Some say the future of school will be discovered by those who are willing to break the rules.

Technology has been vital in advancing education. It can be used to customize lessons to fit the needs of each student, grow the reach of the best teachers beyond the school walls, and capture the attention of children who are growing up in an on-demand world. But importantly, the most cutting-edge schools — even those with a deep devotion to all things high-tech — haven’t forgotten that human beings are at the heart of all they do. Machines can at best assist the warm touch of a skilled educator.

Here, we look at three schools that have taken innovation in fascinating directions, whether by creating teacher robots or building pods in which students work on group lessons.

Intrinsic School

Intrinsic Charter School in Chicago, Illinois, is located inside a building that was recently redesigned to make use of the latest technology. A peek inside the school reveals decor with a vibrant, space-age flair.

But the school’s leaders say the design of the school is about more than aesthetics.

The school’s building has been described as the first in the nation that was constructed to provide an ideal space for blended learning — that is, education that mixes technology and in-person instruction.

The school also has specially designed furniture, like desks on wheels, that allows teachers and students to quickly change the layout of the room. For instance, students might begin the class in a big group, but then move the desks to work independently or in smaller groups.

Students work at their own level, allowing them to avoid being bored by lessons that are too easy or frustrated by material that is too advanced.

But technology can’t make planks in gym class any easier.

Stephanie Matook, a ninth-grade math teacher, said she believes the school’s design complements the educational model. She said the open spaces, for instance, provide ample space for multiple teachers to work together.

Technology at the school is used to deliver custom-fit lessons for students, giving more flexibility than a traditional classroom where an entire room might move together through a subject at the same pace. This style of learning is growing in popularity, but it’s too soon to know if the investment in technology is worthwhile. A recent report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that students who spend more time using technology did worse on academic tests.

“The report leaves many questions unanswered,” wrote Andreas Schleicher, director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, in an introduction to the OECD’s analysis of the impact of technology in schools. “The impact of technology on education delivery remains sub-optimal, because we may overestimate the digital skills of both teachers and students, because of naive policy design and implementation strategies, because of poor understanding of pedagogy, or because of the generally poor quality of educational software and courseware. In fact, how many children would choose to play a computer game of the same quality as the software that finds its way into many classrooms around the world?”

Oak Hill School

The Oak Hill School, a nonpublic school for children with special needs in San Anselmo, California, was founded with a simple premise: unity. Parents of children with autism were frustrated by a disjointed system where access to education, mental health, and medical care required trips to a variety of organizations.

The school, which was founded 15 years ago, has about 40 students that span the ages of elementary to early adulthood. The school is staffed by specially trained teachers, occupational therapists, speech pathologist, and mental health professionals.

The staff at Oak Hill strive its small student body just what they need at the moment. That might mean getting down on the floor with a student or going outside for a run. This might be more difficult in a traditional school, where there are more demands on staff time or limited time with healthcare professionals.

“What our kids need is a place to be in a school that is supportive of their sensory system,” said Matt Poynter, the school’s director of education.

Staff work with students to learn strategies to cope. What this looks like varies greatly and depends entirely on the needs of the child.

A visitor to the school might see a child laying on a yoga mat as an adult provides a massage. Another child might need the opposite approach, so a staff member would suggest they go outside for a run. If possible, the staff uses these moments as teaching tools. They try to help the child learn how to recognize their feelings and independently take actions to deal with those emotions.

“It’s a place where you can be really creative an innovative and make an impact on kids’ lives,” Poynter said.

The school building is located near hiking trails and a small town. Students take field trips to grocery stores to shop. Many of the students here don’t speak much, and staff work with them to improve communication skills.

Staff and parents believe the school’s methods result in better outcomes for children. The school partnered with experts from the University of California, San Francisco, to study if a personalized and unified approach results in better outcomes for students.

But this type of school might be difficult for others to replicate. Why? Tuition is about $50,000 a year.

Nexus Academy

On a typical day at the Nexus Academy of Columbus, in Ohio, a robot might spring to life and zoom around the school.

The driver of this machine is a teacher who is working remotely. The tablet-sized screen atop the plastic body encases a projection of the teacher’s face. Some students at the school say the robot creates a connection to a teacher they’ve never met in the flesh. But students and staff also acknowledge that it’s, well, a little bit creepy and sort of funny.

Thomas Hatch, a student at Nexus Academy of Columbus, explained his first reaction to a virtual teacher who drove around inside a robot body.

“It was, um, different — definitely different,” Hatch said in an interview earlier this year with The Hechinger Report.

But the robot teacher probably isn’t coming soon to a school near you. Let’s be real: it’s kind of a bummer — and more of a comedy than an education — when a robot teacher bumps into walls.

It’s hard to imagine anyone suggesting the future is a school with teachers who can’t even manage navigating the halls.

Photography by Steven Turville (Nexus Academy), Peter Hoffman (Intrinsic Schools), and Peter McCollough (Oak Hill School)