We are entering a new decade, a new ‘20’s era that brings with it changes in the way we view education as a society. The goal of all educators is to consistently improve their ability to reach and develop students into critically thinking, morally resilient human beings. As society and culture shift over time, so too do our thoughts on how best to meet those goals. Here are a couple of trends in the education world that you might see in 2020.

A Focus on Mental Health

Several studies in recent years have recognized a growing number of students combatting issues like anxiety and depression. Though parents may think this is a problem that will arise in teenage years, a study by the UK-based teachers’ union NASUWT showed that these mental health issues are occurring in ever-greater numbers in children as young as four years old. For many students, traditional learning methods may pique these tendencies and create anxiety, such as standardized testing or heavy emphasis being placed on grades rather than retaining information. In the new decade, expect schools to deal with this issue by changing up their homework policies, teaching methods, and even by using apps to aid students in the relief of stress.

Accessible Learning

New technologies, and the application of older technologies, create increasingly accessible ways of teaching. One small example is voice-to-text and text-to-voice software, which can help strengthen students’ reading comprehension while aiding students with vision impairment. As a recent Forbes article by Daniel Newman points out, the digital era is taking geographic inaccessibility out of the picture as well. Through online courses, video conferencing like Skype, and other emerging apps, students have access to some of the most brilliant teachers and courses regardless of where they live. Perhaps the future of education lies in remote teaching, with students learning from home on their tablets.

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Brooklyn Charter School is dedicated to the constant improvement and adaptation of our teaching methods. Our academic approach is to combine teacher-initiated education with project-based learning while incorporating new technologies when appropriate. For more information on BCS and enrollment queries, contact our office.