K-12 Student Success Strategies and Tools

The world has evolved quickly and become  more complex in the last 25 years than at any other time in history. Introducing the Internet and the rapid growth of technology as part of the digital era has been the most fundamental driving force. Such a drastic worldwide transition has necessitated individuals to adapt to new ideas and information that simply did not exist two decades ago, new skills that are increasingly prevalent in our everyday lives, and new technology competencies that will allow for future growth.

Our educational systems, notably K-12, have not kept up. Stuck in the industrial age, our schools continue to teach obsolete information and employ pedagogical approaches that no longer assist young people’s evolving minds. In many aspects, today’s secondary-school graduates’ abilities are identical to those of a graduate 20 to 40 years ago, making education one of the few areas where a major change has yet to occur.

Most K-12 schools have changed their curriculum over time, introducing classes in 21st-century skills like entrepreneurship and computer studies. Others have used technology in the classroom by developing course websites or providing students with laptop computers. However, this is not considered a noteworthy development. Significant evolution is defined as a drastic adjustment of an educational institution’s operational model in direct reaction to external changes, such as a shift in customer behavior, the introduction of new technology, or the formulation of new regulatory policies.

Problems faced by the K-12 industry

Limited Resources

Every school has resource constraints. Perhaps you are understaffed or just do not have enough funds or materials. This has a direct influence on the educational experience, but it also increases stress levels among staff members. A teacher, for example, must stretch oneself thin in order to accommodate more students. Limited resources can also have an impact on parents, as they donate more of their time or money to make up the difference.

Low K-12 Student Engagement

External distractions or peer pressures may cause students to be less interested in the classroom. Some of them even have learning problems that make it difficult to understand the subject matter, limiting their involvement. Another aspect to consider is a general lack of motivation. Because everything is “theoretical,” they don’t see the sense in attending courses or participating in group discussions. After all, how much of this knowledge will students actually utilize in the real world?

Lack Of Personalization

In typical classroom environments, providing a personalized learning plan for each student is difficult. Everyone has their own set of goals, preferences, learning styles, and constraints. Even with reduced class sizes, instructors cannot give one-on-one help to every kid as frequently as they need it. Another disadvantage is that the resources are not personalized. While some kids like tactile exercises, others learn better through reading-based projects. The same is true for evaluation procedures.

Time Crunch

Teachers do not have enough time in the day to answer all the questions or offer comments. Similarly, students may be confronted with time constraints that impede them from fully comprehending the material. They may, for example, participate in extracurricular activities every afternoon or travel at a slower speed than their classmates. As a result, they need more time than is provided to grasp and retain the knowledge. Parents are another important group to consider. They also have hectic schedules and may not assist with homework assignments or school projects before the due date.

Low Parent Involvement

Parents may not be actively involved in their child’s education for a variety of reasons. Maybe they have a lot on their plates; maybe they don’t reside in the same house. Some even take a more “hands-off” attitude, believing that educational endeavors should be handled by the school. In any event, a lack of parental participation has a direct influence on student performance because they lack a support network outside of the official learning setting.

K-12 Strategies

1. Curriculum

What should we teach?

The curriculum is defined as a collection of planned courses and modules with specific learning objectives. The three foundations of a curriculum are theory and knowledge, emotional and social skills, and technical proficiency. Some components are discrete, but the majority of them overlap. Students, for example, comprehend geography via theory and knowledge, but there is overlap when they exercise cultural awareness—an emotional and social skill—while drawing on what they have learned in geography class.

Theory and knowledge

In the simplest of terms, theory and knowledge are what students know. Traditionally, learning institutions have taught theory and knowledge deductively, using information that already exists. Education has focused on this pillar, believing that students who acquire and retain more knowledge are better able to succeed in the world. Students need some retained knowledge to draw connections and conclusions, but concentrating on this pillar is no longer practical; a broader curriculum is needed. The fundamental challenge that schools and education systems will face is deciding which core bases of knowledge to prioritize and which to eliminate to accommodate other skills and competencies.

Emotional and social skills

The direct application of theory and knowledge in the actual world—the ability to interpret information into insights and ideas relevant to the environment—represents emotional and social abilities. Emotional and social abilities are extremely important. We may connect more frequently than ever before, but as interactions become more virtual and lose the human touch, the most relevant skills today include leadership, connectivity, negotiations, discussion, public speaking, empathy, conflict resolution, constructive criticism, creativity, listening, flexibility facilitation, and team building.

Technological competency

Technological competency is the ability to directly apply knowledge by technological means. This includes basic uses of technology such as writing an essay in Microsoft Office to more advanced uses such as manufacturing a product with a 3D printer. These skills are foundational to succeeding in our technology-driven society. The main obstacle to the widespread use of this curriculum is affordability. However, partnerships between educational institutions and the information and communications technology (ICT) industry can help clear this hurdle. In India, for example, Pratham’s digital classroom is a low-cost solution to introducing children, mainly from weaker sections of society, to new technology.

2. Measurement

How do we effectively measure and compare the quality, efficiency, and results of education systems throughout the world?

Policymakers and practitioners often ask how we should measure education’s effectiveness. The challenge with this question arises because stakeholders across different regions and fields will have a unique definition of education and its inherent purpose. While this poses no issues when measuring education on an isolated basis—for example, in a distinctive field or region where the purpose is more commonly agreed upon—it can cause discrepancies when used comparatively.

There are four components of measuring the effectiveness of education universally. The first is the input, or the curriculum and content being delivered. The second is the desired outcome. The third is that the input’s effectiveness can only be measured once the outcome has been identified. From a global perspective, the standards and metrics used to measure education’s effectiveness must be derived from key stakeholder groups’ agreement on a general purpose of education. The final component is the assessment used to evaluate the measurement metric. For measurement to be effective, these four elements must be in synchrony.

3. Technology Enablers

How do we adapt to the technology-induced “rupture” in the way education is delivered? How can we take advantage of the possibilities offered by new technologies to build a better education model for the greater good?

Methods such as blended learning, real-time video, and out-of-class technologies have the potential to disrupt the way education is delivered. These strategies, although extremely pertinent to the three curricular pillars, are also scalable.

Bring your own device (BYOD), digital textbooks and other material, and Skype may all aid in the development of technical proficiency in the new education paradigm while also being entertaining and user pleasant.

4. Funding

How do we ensure proper funding for education? What is the ideal economic equation?

Beyond the usual use of government cash, new K-12 finance options are developing. More players are playing critical roles in these new models, especially in areas where government funding in education is limited. The first developing approach is a collaboration for funding and curriculum creation between autonomous institutions, such as private schools and charter schools, and industrial partners.

Private equity funds are also becoming increasingly active in education. The third type is a partnership between government agencies and for-profit and non-profit groups. Governments frequently face economic and capacity issues when it comes to teaching social niches, especially in rural and underdeveloped sectors, or addressing alternative forms of learning, such as gaming.

5. Ecosystem

Who are the actors that play a role in education at all levels, from defining the curriculum to deploying infrastructure and funding?

Education is evolving. The curriculum is evolving toward learning goals that are right-brained and technical. New measuring standards are gaining traction across the world. Both rich urban schools in established markets and impoverished rural schools in emerging economies employ technology. Around the world, more actors are funding education. What was once a slow-moving, predictable industry is now fast-paced, inventive, and complex.

However, the extra complexity makes it difficult for players—particularly those in education who are relatively new—to grasp where they stand, how they are affected, how to negotiate the industry, and how to stay relevant. Forward-thinking stakeholders are interested in how the industry will develop and which measures will provide a long-term competitive edge.

Tools to improve the K-12 industry

1. EDMO Solutions

EDMO Solutions is a powerful AI-based platform designed to optimize the student experience and improve institutional outcomes. With a focus on student success, EDMO helps institutions with the following features:

• Document Intelligence:
  • Automates the analysis of student applications, transcripts, and resumes.
  • Provides real-time analytics, transforming large amounts of data into actionable insights.
  • Integrated dashboards simplify document tracking and lead management.
• Conversation Intelligence:
  • Uses AI to analyze enrollment potential and address barriers to student enrollment.
  • Automates communication with students to enhance lead conversion.
• Human Intelligence:
  • Provides 24/7 support and guidance from a dedicated success team to ensure personalized assistance.
  • Tailored strategies to meet institutional goals and improve student engagement.

EDMO solutions empower educational institutions by reducing administrative workloads, providing valuable insights, and enhancing student engagement, ultimately driving higher enrollment, graduation, and employment success rates.

2. Flipgrid

• Flipgrid has swiftly evolved into one of the most popular learning technology tools.
• This video discussion system allows students to communicate with one another to share their knowledge because of its flexibility and convenience of use.
• All teachers need to do is divide their classroom into grid systems — or groups — and offer subject questions.
• Then, students will respond to the issue using short videos and answer others’ remarks.
• Flipgrid allows you to share literary works, practice world language skills, and recognize student success all in one spot.
• This tool is so simple to use that even kindergarten students can use it.

3. Bakpax

• After lesson planning, the last thing a teacher wants to do is sit down and grade 30 assignments. Bakpax, fortunately, provides a better solution.
• Bakpax is an artificial intelligence-powered grading application that automatically corrects submitted work.
• Bakpax worksheets may be created by inputting original questions or by scanning and converting old worksheets into new AI-correctable documents.
• Then, provide them with immediate feedback and accurate results so they may begin studying for the next test as soon as possible.

4. Labster

• Some educational institutions want to have a collegiate-level laboratory in their science classroom.
• Maybe if their pupils only had access to high-end substances and equipment, they’d be more engaged.
• With Labster, students can have all of that and more.
• The online biotech lab is best suited for high school students because of its extremely detailed procedures.
• Over 200 realistic simulations allow pupils to obtain hands-on experience before transferring their talents to a real lab.
• In addition, a post-lab component engages students with questions and animations to help them make connections between procedures and processes.

5. TinyTap

• TinyTap is ideal for teachers who enjoy gamifying their sessions.
• This interactive software has over 100,000 games, stories, and learning activities to help youngsters master a wide range of ideas.
• One can also design their own exercises or have students design their own.
• A plethora of user-friendly tools make creating and editing simple, especially for younger children.
• TinyTap would be an excellent addition to your iPad, but it is especially useful if you routinely include project-based learning into your lesson plans.

Conclusion

As technology advances and developers provide updates and new solutions, it is critical that institutions, students, and teachers stay adaptable. These improvements and additions may require some getting accustomed to. Keeping up with the latest tools and technology, on the other hand, can guarantee that your students receive a high-quality education, even if some — or all — of it is delivered online. Education is a 1,000-year-old sector on the verge of significant transformation. This time, we need to create an environment that will last at least the next hundred years.