But that is what’s happening to many of our students. The pandemic has taken a toll. A large number of students pulled out of traditional public education altogether, instead choosing homeschooling and (in some cases) literally missing in action. Still others who are back in the classroom are not doing well emotionally and as a result, their focus and ability to learn is also missing in action.

By Mark Wagner, Ph.D.

Clearly educators today need to consider how best to prepare students for humanity’s rapidly approaching multi-planet future. But what if we look at another turn further down the road? What about the first students to be educated in space? What challenges might face the first school on Mars? The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many challenges associated with a move to remote learning, and settlements on a distant planet would face these same difficulties and more. For instance on Mars, any education system would face a significant delay in live communications with peers, experts and other resources on Earth. Similarly, hands-on learning of any kind would be challenging, as would scheduling, from daily meetings to academic years. But by considering these problems now educators and space philosophers can help lay a foundation for a successful education system on Mars in the coming years.

The concept of ‘classroom education’ has radically changed since the Pandemic. Accelerated by nationwide school closures during 2020, schools were challenged with combinations of in-person, hybrid, and remote learning models. Teachers had to adapt to unexpected conditions and teaching in unprecedented ways.

Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality have expanded teaching options in the education industry, providing opportunities for learners far outside the reach of the traditional classroom. EdTech is now at the head of the class offering promising learning experiences with seamless integration of teacher-student communication. In fact, education technology is at an inflection point – global EdTech digital spending is already over $250bn and is expected to reach $600bn+ by 2027. Growth drivers in EdTech will undoubtedly continue to thrive for the near future, benefiting from demonstrable value and growing recognition of the mission critical nature of innovation, improvement, and optimization to maximize learning outcomes. These transformations will be especially important in the coming years for school districts that are now working to leverage the lessons learned during the Pandemic-era. These technologies will be used to optimize the learning experience in both remote and in-person settings through both synchronous and asynchronous learning modalities.

By (ET) Magazine Editorial Staff

Who knew an online portal with access to a mindsets-based social emotional learning program would grow like Jack’s mythical beanstalk?

But grow it did. And people began taking notice, especially district superintendents, curriculum directors, school counselors and parents. And evidently, a researcher for Inc. Magazine, who decided to place this mindsets-based social emotional learning company on their Fastest Growing Companies list.

To be sure, the situation on the ground had a lot to do with the growth. The amount of stress caused by the pandemic was instrumental in driving the need for a mindsets company. But it didn’t start there. In fact, social emotional learning has been needed for much longer. And the key to its growth wasn’t the pandemic, but the technology that made the program so accessible. And the rest is a historical blur.