Giving Compass' Take:

• Public schools may be able to keep up with the tech advances in education, if schools are willing to adapt learning models and make training accessible for teachers.

• What are the next steps for these schools that need to change to stay up to date? 

• Read about where education tech is going in 2018. 

Students sitting at desks in neat rows facing the front of the room. Teachers writing on a chalkboard, delivering information to be memorized and later recalled on tests. Bells that signal it’s time to change classrooms.

What most consider “typical” school design has its roots in the Industrial Age when factory and assembly line workers were in high demand. But this one-size-fits-all, rote approach to learning is now obsolete.

After all, studies have shown that children learn differently based on individual strengths and preferences and that social and emotional learning (SEL) plays a fundamental role in academic achievement.

What’s more, advances in educational technology mean learning can be more accessible and more personalized than ever before. Data-driven approaches are now available to help educators adapt the learning experience and tailor interventions to each student’s unique needs.

And there are practical reasons for education reforms, as well. Simply stated, redesigning outdated school models will help students reap rewards down the road—because today’s children will be entering a labor market that is predicted to favor workers who are adaptable, social, and creative over those who can perform routine tasks.

Put all of this together and you can’t help but wonder: Can public schools adapt? Will they be able to meet the increasingly complex needs of students (and employers)?

For Joanna Burleson, managing director at Monitor Institute by Deloitte, the answer to those questions is a resounding “yes,” provided stakeholders work together to make education more about learning, and less about teaching.

As Burleson describes it, the “grass roots”—public school families and communities—need to collaborate with the “grass top”—state and federal legislators—to update curriculum and methods, ensure the availability of adequate tools and technology, and support professional development for teachers.

Read the full article about schools can learn and adapt by Kathryn Siranosian at TriplePundit