Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas) is a free K-12 charter school program serving over 23,000 children on 21 campuses. Students are taught English, Spanish and Mandarin as part of a demanding curriculum designed to foster future success. Of ILTexas’s 2022-23 student population, 71.8% were categorized as economically disadvantaged.
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At Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina, esports has become a tool for raising spirits and building collaboration among its high school students. To encourage participation and better compete with other schools, the school increased its available bandwidth with the installation of Spectrum Enterprise fiber solutions.
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Project-based learning (PBL) helps prepare students for college and beyond by actively engaging them in meaningful, relevant projects. In many situations, students will work on these projects for weeks or months at a time, which helps them develop deeper content knowledge when attempting to answer complex questions and resolve real-world problems.
With advances in digital tools, many teachers are finding that using edtech tools in PBL enhances projects by providing direct access to greater sources of information and by allowing students to collaborate more easily. Some believe that leveraging the right technology is one of the best ways to support students during PBL activities.…Read More
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In 2024, Wi-Fi and wired networks are critical infrastructure for educational organizations. Thanks to the continuous push for digitally literate students and interactive, immersive, and connected eLearning environments, chief technology officers (CTOs) are responsible for networks that must support greater demand than ever before.
There are three top technologies for school district CTOs to consider when planning for the health and longevity of their wired and Wi-Fi networks. Addressing these three key areas–video collaboration, the 6GHz migration, and network automation–will prepare networks to meet the needs of today’s and future students.…Read More
Robust collaboration, extensive connectivity, combining the latest technology and packed with everything a classroom requires. Our displays are designed to fit the needs of teachers, giving them the tools to plan, create and deliver extraordinary lessons.
COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of visual display and collaboration solutions, today announced the Spring Independent School District (ISD) in Houston has selected and installed almost 1,800 BenQ Boards in K-12 classrooms across the 45 schools in the district. Purchased as part of Spring ISD’s most recent school bond, the BenQ Boards were chosen over other smart board vendors because of the rich and forward-thinking feature set the BenQ Boards offer, including ease of use and flexibility for teachers, advanced learning tools for students, and free built-in remote management solutions for IT.
“When we invited the entire district to come in and test drive different smart boards, everyone voted nearly unanimously for the BenQ Board,” said Joe Holecek, Spring ISD’s manager of campus technology support. “They hit all our needs, from those of our teachers and students to our technology department. We’ve deployed half the BenQ Boards in our classrooms so far, and it’s been so positive that the other half can’t wait because they know how much the boards offer.”
Spring ISD Teachers Benefit From BenQ Board’s Tap ‘N Teach Technology
While preparing students for the future, the BenQ Boards are also designed to eliminate the steep learning curve and complicated tasks that typical smart boards can overburden teachers with. The teacher-friendly experience starts immediately at sign-in. The industry’s only germ-resistant BenQ Boards boast BenQ’s Tap ‘N Teach technology, which features one-tap NFC log-in to load lesson materials and interactive teaching apps, cloud storage, settings, and tools instantly and securely.…Read More
FREMONT, CA – Optoma, a world-leading manufacturer of pioneering visual solutions, today introduced the new Creative Touch 3-Series Interactive Flat Panel Displays (IFPDs), featuring improved functionality and added interactive features designed to meet the evolving needs of education and corporate environments. Available in 65″, 75″ and 86″ formats, the Creative Touch 3-Series IFPDs include intuitive and user-friendly software, including an enhanced Whiteboard for effortless 1-to-1 collaboration whether in remote, in-person, or hybrid environments across classrooms, lecture halls, boardrooms, and other professional settings.
With the new Optoma IFPDs, users can work together seamlessly in-person or in real time from home by accessing their content through the Optoma Solution Suite (OSS)™, a proprietary software stack consisting of the cloud-based Whiteboard, Display Share, and File Manager.
Whiteboard provides users with an infinity canvas, floating toolbar, and annotation tools for endless, creative lesson opportunities. Educators can sync their cloud accounts, such as Google Classroom, for convenient lesson planning from anywhere and access their materials from any Creative Touch IFPD on campus. For remote lessons or in hybrid sessions, educators have the option of writing on the board while their students have a real time view of the annotations, either via one other Creative Touch display or online, valuable for use cases such as hiding quiz answers for later discussion. Users can also conveniently embed browser pages for easy dragging and dropping of image and video content into the canvas for smoother, uninterrupted lessons. …Read More
Washington, DC (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — America’s Blood Centers (ABC), the national organization of community-based, independent blood centers that supply 60 percent of the nation’s blood supply, today announced a new multi-year national partnership with Body Interact, a leader in virtual patient simulation technology. This collaboration aims to help innovate the way students and potential blood donors learn about the critical importance of blood donation by providing cutting-edge virtual patient scenarios illustrating the lifesaving impact of blood donation as part of an expanded Vein to Vein: The Science of Blood Donation high school education program, to be released in the coming weeks.
“America’s Blood Centers is proud to partner with Body Interact to bring cutting-edge virtual learning scenarios to our Vein to Vein program. This collaboration will help innovate how students and potential blood donors learn about the critical importance of blood donation, fostering a lifelong interest in supporting our nation’s blood supply. We look forward to working together to provide an engaging and interactive learning experience that will help strengthen and diversify the blood supply for years to come,” said Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers.
“At Body Interact/Take The Wind, we are honored to join forces and collaborate with America’s Blood Centers. By offering students a chance to experience realistic patient simulations, we aim to bring attention to the universal relevance of blood donation through experiential learning. Not only is blood donation a noble act, but also a critical one that could touch students’ loved ones and their communities. We are excited to bring this valuable resource to thousands of high school students across America,” said Raquel Bidarra, U.S. Country Manager at Body Interact.…Read More
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Technology plays a crucial, and expanding, role in today’s schools. The availability of tech tools, including those with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, continues to grow – as do their potential applications in the classroom.
Schools can also use tech and AI tools to enhance the success of teacher teams and professional learning communities (PLCs). When teacher teams set collective goals, their intended results – such as improved student outcomes – often occur in the classroom. But working toward their goals relies on effective peer-to-peer collaboration, which requires different skills and structures than classroom instruction. Technology is here to help bridge the gap.…Read More
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Every classroom is a busy place, but STEM-specific classrooms are built on collaboration, communication, and hands-on inquiry. Things are bound to be extra noisy and energetic. This isn’t a bad thing–it’s “the sound of learning,” as a coworker of mine once put it! However, it does mean that STEM classrooms require skilled management to keep students focused on their tasks. So, how do we as educators foster an environment of engagement and creativity without stifling our students’ curiosity?
In my experience, educators looking to create a STEM-centered classroom can take advantage of five teaching hacks which allow them to manage students while still fostering a growth mindset:…Read More
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) calculated global economic output loss will total $28 trillion dollars between 2020 and 2025 as the result of the COVID-19 virus that impacted businesses and education. Our schools are still pivoting to serve students and families who are figuring out life in the space of no longer and not yet.
The pandemic has changed us all.…Read More
BURLINGTON, NC — Carolina Biological, the leading school science supplier and the Smithsonian Science Education Center announced Smithsonian Science for the Classroom™, Phenomenon and Problem-Driven Edition, for grades K to 5. The print, digital and hands-on program raises the bar in student-driven 3D learning and 3D assessment. All modules in the updated core science curriculum are rolling out for the 2024-25 school year. The program still takes students on a journeyof hands-on experiences, observation, and collaboration, but added many more new opportunities for students to drive their own learning and: build reading, writing, and speaking skills; make sense of phenomena and real-world problems; drive learning with their own ideas and experiences. The new program features a robust and integrated assessment system, including a new assessment map. Accessibility for students is emphasized. Students cultivate scientific skills and knowledge through student-centric investigations as they figure out compelling phenomena and solve real-world problems. Teacher support is included. The new 2nd Edition was extensively field tested by educators and will be available for purchase through Carolina for the 2024-25 school year. Teachers can contact Carolina now to implement in classrooms next fall.
Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, 2nd Edition, is a high-quality comprehensive science program with life science, earth and space science, physical science and engineering modules developed to meet the *Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This elementary curriculum engages, inspires, and connects students firsthand to the world around them through a total of 24 student-driven modules. It helps teachers keep classes fresh and interesting to young students and integrate science, technology, math and engineering throughengaging and hands-on lessons. Smithsonian Science for the Classroom includes print and digital components, as well as hands-on materials.
Student Agency…Read More