Emerging Technologies Reshaping Education

Emerging technologies in education share a common goal; to support improvements to the learning process. But the educational technology landscape is crowded with the promise of the “next greatest hardware or software tool”. It is difficult to filter out the gimmicks from the truly transformative technologies. So what are some of the emerging technologies in 2020, and how can they be used at the classroom, school and system level? Let’s take a look at a few of them, and how Focus10 Consulting can support you in enhancing the learning process.

Adaptive Learning

For decades, teachers have struggled to find new and creative ways to deliver differentiated instruction to their students. Barriers such as class size, insufficient resources and increasingly complex learner needs make it very difficult to differentiate instruction for every student. Imagine a classroom where technology supports teachers to provide learning activities that are based on the needs and learning style(s) of the student. There are many tools out there, and some are free or very low cost. What could this look like at the classroom, school and system level? Focus10 has experienced educational consultants who can help school divisions leverage technology to support the unique needs of every student.

Learning Analytics - Evidence Based Decision Making

How can school divisions shift from opinion based decision making to evidence based decision making, without creating another layer of work for teachers and principals? Understanding what data elements you have access to today is a critical first step; nobody wants to recreate the wheel. Mining existing data in your Student Information System in conjunction with data provided by Alberta Education can start you on the pathway to enhanced evidence based decision making. As an illustration, how does attendance, reading grade level and length of bus ride affect FNMI student performance on provincial achievement and diploma exams? Wherever you are in this journey, Focus10 can assist you in building a sustainable model using data that you already have access to.

Schools Without Borders

Covid-19 has forced us to get creative in how we deliver education, shifting our thinking to out of the box solutions by necessity. With every challenge, there are typically opportunities that can be harvested. From March to June 2020, school divisions were forced to move to 100% online learning. September 2020 presented a new set of challenges, as a hybrid model of in-class and online was implemented in most school divisions. What have we learned?

Firstly, we learned we had to embrace technology in new ways. In Alberta, school divisions worked in new and collaborative ways to ensure the best learning opportunities were in place for all students, regardless of where they live. Divisions such as Edmonton Public Schools developed and shared online learning resources with several school division, using the Google Classroom platform. Can you imagine schools without borders, where all teachers and students in Alberta have equitable access to high quality learning resources? Focus10 can help you build strategic partnerships with a focus on technology. Our team can connect you with other school divisions, high quality vendors and post-secondary institutions to assist you with enhancing the learning opportunities for your students