Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Long Island, NY School District Addresses Youth Mental Health Crisis With Opening of New Wellness Center

Baldwin, NY – Youth mental health is a crisis nationwide. Many are struggling to manage the stress and complications of everyday life. Studies show that students who are healthy both physically and mentally are more likely to excel in all aspects of academic achievement, including academic performance, education behavior, and cognitive skills and attitudes.

As a part of an ongoing initiative to enhance the health and wellness resources available to its students and families, the Baldwin Union Free School District (UFSD) is proud to launch the Baldwin Schools Wellness Center and to be among the first school districts in the nation to establish such a resource directly on campus at no cost to families.

In partnership with PM Pediatric Care and located at the Baldwin Middle School, the Baldwin Schools Wellness Center provides immediate access to behavioral health care and resources dedicated to mental wellness for students from elementary through high school, with convenient and flexible hours during and after school. This innovative, collaborative approach to connected care is key to supporting students’ whole health needs while optimizing their learning experiences.…Read More

Riverside Insights Debuts CogAT.com Portal to Support Strengths-based, Differentiated Learning that Helps All Students Thrive

ITASCA, Ill. – Riverside Insights®, a leading developer of research-based assessments and analytics, today introduced www.CogAT.com, a new microsite to support Riverside’s CogAT® in the Classroom initiative. This online portal provides resources to transform Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT) assessment data into tailored classroom instruction that enables all students to thrive. Designed for teachers, administrators and parents, CogAT.com’s tools support a positive learning environment by encouraging differentiated learning through a strengths-based lens.

“Data collected as part of the CogAT is extremely powerful, yet most school districts are not optimizing its use to better understand how all students learn, then applying that in the classroom,” said Dr. Joni Lakin, professor at the University of Alabama and co-author of the CogAT.  “Riverside’s CogAT in the Classroom initiative is making it easier than ever to use CogAT data effectively in the classroom to maximize student growth. On CogAT.com, we provide the tools that teachers, administrators and parents need to better understand the abilities of each student coupled with actionable strategies that will benefit every learner in the classroom.”

Using CogAT ability data and CogAT in the Classroom resources, educators can evaluate student potential using both abilities and achievement data and differentiate instruction based on students’ cognitive reasoning strengths. Infusing ability data into the classroom environment helps teachers build a holistic understanding of each student’s potential and create tailored classroom instruction to provide more opportunities for all students to excel.…Read More

Roylco Secures “Best STEM Building Toy” in Best Building Toys for Kids, According to Experts

ANDERSON, S.C. ––  Roylco, a leading innovator in manufacturing educational kids’ toys, proudly announces its recent accolade as “Best STEM Building Toy” in Good Housekeeping’s expert-rating “16 Best Building Toys for Kids, According to Experts.”

Good Housekeeping, a coveted source for all parents seeking quality children’s products, has turned to its in-house panel of experts to test and review hundreds of building toys over the course of the year. Roylco’s determination and commitment to bringing high quality and performing toys is a testament to its core beliefs of promoting cognitive and motor skill development through the course of play.

“We put so much thought and care into each of our toys,” says Darby Smith, Director of Business Development at Roylco, “We are deeply committed and passionate about fostering hands-on educational growth in children through play, and this recognition is extremely meaningful.”…Read More

Big Deals—New and enhanced edtech tools from Quizlet, eSpark, and Turnitin

Global learning platform Quizlet today announced a series of new study tools designed to help students return to the classroom with renewed confidence this school year. These new product launches deliver more AI-powered resources to Quizlet’s 60 million monthly active users, combining cognitive science and artificial intelligence to help students study more effectively and efficiently.

Joining well-known and beloved study tools, including Flashcards and Learn and Test, this back-to-school Quizlet is introducing:

  • Magic Notes: With Magic Notes, students can upload their class notes to Quizlet and instantly and automatically turn them into flashcards, practice tests, and more. Whether notes are hand-written or digital, this AI-powered solution gets users ready to study in mere seconds, saving valuable time that was previously used manually building studying tools, and helping students extend their knowledge with outlines, sample essay topics and related course materials. 
  • Memory Score: Memory Score lets students track their personal memory scores based on their study habits and help them understand how likely they are to remember material at different intervals and when test day comes.
  • Quick Summary: Quick Summary pulls key concepts out of dense readings, providing summaries that help students digest material faster and at the right level to match their current understanding.
  • Brain Beats: With Brain Beats, students can automatically turn their flashcards into a song to enhance studying, using a tune to aid in memorization.
  • Q-Chat: Q-Chat launched in beta in March as the first personalized AI tutor built on OpenAI’s ChatGPT API and has since powered millions of conversations with students on Quizlet. Today, it is officially out of beta and Q-Chat will now be a part of the core Quizlet experience and with additional activities including Teach Me, Quiz Me, Apply my Knowledge, and Practice with Sentences. Q-Chat is built to help students achieve a deeper understanding of the topics they are studying through a virtual tutor-like experience.
  • AI Enhanced Expert Solutions: Millions of step-by-step explanations written by verified experts on Quizlet are now enhanced by advanced AI capabilities. On top of the trusted step-by-step guidance this feature is known for, students can now access alternate explanations to better understand tricky concepts, practice problems to test their knowledge, and use Q-Chat for personalized AI-powered tutoring all built within the experience.

All Quizlet users 16 years and older will be able to access these new features, with Quizlet Plus users gaining unlimited access. …Read More

Swivl Launches Engageable, a Real-Time Attention Management Tool That Empowers Educators and Students to Navigate AI Transformation

MENLO PARK, Calif. (Newswire.com) – According to Gloria Mark, Ph.D., attention spans are declining,  averaging just 47 seconds on any screen. This is making it harder than ever for educators to develop their students’ interests in learning. Now AI is about to make that even harder by putting the cognitive challenges that used to require sustained attention a click away.  Swivl, a future-ready edtech company with a suite of reflective tools, is addressing this challenge with its latest offering,  Engageable, a real-time attention management tool with embedded mindfulness.

“AI’s impact on education will be 10x larger and faster than the internet,” said Brian Lamb, CEO and co-founder of Swivl. “We believe that creating an intentional process for how students manage their attention is a necessary part of the education community’s response to AI.”

Engageable helps users take on the attentional resistance of developing new interests in a more mindful and measured way. In the classroom, when a user starts the Pulse timer, they are prompted to take a deep breath and constructively recommit their attention in short intervals, tracking the ensuing time spent by activity. This helps build awareness of attention and how they are developing interests. Then, Engageable provides options to Recharge whenever stress or anxiety gets in the way, or to Record actions and reflections when it makes sense.…Read More

Reflection Sciences Appoints Isaac Van Wesep as Incoming Chief Executive Officer

MINNEAPOLIS (PRWEB) — Reflection Sciences, the executive function company, has appointed  Isaac Van Wesep as Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1. The appointment will drive innovation, growth and the pursuit of the company’s mission to ensure every child gets the executive function support they need to achieve academic, career and personal success.

Van Wesep has a deep understanding of education technology and a passion for improving educational outcomes for all children. His expertise will be instrumental in guiding Reflection Sciences as it continues to lead the growth of cognitive science tools to enhance learning, curriculum and child development.

“After working closely with Isaac over the last two years, it’s clear he has the vision, energy and executive function skills to build on Reflection Sciences’ leadership in executive function,” said Co-Founder and Board Director Stephanie Carlson, Ph.D. “The science is now very clear that executive function skills significantly predict student achievement in core areas such as math, literacy and social-emotional skills. Measuring and improving executive function skills is the way forward to support student success.”…Read More

Riverside Insights and Thrively Team Up to Help Children Discover Their Inner Genius

ITASCA, Ill. – Riverside Insights®, a leading developer of research-based assessments and analytics, today announced a partnership with Thrively, a personalized learning platform for K-12 students aimed at helping children everywhere discover their inner genius. The partnership will enable educators to discover students’ unique strengths, interests and aspirations to build the skills they need for success in the classroom and beyond.

Adding Thrively to Riverside Insights’ offerings provides educators engaging resources to complement Riverside’s researched-backed assessments and insights. The Riverside Insights’ CogAT(R) (Cognitive Abilities TestTM ) measures verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning skills, providing multiple perspectives on cognitive abilities and student potential for learning. The Thrively assessments, also research-based, help students develop self-efficacy and confidence to unlock their strengths, learning styles, habits and personality. Riverside and Thrively assessments, used in combination, maximize student understanding and engagement and create a comprehensive strengths-based profile for students K-12.

“Riverside Insights and Thrively share the same goal of giving all students the tools and confidence they need to thrive in the classroom and succeed in life after graduation,” said Matt Tebbe, Group General Manager, Riverside Insights. “Our research-based assessments empower educators with the knowledge to help each learner, while the Thrively platform helps to unlock the students’ potential and increase overall classroom engagement.”…Read More

10 ways to teach students for a changing world

The world is changing rapidly, with new technology being developed daily and jobs being replaced by automated machines and artificial intelligence (AI). These changes have brought about tremendous opportunities for those who can take advantage of them. However, these changes could spell disaster for those who are not prepared for the future. This is why it is so important that schools and educators take the necessary steps to ensure that our students are prepared for the future.

The 2023 Brain-Centric Design report estimates that by 2030, demand for higher cognitive skills will increase by 19 percent, while demand for physical and manual skills will decline by 14 percent. This means that the future of work will require a different set of skills than needed in the past. Therefore, schools and educators must equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in this new environment.

Here are 10 steps schools and educators must take to ensure that students are prepared for the future due to the rise of AI technology in the workplace:…Read More

Riverside Insights and Kognito Partner to Offer Intervention Professional Development for School Health Providers

ITASCA, Ill. – Riverside Insights®, a leading developer of research-based assessments and analytics, today announced a partnership with Kognito, a provider of practice-based digital learning experiences, which provides strategies to improve mental health and well-being across schools. With this collaboration, school health professionals, such as psychologists, counselors and school nurses, will have access to additional training to support mental health-related cognitive interventions for at-risk students.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research shows that in 2021 more than four in 10 students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health. Through the partnership, health professionals will have additional training to notice the early signs and establish a therapeutic collaboration with the student.

“Riverside Insights’ partnership with Kognito is another example of our commitment to supporting the whole child,” said Sunjay Talele, clinical general manager at Riverside Insights. “School health professionals play a critical role in identifying and supporting students with behavioral or mental health concerns. Together we can provide the tools and training necessary to effectively manage the specific conversation with each student to motivate healthy behaviors.”…Read More

Riverside Insights Wins Excellence in Equity Award for Accessibility Features

ITASCA, Ill. – Riverside Insights®, a leading developer of research-based assessments and analytics, today announced that it won Best Accessibility Solution in the inaugural Excellence in Equity Awards program presented by the American Consortium for Equity in Education. The Riverside Insights’ solutions were selected because they are designed to serve learners of all ability levels – from those with physical or cognitive difficulties to gifted students seeking to challenge themselves . All of the Riverside Insights products are designed to maximize accessibility for all learners, including assessments with the options of large print, audio directions and braille, as well as creating versions to accommodate English learners.

“Equity is foundational to our mission of elevating the potential of all learners,” said Dr. Sarah Holman, a former special education administrator and bilingual evaluator who now serves as a marketing director for Riverside Insights. “We live out our commitment through our people, our processes, our products and our professional development to ensure each learner has the chance to lean into their strengths.” 

“This category is particularly meaningful to us. Across our portfolio, accessibility, translation, adaptation, as well as local, regional and national norming, are core tenants of our product development roadmap as we seek to ensure that teachers, learners, families and communities are not left behind,” said Anna Houseman, former elementary school teacher and assessment director, who now serves as a product director for Riverside Insights. …Read More

Why universal screening is a more equitable identifier of gifted and talented students

School districts have historically relied on a referral-based process to identify students for gifted and talented programming. This means that teachers or parents nominate their students to take selected achievement and/or cognitive aptitude tests, frequently used as a screener for gifted and talented placement.

Unfortunately, relying on referrals alone results in overly homogenous gifted and talented programs that are predominantly white, middle class, and male. Research shows that referral-based identification excludes too many students from enrichment and advanced academic opportunities.

But districts are slowly starting to change their identification processes. Instead of using referrals to determine which students take the specified tests, districts have begun universally screening every child to make the identification process more equitable, especially when districts use cognitive aptitude tests for all students, not just a select subset.…Read More

How to build deep relationships with students

In order for students to actually learn, they need to feel engaged on a cognitive and emotional level. They also need to feel safe. 

Take a minute and think about that: students need to feel safe. 

The first step in students feeling safe in school is having a positive relationship with the adult who is leading their educational journey. As Rita Pearson details in her famous TED Talk, every child deserves a champion or an adult who can make them feel safe and insist on them being the best they can be.…Read More