Educators outline 5 priorities for the new school year

Posted on • Reading Time: 6 min read

This article was written and Published by Laura Ascione — September 13, 2024

Educators and school leaders offer insights into their top focus areas and must-do action items for the new school year

Key points:

With a new school year comes new priorities for educators and students alike. Teaching is evolving at a rapid pace, pushed forward by advancements in AI, the need for real-world relevance in classroom lessons, and a focus on student wellness.

From career and technical education (CTE) to STEM learning and AI’s evolution, here are five priority areas for educators in the 2024-2025 school year:

Student achievement and well-being

Now more than ever, the need to focus on educating the “whole child” is a top priority for our schools. Educational experiences extend beyond the traditional classroom setting. For instance, in Baldwin School District, we continue to expand on our emotional wellness efforts through our very own Wellness Center, allowing our students and their families seamless access to the support services needed to help their child succeed in school and beyond.
–Dr. Shari L. Camhi, Superintendent of Schools, Baldwin School District

There’s a growing emphasis on wellness and addressing the complex needs of students as they navigate a challenging world. This holistic approach is reshaping how we engage students, pushing us to rethink traditional models and deliver teaching and learning in more relevant, responsive ways. To truly improve student engagement and achievement, we must start by valuing the conversations and dedicated time needed to measure and adjust the adult behaviors that directly impact these areas. This reflective process is essential for driving meaningful improvements. As we think about this work, it’s crucial to shift the conversation from merely tracking student attendance to focusing on how students are showing up: how they engage with complex problems, interact with their peers, and connect with adults. It’s not enough for students to simply be present; they need to be actively involved in learning experiences that challenge them and foster critical thinking.
—Jonah M. Schenker, Ed.D., District Superintendent, Ulster BOCES

CTE and career readiness

As an engineering teacher who runs a hands-on laboratory class, I like to start the year off by exposing my students to all the industry equipment and industry-certified credentials that they will have access to throughout the year. Leading a career and technical-focused class allows me the opportunity to inspire and prepare students for their future careers. Informing students about industry trends and showing how current practices are incorporated into the curriculum gets them excited and eager to learn. By demonstrating the various types of training equipment–from mechatronics to robotic arms, 3D printers, pneumatic trainers, AC/DC electricity trainers, and more–students understand the big picture of how this dynamic and engaging learning environment equips them with the skills they need to succeed. By implementing these strategies, CTE educators can expect a vibrant, engaging learning environment where students can obtain skills and knowledge for a successful future.
–Stefany Gurgel, NC3 Master Instructor, Festo and Instructor, Jewish Leadership Academy

Learning and experiencing outside the four walls of the classroom is essential. We continually focus on creating industry partnerships and new opportunities for students to explore future career prospects in high-demand fields. Creating a relevant and robust learning environment and always doing what is best for our children is successful because of the dedication of our administrators, teachers, and staff.
–Dr. Shari L. Camhi, Superintendent of Schools, Baldwin School District

Nationally, we’re seeing an increased focus on integrating AI into the classroom. This isn’t just about using AI as a tool but also about preparing students for a future where AI literacy will be crucial. Moreover, we must move away from a mindset of informational compliance–where students complete tasks for the sake of completion–and instead focus on engaging them in authentic problem-solving. By providing opportunities for students to work on real-world problems and present their solutions to experts and audiences outside their schools, we not only make learning more relevant but also empower students to see their work as meaningful contributions to their communities and the broader world.
—Jonah M. Schenker, Ed.D., District Superintendent, Ulster BOCES

Personalized hands-on learning

Personalization of the student’s learning experience is becoming a necessity to make it meaningful, engaging, affirming, and rigorous. We adopted and implemented a new instructional framework with a keen focus on these aspects. Now, we are building a program to braid in the appropriate technology to drive it forward. One way we do this is through the implementation of interactive projection technology from Epson. Students can interact with content being projected on the board or cast the screen from their device to model for their peers. This brings engagement and personalization in a whole new way.
–Lisa Irey, Director of Technology, Des Moines Public Schools

We’ll see more classes stepping away from strictly virtual content this school year. Teachers are ready to have students put away their Chromebooks and engage in discussions and hands-on activities. Technology will still play a role in classrooms, with teachers and students collaborating using tools like interactive projectors, but after a few years of students looking at screens all day, there will definitely be a shift to technology’s role being supplemental and not the end-all be-all.
–Nate Moore, executive Director of Technology, Kearsley Community Schools

AI in K-12 learning

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has presented districts everywhere with new teaching and learning opportunities. This year at St. Vrain Valley School District, we will continue to provide our teachers with ample opportunities to collaborate, discuss, and share resources and strategies to enhance their understanding of AI and the potential benefits of AI tools. To support their professional growth, teachers will also have continued access to the AI Coach platform, which enables them to watch and reflect on videos of their classroom instruction, set professional goals, and receive personalized observation tips, coaching, and resources from a virtual, computerized AI coach. This helps our teachers strengthen their practices and participate in ongoing, reflective coaching at their own pace.
–David Baker, Professional Development Coordinator. St. Vrain Valley School District

As the artificial intelligence integration continues to develop in schools, I expect to see more use of individualized AI student tutoring as well as a greater emphasis on personal connection and creativity. The AI technology boom in education, includes some well known issues as well a great deal of potential. The ability to offer students personalized coaching is one of the more exciting areas of opportunity as long as it’s safe and supports student privacy. There is still a great deal of trepidation among educators about AI now, but there is also opportunity, and many schools don’t want to fall behind. At this point, much of the AI used in schools serves as a replacement for traditional tests and assessments, but new tutoring and teaching tools are beginning to emerge. As AI begins to be utilized more in education the focus on the areas where humans are necessary such as making connections, developing creativity, and versatile storytelling gain more importance in the classroom. An unexpected effect of the AI boom is that it heightens the focus on innovation and creative problem solving and relationship building.
—Tim Needles, Technology Integration Specialist, Smithtown Central School District & Author of STEAM Power

It seems everywhere we look companies and products are announcing their new integrations with AI or AR/VR. For some, this may be a struggle to embrace due lack of access or belief that paper is better. In the current iterations of AI, teachers who explore their options are able to find tools that make their daily task loads easier. The most time consuming or emotionally taxing items can be processed via prompts. Some of these tasks might include replying to parent emails without emotional interference, creating differentiated assignments with ease and expertise, and creating interactive lesson components and higher order questions that probe thinking patterns. With the rise of AI comes AR/VR. The use of AR allows students to interact and problem solve in a space that is free of the constraints of budgets and in some instances time. Students are able to manipulate very large items or very small items a typical classroom would not have access to (the sun and stars, for example). With the use of VR, students are able to create, repair, and manipulate items that have been and will continue to be out of reach for many students. With a sincere focus on college/career/military readiness, access to VR training is allowing students to gain and perfect skill sets prior to their entrance into the post-high school phase of life.
–Jessica Campos, Instructional Technology Coach, Mesquite Independent School District

STEM skills

With an increasing number of schools limiting personal device usage during the school day, I foresee a shift in education toward teaching more interpersonal skills and incorporating more hands-on activities. One of my favorite activities is having students make powered paper airplanes with the POWERUP 2.0 Airplane Kit. It’s a great hands-on activity with a technology element that helps students learn STEM-related concepts, the engineering process, and collaboration skills.
–Josh Underwood, Physics and Aviation Teacher, Mason County High School

As educators prepare for the new school year, we must incorporate scientific probeware into STEM classrooms to enhance student engagement and learning. Probeware, which combines sensors and software to collect and analyze data in real-time, offers a practical approach to teaching science and technology. I plan on using probeware in all my courses, from AP Chemistry to Organic Chemistry to Forensics, as students conduct captivating experiments in colorimetry, melting-point analysis, gas pressure inquiry, gas chromatography, and more. The use of this technology will enable students to engage in active learning and real-time data collection, visualize with graphs, explore complex phenomena, and develop important scientific skills.
–Diane M. Vrobel, Ed. D., Science Teacher, Archbishop Hoban High School and Member, Vernier Trendsetter Community

Posted in Uncategorized