In an increasingly tumultuous time in education, how students are learning and engaging with their learning is changing every year. As classrooms evolve to meet the needs of a new generation, technology, policy, and creativity are reshaping how students learn and teachers instruct. We’ll be looking forward to 2026 and beyond to catch you up to date on educational outcomes and ways to best prepare.
Banning Cell Phones during Instructional Time
In October of this year, Wisconsin became the 36th state to limit the use of cell phones during class time, citing the distracting impact of cell phones and social media on students’ learning. While many schools already banned cell phones to some extent, this statewide legislation makes restrictions more consistent. Schools have until July 1, 2026, to create policies to enforce this new legislation.
While enforcement may be a concern in some classrooms, the legislation is hoping to create a learning environment with fewer distractions, helping students with attention and retention. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that a district enforcing phone bans saw notable improvements in student test scores starting as soon as year two. However, there was an increase in suspensions and short-term disruptions in the first year of implementation, but they returned to more traditional levels by the second year. As such, Wisconsin schools implementing the ban for the first time may need to consider enforcement policies and engagement strategies to help keep students on task, aiming for the long-term benefits of longer attention spans and retention.
AI’s Growing Role in Student Learning and Academic Planning
Even compared to a year ago, AI continues to increase in scope, providing more services to expand learning. Whether students need help with a problem, taking notes in class, or providing accessibility, AI is taking on a variety of roles, with even free chatbots providing these services. It’s not just students who are benefiting from AI, as educators can analyze student data and help with grading assignments. Assuming AI continues its dramatic advancement in capabilities each year, it’s easy to imagine schools continuing to wonder how much AI has a place in education.
As such, a couple of considerations come to mind: Is the AI I’m using truly adding value? Though helpful, it’s important not to rely completely on AI and lose critical thinking skills that students learn in the classroom. When implementing a new digital learning system, consider what AI functionality is included and the value it brings to the learning experience. AI should always add to the learning experience, not replace learning itself.
Another important topic to address is the privacy policies of the AI programs. AI programs should protect the identities of your students, so limiting and monitoring the use of open/free AI programs will be paramount for your district’s policies. What information are these programs gathering? What are your students inputting into the system? These are some of the questions you need to monitor to ensure privacy, especially as AI continues to use submitted data to become more robust.
Experimental Learning - Career-Based Learning
Another educational method gaining more and more attention is hands-on learning, which could also be considered career readiness training or experiential learning. These are learning experiences that teach students more about a particular craft or help them develop general skills important for the workplace, helping them be much better prepared. This type of learning is starting earlier and earlier, where even elementary students are planning personalized plans to expose them to various careers and their skills to help them decide future careers and give them a head start among their peers.
If your school hasn’t already considered what this can look like in your area, now is the time to keep up with schools implementing these programs already. These opportunities can be unique to your school, bringing in local business leaders and community members to learn what they’re looking for in potential hires, and how you can train those skills with your students. With these programs, it’s important to meet each student where they are in their learning journey, highlighting that each student has a chance to work towards a career they can find enjoyable and rewarding, one that they might not find in the traditional classroom setting.
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Education continues to evolve, and it’s evolving even more as technology ramps up. Many of these issues were not ones that we had growing up, and many of the educational problems we had were not the issues our grandparents had. A proper education means adapting to the challenges presented at that particular time. However, the more we can prepare students for the unknown future with timeless skills like critical thinking, workplace communication, adaptability, and others, the more they will be prepared for whatever life throws their way.
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Magic School
At the core of teaching is interacting with a child to help them grow—a deeply human, demanding, and complex responsibility. But today, teaching requires an unreasonable amount of work behind the scenes, much of it repetitive and tedious. We are a team of lifelong teachers and principals.
We’ve not only taught in classrooms, we’ve also spent countless hours doing behind-the-scenes work for our students, like adapting texts to different levels, writing exemplars, and emailing families. We know firsthand just how much work teachers do outside the classroom in an effort to make our time in front of students count.
Pitsco
Pitsco Education is the leading provider of preK-12 STEM solutions. Pitsco’s various products, activities, curricula, and program solutions promote relevant and engaging learning experiences and continued success after graduation. From classroom and district-level programs to individual activities and at-home learning, whether you’re looking for robotics, coding, dragsters, drones, or online testing, Pitsco Education has got you covered.
Skill Struck
We create learning opportunities for all K-12 students, regardless of background, abilities, or zip code, to develop workforce-ready technical skills. Our platforms include Launch Pad (K-5), Voyage (6-12), Type Station (K-10), and Chat for Schools, each designed to support different stages of a student’s computer science and AI journey. There are educator portals in every platform to track student progress and view data. With engaging curriculum, built-in supports, and real-world applications, Skill Struck is where future-ready learning begins.