, we must engage in more effective support practices, such as instructional coaching, to empower teachers to reflect upon their practice and make the improvements needed to ensure that all students are achieving. Leaders should be considering how they are designing and implementing systems that will actually improve practice. This means not only supporting teachers, but also focusing on developing those in support positions, such as school leaders and instructional coaches. Despite the many initiatives aimed at improving outcomes, nothing will ever replace the impact of a great teacher.”
Twitter: @DrMichaelMoody
Caroline Fahmy
President and CEO of Educational Data Systems
“If I were to put my money on the future of education, I would put it all on supporting the quality of people—school leaders and teachers. New technologies, artificial intelligence, assessment for accountability, data dashboards, charter schools, and other developments are important to the educational machine.
But, students will need school leaders who are capable of managing, evaluating, and supporting staff and who uphold effective pedagogy. And, they will need teachers who mentor other teachers and collaborate; who can effectively manage a classroom; and who have enthusiasm and interest in making sure all students receive everything they need to be successful.”
To view the full article click here.