Why We Partner with Future Ready Schools
Future Ready Schools®(FRS) is a planning and resource hub for personalized, digital learning that helps district leaders effectively plan and implement research-based digital learning strategies. Future Ready hosts events across the country for educational leaders to gather, brainstorm, and take action. Their Digital Dashboard ensures efficient tech implementation by taking “research-based strategies and practitioner-tested techniques” and aligning them with each district’s individual needs.
We partner with Future Ready Schools because we believe that personalized, digital learning — when paired with passionate and talented educators — can empower any student to succeed. Personalized learning can transform the teaching and learning environment of an entire district, and function as a driving force of positive student outcomes. Future Ready Schools provides the leadership, organization, brainpower, and space to make that happen. But, we partner with them for so much more. Check out just a few of the reasons we support FRS:
Their dashboard mobilizes and empowers educators.
The Future Ready Interactive Planning Dashboard features a 5 step process during which district leaders collaborate to develop a full plan for digital implementation. It’s a key component of the Future Ready mission — to ensure that district leaders have heard from a variety of stakeholders, have a solid grasp on their own school’s digital learning needs, and have access to research-driven best practices in education before purchasing digital learning technology. The Dashboard takes the difficulties and complexities of implementing education technology and translates them into a smooth, efficient, and effective process. Learn more about the Dashboard (and the FRS 7-part framework that drives the Dashboard) here.
Their events create a space for developing innovate solutions.
Sometimes, ideating an effective plan or solution requires gathering your best leaders together, in a space with similarly-motivated teams, and arming yourselves with the right tools. In order for district leaders to fully collaborate, learn from each other and from experts, and plan for implementation, Future Ready Schools holds events across the country. Find an institute or conference that works for your team:
They start conversations.
One of our favorite Future Ready initiatives is their attention to educators in a variety of roles within a school, and their understanding that every administrator and teacher can play a critical role in personalizing students’ learning. In addition to collaborating with various stakeholders in your district, it can also be illuminating to connect with educators in a similar role as your own, but from a school at a different stage in the implementation journey. To find like-minded educators in the FRS network, visit the below Facebook pages. They also start conversations between leaders of schools with similar needs — check out this piece by Dwight Jones, McGraw Hill Education VP, National Markets, on digital transformation in urban schools, or this FRS guide to rural schools.
They’re recommended by the U.S. DoE.
Last fall, the the U.S. Department of Education named the Digital Dashboard from the only non USDOE suggested readiness assessment for ESSA’s Title IV funding. Need we say more?
They even personalize learning for teachers.
One of the more recent developments at FRS is the integration of micro-credentials into the Interactive Dashboard. They’re simply credentials signifying that a teacher took advantage of personalized learning opportunity to boost professional development. Since the micro-credentials are worked into the Dashboard, educators have easy access to the opportunities and can sometimes work collaboratively with their district teams. Learn more about micro-credentials below:
They know how to influence change.
The Future Ready Institutes are just kicking off for 2017, but the 2016 results are in. Check out the impact that Future Ready Schools had last year:
They’re ready to empower your school.
Do you want to be a part of the Future Ready Schools journey in 2017? Future Ready offers a plethora of resources and expertise to help you build a solid personalized learning implementation plan. First, start by taking the pledge. Soon, you’ll be on your way to becoming a future ready school.
