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.

DEI in action: eSN Innovation Roundtable

DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is a commonly used acronym, but what does it mean in the context of day-to-day operations in a school district?

As many experts will point out, DEI initiatives are prone to fail when they aren’t getting at the crux of the issue—existing systemic processes and challenges that prevent promising solutions and DEI-focused policies from being successful.

During an eSchool News Innovation Roundtable with a focus on DEI, moderated by eSchool News Content Director Kevin Hogan, district leaders delved into the critical but complicated topic of DEI in school districts. Roundtable participants included:…Read More

Enhancing classroom learning with interactive maps 

Key points:

As most teachers will tell you, in the post-Covid world, technology is an everyday part of education. It has undeniably transformed the way educators engage students and deliver content.

As an educator with 10 years of experience teaching in diverse settings in the United States and abroad, interactive maps have become a staple in my lessons. While primarily a geography resource, interactive maps can be used across various subjects within the social studies domain. Teachers can integrate maps into lessons related to history, cultural studies, and geopolitics. These maps go beyond traditional static maps, allowing students to investigate, evaluate, and engage with spatial information.  …Read More

How I’m making learning more engaging for my gifted students

Key points:

Keeping gifted students focused and engaged in learning can be challenging. They complete tasks quickly, are often motivated to dig deeper into a subject, and are prone to boredom if not sufficiently challenged. This can lead to disengagement, especially for gifted students.

To better support my gifted and talented students, I have integrated the Talents Unlimited approach into my classroom practice. The Talents Unlimited approach to education was created by Dr. Calvin Taylor, who researched the thinking skills people need to be successful in the world of work. Specifically, the Talents Unlimited model identified the following five key thinking abilities that lead to success: Productive Thinking, Communication, Forecasting, Decision Making, and Planning. Nurturing and expanding these talents can help students develop creative and problem-solving skills.…Read More

Friday 5: Strategies to promote student success

Key points:

Student success is at the top of every educator’s mind–particularly as research is still emerging about the pandemic’s impact on learning loss.

Here are five strategies to explore as your school, district, or state focuses on boosting success for all children.…Read More

5 ways to use inquiry-based learning to make math more relevant

Key points:

One of the joys of being an educator is embracing all the differences every student brings to the classroom, while teaching them to celebrate those unique traits in themselves and each other. Yet, schools have only recently started using math instruction incorporating students’ perspectives and experiences, through approaches like inquiry-based problem-solving.

We say “recently” because the traditional approach to math instruction — where teachers demonstrate the procedures to solve problems while students memorize and practice them — goes back decades. It is how most of the educators teaching math today remember learning math themselves. That’s not to say we should abandon the procedural aspects of math; quite the opposite. Research indicates that procedural and conceptual knowledge develop iteratively. They build upon each other: Increases in one type of knowledge lead to increases in the other.…Read More

What Technology or Teaching Tools Do You Use to Enhance Your Teaching?

Key points:

In the dynamic realm of K-12 education, leveraging technology tools for teaching and learning is essential for creating engaging and effective learning environments. Educators today are embracing a diverse range of technological resources to enhance their teaching methods, from interactive whiteboards and educational apps to virtual platforms and collaborative tools.

There are a number of technologies and teaching tools educators employ to elevate their K-12 teaching practices, fostering a deeper understanding of the evolving landscape of modern education and learning in the digital age.…Read More

Bluepoint Wind Awards $10,000 in Grants to New Jersey Teachers for Renewable Energy STEM Kits

Newark, NJ – Offshore wind company Bluepoint Wind is announcing today the winners of grants to further STEM education for 10 teachers from schools across New Jersey. Each educator chosen by the Company will receive $1,000 worth of interactive STEM kits from KidWind, an international leader in renewable energy education.

“The next generation of renewable energy workers who will power New Jersey are sitting in middle school classrooms right now,” said John Dempsey, CEO of Bluepoint Wind, a partnership between Ocean Winds (OW), an international offshore wind energy company and joint-venture between EDPR and ENGIE, and New York-based Global Infrastructure Partners. “Bluepoint Wind is helping educators prepare students for a net-zero New Jersey and decarbonized world, all while supporting the state’s innovative climate change curriculum. We are proud to support New Jersey teachers who are instrumental in fostering students’ passions for STEM and its critical role in building our energy future.”

Each of the 10 teachers will receive a $1,000 mini-grant funded by Bluepoint Wind and applied toward the purchase of interactive wind energy STEM kits from KidWind. KidWind will also provide the winners with training on how to incorporate the STEM kits into in-school and/or out-of-school learning environments.…Read More

Abbott Elementary and a push for Black educator representation

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on equity, edtech innovation, immersive learning, and the science of reading. This year’s 8th most-read story focuses on the need for more Black educators–especially Black male educators.

Representation matters, and when students have educators who look like them, it does wonders for their learning experience. At ISTELive 23’s opening mainstage event, featured speakers sat down for a chat about the challenges around representation and getting more Black educators—particularly Black male educators—into classrooms.

Director of ISTE Certification Carmalita Seitz sat down with Joyce Abbott, the inspiration behind Abbott Elementary’s name and a recently retired educator; Tyler James Williams, 2023 Golden Globe winner for best supporting actor as teacher Gregory Eddie on Abbott Elementary; and Sharif El-Mekki, CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development to discuss just how much representation matters for students and teachers.…Read More

Two Remarkable Educators Honored with YouScience® Innovative Educator Award

AMERICAN FORK, Utah /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — In recognition of their exceptional contributions in guiding and inspiring students, Margaret Rice of Washougal School District in Washington and Kathy Peres of Blue Valley Schools in Kansas have been awarded the esteemed  YouScience® Innovative Educator Award. This honor celebrates their outstanding contributions in leading students towards successful career exploration and readiness for the ever-evolving professional landscape.

Margaret Rice: Paving Pathways for Student Success

Hailed as a beacon of excellence in the Washougal School District, Rice’s impact as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) director has been profound. Her overarching goal is to ensure every student has access to job readiness education in their K-12 educational career and every senior has a seamless transition into their best-fit post-high school experiences. Dr. Mary Templeton, Superintendent of the district, commended Rice’s pivotal role, emphasizing the importance of CTE programs in empowering students for future career opportunities.…Read More

HSPA named a 5-Star Innovative School 2023 in The Educator report for Mastery Learning

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA/EINPresswire.com/ —  Edalex, the company powering organisations’ single source of truth for skills and learning data, enthusiastically congratulates the Hunter School of Performing Arts (HSPA) for being named one of the ‘ 5-Star Innovative Schools 2023’ by The Educator for their work around mastery learning, credentialing and Learner Dashboard innovations, which were co-designed with Edalex and Learning Vault using the  Credentialate and openRSD platforms.

According to Darren Ponman, Principal of HSPA: “We were excited to receive this recognition – particularly as we were nominated by another school! Our parents and students have been thrilled with the dynamic, 24/7 visibility that the Credentialate Learner Dashboard has given them. They can see at any moment the student’s achievements – both pending and achieved, what they need to do to ‘level up’ and where they sit in relation to the wider student cohort. Gamification was a key objective from the beginning of the project and has really worked to motivate the students to strive for mastery.”

“We are so pleased that HSPA has been recognised for the implementation of its comprehensive Mastery Learning model, and honoured that we were able to provide the tech enablement of Darren’s vision. HSPA has been on a multi-year journey to implement an innovative pedagogy, and this is deserved recognition for the school leaders, teachers, parents and students of their efforts. Collaboration between education providers, education technology companies and others is the key to enabling success in the skills economy.”…Read More

Is generative AI a beacon for more accessible education?

Key points:

A resounding 90 percent of educators in a recent survey said they believe that AI has the potential to make education more accessible. 

Teachers are recognizing that when implemented ethically and with thoughtful consideration, AI can help students with special needs, learning disabilities, and language barriers, for example, and experience more effective, personalized learning methods, according to the 2023 Educator AI Report: Perceptions, Practices, and Potential from digital curriculum solution provider Imagine Learning.…Read More

This heroic superintendent won’t quit in the pursuit of district excellence

The 2023 eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards honors educators for their exemplary use of innovative edtech to support student learning. Profiled and interviewed here is winner Dr. Jesus Jara, superintendent of Clark County School District nominated by Edmentum.

Dr. Jesus Jara is a passionate educator who serves as Superintendent of Clark County School District (CCSD), the 5th largest school district in the nation educating more than 300,000 students – 64 percent of the student population in Nevada.

Since assuming the role of superintendent in 2018, Dr. Jara has been on a mission to move the district from pockets of excellence to an excellent school system, where every student can thrive. It was clear to Dr. Jara that, post-pandemic, his students were struggling.…Read More