The Social Institute, whose mission is to empower millions of students to navigate their social world — including social media and technology — in positive, healthy, and high-character ways, released its 2024 Student Insights Report: How Social Media, Tech, and Current Events Impact Student Well-Being. This report reflects insights shared by more than 29,000 students in TSI’s Annual Student Survey and more than one million responses from its K-12 collaborative learning platform, #WinAtSocial — making it the largest data set of its kind, spanning grades 3 – 12 in schools across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Each year, The Social Institute asks students nationwide to share insights into trending apps, positive ways to navigate common but complex social situations, everyday challenges faced online and off, and what adults should know about well-being, social media, and technology. Educators can use the insights to gain a deeper understanding of their students, helping them to improve school culture and community well-being.

Among this year’s key findings:

• The majority of students are getting their first smartphone at 11 years old
• 73% of students say social media is the most popular way to get news
• 87% of 9th – 12th graders say social media helps them explore hobbies and interests
• 60% of 6th – 8th graders say that social media helps them learn social skills
• 61% of 3rd – 5th graders say social media helps them do well in school

“These insights are invaluable for educators, because the better you understand students, the more effectively you can empower them to navigate their social world — including social media and technology — to fuel their health, happiness, and future success,” said Laura Tierney, Founder and CEO of The Social Institute. “As a team of digital natives and educators, we have seen first-hand how this ever-changing, complex world of technology impacts students.”

Other key student findings include:

• 48 percent of 6th-grade students said they would speak up if a family member is using their phone while driving
• 49 percent of 7th-grade students say they feel the need to respond to a text within 10 minutes of receiving it, or even sooner
• 64 percent of 10th-grade students say their social media profile genuinely reflects who they are

The survey also asked students how they would respond to certain situations on social media, such as dealing with explicit content and navigating mean behavior in group chats. To learn more and view the full 2024 Report, including more insights, visit https://app.hubspot.com/documents/7235441/view/723211956?accessId=cf7165.

YouScience®, the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers, and Black Girls Do STEM, a 501c3 nonprofit organization empowering Black girls to achieve equitable Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) representation, today announced the release of the 2024 Black Students and STEM Report. This new report reveals that Black students across the nation possess the aptitudes for in-demand STEM careers, but lack interest in pursuing them. This indicates that a significant career exposure gap exists, likely due to underrepresentation in STEM careers. 

The career exposure gap is measured by the difference between a student’s aptitudes and interests, and identifies which careers a student hasn’t been exposed to and which ones might be a good fit. Most notably, the 2024 Black Students and STEM Report found:

• A 75% exposure gap in Advanced Manufacturing
• A 57% exposure gap in Health Science
• A 56% exposure gap in Finance
• A 53% exposure gap in Architecture & Construction
• A 51% exposure gap in Computers & Technology

The 2024 Black Students and STEM Report combines data from YouScience and Black Girls Do STEM to highlight Black student career exposure gaps for in-demand STEM careers and the importance of programs that address the gaps. The report analyzed anonymized data from 328,000 Black U.S. middle and high school students who took YouScience’s Aptitude and Career Discovery tool from 2019 to 2023. This is the only scientifically-backed tool to apply computerized performance measures of aptitudes, interests, and AI-powered algorithms to activities that help identify best-fit career matches of all students, regardless of race or gender.

Historically, there has been limited Black representation in STEM-related fields. As of 2021, 9% of the STEM workforce was Black, which was an increase from 7% in 2011. While this growth is positive, new solutions are needed to help Black students explore STEM-related education and careers earlier.

“As a Black woman in STEM, I have seen first-hand the lack of representation for women, especially Black women, in these in-demand career fields.  However, I have long felt that the solution to this lies within redefining education for Black students through access to identity affirming informal learning environments; so they understand the full scope of their aptitudes, and also the full scope of what careers are possible.” said Cynthia Chapple, Founder and CEO of Black Girls Do STEM. “Working with YouScience has confirmed that notion by truly showcasing the possibilities for our students based on their unique, individual aptitudes.”

While both Black male and female students have aptitude for STEM careers, the report found that significant exposure gaps exist for female students in particular:

• 88% more Black female students have an aptitude for careers in Advanced Manufacturing than interest
• 73% more Black female students have more aptitude for careers in Computers & Technology than interest
• 72% more Black female students have an aptitude for careers in Architecture & Construction than interest

“For decades, Black students have encountered inequities that have impacted their pathways in education and then career. It’s imperative to recognize that Black students possess the aptitude for all STEM careers, but the glaring exposure gap remains a formidable challenge due to resource deficiencies and lack of representation. By bridging the exposure gaps and doing so earlier in education, society can help Black students understand all of the opportunities available to them and connect them with education and career pathways and programs that can foster even more skills and understanding,” said Edson Barton, Founder and CEO of YouScience. “One of the most notable programs helping to bridge the gap for students is Black Girls Do STEM. This organization and Cynthia Chapple are working diligently to provide female students with the opportunity to learn, create and build confidence in their abilities to pursue STEM careers.”

To access the complete findings from the 2024 Black Students and STEM Report as well as recommendations from YouScience and Black Girls Do STEM on how to address the career exposure gaps in STEM, click here.

Connected Nation (CN) has partnered with Utah Education Network (UEN) to release the fifth iteration of the Utah School Technology Inventory, a statewide report that compiles critical data about technology usage and gaps in UEN schools. The national nonprofit has collaborated with UEN for nearly a decade to track how technology is used in Utah’s school districts and charter schools, and the access teachers and students have to digital materials, devices and platforms. The inventory once again had a 100% participation rate.

“Starting in 2015 through 2023, UEN’s partnership with Connected Nation has conducted these inventories in the fall every other year,” said UEN Senior Project Manager Cory Stokes. “Completing these inventories helps leaders at the state, district and school levels make better decisions based on data to improve, enhance and support technology in education.”

UEN chose the nonprofit to develop the data collection portal and lead the inventory effort. They collected more than 82,600 data points, representing 1,034 schools across Utah. The final report provides a comprehensive summary of the Utah school system and an overview page for every school district and charter school in the state.

“School districts use these reports to determine how they are currently using technology funds to support their students and teachers,” said Stokes. “The data provides and accounts for how technology is supporting and helping to meet the needs of students and teachers in public education.”

The inventory found that, statewide, 7 out of 10 schools (70%) report that they deploy mobile learning devices such as laptop or tablet computers to students on a 1:1 basis. 

Other key findings include:

• Device-to-student ratio increased since 2015 but remain the same between the 2021 and 2023.
• Google Chromebooks remain the most popular computing device for students, with schools reporting that more than 594,000 Chromebooks are made available to students statewide.
• Nearly 2 out of 5 Utah schools (38%) offer mobile learning devices on a 1:1 basis and allow students to take those devices home, maintaining a similar rate from 2021 (39%).

“UEN’s focus has always been to provide equitable network services and resources to all students in Utah, regardless of where they live, how they participate in school and how they most effectively learn,” said Stokes. “This was all made possible through the School Technology Inventory report.” 

Read the 2023 Utah School Technology Inventory Report.

About the Utah Education Network: UEN is part of the Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN), which connects all Utah school districts, schools, and higher education institutions to a robust network and quality educational resources. UEN is one of the nation’s premier education networks.

About Connected Nation: The national nonprofit’s mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access, adoption and use of high-speed internet and its related technology to all people. They work with consumers, local community leaders, states, technology providers and foundations to develop and implement technology expansion programs with core competencies centered on a mission to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. For more information, please visit connectednation.org.

Written by Jen Easterly, Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Last month marks six years since 17 students and faculty senselessly lost their lives and 17 others were injured when a mass murderer entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and started shooting. Since that horrific day, 124 more Americans have been killed and 331 injured on campuses across the country in 189 separate school shootings—almost 3 shootings a month since Parkland. This is simply unacceptable, and it must stop.

Last month, I joined Education Secretary Cardona to not only remember, but also to walk in the shoes of those who lost their lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School building 1200. I had the privilege of talking with the parents of Alex Schachter, Gina Montalto, Luke Hoyer, Jaime Guttenberg, and Alyssa Alhadeff, beautiful students with the brightest of futures ahead of them, and Debbi Hixon, the wife of Athletic Director Chris Hixon, who gave his life rushing into the building to save hundreds of students that day.

With daunting courage and grace, the families of these victims have turned one of the most devastating and traumatic experiences imaginable into action. They founded organizations, such as Stand with Parkland, Safe Schools for Alex, Make Our Schools Safe, and Orange Ribbons for Jaime and have tirelessly worked with everyone from the local school district, the district attorney, law enforcement, state and local officials, and the federal government to not only raise awareness of school safety, but also to make our schools safer. 

And while there have been notable improvements since the Parkland tragedy, the work continues. My visit reinforced my belief that every student and educator has the right to learn and teach in an environment that is safe, supportive, and free from any threat of violence. CISA, in collaboration with families of the Parkland victims, took action to formalize and strengthen our commitment to school safety in the wake of the tragedy by establishing the School Safety Task Force (SSTF) in 2019, our dedicated school safety program that creates resources and products to address the most pressing issues and threats confronting K-12 communities. Through our SSTF, we manage the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse, an interagency collaboration among the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services; Homeland Security; and Justice that bring the full resources from across the federal government together to strengthen the security of our nation’s schools.

As part of our work with the Clearinghouse, we manage SchoolSafety.gov, a comprehensive repository of more than 600 federal and state resources, programs, tools, evidence-based practices, and actionable recommendations across key school safety topics. A lot of our discussion while visiting Parkland was around building cultures of safety within our schools and local communities—a key focus of the resources available on the website.

School safety is not just the job of school administrators or school resource officers. We need to be thinking about how we can truly empower and engage all members of the community in safety efforts—creating positive, safe, and trusting environments; improving school physical security measures; providing appropriate training on emergency procedures and protocols; increasing mental health supports and resources; and implementing trauma-informed approaches to the educational setting.

Being in Parkland and hearing from students and faculty who were there that day and who live with the experience day in and day out underscored how important a school culture is that empowers students to come forward if they have concerns about safety. When schools are made aware of these potential threats, they can effectively intervene with the appropriate resources and support. To help schools create these cultures, CISA partnered with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center to develop the K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit. This toolkit, which was released last May, offers simple strategies and guidance K-12 schools can use to implement and enhance safety reporting programs and encourage bystander reporting.

We’ve also focused on the physical security of our nation’s schools. We’ve developed evidence-based tools that K-12 schools can use to evaluate and improve physical security. The K-12 School Security Guide Product Suite helps schools assess their unique needs and identify and prioritize actions to bolster physical security. This approach brings together different parts of school security that had traditionally been siloed to detect, delay, and respond to threats and risks so there is no single point of failure. CISA’s subject matter experts in the field – our Protective Security Advisors – are also available to help schools assess their security vulnerabilities and come up with a plan to be better prepared for emergencies.

Finally, during a roundtable after our walkthrough of the school, we talked about the impact that financial resources can have on the security posture of a school. However, the grants landscape can be difficult to navigate. To help schools locate and access the federal funding that’s available to them, SchoolSafety.gov developed the Grants Finder Tool. This tool compiles and organizes existing federal school safety-related grants in one centralized location and provides direction to help schools find the grant programs most relevant or applicable to their individual needs.

My visit to Parkland had a profound impact on me as a parent, as a public servant, and as a member of the broader school safety community; I will carry this experience and these conversations with me for the rest of my life. 

To those impacted by school violence, we honor the memories of your loved ones tragically taken too soon, and we stand in partnership with you to ensure that families and communities across our country do not have to endure this pain and loss ever again.

To the survivors and the families that lost loved ones at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School six years ago today: we remain inspired and deeply moved by your actions, and by your efforts to turn your pain into progress and purpose. We are also grateful to the dedicated state and local officials for the invaluable on-the-ground work you do on the front lines of school safety. We are honored to work side-by-side with you for a safer and more secure nation.

As I reflect on all that we’ve accomplished in the six years since the Parkland tragedy, I also recognize that we have much, much more to do. The whole of CISA is steadfast in its commitment to making K-12 schools safer and more secure each day. 

Last week, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), in partnership with SAS, launched the Missouri Data Visualization Tool (MO DVT), a web-based application that offers easy-to-use reports and analysis on academic performance, including achievement and growth data aggregated by subject, year, and grade. MO DVT was created in response to stakeholder questions about interpreting and using Missouri Growth Model data.

I was able to get into the weeds with Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven & Dr. John White, VP of SAS Education Visualization and Analytics Solutions (EVAAS) to discuss the genesis and strategic goals of the MO DVT, the integration with Missouri’s broader educational strategies, and how quality data is improving decision-making in Missouri schools.

According to both Margie and John, the tool allows educators to access longitudinal data on student performance, track progress over time, and identify areas for improvement. It provides insights at both individual student and group levels, enabling teachers to tailor instruction to meet diverse student needs. Additionally, it supports decision-making at the policy level by analyzing academic impacts, such as the effectiveness of a four-day school week.

By actually using the wealth of available data, the emphasis is now on translating it into meaningful insights to drive improvements in teaching and learning. The goal is to foster a culture of continuous improvement and empower educators with the tools needed to support student success.

Some highlights of the conversation:

• Actionable Data for Teachers: The program aims to make growth data actionable for teachers, moving beyond using it solely for accountability purposes to inform classroom instruction and support individual student needs effectively.
• Privacy and Security: Measures are in place to ensure data privacy and security, with access restricted to authorized personnel and adherence to regulations like FERPA.
• Longitudinal Tracking: Educators can track student progress over time, analyze historical data, and make projections for future performance, enabling targeted interventions and support.
• Group-Level Insights: The tool provides insights at both individual student and group levels, allowing educators to identify trends, disparities, and best practices among different student populations.
• Policy-Level Decision Making: The program supports policy-level decision-making by analyzing academic impacts, such as the effectiveness of initiatives like the four-day school week, to inform future strategies and interventions.
• Promotion of Data Literacy: Educators are encouraged to engage with the data to understand student performance trends, measure growth, and identify areas for improvement, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making in education.
• Continuous Improvement: The overarching goal is to foster a culture of continuous improvement in education, leveraging data insights to drive positive outcomes for students and empower educators with the tools and knowledge needed for success.

Below is a machine-generated transcript of the recording:

Transcript 

00:00:04 Speaker 1 

OK, great. Thanks so much for joining me today. I really appreciate your time. I know you’re busy. Lots of news. Let’s jump right into it. Doctor, maybe you can start by just talking about the program where it began. How long has it been in process to where we’ve gotten to the point now that it’s an active tool for your users? 

00:00:23 Speaker 2 

So in the state of Missouri, we have a history of of using growth data to inform our accountability decisions. But what we’re doing now is moving to a step further to to not just let it inform accountability policy decision making at the state level, but really making the data actionable for our teachers in the classroom. 

00:00:45 Speaker 2 

And that’s really where it’s at. We know that’s that’s what helps improve and performance for our students is when we can actually take data and make it an A usable, actionable place for our teachers. 

00:00:59 Speaker 1 

Yeah. And John, I know you’ve been working in this field for a long time. It used to be, at least when it came to our readers and listeners over the years that sometimes data would be seen as a dirty word, a little bit of a boogeyman, especially when you would get down to the teacher level, many of whom consider themselves. 

00:01:19 Speaker 1 

Artists, not necessarily scientists when it comes to their kids and how to teach their kids. I think a lot of that has changed, but I think there’s still some remnants of it. Maybe you could talk a little bit about how you see. 

00:01:32 Speaker 1 

The these tools and I think would support when when Doctor mentioned that it is for the teachers, not necessarily for the the Superintendent or the principal, right. 

00:01:42 Speaker 3 

Yeah, that’s right. So what this tool really allows is for people to see longitudinal data over time at the student level, track the progress of students through all the way starting from 3rd grade all the way through whatever grade they may be sitting in in that year with what, what teacher that. 

00:02:02 Speaker 3 

Maybe teaching them at that time? 

00:02:05 Speaker 3 

So allowing a teacher to have access to how much growth a student made in previous years and in the most recent year can be really helpful in trying to understand what may be best for an individual student. Now the data not only is available at the student by student level, but also aggregated. 

00:02:24 Speaker 3 

At the group level, maybe for schools and for Elias, so schools and Elias can reflect on trends in growth data to see if they implemented different strategies in previous years. What may have worked best to help make the most growth possible with the different groups of students. 

00:02:42 

Yeah. 

00:02:43 Speaker 1 

So and I I mentioned the cut of the data is a dirty word and sometimes seen as a boogeyman and one of the big reasons for that over the years has been the the worry about student privacy, right. And data privacy and the use of that. Maybe you could talk about how this solution is able to kind of distinguish between you’re talking about getting that at the granular level with a particular. 

00:03:05 Speaker 1 

Student. I’ll assume that there is protections in there in terms of that data when it comes to not only test scores, but maybe ISP’s or behavioral sort of data. 

00:03:17 

Yes. 

00:03:17 Speaker 3 

That’s absolutely right. So what the system is, is there is a public site access, but that available that data is only available in the aggregate level at the school in LA kind of aggregated level. But you have to have login credentials for any individual access to get into the system and see individual student level. 

00:03:38 Speaker 3 

You can. 

00:03:39 Speaker 3 

Then you know it would be dependent upon the school in which a an educator is at, for what individual students that they are able to access and see data for. So we certainly follow all the security standards and requirements as well as legislation like FERPA to make sure that only the. 

00:03:59 Speaker 3 

Appropriate individual educators have access to the appropriate student level. 

00:04:05 Speaker 2 

Yeah. And I’ll just, I’ll just piggyback on that. I think that’s probably the very first thing we. 

00:04:09 Speaker 2 

Need to assure. 

00:04:10 Speaker 2 

Everyone of is that this is always protected data to the highest level that we can ensure that our our parents are counting on that. We certainly make sure that all those protocols are in place. 

00:04:22 Speaker 1 

Yeah. Can you paint me? 

00:04:24 Speaker 1 

A little bit of kind of a. 

00:04:25 Speaker 1 

Day in the life. 

00:04:26 Speaker 1 

When it comes to the use of this, especially when you’re talking about maybe a teacher, I mean just kind of walk through the day is this, is this still intended to be used on a daily basis or on something maybe at the end of the quarter when they’re compiling grades? Can you give me some real world examples of of how you intend it to be? 

00:04:46 Speaker 2 

Well, I’ll, I’ll speak from the day in the life of of us at a policy level and then try to bring it down to the, to the teacher level. So again these the the particular model that we are currently using is is still dependent upon that end of the year State assessment data that we get that. 

00:05:04 Speaker 2 

Has historically been important, but sometimes falling a little flat, and here’s what I. 

00:05:09 Speaker 2 

Mean by that, if we. 

00:05:10 Speaker 2 

Focus solely on the proficient score. Like if we just look at where a child scores on the proficient level, then that becomes the target for teachers or for parents or for the students even. And what we’ve learned over I think over since the implementation, particularly of NCLB. 

00:05:30 Speaker 2 

Over a decade ago is, if you focus just on proficiency, you can lose sight of kids on both ends of of that spectrum there. So those kids that are really scoring. 

00:05:40 Speaker 2 

Well, sometimes can be that they’re going to score proficient no matter what this is. This is a value added model that says for all kids, even those highest performing, how do we make sure that we are driving improvement at every level. So all those kids get get paid very close attention to and all teachers pay attention to every kid. 

00:06:01 Speaker 2 

Don’t get me wrong, they certainly do. But I’m talking about from the. 

00:06:04 Speaker 2 

State level when? 

00:06:05 Speaker 2 

We used to hear a term that. 

00:06:10 Speaker 2 

Sometimes teachers or school districts would refer to as our bubble kids, like kids who are just about to get over one level into proficiency, and what the growth model does, it says, hey, let’s pay attention to every single child on that roster and let’s see how far whether they’re well below proficiency. And we’re going to move them towards that or whether they’re. 

00:06:30 Speaker 2 

Well above proficiency, and we’re going to continue to make sure that we’re pushing those highest. 

00:06:36 Speaker 2 

Achievers, even higher. So for us at the state level, that’s how I like to look at that data and say we are paying attention to every single child. Now how does the teacher take that data then? There, I’m going to let John speak to that a little bit more too. But as a teacher, you want to know who am I most effective with in the classroom? I really moving performance. 

00:06:56 Speaker 2 

For all kids? Or am I able to step back and say, gosh, I wonder what was? 

00:07:00 Speaker 2 

Happening with with this group of students that I that I as a teacher, didn’t have as much value. Add to that learning opportunity for those kids because we want to be successful with with all students. And then you add a few more tools to that toolbox. But I I wouldn’t say that that the initial results are a day-to-day operational piece because. 

00:07:21 Speaker 2 

We are still we we depend on that state state assessment that we get annually to to talk about what’s happening gives us great power at the. 

00:07:33 Speaker 2 

State Board of Education level or others when we can say which schools really are serving various populations of students and still showing tremendous growth and that’s that. Then you can say what are they doing because we have a like population over here who we’d like to see those kinds of results to. Can we connect those two? 

00:07:53 Speaker 2 

Schools can we connect those two districts to say, what’s happening at all in the spirit of of improvement and serving our kids better? 

00:08:04 Speaker 3 

Yeah. So, so I’ll just add a. 

00:08:05 Speaker 3 

Couple of thoughts here. 

00:08:09 Speaker 3 

As an educator goes into the system at the individual student level, they would be able to see all of the prior student testing history of that student. So as the Commissioner said, each and every year with new state assessment data, that data would be up loaded into the system and so there would be new assessments. 

00:08:26 Speaker 3 

Available annually in that system, but to your earlier point point Kevin about security and access throughout the year, students may move from one building to another, and so the system has to be updated to make sure that as students move around the state and move into different buildings, that the permissions and security are updated so that. 

00:08:47 Speaker 3 

And educator can gain access to the student level data for students sitting in their classroom at that moment. So that’s something that. 

00:08:55 Speaker 3 

Because get updated throughout the year now within the system, as the Commissioner was saying, so an individual educator can see all of the testing history and math and reading and and all the various subjects on the state assessment system, they can look at how much growth is being made by that student in years past. 

00:09:15 Speaker 3 

They can also look forward. 

00:09:18 Speaker 3 

More proactively to get a likelihood of success on a future assessment, so they may be seeing a student in their classroom and we may be saying something like based on all the prior testing data of that individual student and the average experience that you may see, this student has a 70%. 

00:09:38 Speaker 3 

Chance of being proficient, let’s say, on. 

00:09:41 Speaker 3 

On their next grade level assessment, they haven’t taken. So as they are administering kind of interim assessments throughout the year to gauge where that student is, they can reflect back on that projection probability to see if that student seems to be on track throughout the year. 

00:09:58 Speaker 3 

Also, when you aggregate this data up a level, you can see the amount of growth that students were making. Let’s say that were in the lowest achievement group or the highest achievement group. You can disaggregate the student level data into different types of student groups such as. 

00:10:15 Speaker 3 

Your higher poverty student groups versus lower poverty or English learners versus non-english learners, just to see if. 

00:10:24 Speaker 3 

An individual group or a certain subject in grade you are making more growth with certain types of students. For example, one group of teachers within fifth grade math might be doing really well with their highest achieving students, but not as well with their lowest achieving students. Or maybe vice versa, so they can reflect on those practices and see. 

00:10:44 Speaker 3 

You know what can we do a little bit differently with our lowest achieving students to make sure that they’re able to make as much growth and progress as we’re making with some of the other students. And then there’s a lot of comparative features too, that allow a school to see the amount of growth that another school may be making. That’s of a similar. 

00:11:05 Speaker 3 

On a student group, so they may have similar groups of students within their building or a similar makeup of students within their building their achievement level so they can find another school and locate them to maybe again just share best practices or try to understand a little better of what they may be doing differently that’s having more or less success. 

00:11:25 Speaker 3 

With their students. 

00:11:27 Speaker 1 

Yeah, that seems that the idea of sharing best practices is something that is is really strong and when you have the numbers to back it up, it just it makes it that much more powerful. I know that there’s been other at the state level, you know, initiatives such as the, the, the four day school week that has has gone back and forth. Can you talk a little bit about how this sort of data? 

00:11:47 Speaker 1 

Was able to kind of reinforce some of those ideas. 

00:11:53 Speaker 2 

Well, I’m going to start off with just talking about what we were trying to garner from the study itself and then I’ll let John speak to how they were able to to do that for us. And so for us in the state of Missouri, again, we have had the option of a four day school week for quite some time now for probably just over a decade that legislation. 

00:12:13 Speaker 2 

Changed back in a time when it was, it was really to try to address fuel, fuel charges and you know, busting issues and that sort of thing it was. Can we save money? 

00:12:26 Speaker 2 

And well, that really didn’t come to great fruition. We found out that it wasn’t really a great cost saving metric for it. So a lot of districts did not go to the four day school week. What what we’re seeing now is that a number of our districts are finding it to be what they see as an effective teacher recruitment and retention. 

00:12:46 Speaker 2 

Strategy. So we had a large number of our districts sort of what what I call the domino effect you you have one district start here and then the neighboring districts start to to follow suit because they’re trying to pull from the same pool pool of teachers. 

00:13:02 Speaker 2 

And so the statute does give the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education the authority to really look at what is the academic impact of that four day school week. 

00:13:11 Speaker 2 

And should they? 

00:13:11 Speaker 2 

Keep that option in place, so that was. 

00:13:14 Speaker 2 

Our very, very. 

00:13:15 Speaker 2 

First question is to look at again, going back to the sort of value add concept, does it add value to go to a four day or does the five day? 

00:13:23 Speaker 2 

And how do? 

00:13:24 Speaker 2 

We measure that. So that’s when we called upon Sass to say, could we look at the growth data to help inform that academic? 

00:13:31 Speaker 2 

Side I’ll let John speak to that, but just as a data person, you’ll you’ll know and understand that that only became the the first layer of the onion peel. Once we started talking about academics, then people want to know, well, did it impact attendance? Does it really successfully recruit and doesn’t help retain your teachers? 

00:13:48 Speaker 2 

What are the? 

00:13:49 Speaker 2 

How do the families feel about it? What is the social implication? Who’s feeding the kids? 

00:13:53 Speaker 2 

And there’s a million questions that follow. So I like to be very specific that our request to Sass was to really help us to understand academic impact. And John, I’ll toss it to you now to talk about how that study was done. 

00:14:09 Speaker 3 

Yeah. So all of our work with the state of Missouri has been around using longitudinal student level data. 

00:14:15 Speaker 3 

And so we have a lot of information over time at the student level for all of the students in the state on these statewide assessments. And So what that allowed us to do with this particular research question is follow the achievement levels of school districts over time then to. 

00:14:35 Speaker 3 

Identify where that school district may have made a change to a four day. 

00:14:39 Speaker 3 

Full week and to see if using their own prior data as kind of a control. Did they have some type of significant impact when they moved to a four day school week on their achievement information and we were able to look at that for all the school districts given they moved at maybe a different point in time to that. 

00:14:59 Speaker 3 

Four day school week, not only did we look at just kind of generally how high achieving. 

00:15:05 Speaker 3 

Were they, and how much did that change when they moved to a? 

00:15:08 Speaker 3 

Four day school. 

00:15:08 Speaker 3 

Week. 

00:15:10 Speaker 3 

But we also looked at their growth data, so growth data being a little bit different. You know how much growth are they making with students given all of the prior achievement levels of their students? And did the amount of growth that those school districts did that? 

00:15:25 Speaker 3 

Amount changed from the point prior to after them moving to that four day school week, and the answer was there was there was really no significant up or down movement in both the achievement or growth data when school districts moved over to that four day school week. 

00:15:43 Speaker 3 

So we have we didn’t. 

00:15:45 Speaker 3 

Find anything in terms of a a significant change in those academic indicators. 

00:15:50 Speaker 3 

As the Commissioner was mentioning. 

00:15:52 Speaker 1 

Interesting. Well, so now that UM, this tool is launched and is in use, what’s next I. 

00:16:00 Speaker 1 

Mean what are are there? 

00:16:01 Speaker 1 

Hopes and goals that maybe some. 

00:16:05 Speaker 1 

Not some surprises, but some. Some new ideas on which you guys can use this data to further improve the student experience. 

00:16:16 Speaker 2 

Well for me. 

00:16:17 Speaker 2 

For me again at the state level, I’m just really happy to hear the feedback from the school districts who are understanding and using the tool for so long. 

00:16:25 Speaker 2 

They’ve been giving them a score and a score without information is a score, right? Like it doesn’t really. And we understand that and recognize that it doesn’t help inform the next steps. 

00:16:39 Speaker 2 

Or the school district or the teacher. We think this putting this tool in the hands of our school districts allows them again to to move beyond. Just looking at a report card and saying, OK, how do I, how do I transform some of the work that needs to take place here? And again that. 

00:16:59 Speaker 2 

Can’t always happen on one year. You want to look at multiple trend data. You want to look at what’s happening in your school, in your environment. 

00:17:05 Speaker 2 

And and what the data are telling you, but that’s that’s how I see it is is again that it was coming from the the school districts who were really asking us for assistance. How do I get better? How do I how do I move the needle here. And so how you do that is by making sure we’re reaching every single child in the best way that we can. 

00:17:26 Speaker 2 

Right. So to me, that’s exciting. I’m. I’m excited to see what we’ll be able to do. 

00:17:31 Speaker 2 

And and and garner from more information we I’ll just wrap up with this statement. You’ve heard it a million times. If you’re in the data world, but it is just true when you’re data rich and information poor, that’s a challenge, right? We have a ton of data. So what are we doing with it and how do we use that information? 

00:17:51 Speaker 2 

For the betterment of our kids. 

00:17:54 Speaker 1 

Yeah. And John, any last thoughts? 

00:17:56 Speaker 3 

Yeah, we’re. I’m just really excited. I’m we’re. We’re really proud to be working with the state of Missouri on making this information more accessible and being able to put it into the hands of educators. I think that, you know, when they can actually see this information, they can find it very they they will find it very intuitive. 

00:18:15 Speaker 3 

They will be able to. 

00:18:16 Speaker 3 

Look at the data at the individual student level. 

00:18:19 Speaker 3 

You will. 

00:18:20 Speaker 3 

Start to help them seek and why measuring growth is so useful and valuable. 

00:18:25 Speaker 3 

And just we’re really excited to just help promote the usage of this and see where it goes. 

00:18:30 Speaker 1 

Well, congratulations on your work and know it’s going to have a huge impact for the the students in the state of Missouri and hopefully sharing these insights will help inspire some of our readers and listeners to maybe put a little pressure on their own state governments to get their their data house in order. So thanks again for your time. I really appreciate it. 

00:18:49 Speaker 2 

Thank you. 

00:18:50 Speaker 3 

Thank you so much. 

Learning technology company HMH announced it has acquired award-winning software company Writable, building on a longstanding partnership between the organizations that includes the integration of Writable’s research-backed writing assessment and practice solution with HMH’s core ELA offerings for grades 3-12.

With the acquisition of Writable, HMH will also establish HMH Labs, a new incubation team focused on the development and customer experience of emerging technologies, including generative AI, in support of HMH’s high-tech, high-touch vision for K-12 learning. Led by Writable CEO and co-founder Andrew Goldman, who will become Executive Vice President of HMH Labs, the group will expand upon and support HMH’s focus on innovative technology and continue to develop Writable.

“HMH is excited to welcome the talented team from Writable into the HMH community,” said HMH CEO and President, Jack Lynch. “We have already seen the transformative power of Writable and are excited to harness the agile development capabilities of Andrew and team through HMH Labs in service of empowering educators and deepening the connection between teacher and student.”

The HMH Labs team will build on the Writable experience to explore and develop cutting-edge solutions that drive student growth by creating differentiated and dynamic learning experiences that constantly improve based on learner and teacher interaction.

“At Writable, we have worked to tackle the challenges and inequities students and teachers face with innovative and forward-thinking technology solutions,” said Andrew Goldman, CEO at Writable. “As we enter the AI age of technology, we see tremendous opportunity to leverage HMH’s unparalleled curriculum and customer relationships to deliver edtech’s next chapter to connect students and teachers in thinking, writing, and communication. We’re excited for the opportunity to build HMH Labs in this spirit.”

HMH and Writable have collaborated as partners since 2018, when Writable’s research-backed tool for personalized writing feedback and revision for grades 3-12 was first integrated into HMH Into Reading and HMH Into Literature. Since then, Writable and HMH have continuously leveraged customer feedback to refine the solution to maximize student efficacy and teacher productivity.

Last fall, Writable launched new OpenAI-powered integrations that enable teachers to incorporate AI-suggested feedback and scores into their instruction, saving valuable time teachers can use to invest in student connections. This solution reinforces HMH’s commitment to a human-centered approach to advanced technology like generative AI, one that enables and extends the valuable work of teachers, blending the best of technology with the best of the classroom experience.

Writable has won accolades both as an integrated and standalone solution, most recently being named Best Reading/Writing/Literature Instructional Solution for Grade 9–12 in the SIIA CODiE Awards. Current Writable customers will continue to receive the support, service, and innovation they have come to expect and love, and all contracts and quotes with schools and districts will be honored.

 Pearson (FTSE: PSON.L) today announced plans to further expand its beta AI study tools into additional Pearson+ eTextbooks. Generative AI tools are an increasingly popular feature for thousands of students in both Pearson+ eTextbooks and in Pearson’s MyLab and Mastering homework platforms. Now, even more students will benefit, with at least 40 math, science, business, and nursing titles available for fall back to school in both products.

“We’ve had a great response to our AI offering from students and instructors, and we’re excited for millions more to experience these features this year. As we expand our AI study tools, we are learning more about what students want and are acting on their feedback. When we combine learning science and trusted content with AI technology, our products are even more effective in helping students learn and instructors teach,” said Tony Prentice, Pearson’s Chief Product Officer.

By combining new technologies with world class learning content, students say they are already seeing the benefits to their education. Since the start of the beta, tens of thousands of students have used Pearson’s AI study tools and have shown strong levels of engagement and positive feedback. In fact, students in the initial selection of three Pearson+ eTextbooks have initiated more than 331,000 interactions with AI study tools to help them learn by generating explanations, summaries, and practice questions. Those who used the AI tools spent more time in their courseware and 75% of users said the tools were ‘helpful’ or ‘very helpful’ for their studies.

With more than 80% of its products now digital or digitally enabled, Pearson is committed to investing in the responsible application of AI to advance product innovation and enhance the learning experience to educate, certify, and credential students and the workforce.

Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS), a leading education-focused nonprofit organization, is thrilled to announce its strategic collaboration with Intentional Futures, a renowned design and innovation consultancy, to launch the groundbreaking Mission-Driven AI Use Case Rubric.

The Mission-Driven AI Use Case Rubric is a comprehensive framework designed specifically for nonprofits, educational institutions and edtech companies seeking to harness AI’s potential to drive long-lasting impact. It is a user-friendly tool with which organizations can align different AI use cases with their unique ethical, social, and mission-oriented goals, using a set of predefined criteria.

As AI technologies continue to play an increasingly prominent role in shaping educational experiences, it is essential to ensure that these tools adhere to principles of equity, inclusivity, and positive social impact. This rubric equips organizations with the ability to integrate and scale AI into their work while holding these considerations at the core.

Equal Opportunity Schools recognizes the importance of leveraging AI in education without perpetuating existing disparities, as we have long sought to incorporate emerging technologies in our work to close race and income enrollment gaps in advanced pathways like Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and dual enrollment programs.

“Student potential is a multi-faceted, dynamic and complex concept,” EOS President Sasha Rabkin says about the pivotal partnership and tool. “Our project with Intentional Futures (iF) demonstrates what is possible for both our organization and the field. iF has helped us clarify our value proposition, dream big and develop a set of concrete solutions, rubrics and prototypes that will transform our use of AI and allow us to scale more rapidly and with greater dexterity.” 

The education team at Intentional Futures, renowned for their expertise in designing human-centered solutions and guiding organizations towards responsible innovation, shared this about their team’s critical role in developing the rubric.

“As generative AI continues to develop and be implemented in education, mission-driven organizations and schools must intentionally consider if these technologies align with their values and meaningfully serve students, teachers, and staff. The rubric we created with EOS gives education-serving organizations a tangible tool that allows them to pause and critically reflect on the impact of potential use cases of AI.”

Key features of the Mission-Driven AI Use Case Rubric include:

• Ethical Considerations: Assessing the impact of AI use cases on student privacy, data security, and potential biases
• Inclusivity: Evaluating how AI applications support diverse student populations and contribute to closing opportunity gaps
• Mission Alignment: Ensuring that AI technologies align with the core mission and values of educational institutions
• Transparency: Assessing the clarity and openness of AI systems in terms of decision-making processes and outcomes

Qustodio today released their 5th Annual Report, offering valuable insights into children’s digital habits across 2023. “Born connected: The rise of the AI generation”, reveals the app use and technology habits of children aged 4-18, detailing trends in screen time, social media and communications, mobile gaming, online entertainment, learning tools, and for the first time in the report’s history, use of artificial intelligence tools.

Qustodio’s report, involving over 400,000 families and schools, studies the popularity of apps and platforms used by children around the world, with further insights into habits in major world markets, including the US, UK, France, Spain, and Australia. In addition to revealing children’s favorite apps and platforms of 2023, the study also investigates the time invested over the year, detailing children’s screen time on popular apps such as TikTok, YouTube, Roblox, and Snapchat.

The extensive report also features surveys and interviews with families actively involved in their children’s digital wellbeing, giving insight into how parents and guardians navigate parenting in an increasingly online world and the tools they use to keep their children safe as technology, the internet, and artificial intelligence evolve at a rapid pace.

Some of the key findings from 2023’s report include:

• TikTok continued to captivate with children spending a global average of 112 minutes daily on the app – up from 107 in 2022. UK kids were particularly fond of the bottomless scroll as they racked up 127 mins/day.
• Although YouTube is still the world’s top streaming app, children spent 60% more time on TikTok. 
• Children watched 27% more video content in 2023 than in the previous year – hitting a world average of 57 minutes per day.
• Despite a tumultuous 2023 – and a name change – Twitter/X saw a 27% boost in popularity among children.
• Gaming took a dip in 2023 with children spending 8% less time on mobile games than in 2022. Despite this, Roblox is where children spent the most time – across all app categories – with a global average of 130 minutes invested daily.
• Although WhatsApp remains the king of communication apps, kids spent the most time on Snapchat with a world average of 74 mins/day.
• Australian kids led the way with AI experimentation with 24% using OpenAI – compared with a global average of 19.6%

“This year has been yet another of innovation and exploring new horizons, as families learn to adapt to new AI technologies and the changing landscape of social media,” says Eduardo Cruz, Qustodio CEO and co-founder. “The next few years will be a chance for parents, educators, and children to come together and understand how we strike a healthy digital balance, reaping the rewards technology brings while also keeping the youngest in society safe from online harm.”

To see the full report on children’s digital habits across 2023, and how they have evolved since 2019, visit the Qustodio website.

CTL, a global cloud computing solution leader for education and enterprise, released its annual predictions today. Based on trends observed in its markets, CTL executives provided an advanced look at what to expect in 2024 for Chromebook and ChromeOS device technologies and market trends.

“Recently, the leaders at CTL got together to discuss the top trends we’re experiencing and excited about as we transition to 2024. We’ve published a few of our top opinions of what we see as new and next for Chromebook cloud computing. It’s going to be a great year,” said Erik Stromquist, CEO of CTL.

The predictions addressed in CTL’s article include:

1. Chromebook technology-based trends
   1. Sustainability concerns will drive innovations in Chromebook manufacturing and deployment, including designing for sustainability, enabling device self-repair programs, innovative device rental programs, and suppliers conforming to manufacturers’ sustainability requirements.
   2. New 5G capabilities will come online, bringing easier, faster, anywhere, anytime connectivity to computing devices for K-12 and other industries like healthcare as they begin to augment traditional wireless solutions and help bridge the digital divide.
   3. New tools are needed in cybersecurity to fight AI attacks with AI protection.
2. ChromeOS EdTech market trends
   1. Schools will replace their aging fleet of Chromebooks this year to future-proof their tech to offer the performance required to leverage new toolsets like generative AI.
   2. Schools will extend their ChromeOS devices to teachers, staff, and administrators, taking advantage of their investment in Google Workspace and leveraging the anticipated new power of Chromebook Plus.
   3. Funding for student Chromebooks will get creative with city-district partnerships, innovative leasing programs, and other post-pandemic funding models.
   4. Chromebooks will be increasingly adopted worldwide in 2024, with new markets coming online with government tenders in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

Complete predictions, including details and executive quotes, are available in the article “CTL’s Chromebook and ChromeOS Trends for 2024” on CTL’s website.

This week, national non-profit SchoolHouse Connection released “Overlooked and Almost Out of Time,” a report showing the impact and reach of pandemic-era relief funds for students experiencing homelessness, as well as the challenges that are preventing schools from using these funds at a time of heightened need.

Congress provided the funds, known as the American Rescue Plan – Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) funds, through a bipartisan amendment to the American Rescue Plan Act, in March 2021. ARP-HCY funds must be obligated by September 2024.

“ARP-HCY funds are changing lives – even saving lives. But the limited timeframe for using the funds, combined with administrative restrictions, have created barriers to using funds. Now time is running out,” said Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection. “Urgent action is needed so that we don’t miss this historic opportunity to help students break the cycle of homelessness through education. We urge Congress to extend the ARP-HCY obligation deadline for one more year, and we implore all education agencies to prioritize ARP-HCY funds.”

The report is based on a survey of more than 1,400 school district homeless liaisons from across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as on analyses of federal data. The report found:

• Child and youth homelessness has increased since the pandemic, creating a greater need for targeted support for students experiencing homelessness.
• The number of school districts receiving dedicated funding to support students experiencing homelessness has more than doubled as a result of ARP-HCY funding, reaching over half of all school districts nationwide.
• School district homeless liaisons report many positive impacts of ARP-HCY funds, including increased school stability, identification, and attendance.

Still, despite these positive impacts, the report found:

• One quarter of school district homeless liaisons express concerns about meeting spending deadlines due to administrative hurdles and limited time. An additional 25% of liaisons were unaware they received ARP-HCY funds, potentially making it difficult to meet spending deadlines.
• Even though liaisons are legally responsible for identifying and supporting students experiencing homelessness, they are often excluded from key decisions about use of funding.
• Public schools are a critical source of help for children and youth experiencing homelessness, offering stability, services, and the education necessary to permanently escape homelessness and secure a brighter future. Yet homelessness creates barriers to education – many of which can be directly removed with ARP-HCY funds (for example, transportation, store cards to meet basic needs, and short-term emergency motel stays).

In addition to administrative barriers getting in the way of effectively using ARP-HCY funds, educational agencies have prioritized spending the $122 billion in ARP Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds at the expense of a focus on ARP-HCY dollars. SchoolHouse Connection’s analysis shows that states have spent ARP ESSER nearly 50% faster than ARP-HCY funds, despite the fact that ARP-HCY funds are less than 1% of ARP ESSER funds.

The report lays out recommendations for Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, state and local education leaders, and state legislatures. “While the pandemic is officially over, the crisis of homelessness is unabated and growing. Leadership and action is needed at every level — federal, state, and local – to ensure that these funds are used effectively now and sustained into the future,” Duffield said.

A link to the report, including methodology, can be found here.

The lack of computer science technology educators in middle schools continues to be a genuine crisis, especially considering the critical role of STEM education in preparing students for future careers. Traditional hiring practices often result in non-specialist educators teaching computer science, leading to challenges in delivering effective instruction.

Graham Celine, VP of Business Development & Marketing for Intelitek, which offers the online platform CoderZ, emphasized this topic last month at FETC and in this conversation with eSchool. CoderZ aims to address this gap by providing comprehensive tools and resources for both students and educators, enabling structured and engaging computer science education. 

With increasing recognition of computer science as a fundamental skill, particularly evidenced by state standards mandating its inclusion in curricula, CoderZ offers a solution aligned with educational goals and industry demands. Graham says the program’s flexible implementation options cater to various educational settings, from individual subscriptions to district-wide adoption. Moreover, he points to the product’s assessment strategies focused on student outcomes, employing a combination of automated evaluations and teacher-led assessments to ensure comprehensive learning assessment. Have a listen:

Key Takeaways:

• Urgent Need for Computer Science Educators: There exists a significant shortage of computer science technology educators, particularly in middle schools, where STEM education is crucial. The traditional approach of assigning non-specialist educators to teach computer science often leads to ineffective instruction due to a lack of expertise and confidence in the subject matter.
• Comprehensive Solutions for both faculty and students: CoderZ addresses the shortage by offering a comprehensive educational platform equipped with tools, resources, and support for both students and educators. The program is designed to facilitate structured and engaging computer science instruction, aligning with educational standards and industry requirements.
• Flexible Implementation and Assessment: CoderZ offers flexible implementation options, catering to individual users, school clubs, or district-wide adoption. Assessment strategies focus on student outcomes, utilizing automated evaluations and teacher-led assessments to provide a comprehensive view of learning progress. This approach ensures effective learning outcomes and supports diverse educational settings and needs.

Below is a machine-generated transcript of the interview: 

00:00:20 Speaker 1 

Because nobody goes to learn how to be a computer science teacher and then goes to to, to, to elementary schools. If you’re a computer science educator, you go teach in high school or university. 

00:00:33 Speaker 1 

So what lands up happening is we take. 

00:00:35 Speaker 1 

The math teacher. 

00:00:36 Speaker 1 

Or the science teacher or the librarian. We say. Hey, teach computer science. 

00:00:41 Speaker 2 

Right. 

00:00:41 Speaker 1 

And that doesn’t always work because they’re afraid of technology. They’re afraid of teaching something that they don’t know. And So what we’ve done at Codez is we’ve created an environment which not only is engaging for the students, and it’s not only accessible to the students because being online, they can take it anywhere they want from home, in the class, in the library. 

00:01:02 Speaker 1 

On their phone, on their computer, on their iPad. 

00:01:06 Speaker 1 

But it’s got all the tools and capabilities that enable the uh, the educators, the instructors to uh, implement those type of programs. So we’ve got professional development, we’ve got teacher guides, we’ve got pacing guides, we’ve got slides, we’ve got background material, all that the teachers need in order to prepare. 

00:01:27 Speaker 1 

Properly and to be able to deliver there and to build environments like peer teaching environments where the the strongest students will help the weakest students and to keep the the, the the teacher doesn’t have to be involved. 

00:01:39 Speaker 1 

But then why is computer science? It’s then becoming important because it’s becoming a mandate. It’s in some states. It’s this, it’s a it’s recognized as a as a language. In some states, it’s becoming a standard, notably Texas and and and and New Jersey. Sorry, New York have got. 

00:01:59 Speaker 1 

State standards and they’re requiring schools to teach computer science and digital literacy as part of their program in the 242025 school year. So from an administrative perspective, this is important. 

00:02:15 Speaker 1 

And so having a program that is not just some software that you can download off the Internet and let your students play around with and say, OK, we taught them a little bit about coding, having a a program that is structured that allows you to teach computer science in a very structured. 

00:02:36 Speaker 1 

Logical way that aligns with the goals of these CSA NGSS taxes. New York and other standards is really important. That’s where code Z fits. 

00:02:48 Speaker 1 

In so we’ve created an education tool that really fits what the market needs. 

00:02:49 Speaker 2 

OK. 

00:02:55 Speaker 2 

Now let me ask this the the implementation. This is is sort of a a district wide implementation or is this something that say can start from the a bottoms up sort of adoption in schools? I mean how does that happen both? 

00:03:07 Speaker 1 

It it it, it can be both. Uh, you know, in the end we we we have users that are individuals, parents who just want their kids to learn more and so they can sign up on our website. 

00:03:19 Speaker 1 

And and get a subscription we have a. 

00:03:21 Speaker 1 

Lot of clubs. 

00:03:22 Speaker 1 

So a lot of those computer science and robotics clubs are now taking it to the next level. We have many thousands of schools around the the the country and around the world, and we have districts from our perspective, obviously the best way to implement this is from the top down. 

00:03:40 Speaker 1 

Because the teachers get the most support. 

00:03:43 Speaker 1 

That way they get the the. 

00:03:44 Speaker 1 

The the right tools, the most support and the results. 

00:03:48 Speaker 1 

Visible in the end, that’s what the administrators want to see. So we put this new program in how many students registered for the program, how many students completed the program? How many hours were taken of the program, what were the outcomes of the program? And that’s a top down approach. But from our perspective. 

00:04:08 Speaker 1 

We deal with it in all different directions. 

00:04:11 Speaker 2 

I’ll talk about the the assessment aspects of it when you, when you talk about collecting that sort of data, are you talking about collecting it on the uses of the of the, the faculty themselves or do you mean from as a professional development tool, but also as a student? So kind of give us the the assessment? 

00:04:28 Speaker 1 

Is on a student level. 

00:04:29 Speaker 2 

OK. 

00:04:30 Speaker 1 

Obviously the the the. 

00:04:31 Speaker 1 

The we have all. 

00:04:32 Speaker 1 

The professional development and all the tools for the student, for the teachers. But we’re not testing the teachers. 

00:04:37 

What we’re. 

00:04:38 Speaker 1 

We’re analyzing is. 

00:04:39 Speaker 1 

The students, and there’s two ways to do that. There’s. 

00:04:43 Speaker 1 

There’s uh, automatic or passive evaluations. So we look at how many hours did they complete missions. Now if if there’s a mission and it’s all gamified, so they’re making this robot move around the the, the, the, the screen. But it says you got to do this five times using a loop. 

00:05:02 Speaker 1 

Well, we can evaluate that automatically. Did the student use a loop in their program? 

00:05:07 Speaker 1 

If yes, we know that they’ve learned how. 

00:05:10 Speaker 1 

To use loops. 

00:05:11 Speaker 1 

There are other factors that are more subjective and so there we give this the teacher the the task and we say, OK, you have to grade this exercise. The student was supposed to show that they can document correctly. Did the student. 

00:05:28 Speaker 1 

Document this. 

00:05:29 Speaker 1 

Well, now the teacher can open up the students workbook, see what they did, and give them a grade. They did it well. They did it medium. They didn’t do it at all. And so by taking those together, plus adding in just basic assessments, what you know, type of test, the traditional test capabilities, quizzes. 

00:05:49 Speaker 1 

That that appear along the way throughout the curriculum, we can add that all up and provide. 

00:05:54 Speaker 1 

A a very. 

00:05:55 Speaker 1 

Comprehensive view of how the students have have succeeded within the the application now that rolls up. 

00:06:03 Speaker 1 

A teacher sees their classroom or their multiple classrooms. A principal will see all the classes in the school and administrator would see all the schools in a district. 

00:06:15 Speaker 2 

Gotcha. Talk a little bit about the day-to-day use. Is this something that is a is a supplement that is done after school? Is it in school kind of give us kind of a a day-to-day kind of use of the tool both I guess? 

00:06:31 Speaker 1 

All of the above. Yeah, it’s it it. 

00:06:33 Speaker 1 

I would say. 

00:06:35 Speaker 1 

I I wish you know, I can’t really tell you a percentage, but it’s really both. I mean, there are a lot of schools that still state schools, districts that are still in the mode where this is an add-on. This is an either an elective or an after school program. 

00:06:52 Speaker 1 

But more and more, this is part of the school’s day, so it may be one day a week for an hour. It may be every day for an hour for a few weeks within a semester, and in some cases it’s a it’s a required. 

00:07:06 Speaker 1 

Subject Within the school program. So we’re seeing across the board more and more it’s becoming part of the the the, the formal education program and again the sweet spot is traditionally the OR right now is probably in the middle school environment. We’re seeing more and more middle school students taking. 

00:07:25 Speaker 1 

Part in that program. 

00:07:27 Speaker 2 

That is interesting. I’ve had conversations about how when you, when you talk about STEM subjects, that it is starting to kind of get younger and younger. That as as the years progress, what is that a cause of? I mean can you can you can you point to something specific in terms of society where you know we’re now putting? 

00:07:47 Speaker 2 

These ideas in the into the minds of of of children, even before they get into high school. 

00:07:52 Speaker 1 

Yeah, I think it’s just societal. In the end. I mean, if we think about what, what, you know what, the math that I studied in university, my daughter studied in high school. And I think today. 

00:08:02 Speaker 1 

Middle school kids are learning that math, and I think they’re on the one hand, they they they’re getting exposure a lot earlier the, the, the, the Internet. 

00:08:11 Speaker 1 

The the tools that. 

00:08:12 Speaker 1 

They have just provide them with more exposure to technology, to industry, to work, to the world that that we ever had when we were growing up and. 

00:08:24 Speaker 1 

And I think it’s, you know, there’s the demand for it in the end. The bigger thing with with STEM and why is? 

00:08:29 Speaker 1 

Stem. So important. 

00:08:31 Speaker 1 

Because if you start, you know, I grew up in a in a different country in a different time and somewhere in the middle of high school I had to choose my direction, where I was going. I think today, kids who get to high school, it’s too late to. 

00:08:45 Speaker 1 

Decided direction. 

00:08:46 Speaker 1 

And so if we don’t introduce students to stem to the concept of science, technology, engineering and math, and really the piece that’s missing is technology and engineering, they see the science and the math, but the technology and engineering, if we don’t introduce students to that in elementary school, we might lose them. Now, when they may go off to be doctors, which is great, or lawyers, which is not so great. 

00:09:08 Speaker 1 

But they may look, they may may go off to be McDonald’s workers, and if they’ve got the the skills and the capabilities to work in a STEM world, but they just don’t know it exists. 

00:09:21 Speaker 1 

That’s a problem, and so STEM is important to bring people into that world of technology. The world of innovation, the world of of invention. 

00:09:32 Speaker 1 

And in TeleTech we take that to the next step because when we go from stem to CTE, we’re taking them into a tech world that is specifically focused at that type of you know, whether it’s medical equipment or manufacturing or industrial or automotive versus, for example going into CTE worlds or healthcare. 

00:09:52 Speaker 1 

Or or or. 

00:09:54 Speaker 1 

Hospitality or finance? We take them into the the CTE world of technology. 

00:09:59 Speaker 1 

That’s our uh end to end approach of career to to kindergarten, to career. 

00:10:06 Speaker 1 

Pick them up at early age, introduce them, take them somewhere, and obviously our focus is to take them into industry. 

00:10:15 Speaker 2 

Well, obviously, you know, the past few years have brought a lot of a lot of change, a lot of different changes in thoughts about education and and where to go. CTE has been a big part of that too in terms of people starting to understand, maybe there’s more of an emphasis there versus the traditional higher Ed route. When you look into your crystal ball over the. 

00:10:36 Speaker 2 

The next couple of years. Uh. 

00:10:39 Speaker 2 

Where do you see the the progress going when it comes to not only the advancement of STEM but also the advancement of CTE and baking that into the everyday educational experience? 

00:10:52 Speaker 1 

Well, I think the the you know one the, the the one of the main areas is diversity inclusion and you know. 

00:11:01 Speaker 1 

Again, I I know I’m I’m I’m old, but when when I I went. 

00:11:08 Speaker 1 

I think it was 1992. I went to a Harley-Davidson factory for a visit and there were only men there. There were very few women working there. I think today if you went to that same factory, there would be a a mix and I. So I think that having the the diversity side of it is is really important that it’s going. 

00:11:28 Speaker 1 

To make a big change. 

00:11:30 Speaker 1 

It grows our workforce. 

00:11:32 Speaker 1 

In the end, we’re giving people that were traditionally told. That’s not the type of job you want the opportunity to go into that job, and that’s really important. But the flip side is, you know, the economy has changed. 

00:11:46 Speaker 1 

Uh, since cold, there is a lot more being done in the United States, which was previously offshore, and that’s being brought back. And the reason it’s being brought back is not necessarily because globalization doesn’t work. That’s because we’ve got, we need skilled workers. 

00:12:08 Speaker 1 

A factory worker is not someone who puts bolts onto a screw and comes on. 

00:12:13 Speaker 1 

The factory worker runs a process, takes care of equipment designs, builds and installs equipment. This is a good, well, good, well paying job and so we need to fill that gap because for many years. 

00:12:31 Speaker 1 

You either went to university and became a professional, or you dropped out and you went into retail. 

00:12:39 Speaker 1 

And we’ve got to refill that bucket of of skilled workers in that middle tier employment range. And it’s a good career to have. It’s a lifelong career. It pays well and you will be able to have that job for your entire life. 

00:12:56 Speaker 1 

And that’s what what, what we need, we need to fill that and I think. 

00:13:00 Speaker 1 

That promoting stem promoting CTE, that’s what we’re we’re trying to achieve. We’re trying to fill the bucket with, with, with, with labor, they’re, you know, there’s the the, there’s the semiconductor industries building fabs all around the country. You know talking about 10s of thousands of of employees that are short the statistics in manufacturing. 

00:13:22 Speaker 1 

10s of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of employees missing. 

00:13:26 Speaker 1 

Talking in in, in, in very, very large numbers. 

00:13:30 Speaker 1 

We can’t train that many people even. 

00:13:33 Speaker 1 

If we try, but we’ve got to. 

00:13:34 Speaker 1 

Try and so we’ve got to fill that bucket and that’s what stem is doing. It’s taking people that maybe will not find a place for themselves in. 

00:13:45 Speaker 1 

In in in the workforce, unless they know that there’s the space for technology and that they become familiar with it and they go into it, that’s that’s what what we’re we’re focused on and told. 

00:13:58 Speaker 2 

Well, exciting stuff. Look forward to seeing, and TeleTech and Coder Z next week down on the show floor in person, but in the meantime again, Graham, I appreciate your time and and your insights into the work that you do. It’s it’s impressive stuff. 

00:14:12 Speaker 1 

It’s a pleasure. Thank you very much for your time. 

One of the biggest announcements out of FETC24 this year involved Lightspeed, the leading provider of instructional audio solutions that create equal access to learning, and their launch of Cascadia—a networked instructional audio platform that not only projects the teacher’s voice within the classroom but also empowers teachers to call for help and communicate outside of the classroom directly from their lanyard microphone.

I had a conversation with Tony Zeikle, Senior Vice President of Revenue at Lightspeed Technologies, Inc. about the features of the new product, its integration with existing school systems like phone networks and paging solutions, and its potential benefits for teachers and students, especially in light of challenges posed by the pandemic. We also touch upon the evolving landscape of educational technology, including the role of audio in augmented reality, virtual reality, and language learning. Have a listen:

More details about the launch:

Cascadia delivers all the benefits of instructional audio and integrates with existing life-safety and building communication systems, providing the ability to initiate mobile, silent emergency alerts and make two-way calls to the office from anywhere in the building.

“The need for teachers to communicate with resources outside of the classroom continues to grow, whether in an emergency or simply when help is needed,” said Shaun Fagan, Senior Vice President of Product and Lightspeed. “With Cascadia, schools can now meet this need by providing teachers with a communication tool that offers mobility, simplicity, and immediacy.”

Cascadia connects to a school’s network, providing centralized monitoring and control, along with key integrations to critical building-wide communications. The Cascadia platform provides:

• Timely alerts from anywhere in the building
• Communication to the office with two-way calling
• Real-time teacher location during an active alert
• Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+) to leverage network infrastructure
• Integration with classroom multimedia
• Student sharing with Sharemike

“By integrating with leading life-safety and building communication providers, our solutions provide schools with the flexibility to leverage their existing investments and build the best systems to meet their needs,” said Fagan.

This networked communication system can enhance existing safety protocols and procedures, which is vital for students and parents. Students (87%), parents (96%), and educators (98%) all agree that school safety is extremely important to them, according to the 2022 State of School Safety Report by Safe and Sound Schools.

Below is a machine-generated transcript:

00:00:05 Speaker 1 

OK, Tony. Thanks so much for joining me today. I really appreciate it. Looking forward to off, etc in a couple weeks and I know lightspeed’s going to be down there. Maybe we could just get right into it, talk a little bit about the news and any announcements that that you guys might be promoting on the show floor. 

00:00:22 Speaker 2 

Absolutely. You know, we go to FTC every year. We love the opportunity to be able to interact with a lot of school districts and just across the entire industry of the Ed tech space. And you know, we are well respected and known for what we do in the classroom with instructional audio, putting a microphone on a teacher and providing a low volume, highly intelligible speech through speakers. 

00:00:42 Speaker 2 

So that every student in the classroom can effectively hear the instruction. 

00:00:46 Speaker 2 

The new product that we’re launching this month and it’s just gone on to our website this week is called Cascade, Cascadia and it’s an instructional networked platform. It’s our first foray into being a networked system, so that our our technology directors can have visibility into all of their instructional audio solutions. 

00:01:05 Speaker 2 

Across an entire school. 

00:01:07 Speaker 2 

And also adding some additional features. You know, the thing that we really realized was as we put microphones on, teachers and teachers are wearing a microphone, you know, both in their classroom and around the school is that that microphone can have some additional features and abilities beyond just that. We have an important piece of real estate. 

00:01:27 Speaker 2 

So to speak, by having that microphone right here at a, you know, hands distance away. 

00:01:33 Speaker 2 

For the teachers, So what we’re doing is adding some components of being able to integrate our microphone for safety and security purposes and that can be incorporating it in as a discrete silent alert that can notify the office that there’s something wrong in a classroom or somewhere else in the school. And we’re also integrating it with the school’s phone system so that the. 

00:01:55 Speaker 2 

Teacher is actually able to make a teacher initiated call to the office. 

00:02:00 Speaker 2 

Sometimes a little bit more information is required. You know with that discrete alert or something like that, and the teacher being able to have a quick conversation with the office and it could be something as minor as a student needs help in the hallway. It could be just instruction, maybe a teacher or a student’s heading to the office just so that quick information can provide a little bit more. 

00:02:20 Speaker 2 

Information for the teacher and staff to be able to communicate the thing we really realized coming out of the pandemic. 

00:02:27 Speaker 2 

Was that gone? Are the days that a teacher just walks into their classroom at the beginning of the day doesn’t interact with any other adults the rest of the day? And you know, they’re just with their students in that classroom. The dynamic has changed and teachers need support, whether it’s for behavioral purposes, whether it’s just standard communication across the school campus. 

00:02:48 Speaker 2 

And we realized that we could add some value there by adding some additional buttons and additional features onto our microphone. 

00:02:56 Speaker 1 

You know, it sounds like a pretty significant upgrade. And when you talk about significant, you’re also talking about sophisticated and and and complicated especially I guess when you’re tying in phone systems or IP based, if any of our readers or listeners here are responsible for those sort of IT systems. Can you give us some of the the? 

00:03:16 Speaker 1 

Weak speak when it comes to how those are being integrated. 

00:03:19 Speaker 2 

Yeah, absolutely. What we really desire to do is stay in our space from an instructional audio standpoint. That’s what we’re known for. That’s what we’re respected for. So we’re really staying there. But what we have done is identified that we can integrate with existing paging and intercom solutions through our network system. So that from a wireless standpoint, we use deck technology for our wireless. 

00:03:41 Speaker 2 

Transmission, but from the amp we’re now connected through the through the network and integrate with that paging system so that we’re integrating with what the school is already used to using. 

00:03:52 Speaker 2 

And being able to navigate and then those buttons can do different things based upon what the school desires it to do based upon their safety and security protocols and those kinds of things. One of the things that we really wanted to make sure that we did through this process is there can be complexity on the back end for sure, but how do we keep it simple for the teacher? How do we make it so that it’s very easy and intuitive? 

00:04:14 Speaker 2 

For them to use, you know, one of the things that we realized was when it comes to school wide communication, there’s different ways that teachers were interacting, whether it be, you know, maybe a walkie. 

00:04:24 Speaker 2 

Bucky and those are kind of bulky and they might be taking them to recess or different places across the school. They’re not very wearable, so to speak, but they serve their purpose. You think about other things that they’re using sometimes they’re using their own cell phone, which sometimes isn’t on the school’s network, isn’t a school. 

00:04:45 Speaker 2 

Piece of property. 

00:04:47 Speaker 2 

And there’s some challenges tied to apps and things like that. On their own personal device that can be challenging for a school to navigate, and then, you know, they have their phone system maybe or their, you know, in the school and it’s fixed. And it’s not a wearable technology, so to speak. So we felt like there was a little bit of a gap in terms of just communication that we can make a little bit simpler. 

00:05:07 Speaker 1 

Yeah. And you mentioned the pandemic in in some of the the changing behaviors. 

00:05:12 Speaker 1 

Is that something that that as as a company as as a technology company who’s emphasizing these technologies as being an enhancement, has there, has there been a change in terms of maybe convincing faculty members who maybe were resistant? Like why do I need a microphone? I’ve always, I’ve always taught my algebra class for for 30 years and never seem to have necessary like. 

00:05:34 Speaker 1 

And always felt awkward about. So maybe now that they’re more comfortable and see those benefits. 

00:05:39 Speaker 2 

Yeah, really kind of two purposes that the pandemic really highlighted the need for this technology. One was when teachers were wearing masks in their classroom, you know, that mask was at 10 decibel drop in their voice. And also you had the loss of the visual cues of the mouth through that mask. And so I think that necessity of audio and the challenge of communication through the pandemic. 

00:06:02 Speaker 2 

Just heightened teachers awareness of why this technology is important. One of the first responses we’ve gotten for years when teachers put a microphone on and they hear that low volume, highly intelligible speech coming through, is that they didn’t have to repeat their instructions nearly. 

00:06:17 Speaker 2 

This much students were more attentive and at the end of the day the teacher had more energy. They realized I don’t have to raise my voice all day, every day for my students to be able to hear me, you know another, you know, we talked a little bit about maybe the rise in behavioral issues in a school. You know, I I went to a lot of Superintendent conferences towards the tail end. 

00:06:37 Speaker 2 

Of the pandemic and. 

00:06:38 Speaker 2 

After the pandemic and a lot of superintendents would just say we are just seeing an A significant increase in behavioral issues tied to all of the challenges that the pandemic had for students, their home life and all the things that they were going through. And, you know, there was an increase in room clears just. 

00:06:55 Speaker 2 

You know things that are every day in a school that you know a lot of people maybe don’t hear about, but they’re the challenges that teachers are facing every day and they’re very aware of it. So increased communication across the school campus was one thing that we just wanted to really focus on. And, you know, one of the things that I’m sure that you’ve thought about too, and you’re hearing from other companies. 

00:07:16 Speaker 2 

As well. 

00:07:16 Speaker 2 

Well, is how technology needs to evolve. You know, we talked about AI and ChatGPT and how that’s being incorporated into the classroom. And there’s a lot of different things. And I think coming out of the pandemic and in the next few years, we’re gonna continue to see a lot of really innovative technologies that are going to change the way that the classroom is shaped and the way teaching and learning. 

00:07:38 Speaker 1 

Yeah, because especially we’re talking about the future of education technology conference, right. And I’m I’m looking forward to getting down there and now that we’re. 

00:07:45 Speaker 1 

Kind of finally free to a certain degree from the pandemic and kind of start to look forward on some of these technologies, the augmented reality, the virtual reality audio is a big part of all of those things, right? So I mean you can, are you anticipating other new kind of applications where? 

00:08:06 Speaker 1 

Audio will be part of that. 

00:08:09 Speaker 2 

Yeah, absolutely. You know, the other component is just making sure you have clear audio for extended learning. You know, students that are outside of the classroom. How do you make sure that audio is clear on both ends? You know, if you have a group of students that are in another classroom across the school campus or, you know, in a different part, or if you have a teacher that’s remote. 

00:08:29 Speaker 2 

How do you make sure audio is clear through that whole process and we continue to think through that and we have a lot of various innovative solutions that we provide to be able to make sure that that can happen. One of the things that. 

00:08:42 Speaker 2 

Provided during the pandemic was our T3 solution, which is basically being able to provide a student with every a microphone. Every student in the classroom, and that became really applicable for remote learning where you might have a teacher that’s remote because if a student has a question that teacher needs to be able to hear it and. 

00:09:01 Speaker 2 

Being able to interact that way and really making the classroom setting different than what it has been in the past, and I think we’ll continue to see that evolve and change. But audio is at the heart of a lot of. 

00:09:12 Speaker 1 

Things one especially too. I I’ve noticed that when you look at various AI applications, various transcription applications, I mean specifically just Microsoft Word, the character recognition. 

00:09:28 Speaker 1 

It’s kind of across the Rubicon, right? I mean, it used to be like it was pretty good, but you’d have to spend a lot of time kind of cleaning. 

00:09:36 Speaker 1 

I notice now that just I mean the the character recognition when it comes to audio transcriptions, it’s just really spectacular. But the key comes down to. 

00:09:47 Speaker 1 

The microphone and what that technology can capture, right? I mean, so that’s kind of like the the front lines of any of this stuff working at all. 

00:09:56 Speaker 2 

Yeah. And you think also even about, you know, English language learning and the way that’s evolving in in K12 right now, I think over 10% of our student population. 

00:10:05 Speaker 2 

And now is falling into that category. So how can we do translation services through that process as well? So there’s a lot of exciting things that are happening through all of that. 

00:10:17 Speaker 1 

And the one piece of the the audience here that I don’t think needs much convincing are the students themselves. 

00:10:26 Speaker 1 

Right. I mean this is just. 

00:10:27 Speaker 1 

This is the technology is not a novelty to them. I mean, of course we’re all going to be speaking into microphones. 

00:10:34 Speaker 2 

Absolutely. And you know, I think students, especially now with, you know, headphones and everything else, they’re used to a more immersive experience when it comes to audio. So how can we deliver that to them, whether they’re in the classroom, whether they’re at home or whatever medium that they’re doing in the learning environment? We need to be thoughtful of that and engage them where they are. 

00:10:53 Speaker 1 

Well, lots of exciting stuff. Uh, I look forward to seeing you in person, not just on the on the zoom platform where we can kind of go more in depth. But thanks for your time to kind of. 

00:11:04 Speaker 1 

Let our listeners and let our readers kind of know what’s on the on the forefront here when it comes to audio. 

00:11:09 Speaker 2 

Absolutely. And what you know will be on the showroom floor, but we’ll also have a demonstration room where we can show Cascadia and demonstrate it on a first hand level in an enclosed space. So we look forward to being able to meet with many people at FTC. 

00:11:23 Speaker 1 

Excellent, Tony. Thanks again. Appreciate it. 

00:11:25 Speaker 2 

Thank you. 

At the TCEA Convention & Exposition, thousands of educators from various parts of the world get together to connect, gain knowledge, and improve their craft while becoming familiar with new advances in education technology. The event’s focus is not only on ed tech but also on good teaching, good learning, and good leadership with ed tech. The TCEA event has the goal of setting up educators to become curious and to discover education technology through the on-trend sessions, leading speakers, and an exhibit hall full of exhibitors. This year’s event featured more than 800 sessions on various topics such as leadership, mathematics, STEAM, digital citizenship, literacy, English language arts, and more. Scroll down for some highlights as pulled from the newswire:

Lumio by SMART Technologies, a cloud-based learning platform that effortlessly makes learning fun and engaging on student devices, unveiled a new plan, ‘Spark’. The Spark plan offers new, additional capabilities and features designed to support schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, and other organizations with enhanced instructional consistency and more flexible lesson creation and delivery. New features include an Organization Library, Shared Libraries, Co-Editing, and Learning Management System Integrations.

Dan McMahon, VP of Product at SMART Technologies, says: “We’re excited to reveal Lumio’s Spark plan at TCEA this year, giving customers access to their top-priority organization-level features. Our new multi-tiered offering continues to set Lumio apart from other tools, providing highly requested features and functionality today and in the future, at a really competitive cost. The organizations we talk to are very eager to get access to these features, and we’re proud to support even more schools and educators with keeping learning fun and engaging.”

For organizations seeking enhanced instructional consistency and even more efficient workflows, Lumio’s Spark plan provides a library to house approved curriculum content, integration with popular platforms, and the ability for teachers to collaborate on content. It allows educators to easily find and access approved curriculum content and seamlessly share and build resources with colleagues, saving them time.

TCEA attendees will receive the first public viewing of the Spark plan’s newest features alongside a chance to win a ‘Golden Ticket’ granting them a one-year Spark subscription for themselves and their teaching colleagues. All US educators at TCEA will also have the opportunity to claim one year of Lumio’s Standard plan for just $1.

Epson America, Inc. showcased its extensive lineup of lamp-free laser displays, including standard and ultra-short throw projectors and interactive solutions, as well as wireless document cameras – all designed to create immersive learning experiences and empower educators to optimize technology and create multipurpose classrooms.

Featuring user-friendly tools and virtually maintenance-free laser light sources, Epson projectors empower teachers to seamlessly integrate display technology into their classrooms and lesson plans. In addition to showcasing interactive and non-interactive display stations, the Epson booth took attendees through a variety of applications relevant to today’s educational institutions. Epson’s booth presence was designed to inspire today’s educators with new ideas and provide a solid understanding of how large displays impact classrooms and how Epson’s technology simplifies integration. Key booth takeaways include:

• How to create immersive and environmentally conducive spaces that encourage social-emotional learning in today’s multipurpose classrooms. Educators will experience different projection solutions and applications that take students out of traditional sitting-at-the-desk learning and place them into interactive educational experiences. Furthermore, the booth will show how projection can keep students engaged with content and subject matter projected onto walls – from the floor to the ceiling – and how to achieve this in a cost-effective way.
• How to optimize classroom technology and utilize Epson partners such as Eduscape for enhanced lesson plan content that inspires student creativity and elevates learning. Offering professional insight and lessons at the Epson booth, educators will be able to engage and ask questions of Eduscape. Ultimately educators will walk away with a deeper understanding of how Epson technology can seamlessly integrate into current programs and curricula, such as Google Classroom and STEM/STEAM lessons, as well as teacher-led exercises for social-emotional development.
• A better understanding of the latest projection technology along with the why and how display size impacts learning in classrooms. Attendees can explore various flexible display solutions that enable educators to optimize wall space and utilize smart, functional mobile solutions such as Artome S1 with the PowerLite® 770F for active learning environments. Plus, with the PowerLite 810E’s optical engine and extreme short throw technology, show attendees will experience firsthand the impressive image size that one projector solution can achieve. Capable of a 160-inch image, one PowerLite 810E can deliver more than four times the display size of a 75-inch flat panel display.

Encore Data Products, a bulk school audio-video products retailer, displayed their various offerings in the headphone category, such as headphones with microphones, disposable headphones, school headphones, hearing protection products, and earbuds. Meanwhile, their AV technology products include PA systems and microphones, docking stations, document & web cameras, recorders/players, laptops (for kids), charge & sync products, tour and language interpretation systems, podcasting & streaming setups, and sports & stage communication systems.

A spokesperson for Encore Data Products says, “We always make sure to attend the annual TCEA conference because it is one of the leading resources for educators who are interested in improving how they engage with students through technology while ensuring the provision of solid teaching. The 2024 conference should be able to encourage school administrators and teachers to envision a brighter future for their students through the help of the latest high-tech products and curriculum. On our part, we are truly excited to be a part of the event, offering the best audio-video products for the education environment. We’re happy and excited that people realize the great value offered by our wide-ranging product catalog.”

Encore Data Products offers various school headphones for every need and budget. These include: classroom headphones, remote learning headsets with on-ear or over-ear pads and limited-use school headphones; various cord lengths; 3.5mm or USB plugs; with volume control; and available in cases, sacks, and classroom packs.

Encore Data Products also offers cleaning supplies, including headphone covers, microphone covers, wipes & sanitizers (plus dispensers), hot towels for the maintenance of AV equipment, and electronic sanitizers. They also offer a range of AV accessories, including carts, cables & adapters, cases, STEAM & STEM, medical-grade media, and keyboards and mice.

Encore Data Products frequently supplies critical audio-video equipment for schools, libraries, medical centers, businesses, museums, tour buses, fitness centers, call centers, distance learning, home theaters, remote work, and more.

Cyber Acoustics, a leading manufacturer of EdTech for all in-person and virtual classrooms, showcased the new CA Essential Webcam Flex. Also on display were the company’s line of headsets, headphones, webcams, PC speakers, and laptop docking stations.

The two biggest challenges with remote learning are how to effectively teach without a traditional whiteboard or way to share interactive lessons, and ensuring teachers are visible to students. Through two unique mounting positions, the CA Essential Webcam Flex addresses both of these challenges.

The first position is Table View, which extends the arm of the camera out from the monitor and turns any desk into an overhead projector. This allows for easy sharing of lessons or objects that can be demonstrated in real-time, creating a more collaborative learning environment.

The second position is Center View, where the camera is positioned in the center of a monitor to create a more natural gaze and enable easy eye contact. This fundamental element of human interaction is challenging with a traditional webcam, as to achieve it parties must look at the camera lens and NOT their audience. This gives the appearance of eye contact, but it’s not creating an engaged, connected experience.

The CA Essential Webcam Flex makes virtual learning as close to in person as possible, giving the teacher the ability to demonstrate by writing on paper like a whiteboard or look students in the eye so lessons are more engaging. The company has spent years understanding the needs of educators and the result is a line of durable, affordable headsets that just work, no software or apps required.

With connectivity options for every need, Cyber Acoustics offers headphones and headsets with the right feature set for any grade level. Best sellers include the AC-4000 series for grades K-5 and the AC-6000 series for grades six-12, while the AC-5000 series offers features and durability that make it perfect for all grade levels. To find the right headphone or headset for your specific classroom needs visit https://www.cyberacoustics.com/education.

Cyber Acoustics makes it easy for schools to recycle headphones and headsets that are no longer needed, accepting wired and wireless headsets, headphones, and earbuds from ANY brand for proper recycling. To participate or learn more visit https://www.cyberacoustics.com/recycling-program. To learn more about Cyber Acoustics commitment to sustainability visit https://www.cyberacoustics.com/sustainability.

Many people are talking about virtual reality and its effectiveness in classrooms but few are doing it. Chad Lewis, Director of Technology for Tampa Preparatory School in Florida is one of them. Chad recently presented his steps for planning and creating the school’s virtual filmmaking program at the FETC show In Orlando. In this conversation, he goes into detail on his first-hand experiences in this process, including purchasing technologies and creating a curriculum utilizing Unreal Engine, Rokoko motion capture suits, and HTV Vive Mars trackers.

His program aims to democratize filmmaking skills, bridging the gap for students in both independent and public schools. Chad also envisions AI advancements in motion capture and scene creation, anticipating a future where AI streamlines 3D modeling and scene development, making filmmaking more accessible and diverse. Have a listen:

Key Talking Points:

• Background and Inspiration:
  • Chad introduces the virtual production initiative, which originated from a conversation with a new film instructor interested in integrating virtual reality development into filmmaking.
  • The shift to virtual production was sparked by the realization of cross-curricular potential and the alignment of tools such as Unreal Engine.
• Virtual Production Overview:
  • Chad explains the transition from traditional post-production methods to virtual production, emphasizing the real-time filming of scenes without extensive post-processing.
  • Unreal Engine becomes a pivotal tool for both virtual reality development and virtual production, providing a unified skill set for students.
• Cost-Effective Setup:
  • Chad describes the cost-effective approach to virtual production, using projectors, snorkel lenses, and motion capture suits for a comprehensive setup under $12,000.
  • He highlights the affordability and accessibility compared to the traditional multi-million dollar LED walls used in virtual production.
• Cross-Curricular Collaboration:
  • Chad discusses the integration of virtual production into the school’s curriculum, involving STEM students in Unreal Engine aspects and film students in the filmmaking aspects.
  • He highlights a recent collaborative project involving film, STEM, and dance students using motion capture suits and 3D scanning.
• Accessible Learning Tools:
  • Recommends the use of Scene Forge as a beginner-friendly application for virtual production, emphasizing its simplicity compared to Unreal Engine.
  • Discusses the decreasing cost and increased accessibility of motion capture technology, citing Sony’s Mocap product as a cost-effective alternative.
• Future Hopes and Trends:
  • Chad envisions a future where AI revolutionizes motion capture by eliminating the need for sensors, making the process more intuitive and accessible.
  • He foresees AI-driven advancements in 3D modeling and scene creation, reducing the learning curve and democratizing filmmaking further.
• Democratization of Filmmaking:
  • Chad expresses excitement about the democratization of filmmaking tools, allowing individuals and small groups to create high-quality content without extensive resources.
  • He eflects on the evolving landscape, where AI accelerates the creative process, making filmmaking tools and skills more widely available.

The Culture Conscious Campuses Model which has been approved by the Texas Education Agency commissioner as a research-based instructional model with proven results in increasing academic success for African American students as well as students from low socio-economic backgrounds, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Host Kevin Hogan talks to the author.

The computer-generated transcript is below:

Kevin Hogan

OK. Hello and welcome to this month’s episode of Innovations and Education. Where we here in eSchool news explore the transformative stories and initiatives shaping the landscape of learning. I’m your host, Kevin Hogan, and today we have a terrific journey to share with you, one that involves turning underachieving title one schools into overachieving success story. Now imagine a principal who has not only flipped the narrative, but also transformed the culture and climate of their schools, fostering an environment where every student can thrive. It was my pleasure to speak with Doctor Cynthia Wise, the principal and Chief academic officer for the Charter branch of Waco ISD in Texas. Doctor Weiss’s approach goes beyond traditional methods. She created something called the Culture Conscious Campus model. It’s a groundbreaking instructional model approved by the Texas Education Agency Commission. This model has demonstrated proven results in increasing academic success. Not only for African American students, but for all students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, irrespective of their race or ethnicity. Doctor Weiss’s impact is proven in the data. She has successfully turned around three title one schools to earn an A rating. At the beginning of the last school year, a significant percentage of her third graders were below their reading levels. But by the end of the year, Doctor Wise and her team achieved remarkable 26% improvement in reading proficiency among those students. In this conversation, we delve into the facets of Doctor Weiss’s story, the reputation she’s earned, the remarkable increase in reading achievement, and the ground breaking model that she created. Have a listen. OK. Doctor Wise, thank you so much for joining me today. I really appreciate your time and looking forward to your insights.

Dr. Cynthia Wise

Thank you Kevin, for having me. This is indeed an honor and a pleasure.

Kevin Hogan

Well, you know, I think we can just dive right into it. You know, you have a lot of work doing a lot of work over the past several years. I think since 2019 when your model was first kind of unleashed. And I want to ask you. At that time, that was before COVID and I am assuming that a lot of things have happened since then, but let’s get started where the inspiration for your model and from when your work springs from.

Dr. Cynthia Wise

Well, the cultural conscious campuses model and the wise and structural framework, it evolved from my belief that is never the children’s fault. It is ours. If children aren’t learning, it’s because teachers aren’t teaching them the way they should be taught. In order to master the curriculum and we as adults, are not doing our part to put systems and structures in place so that students can thrive.

Kevin Hogan

And so you know, that’s something that is a problem. Problem that I know from my reporting it it is. Society wide, I mean, there seems to be a recognition of it, but then how do you tackle it and how do you go from that concept and the and the worries of those problems and turn it into something that is a day-to-day practice in the classroom? It seems like that’s something you’ve been able to do so. Share with us some of some of those.

Dr. Cynthia Wise

Yeah, Kevin, I’ve spent my entire career working at title One schools, children that are in poverty, and I’m known across the state of Texas for reaching the African American child. But this model is for any student that is. Struggling. I believe that we have a moral and legal obligation to bring out of our children what already exists within them. I don’t believe that a students zip code should determine the quality of education they receive. 65% of the children that are entering school today, they will end up working in jobs that don’t exist yet because the future of the economy is in stem and that’s where the jobs of tomorrow will be. For example, AI. So how do we prepare? Our students for that, oftentimes when I take over struggling schools and and that’s primarily what I do turn around schools. I’m oftentimes presented with the scenario of white flight and I said to people, it’s not just white flight, it’s really middle class flight. Those parents that can afford to get out of a toxic system, they do but. The students that I serve, their parents don’t have a choice, so we have to do our job and turning these schools around and there is a sense of urgency. 5% of the students that are in poverty, the research is clear. Only 5% of those students will get out of poverty if we don’t educate them. When you’re dealing with children in poverty and children at title one schools, they don’t have the luxury. Of generational wealth, the luxury of someone is going to lead them a business they’re going to inherit a business. I mean, we spend time helping family members bury their loved ones, right?

And so, first of all, it starts with you have to like the children that you teach. I believe it was dying a day that said, children don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, so you have to like and love the children that you teach. There is a sense of urgency. So we start with empowering our leaders, that we refocus them on their vision and mission skills and knowledge that are necessary. To grow teachers leaders because principals cannot do this work alone, you have to have you a strong team of teacher leaders. And of course your administrative team around. You and so in other words, we build leadership capacity. That’s where we start. You have to put those systems and processes in place that would transform the school culture. So that’s what makes the CCC model the culture conscious. Campus is modeled so successfully. But you have to also align culture with a strong academic program, so that’s where we start with leadership, because leadership does matter. And Kevin, you know the the research is very clear. Year a strong school culture is an important foundation for student achievement and growth.

It helps you retain more teachers and you get better. Student achievement in both reading and math and within building a strong school culture. You have to have strong. Student teacher relationship. This will fuel student engagement. This also motivates students. And you also have to have a culture of high expectations, right? Students have to have a sense of belonging in their learning environment. This also, if there’s a culture of high expectations, this fuels student engagement. And most teachers, they do not set high expectations. For all students. And the system in itself don’t reward high expectation mindsets as much as they do content and the teaching methods. So building a culture conscious campus is at the core of our work. When there is no order, there is no learning. So and and that’s where we start with focusing the leaders on the vision and mission. But then you have to to address. The discipline and just about I would go out and say 100% of any struggling school in a toxic environment, everything is out of control. Discipline is out of control. There is no order. So you have to bring order. You have to have those high expectations. For everyone, everyone is held accountable, including myself as a leader. So you gotta refocus them on the purpose, the vision and the mission. Why are we here? Why are we doing what we’re doing? And how does that? Look, OK. And so there has to be decorum in the school.

When I first took on this assignment at this chronic struggling school where I am now a a year ago. Oh my goodness. Unbelievable people would not believe that in America. Those there are still schools like this. Fights profanity. Total disrespect. Now, if you were to visit my school within one. Hey. Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am. Yes, Sir. No, Sir. Excuse me. Manners. Students are engaged in learning, and so a culture conscious campus is a student first as a student and has a student center culture, right. We believe our students are exceptional. We bring out of them what already exists within them. But we have to create those structures to drive to deeper learning faster where there’s no order. There is no learning and certain certainly there is no deep learning our curriculum here in the state of Texas is very rigorous, right? So students have to be laser. Focus uh under the student center culture. You have clearly defined and articulated rules, processes, and procedures for culture and instruction. Teachers are not sages on stages, they are facilitators, and chief learners also under a culture conscious campus, we have a culture. As I stated before about the research, has necessary to have that culture of high expectations under the culture conscious campus model. We have a culture of high expectation, Kevin. We say what we mean and we do what we say. We set high expectations for the students and adults. As I stated before, we hold everyone accountable, the students, the teachers, the parents, the administrators and myself as the campus leader, a culture conscious campus as a strong instructional culture we teach. For purpose and we align everything we do with the standards. The standards. That’s your current. Give them right. We teach the curriculum, not a test. So we align everything what we do with the standards. We strive not only for mastery, but for excellence. We also create those reflective spaces where teachers can grow. I train my leaders. Our leaders model reflective practices and they encourage constructive communication and collaboration across all staff, so we dedicate that meaningful time for that professional learning and you others may know it as professional development. Also, under a culture conscious campus, we have a culture of engagement we want to hear from our constituents, our consumers, IE our parents, our students, our community, our teacher because we know that we are stronger together. We value their input and we take what they say and improve upon our practices, so align with.

Having this strong building, a culture conscious campus and we have a strong comprehensive academic program and under that strong academic comprehensive program. There are 5 cornerstone characteristics, and they are non-negotiable. We will not budget on these and one would be first safe and inclusive schools. Now we know that students must feel safe in order to. Learn and that is why you have middle class flight, right? Number one. Parents want their children to feel safe. So we set and enforce our rules and procedures to keep all students safe. You know, I’m reminded and this is a team effort here I I was perusing. Facebook the other day and then I. Saw saw on Facebook where 50 Cent said that I don’t have a degree from Harvard, but I surround myself with people that do so you have to build a strong, cohesive team as the leader, and you lead out front. I tell people I am the chief learner. On my campus, I am not just a principal, I am an instructional leader. I lead by example. I perform my own PD, but yes, I do bring in other people who may have more expertise in a certain area than. I do so one cornerstone characteristic under the comprehensive academic program is safe and inclusive school. We meet the needs of all children, but first and foremost, they must feel safe when students are not safe in an environment, they don’t take risks. There’s a lot of bullying. Going on, we don’t tolerate bullying every morning during my announcements, I announced that we will not with the capital, NOT tolerate bullying. And if you’re someone is having an issue, you report it to your teacher. Any adult in the building let us handle it. So you do not. The second cornerstone characteristic under our comprehensive academic program is that we prepare our students for college and career readiness and also to be critical thinkers and problem solvers.

How do we do that, Kevin? We offer rigorous instructions. Across multiple innovative models, I was one CEO at a over an organization that had oversight over six of a district in school charter schools. So I had oversight over six of those campuses. And we encourage our campuses to we collaborate across campuses because that was very important that you come together as a team and you bounce off ideals and improve upon your practices. So preparing our children to be college and career ready and to be critical thinking and. Problem solver. We also tap into those soft skills and we do that through. Them into individual interventions and those real world experiences, such as in we include project based learning, vocational apprenticeships and that was more or less at I at the middle school field trips and more the third. Characteristic of the comprehensive academic program is developing the whole child. We develop students social, emotional, creative and cognitive capacities so students learn how to fail, learn, grow and progress. Our 4th comprehensive cornerstone characteristic of our comprehensive academic program is building those strong student and teacher relationships. We are friendly, but we are not their friends. Instead, the teachers are facilitators of learning for other children. They have to create structures, build those relationships that encourage our students to to be risk takers and enable success. And I I say I I I love this because it’s so true and you see more of this at the middle school and high school. You want to be their friend. You are not their friend. We are friendly. And the last cornerstone characteristic of our comprehensive academic component of our program is again community engage. Each man, as I stated before, we want to hear the input from our constituents and and and if I may conclude that this segment in terms of talking about the comprehensive academic component of the CC model and those are non negotiable. We grow teacher leaders, so in addition to culture being at the core of our work, we ensure that our leaders, they utilize and and our teachers research base, best practices, models and instructional. And work because we strongly believe when the teacher is ready, the student will appear. And so I just kind of gave you a little snippet. Yeah, a general overview of the comprehensive academic program of the CCC model.

Kevin Hogan

One thing that really fascinates me about your your descriptions of it, so many elements of it. Really, seeing that they were prescient before the pandemic. So the idea of student safety and when you talk about safety, that’s the mental well-being as well as physical well-being, right, the importance of communicating with the whole community, especially with parents that became something that was.

Speaker

I see.

Kevin Hogan

Hugely important during COVID terms of, you know, bringing them into. The they became teacher assistants at home right during the the remote time and then hopefully have kind of continued to be there together as well as teacher agency and the idea of teacher leaders coming in those first few months of the pandemic, everyone was kind of left to their own devices, right? I mean, the teachers were left to. Being in control of those classrooms, everyone kind of forgot about standards for a while there and just try to kind of keep everybody together. Have you seen a recognition of your work changed because of the, the, the past few years and and these sort of elements?

Dr. Cynthia Wise

You know, Kevin actually not do we show our students show progress and remember the Commissioner sharing that the Commissioner of Education in Texas, our the schools that I had oversight over our students, showed progress during the pandemic because you know what? We kept standards high. We didn’t use that. As an excuse to water down our curriculum, we held them accountable by Google meets in our Google Classroom. Our students had to come to class in your uniform. And we set our expectations. We made sure our parents know no one can be present in the room. They have to be totally engaged and they’re on from this time to that time. But we were already, you know, integrating technology into the classroom prior to COVID because our. Students were very familiar with Google Classroom and we actually showed growth during COVID when the. Schools were were. Let down and so we never lowered our standards. We kept high expectation throughout COVID as a matter of fact, one of my school was a blue ribbon nominated school. And all of that coming through COVID keeping those standards high. And of course, we had a comprehensive program that we put together plan that we put together to A to make those necessary changes during COVID.

Kevin Hogan

So when you look at the model and obviously when you are the the creator of it and you are the inspiration for it and working with it, the particular places you are. If one of our audience members is looking to implement something like this in their own school or their own district, but they don’t have a doctor wise there to kind of put the pieces together and and put it together, what is your advice for them in terms of trying to use these sort of strategies in their own districts?

Dr. Cynthia Wise

Well, as I stated before, it starts with structure. With with discipline, if your school is still struggling, I and I hear this all the time where the students are unruly, they’re not disciplined. You have to refocus, you have to stop what you’re doing. School. What’s going? But you have to bring. Assemble a strong team together and you have to address. The issues you have to get to the root of the problem and it is never the children. It is never the child. Children. If our children are not doing what they’re supposed to do, if they’re misbehaving, if they’re not focused on their academics, it’s because we are allowing them to do that. We are the adults in charge, and I often time tell them you put on your I am in charge. T-shirt. And you go to work, but you cannot fear the children that you teach. When I took over this assignment and all the other assignments and my turn around school, what I got from that? That teachers and others were afraid of children have for having stay safe. They are children, they they are going to do what we ask them to do. It is a non negotiable. So you assemble leaders that are out there. Principal teacher leaders. I believe in teacher leaders. You empower your teachers leader. You empower them by equipping them and you have procedures and processes in place and you enforce them with fidelity and in the words of Harry Wong, none of this will work without consistency. You have to be consistent. We say what we mean and we do what we say is not something this day and something different than next day. You have to be consistent or none of this will. Work now. Our secret sauce. I’m sorry. Special sauce is how we practice as educators. See we value diversity, equity and inclusion in our schools and all of that is built into the culture conscious campus campuses where students come first. You have to. Have the mindset of students come first. Student centered. It is not about Doctor. Guys I tell the teacher it’s not about you. It is about these students. We have been charged to make sure that these students get the best education possible if that if. They fail at. That it’s because of what adults did, Paul Pastor it at the time when I was the CEO. And first started my down that journey of being a CEO and having oversight over six of these schools, Doctor Paul Pasterick, who is now the CEO and President of the University of Arizona Global. And he was over all of the school system in New Orleans. And he helped turn that down, I guess I pronounced it right. But if you’re from New Orleans, problems and normal. But anyway, Doctor Pastrick told me at the time he was working with me. He said that children can’t wait while adults work through their issues. They can’t wait. So adults got to get it together and you come up with a plan and you implement that plan with fidelity. How does it look from the time you open the door to the time you send them home and everything in between? What does it looks like? And that’s what I found with a principal struggle with. What does it? Look like nobody if you never under study. Under a A a principle that was an exemplary principle, an outstanding leader. Then you don’t know what it looks like, right? And so often principles. And they’re so happy they got their principal. Now you know, we all thrive to be a principal. Those who want to. Because you want to make a difference in their lives of many children. But you don’t know what it looks like. Right. So you have to get your great mentor. Oftentimes they provide mentors for teachers, but they don’t for principals. And they don’t. And get your great mentor. Do your research, make sure materials and resources that you are using, that they are research based and and get on the phone and call that person. Call me if you like. I’d be glad to help but you have to refocus on your vision and your mission. And get order in that school first. And hold everyone accountable. Everyone, parents, students, teachers and ourselves.

Kevin Hogan

It’s good advice now when you look at the success that you have that you’ve had and and and continue to have. Let me ask you to look forward a little bit and see what your hopes are going forward. What are you seeing with your with your program? How do you see it, the models evolving? How do you what do you see as a definition of success? Say over the next two or three years.

Dr. Cynthia Wise

We using the reading Horizon reading program for an example. One of the best reading programs in my opinion that I have ever used. We took this school where when I first took over last year, 90% of these students were functional ill. Right. They were non readers within one year we that number was reduced to only 60% and we’re continuing to close that reading gap, right. So you have to make sure you have research based programs in place. And you can’t chase every little thing out there. Get something that. Works and stick with it, right? But I hope at the end of the the day that this model would be a blueprint for excellence and innovation and REACH more children in poverty so they can come back to their communities and be good people. Great citizens and help out in their communities.

Kevin Hogan

Well, it’s great stuff. And as I mentioned, I really appreciate your time and your. And so your your work is incredibly important and it’s great to hear that it’s having such a positive effect where you are and hopefully your ideas can spread to the folks who are reading and listening us today, so. Thanks again, doctor, I really appreciate it.

Dr. Cynthia Wise

Thank you so much. And and I didn’t say but happy New Year.

Kevin Hogan

To you happy. New year. Well, so that’s all for this month’s episode of Innovations and Education. Stay tuned for more episodes where we uncover the latest trends and innovations shaping the future of education. Once again I’m Kevin Hogan, and thanks for listening.

Sometimes it’s the most basic of technologies that is the most effective. So it is with the services of the Family Engagement Lab, whose mission statement is, “to catalyze equitable family engagement and student learning by bridging classroom curriculum and at-home learning. As a national nonprofit, our work builds partnerships between teachers and historically underserved families by facilitating ongoing communication and collaboration about learning.”

Their signature tool, FASTalk, shares at-home learning activities via text messages in each family’s home language. Current partnerships include districts such as Oakland Unified School District and collaborations with the Louisiana Department of Education. In this conversation, Vidya covers the gamut—discussing the evolution in education, especially in the context of social-emotional learning, parent-teacher communication, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She emphasizes the importance of family engagement in learning and how technology, specifically text messaging, can be a powerful tool for improving communication between teachers and parents.

Vidya introduces their program called “Fast Talk,” which utilizes prescriptive text messages to positively engage parents in supporting their children’s learning. The conversation delves into the dynamics of school-to-home communication, focusing on the need for positive interactions and the potential of technology to strengthen relationships between teachers, students, and families.

Takeaways:

• Evolution in Education: The interview explores the changes in education, particularly in the areas of social-emotional learning, parent-teacher communication, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, influenced by the pandemic and broader cultural shifts.
• Focus on Family Engagement: Vidya highlights the increasing focus on family engagement in education, citing the importance of collaborating and partnering with families to support students’ learning.
• Role of Technology: The conversation emphasizes the role of technology, specifically text messaging, in enhancing communication between schools and families. The use of technology is seen as a tool to bridge gaps and make communication more accessible.
• Positive School-to-Home Communication: Vidya stresses the significance of maintaining positive interactions in school-to-home communication, aiming to build a bank of positive interactions to address challenges effectively.
• District-Level Implementation: The technology and services discussed are primarily implemented at the district level, with the goal of making family engagement tools more accessible and customizable for teachers.
• Future Vision: Vidya expresses excitement about the potential for technology to further connect students, teachers, and families. The vision involves creating a more holistic understanding of students, and incorporating their cultural backgrounds and experiences into the learning process for a richer educational experience.

AI isn’t the only acronym poised to create vast improvements in the way we teach and learn. Last month, eSchool attended “XR Training: The Next Frontier of Learning,” hosted by Transfr Inc. The event featured many speakers including CEO Bharani Rajakumar (pictured above), developers, and users in the corporate, not-for-profit, and government sectors that use simulation software to enhance job training programs. 

Conversations touched on a wide variety of topics from the distinctions of spatial computing, to how XR can reduce the skills gap, to how its application can become a powerful force in underserved communities. It was a great opportunity to listen to some of the leading experts in the field, get our chance to try the gear firsthand and hear how the tech is already impacting lives. Scroll down for some highlights of the sessions and some examples of the simulations in action.

Extended reality (XR) is considered a catch-all term for augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies. The technology intends to combine or mirror the physical world with a “digital twin world” able to interact with it, which gives users an immersive experience by being in a virtual or augmented environment.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census Bureau, around 11 million people are either looking for a job or would look for one if they had the necessary skills. Transfr focuses on areas like construction, manufacturing, and healthcare, where almost 4 million job opportunities exist that don’t require a 4-year degree. The company believes in allowing everyone to pursue upward mobility by learning about their interests and acquiring the necessary skills.

The company has created over 300 training simulations, offering immersive experiences in aviation maintenance, diesel technology, and, more recently, healthcare. The introduction of Career Exploration 2.0 allows students to explore various career options through shorter, more engaging simulations, including new modules in health sciences and future occupations like electric vehicles and semiconductors. The platform has seen significant developments, including a new VR application for Career Exploration 2.0 with login options, diverse virtual coaches, multi-language support (including Spanish in 2024), closed captioning, and an enhanced dashboard for easier classroom management. Transfr has also launched a Career Exploration dashboard that helps instructors track students’ exploration paths and preferences, facilitating better guidance.

You can check out some of their simulation examples below:

The cutting-edge technology has implications beyond just improving job training. I had the opportunity to chat with Joe Jordan, the President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Indiana, about how XR simulation training can help close the skills gap.

He envisions XR technology becoming an essential project within his organization, fostering economic development and providing essential skills for youth. The collaboration with Transfer is seen as a win-win proposition, aligning technology companies with educational institutions to create solutions for the benefit of the community.

The Boys and Girls Club’s partnership with Transfer demonstrates a holistic approach to child development, leveraging technology to bridge educational gaps, create opportunities, and contribute to economic development, all while emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships. Have a listen:

FETC Coverage:

• Scenes from the show floor and more at #FETC24
• Tom and Joyce Whitby take the temperature of the #FETC show floor
• Show Floor Spotlight — Jabra
• Show Floor Spotlight — LG Electronics
• Show Floor Spotlight — Samsung Education
• Show Floor Spotlight — Cox Business
• Breaking Product News – Students align talents, strengths with career paths via YouScience
• Conference Insights: Student engagement requires more than edtech tools
• Breaking Product News: Bullseye Showcases Customizable K-12 Instructional Support Platform
• Breaking Product News: Avantis Education Showcases Expanded Virtual Reality Content
• Breaking Product News–Scribbles Software Updates Document Management System
• Breaking Product News–Lightspeed Launches Networked Instructional Audio Platform
• Breaking Product News–Tutor.com’s high-dosage tutoring targets student achievement
• James O’Hagan, Vice President of Education Innovation at LeagueSpot, details the current state of play in scholastic esports.
• Mary Batiwalla, Director of Evaluation Analytics, ClassLink, on the emerging influence of data in the classroom
• Robert Martellacci on 10 Emerging EdTech trends for 2024
• Breaking Product News – BenQ “Teach Your Way” offers affordable projector pricing
• Breaking Product News – zSpace launches career readiness solution to inspire awareness, exploration
• Breaking Product News -Propello launches inquiry Booster Packs to promote teacher success, student engagement 
• Breaking Product News – KinderLab spotlights new AI curriculum
• Breaking Product News—PowerSchool today announced the next evolution of its AI platform
• Breaking Product News—Orchestrate by ScreenBeam
• Look Who’s Talking—Chad A. Stevens, Ph.D., Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at ParentSquare
• Look who’s talking—Dalraida Elementary Principal Dr. Bryan Cutter (Montgomery, AL) on the Elementary Science Integration of ClassVR for STEM.
• FETC Showstopper— eLuma CEO Jeremy Glauser on addressing the mental health crises in schools
• Look Who’s Talking—Interview with Glenn Robbins, Superintendent of Schools at Brigantine Public School District, NJ
• Get Ready for Pitchfest 2024
• Editors’ Pick— Five Must-See Sessions

Scenes from the show floor and more at #FETC24

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Tom and Joyce Whitby take the temperature of the #FETC show floor

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Show Floor Spotlight — Jabra

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Show Floor Spotlight — LG Electronics

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Show Floor Spotlight — Samsung Education

Dr. Micah Shippee gives us a tour of the Samsung booth at FETC and demos the unique features of Samsung’s 130” All-in-One LED Display.

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Show Floor Spotlight — Cox Business

Listen in as reps from Cox Business describe how their services can layer on top of a school’s existing internet connection to make sure classrooms are secure, provide resiliency, disaster recovery, and other IT solutions that augment existing IT staff and deliver for students.

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Breaking Product News – Students align talents, strengths with career paths via YouScience

YouScience, a technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers, demonstrated YouScience Brightpath, which supports educators in addressing critical issues facing students in one unified platform. Thousands of middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, trade schools, chambers of commerce, and employer partners use various applications from YouScience. With Brightpath, educators can: Personalize students’ education pathways for increased academic and career success; provide deeper purpose for classwork by supporting real-world career outcomes into every student’s educational journey; connect students to their future by bridging the gap between education and industry in meaningful and personalized ways, and support every student’s growth through the major transitions between middle school to high school, high school to post-secondary learning, and from the classroom to careers.

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Conference Insights: Student engagement requires more than edtech tools

Student engagement is critical to academic achievement, but it can often be a struggle to engage students in meaningful and relevant ways. During a session at FETC 2024, Tom Murray, Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools, dove into just what, exactly, makes for the effective use of edtech in supporting student engagement. Read the full story here.

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Breaking Product News: Bullseye Showcases Customizable K-12 Instructional Support Platform

Bullseye’s platform helps K-12 leaders looking to transform their school walkthroughs, coaching, and feedback process. Its platform provides instructional leaders with the tools they need to conduct effective walkthroughs, deliver tailored feedback and support, and personalize professional development for teachers. With Bullseye, users can elevate instruction and drive student success in every classroom.

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Breaking Product News: Avantis Education Showcases Expanded Virtual Reality Content

Avantis Education, creators of ClassVR, is showcasing more than 60 pieces of new virtual reality content for math and language arts, and is demonstrating its alignment of more than 350 lessons to U.S. standards. Avantis for the first time showcased the alignment of more than 400 of its VR lessons with U.S. state standards in science, social studies and English/Language Arts. The alignment, done in partnership with EdGate, provides added value and convenience for teachers by making it easier for them to identify which lessons to select to accompany their instruction. Avantis Education also debuted its first-ever library of VR math content. The initial launch includes 20 immersive VR scenes designed for students ages 5-11 covering a range of topics including numbers, measurements, shapes and geometry, fractions, decimals, percentages, statistics and algebra.

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Breaking Product News--Scribbles Software Updates Document Management System

Scribbles Software has made significant updates to its ScribOnline document management system to continue to improve the customer experience and make it easier for schools and districts to maintain and organize data. ScribOnline provides a secure, permanent archive in the cloud for student records, human resources records, finance records, and more, helping ensure school districts’ documents can be securely accessed from anywhere at any time. The updates to the system allow school and district staff to more easily conduct mass scanning and uploading of documents, search for data using customizable index values, and update scanned documents using insertion, deletion, and notation tools.

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Breaking Product News–Lightspeed Launches Networked Instructional Audio Platform

Lightspeed recently launched Cascadia, a networked instructional audio platform that effortlessly projects the teacher’s voice within the classroom while also empowering teachers to call for help and communicate outside of the classroom directly from their lanyard microphone. Cascadia delivers all the benefits of instructional audio and integrates with existing life-safety and building communication systems, providing the ability to initiate mobile, silent emergency alerts and make two-way calls to the office from anywhere in the building.

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Breaking Product News--Tutor.com’s high-dosage tutoring targets student achievement

Tutor.com‘s high-dosage tutoring uses high-frequency, high-impact tutoring in a research-based, intensive solution to help K–12 schools and districts accelerate learning for at-risk students. High-frequency, high-impact tutoring is a data-supported method of helping students make significant, measurable academic gains. High-impact tutoring enables teachers to refer students who need intensive subject support, and then receive Lesson Reports three times per week to chart learner achievements.

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James O’Hagan, Vice President of Education Innovation at LeagueSpot, details the current state of play in scholastic esports.

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Mary Batiwalla, Director of Evaluation Analytics, ClassLink, on the emerging influence of data in the classroom

Mary is a product development leader at ClassLink, and her specialty is Education Analytics. She designs the systems that help teachers and school leaders know what is really happening with instructional technology in their classrooms. Previous to ClassLink, she was the Assistant Commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Education, where she led assessment and accountability.

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Robert Martellacci on 10 Emerging EdTech trends for 2024

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Breaking Product News – BenQ “Teach Your Way” offers affordable projector pricing

BenQ announced its new “Teach Your Way” Projector Program. Committed to partnering with schools to enable greater positive outcomes for all students by transforming classrooms, BenQ’s program offers planning, pricing, and customer support benefits for BenQ’s latest lineup of maintenance-free LED and laser projectors and InstaShow Wireless Presentation System (WPS). “Schools have had to purchase outdated, low-resolution projectors in order to save money, but these fail to meet the standards for the future of learning and provide all students with access to state-of-the-art technology,” said Bob Wudeck, senior director of business development at BenQ Education. “The BenQ Education ‘Teach Your Way’ Projector Program offers an easy and affordable pathway to projector upgrades. Plus, our latest solutions offer exclusive features and benefits that align with modern teaching pedagogies and IT standards while adding immense value and reducing TCO.”

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Breaking Product News – zSpace launches career readiness solution to inspire awareness, exploration

zSpace, Inc. launched a new solution designed to enhance students’ readiness for future careers. The Career Readiness Solution takes a comprehensive approach to providing career awareness, exploration, and preparedness opportunities for elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students. Through the expansion of its STEM, CTE, and Career Readiness content, students can now research, learn about, and experience future careers with immersive content using zSpace’s AR/VR laptops. 

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Breaking Product News -Propello launches inquiry Booster Packs to promote teacher success, student engagement 

Propello launched turnkey Inquiry-Based Booster Packs to connect schools and districts with classroom-ready, standards-aligned supplemental science curriculum. Booster Packs drive student engagement through inquiry-based instruction that offers flexibility to conform to an educator’s existing workflow. Subjects currently offered in Propello’s Inquiry-Based Science Booster Pack are aligned to NGSS standards in Life Sciences, Earth and Space Science, and Physical Science. Each booster pack includes click-and-go classroom-ready lessons, real-world phenomena-based videos, hands-on active labs and activities, diverse assessment options, embedded student supports like language translations and text-to-speech, and teacher guidance. 

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Breaking Product News – KinderLab spotlights new AI curriculum

KinderLab featured its new AI Curriculum for Young Learners, Thinking with KIBO: Introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Early Grades. This free curriculum is designed to help students in grades 1–3 understand how AI works, what its limitations are and how to think critically about how these tools can improve lives in their communities. Featuring 5 lessons, students explore fundamental ideas about AI through activities with the hands-on and screen-free KIBO robot. 

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Breaking Product News—PowerSchool today announced the next evolution of its AI platform with the launch of PowerSchool PowerBuddy, an AI-powered assistant for everyone in education. The company says that unlike other one-off AI offerings, PowerSchool’s comprehensive AI ecosystem is purposefully engineered to “bring AI to data.” PowerBuddy is a role-specific Conversational AI assistant being piloted now and will be available for the 2024-2025 school year to support student progress in and out of the classroom.

PowerBuddy will initially be incorporated into Schoology Learning offering students on-demand, one-on-one assistance with their assignments and tailored pathways transforming traditional learning into an immersive and engaging experience. Teachers will be able to use PowerBuddy to generate lesson plans, automate the creation of quizzes and assessments in Performance Matters, and personalize homework at scale, saving them time to focus on what’s most important – interaction with students. Additionally, it will offer individualized college and career guidance through Naviance CCLR for both counselors and students. Parents can leverage PowerBuddy in My PowerSchool to inquire about their child’s academic performance and other relevant information. They will receive proactive alerts if their child is falling behind, fostering transparency and empowering parents to participate in their child’s education. Additionally, PowerBuddy will offer personalized, district-approved academic and social-emotional learning resources from ContentNav to actively support them in their child’s learning. Furthermore, administrators can ask natural language questions about their data within Analytics & Insights and PowerSchool SIS to truly democratize information for decision-making. PowerBuddy will eventually be expanded across the entire PowerSchool ecosystem. It will be system-agnostic and will integrate with most education technology tools, including non-PowerSchool products.

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Breaking Product News—Orchestrate by ScreenBeam is a new instructional tool for classroom orchestration and student management allowing teachers to easily share and collaborate over digital content with their students in a 1:1 classroom, where each student has a device. Orchestrate is unique from other classroom management tools in that it also enables teacher and student wireless presentation, touchscreen support, student monitoring, and moderation.

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Look Who’s Talking—Chad A. Stevens, Ph.D., Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at ParentSquare

Session: What is Your District’s Calling Card? Branding is the Answer

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM EST

Location: S220F, Orange County Convention Center/ Session Code: CS220F1

Description: Schools and districts compete for students, administrative and teaching talents, and community perception in our ever-evolving world. With teacher shortages becoming a national crisis and various educational options for students, districts must move beyond typical mascots, static websites, and predictable taglines to showcase a school/district’s unique assets. In this session, attendees will learn how with a strategic branding approach, schools can build a community and culture that reflect the academic programs at an intellectual, social, and cultural level creating a more positive and supportive environment for all.

In this preview conversation, Chad details his presentation, along with the recent evolution of Parent Square, a platform focused on family engagement. Over the past three years, the company has witnessed significant changes, including mergers and acquisitions, with a recent acquisition of Remind, a popular platform for communication and learning. 

The acquisition will expand ParentSquare’s current offerings with additional communication tools that reach students and families in over 80% of public schools and used by 60% of teachers in the United States.

Chad touches on challenges faced by school districts in implementing communication strategies, such as consolidating various communication tools and addressing competition for student enrollment. He highlights trust-building through consistent communication as crucial, especially in times of societal upheaval affecting school districts. He also touches on the impact of AI, with a focus on improving language translations and overall readability of messaging to the wider community.

Chad is charged with shaping ParentSquare’s strategic direction, advising on all aspects of company operations and driving its marketing initiatives. He works closely with the leadership team to define and execute growth strategies, while overseeing all aspects of marketing and brand development. This includes ownership of content, engagement, enablement and education.

Prior to ParentSquare Chad led the K-12 Education Vertical at Amazon Web Services, was the Chief Education Strategist for CDW-G, and a Senior K-20 Education Consultant at Dell, Inc. Before the private sector, Chad had a successful 14 year career as Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Instructional Technology and Chief Technology Officer. He maintains Superintendent Certification in Texas. He is a current member of the CoSN Board of Directors, serving since 2019. In 2023 he was named one of the Top 100 Influencers in EdTech by EdTech Digest. He holds a B.S. from Tarleton State University, a M.S. in Educational Management from the University of Houston – Clear Lake and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Conversation highlights include:

• Evolution of Parent Square: Over the past three years, Parent Square has undergone significant changes, including mergers and acquisitions, with a recent acquisition of Remind. The platform has grown to serve 17 million students across all 50 states.
• Challenges for School Districts: School districts face challenges in consolidating communication tools, establishing a consistent brand, and building trust. Increased competition for student enrollment adds complexity to these challenges.
• Trust-building through Communication: Consistent communication is emphasized as a means to build trust among parents, teachers, and the community. A trusted voice and brand contribute to improved school-family relationships.
• Impact of Societal Changes on School Districts: Societal upheavals, such as teacher shortages and changes in librarianship, have put school districts in the spotlight. Trust and consistent communication can help navigate these challenges.
• Role of AI in Communication: AI is explored for its potential impact on improving communication, particularly in post translations and readability. The focus is on meaningful applications, such as using AI to assist in rewriting posts for better understanding.
• Future Innovations: Parent Square is piloting a new tool called Studio Editor in 2024, aiming to revamp and upgrade their newsletter tool. Google Classroom integration, reduced platform switching for parents, and enhanced security features are among the upcoming innovations.
• Focus on Engagement: Parent Square aims to be the most engaged platform by combining the strengths of Remind and Parent Square. The platform seeks to have a significant impact on the engagement of teachers, students, and families.

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Look who’s talking—Dalraida Elementary Principal Dr. Bryan Cutter (Montgomery, AL) on the Elementary Science Integration of ClassVR for STEM. 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 26, room: CS220G10

eSchool was able to secure a sneak peek of how Dr. Cutter and his team implemented STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education into primary grades. He shares insights into the establishment of a STEM lab, its impact on students, and the integration of STEM into the general education curriculum. The program aims to provide a foundation in 21st-century skills, fostering collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and creativity. The initiative has gained recognition and support at the district and state levels, with plans to expand STEM education to middle schools. Click through for a listen:

Dr. Cutter was a recipient of the Milken Educator Award in 2022, whose organizers published his bio below. After joining Dalraida just one year into the pandemic, Cutter assisted in the implementation of a new STEM lab, which was the first for elementary students in Montgomery Public Schools and the River Region. The nontraditional classroom experience provides students the opportunity to learn through hands-on play and allows teachers to implement best practices. STEM permeates every class and content area at Dalraida due to Cutter’s vision. Robotics and other activities give students early exposure to STEM careers where they build collaboration and teamwork skills. It is his hope that this unique, fun learning environment will in turn produce future engineers, scientists and mathematicians. Cutter ensures that all around him excel by engaging and inspiring students and colleagues to reach beyond expectations and focus on providing exceptional instruction. He established grade-level professional learning communities, coaches and evaluates teachers to support their professional growth, designed a schoolwide teacher mentor program, and uses data to drive instruction, identifying trends of success and areas of need. 

A former student in Montgomery Public Schools himself, Cutter believes that building children’s confidence can change their lives. He is known as an excellent communicator who engages parents as partners in their children’s education. 

Cutter previously served as an elementary and middle school assistant principal, summer school principal, CTE director and music teacher. As a choral director, he passed on his passion for music to students as he led them to city and state recognition, frequent community performances and national competitions. He’s also facilitated after-school reading and math programs and presented at state, national and international conferences on topics including student engagement, rigor and relevance, school culture and discipline. Throughout his career, Cutter has mentored young men, helping them make better life decisions, focus on academics and athletics, and become productive members of the community. 

Cutter earned a bachelor’s in music education in 2009 from Alabama State University; education specialist and master’s degrees in music education in 2011 and 2013, respectively from Auburn University; a master’s in instructional leadership in 2014 from Alabama State University; and a Ph.D. in educational leadership, policy and law in 2019 from Alabama State University. He wrote his dissertation on middle school discipline policies and procedures in Alabama’s “Black Belt.”

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FETC Showstopper— eLuma CEO Jeremy Glauser on addressing the mental health crises in schools

The issues are well-known—K-12 schools are grappling with staffing shortages and a nationwide youth mental health crisis. In response, eLuma, historically known as a K-12 special education teletherapy company, is focusing on expanding its solutions, as evidenced by its recent partnership with Aperture Education, a leading provider of social-emotional skills assessment and intervention supports, to deliver comprehensive answers for social-emotional well-being in K-12 schools. 

I was able to discuss with Jeremey eLuma’s 2024 goals, both at FETC and in general, in the interview below. Have a listen:

Interview highlights:

• Pandemic Impact on Mental Health: The pandemic exposed and heightened the mental health crisis among youth, with statistics revealing significant challenges such as one in five kids experiencing mental problems and 70% of teens citing anxiety and depression as major issues.
• Social Media’s Role: The impact of social media on youth mental health is highlighted, with a Surgeon General report indicating that 95% of youth aged 13-17 use social media, and excessive use correlates with a higher likelihood of major mental health issues.
• eLuma’s Evolving Services: The company’s services have evolved from a special education-centric focus to a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) that includes needs assessment, universal screening, counseling, professional development, and school psychology.
• Initiatives and Challenges: Jeremy mentions positive developments in funding systems and initiatives by the White House to address absenteeism, but also notes challenges in accessing and taking care of students physically, nutritionally, emotionally, and mentally.
• Efficiency Gains through Technology: The forced changes in behavior during the pandemic have led to positive outcomes in terms of efficiency, with remote collaboration and telehealth services playing a crucial role in addressing administrative challenges.
• Importance of Privacy: Privacy is deemed critical, especially in the context of mental health interventions. eLuma emphasizes being intentional, and thoughtful, and partnering with national organizations to protect the privacy of students while intervening in a timely manner.

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Look Who’s Talking—Interview with Glenn Robbins, Superintendent of Schools at Brigantine Public School District, NJ

FETC finalized its speaker list for this year’s event this week, which includes dozens of experts and educators. Opening keynote Tucker Bryant will present The Poet’s Keys: a Guide to Unlocking Creativity, Innovation and Growth. Attendees will be equipped with tools to build a culture of creative disruption and bold exploration in the world of education, “so we’re set up to shape the future as leaders instead of remaining stuck in models of thinking that are bound for the history books.” Daniel Fitzpatrick will impart insights and tactics for harnessing AI in education. His work in the industry has earned him esteemed accolades such as the Tech Champion Award at the Digital Industry Dynamite Awards in 2022 and recognition in the latest EdTech50 awards. To close things on the mainstage, TechSHARE LIVE will feature Adam Bellow, Leslie Fisher and Dr. Adam Phyall III as the closing keynote. This esteemed crew will present the best new and hidden treasures of edtech, tailored for seamless integration into every classroom. 

In between of course are a slew of sessions and presentations collected into seven different tracks. The Campus Leader track will provide school-based leadership with professional learning focused on strategies to manage school sites, create innovative learning spaces and infuse emerging technologies. eSchool had a chance to grab Glenn Robbins, Superintendent of Schools at Brigantine Public School District, NJ, to discuss his role and general excitement about #FETC2024. His passion is harnessing a district culture that thrives on positive psychology, design thinking, futurism, innovative digital spaces, technology integration, esports, cybersecurity, Social Emotional Learning Zen Dens, and Maker cultures. He is the recipient of the National Superintendent Certification, and serves as an AASA National Governing Board Member, AASA Aspiring Superintendent Mentor, and Chair of NJASA Techspo.

He’s also a great interview. Click through to listen and click here to read the transcript:

Takeaways include:

• Evolution of Educational Leadership:
  • Glenn reflects on the changing role of educational leaders, emphasizing the need for a broad understanding of technology, curriculum, and various aspects of education.
  • He underscores the importance of leaders being adaptable and staying informed about emerging technologies and educational trends.
• Strategic Approach to EdTech Purchases:
  • When discussing his approach to hitting the FETC exhibition hall, Glenn emphasizes the importance of strategic decision-making. He advocates considering the district’s needs, budget, and long-term sustainability when evaluating new technologies.
  • Glenn highlights the value of involving students in the decision-making process and seeking their input on potential edtech solutions.
• Collaborative Networking:
  • Glenn expresses enthusiasm for building new networks and relationships at FETC. He hopes to engage in thoughtful conversations with educators, administrators, and vendors to share insights and experiences.
  • The focus is on collaborative learning, with a desire to bring back valuable takeaways for both teachers and students.
• Practitioner-Driven Learning:
  • Glenn is particularly excited about the practitioner-driven nature of the sessions at FETC. He looks forward to hearing from educators who have successfully implemented programs, products, or ideas in their schools.
  • The emphasis is on learning from real-world experiences and practical strategies that have proven effective in diverse educational settings.

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Get Ready for Pitchfest 2024

FETC Pitchfest 2024 provides a pivotal platform for early-stage edtech startups to gain valuable market exposure, secure investment, attract customers and establish strategic partnerships. Selected startups will pitch their groundbreaking ideas to a panel of industry experts, district administrators, front-line educators, parents and investors alongside a live audience.

The FETC Pitchfest Selection Committee has meticulously evaluated a pool of promising EdTech startups and selected five companies for each of the following eight categories, representing the diverse spectrum of innovation, approaches, and thoughts shaping the future of education:

• Immersive Tech: Kai’s Education, Curio XR, MegaMinds, Prof Jim Inc.
• Coding, Robotics & STEM: imagi (imagiLabs AB), Rocket Drones, Muzology, Robo Wunderkind Inc., Tanoshi
• Learning Management System: ELO Digital Office, Novis River Inc., LX Aer Corporation
• Social-emotional Learning: Abloom, Maro, BrainZones, Soft Kids, JAKAPA
• Language Learning: Erudyte, AIR Language, Literacy Tree, Readable English
• Early Childhood Learning: Johnnie May (by John Jones Media), Literably, KinderLab Robotics, Inc.
• Online Courses: Animation Prep, The Geek House, Sparc, Pencil Spaces, Connected Class
• Wild Card: Schoolytics, Readeezy, Scholar Education, Video Pro Learning, Cursive Technology, Inc.

“We’re thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of startups to FETC Pitchfest 2024,” said Kyle Christian Steele, Director of FETC Pitchfest. “Their solutions represent the very essence of edtech transformation, and the conference provides the perfect scale and network to showcase their potential to positively impact teaching, learning experiences, and access for students worldwide.”

Additionally, FETC is providing selected startups with unprecedented access to workshops, special talks, lunches and other unique opportunities that will allow them to interface directly with the 15,000+ K-12 teachers and district administrators who attend the conference. Find out more about Pitchfest here.

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Editors’ Pick— Five Must-See Sessions

Looking for a great session (or two, or three…) to attend during FETC 2024? We’ve got you covered! FETC workshops and sessions are presented by experts and innovators who are making a difference across the K-12 education spectrum. They’ll share best practices, innovative ideas, leadership strategies and provide valuable perspectives and solutions to challenging edtech problems. Session tracks include: Assistive technology, campus leader, coach, district administrator, educator, information technology, and library media specialist.

Here are 5 sessions we’re eyeing as we build our FETC schedules.

It wasn’t all about AI in K-12 in 2023! SEL, equity, and more were top news. In this special episode of Innovations in Education, editors Laura Ascione and Kevin Hogan go through the list of the most-read stories from 2023 and identify the best insights for our readers.

El Segundo Unified School District (ESUSD), in partnership with EdSAFE AI Alliance, is proud to announce the establishment of a new AI Policy Lab. The lab will be focused on fostering safe and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational settings, and part of a nationwide network of similar policy initiatives, including the New York City Public Schools AI Policy Lab.

“Our AI policy initiative underscores our dedication to integrating AI in a manner that prioritizes our values,” stated Melissa Moore, Superintendent at ESUSD. “Our primary objectives include ensuring equity, safety, ethical practices, effectiveness, and transparency. We aim to incorporate a wide array of perspectives in this process, including those of policymakers, industry experts, educators, students, and families, to collaboratively develop AI strategies and policies that resonate with our community’s unique needs and principles.”

ESUSD’s AI Policy Lab is designed as a collaborative, interdisciplinary partnership that encourages responsible AI development, deployment, and usage. The lab will provide ESUSD with policy recommendations and educational resources for teachers, students, and parents, and facilitate ongoing refinement to ensure policies are in sync with practical applications with a particular focus on community, parent and student engagement.

The national network – led by the EdSAFE AI Alliance – aimed at addressing the challenges and embracing the opportunities arising from the rapid introduction of AI in education. The network is comprised of 12 districts throughout the country who have come together to develop a “policy stack” – including acceptable use policies, parent communication and consent policies, and professional development resources for their districts.

By working together in an open science approach the network aims to create a comprehensive policy stack supporting AI’s responsible, secure integration in K-12 education by involving experts from various fields. This collaborative effort is a significant step towards leveraging AI in education more effectively and aligned with the SAFE framework.

Numerade, the AI-powered online STEM learning platform, announced the company is offering a free year of access to its Numerade Plus subscription to all Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) K-12 students and teachers. With Numerade Plus, students and teachers will have access to a full suite of education features, including over 100 million textbook video solutions, expert-verified answers, full-length video courses, custom quizzes, unlimited “Ask an Expert” questions, and an AI chatbot tutor powered by GPT-4.

The initiative comes as downstream effects from pandemic-related learning losses continue to manifest. In fact, recent data from the state found that most California students don’t meet grade-level standards in math and reading. And historically, supplemental learning materials and tutoring haven’t been accessible to all students – nearly 1 in 5 upper-income families can afford to hire a private tutor, while only 7% of middle and low-income families can. As an LA-based company, Numerade is giving back to its community to help bridge this divide and reduce barriers by offering its premium features for free.

“This is a personal initiative for me, as Numerade was born from my own experience growing up in LA and seeing education inequity firsthand,” said Nhon Ma, CEO and co-founder of Numerade. “I believe that everyone deserves a quality education, regardless of their background. Numerade is my way of giving back and helping level the playing field – we’re proud to help support our community and give students opportunities and resources that they may not have otherwise.”

All teachers within the LAUSD will also have free access to Numerade Plus so they can incorporate Numerade’s trusted educational content into their instruction to reinforce the topics covered throughout the year. Numerade Plus can also help them save time with lesson plans, quizzes and even grading assignments.

To enroll in 12 months of free Numerade Plus, students and teachers can visit www.numerade.com/lausd and use their LAUSD email address to enroll between now and December 31, 2023.

Success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) demands keeping up with the latest tools and techniques. The AI boom, for example, has made coding and data management skills integral. But going back to school isn’t an option for most scientists. Short training programs like webinars and boot camps have become a popular alternative among busy STEM professionals. However, these formats can have significant shortcomings. There’s often no guarantee attendees will leave with the skills needed to advance their careers. And they can be exclusionary, preventing learners of all abilities and circumstances from benefiting equally.

An interdisciplinary and international team assembled at CSHL’s Banbury Center to address the challenges of short STEM training programs. The meeting was titled “Making Career-spanning Learning in the Life Sciences Inclusive and Effective for All.”

“We’ve all had horrible teachers,” recalls Jason Williams. Williams is Assistant Director of Diversity and Research Readiness at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) DNA Learning Center. “There have been efforts to improve science education at the undergraduate level for decades. But there’s basically no effort to improve education once you’ve graduated. It’s just assumed you’ll somehow keep up.”

To tackle this problem, Williams and collaborators have created a new teaching framework called the “Bicycle Principles.” It aims to make short STEM training effective, inclusive, and scalable. The principles originated from a meeting at CSHL’s Banbury Center think tank. Williams and co-organizer Rochelle Tractenberg recruited the world’s leading experts in short-format education. They identified the field’s biggest issues and ways to address them.

The group came up with two sets of principles linked like bicycle wheels. One wheel, Core Principles, focuses on effectiveness and inclusivity. Recommendations here include setting clear objectives participants of all abilities can achieve. The other wheel, Community Principles, revolves around reach, accessibility, and sustainability. It recommends making training adaptable for different institutions, especially those lacking the resources of large universities.

Williams says the Banbury meeting and the guidelines it inspired are the first of their kind. He hopes they won’t be the last. Williams explains:

“If we can raise awareness, we can start doing something about it. Our goal was to put the first flag in the ground to say, ‘Here are the key problems scientists face in professional development. And here are some potential solutions.'”

Such improvements could help researchers achieve their career goals and increase the impact of their work—familiar objectives for Williams and CSHL. The institution supports a number of science career paths through its education initiatives. These begin as early as grade school via the DNA Learning Center. And they continue throughout a scientist’s career, with CSHL’s Meetings & Courses Program.

After all, learning is a journey. The Bicycle Principles can make the trip more successful for all.

It’s one of the longest-running promises of edtech: Have students provide proof of work online. Get better assessment results. Provide students agency and enable them to express themselves creatively. Take teaching and learning to the next level.

For the most part, we’re still waiting. But not Gary Heidt, who leads the Innovation Lab at Perkiomen Valley HS in Pennsylvania and is a champion of a tool called Unrulr. In this conversation, we discuss the implementation and impact of Unrulr in his classroom, where he tries to focus on creating a more human and reflective learning experience. Joining us was Aaron Schorn, Head of Growth and Community at Unrulr to detail how students can document their learning moments, create exit ticket reflections, engage in discussion boards, and build larger learning journeys.

Here’s a link to a blog post that dives deep into Gary’s experiences when it comes to documentation and Unrulr. And here’s a link to the portfolio that Uses Unrulr public links throughout to tell the story of one student’s project journey.

Key highlights include:

1. Purpose-Driven Learning: Unrulr supports purpose-driven learning by enabling students to work on projects that are not only self-driven but also impactful on a community level.
2. Agile Project Management Approach: The tool facilitates a flexible and agile approach to project management, incorporating concepts like Agile and scrums to adapt to different timelines and individual schedules.
3. Building a Learning Community: Gary creates a sense of community by allowing students to publish and share their work not only with teachers but also with peers, fostering collaboration, support, and a deeper understanding of the learning process.
4. Digital Portfolio Differentiation: According to Gary, Unrulr stands out as a process portfolio that goes beyond showcasing final products. It emphasizes the documentation of the learning process itself, allowing students to create dynamic portfolios that evolve over time.
5. Reflection and Feedback: The tool encourages reflection, both from students and teachers, providing a space for individuals to assess their progress, share insights, and receive feedback. This reflective approach is seen as essential for meaningful learning.
6. Equity of Access: Gary says Unrulr ensures equity of access by offering a web browser version in addition to a mobile version, accommodating various devices and school policies regarding technology use.
7. Slow Approach to Learning: Gary mentions a “slow approach” to education, emphasizing the importance of making room for reflection and providing feedback. This approach contrasts with a rushed curriculum, aiming for a deeper understanding of content.

Key points:

• Alarming declines in civic scores demands new strategies.
• Search for other school library innovations.
• See related article: Khan Academy Boosts National Civics Bee

At this point, we have all heard about the learning gaps in math and reading scores these past few years. Unfortunately, stats are even worse in other subjects. In 2022, only 22% of students scored “proficient” or higher on a nationwide civics assessment. And one in three scored below basic understanding of the subject.

Restoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History and Civics in American Schools is a new book that details the decline of history and civics knowledge among students — and offers a plan for how states and local school districts can foster understanding of and curiosity about our nation’s history.

I had a conversation with Chris Sinacola, co-editor of Restoring the City on a Hill to break down some solutions. Chris emphasizes the importance of a strong foundation in the two subjects for long-term student success. The book calls for a bottom-up approach and delves into recommendations for state and community leaders to reform U.S. history and civics standards.

Among the book’s recommendations:

• Require students to pass the U.S. citizenship test as a criterion for high school graduation.
• Develop a curriculum that incorporates the reading of U.S. history in every grade, with a focus on primary source documents such as the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and The Federalist Papers.
• Increase investment in professional development programs for educators.
• Establish an open, inclusive process for parent and community input in the curriculum through panels, surveys, and regional meetings.

Chris is director of communications and media relations at Pioneer Institute. He as more than 35 years of experience in journalism and freelance writing and was a reporter and editor at Worcester’s Telegram & Gazette from 1987 until 2015. He is the author of Images of America: Sutton (2004) and Images of America: Millbury (2013). He has also served as editor of Pioneer Institute’s The Fight for the Best Charter Public Schools in the Nation (2018); A Vision of Hope: Catholic Schooling in Massachusetts (2021); Hands-On Achievement: Massachusetts’s National Model Vocational-Technical Schools (2022); and now Restoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History & Civics in America’s Schools (2023).

With college application season in full swing and the competition for acceptance into top schools more competitive than ever, students are turning to AI-powered tools for application support, reveals a new survey from Brainly. Seventy percent of high school juniors and seniors believe AI-powered tools, including ChatGPT, can be a resource in brainstorming ideas for their college essays or short answer responses. Brainly’s survey earlier this year reveals that high-school students are also accessing AI-powered tools, such as those integrated into Brainly’s educational app, for individualized homework help. 

Brainly’s survey comes when the acceptance rate among the best universities continues to shrink, making it harder for students to gain entry to their top higher education choices. For example, the College Board reports that in 2022, Harvard received applications from 61,220 students – the highest-ever number of applicants, but only accepted 1,214, the elite university’s lowest acceptance rate. 

The survey data underscores a fundamental change in how students utilize AI tools for college applications. Rather than relying solely on AI to write their essays, students use these tools to foster critical thinking, inspire creativity, and brainstorm potential topics. The statistics demonstrate a nuanced and balanced approach, showcasing that AI is not replacing traditional guidance but enhancing and complementing it.

Highlights of the survey include: 

• Increasing reliance on AI-powered tools: Nearly 70% of surveyed seniors believe AI-powered tools, including ChatGPT, are valuable resources for brainstorming ideas for college essays and short-answer responses. This data reinforces the growing acceptance and reliance on AI for creative inspiration in the competitive field of college admissions.
• Growing trust in AI tools: Almost 60% of seniors express trust in responses generated by AI-powered tools, highlighting confidence in the technology’s ability to guide them through the application process. This finding emphasizes that students view AI as a helpful and trustworthy ally in navigating the intricacies of college applications.
• Juniors plan to engage AI tools:  Nearly 73% of high school juniors are considering leveraging AI-powered tools for brainstorming ideas. This indicates a proactive approach by juniors to integrate AI into their application preparation, showcasing a shift in how students approach college admissions well in advance.
• Collaboration with traditional guidance: While AI tools are gaining popularity, the survey reveals that seniors also seek guidance from traditional sources, with 57.5% consulting a college counselor and 48.3% turning to a parent or family member. This indicates a complementary relationship between AI and traditional support systems in the college application journey.

“Brainly’s survey results closely align with what I see in the students I work with and prepare for college,” said Cammy Barber, MEd, School Counselor & Department Chair, St Augustine High School, St Augustine, Fla. “Students are looking for ways to save time and assure them that they are on the right path. AI-powered tools can help students brainstorm ideas for a college essay. It can give suggestions for how to write a college application essay for those who lack writing skills, too. It’s also a great way to narrow a student’s search criteria when looking for a college.” 

The “Public Libraries and Book Bans – Parent Perception Survey” gathered insights from 1,527 parents and guardians with children under 18 in two surveys during October and November 2023. The surveys asked parents and guardians about their perception of librarians’ trustworthiness as professionals and curators of a library collection. ​The results are detailed in a new report from EveryLibrary Institute and Book Riot.

 Top-level findings are:

• An impressive 92% of parents, grandparents, and guardians trust librarians to curate appropriate books and materials.
• 90% of parents report being comfortable allowing their child to select their own materials and 96% feel their children are safe within the library.
• 83% agree that librarians know what books children would love; 77% agree that librarians are friendly and approachable; 77% agree that librarians make the library a place for fun and creativity; and 85% agree that librarians support children’s learning.
• 91% of parents and guardians say that they trust public librarians and 86% find school librarians trustworthy.
• Parents are of mixed opinion on whether they think public librarians have a political agenda:
• Yes, and they should = 35%
• No, but they should = 9%
• Yes, and they should not = 12%
• No, and they should not = 44%
• 85% of parents report being satisfied or very satisfied with librarians

The survey results demonstrate that librarians in schools and public libraries are trusted by families of various backgrounds and income levels and are valued in society. Librarians are valued in society and are central to education and communities. They foster safe, engaging environments that support learning and creativity, with their expertise and warmth resonating deeply with parents nationwide.

“This survey shows how out-of-touch politically motivated book banning and censorship groups are,” said John Chrastka, EveryLibrary Institute Executive Director. “Contrary to the narratives that so-called parent rights groups are advancing, parents across America value librarians’ roles in our communities and our children’s education. Pro-censorship groups do not represent the vast majority of parents or guardians in their beliefs about librarians, reading, education, and civil society.”

“Book Riot is excited to continue collaborating with EveryLibrary Institute on this important project. This survey is the next step in our shared goal of championing literacy, supporting libraries and librarians, and learning about parental perceptions of the work that librarians do,” said Vanessa Diaz, Book Riot Managing Editor. “It’s a natural extension of Kelly and Danika’s tireless efforts in spreading awareness of the state of censorship and books bans in the US, and we hope as ever that this research will both educate and be a catalyst for change.”

“We are once again excited to partner with EveryLibrary on assessing and understanding parental perceptions of the public library,” said Kelly Jensen from Book Riot. “This series of surveys further our knowledge on what libraries are doing right and allows us to see where and how we can advocate for better understanding the roles libraries play in the lives of the average person. We continue to be thrilled to see the vast majority of parents think that the public library is a safe place for their children.” 

Please review the complete survey findings at https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/parent_perceptions_librarians_survey_2023. This survey is the second in a series of three focusing on parents and libraries. Please watch for additional surveys on perceptions of school libraries in the coming weeks.

In a new analysis, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) finds that most states (29 states and the District of Columbia) use a weak elementary teacher reading licensure test, meaning that they do not effectively measure teachers’ knowledge of scientifically based reading instruction prior to entering the classroom. One state, Iowa, requires no reading licensure test at all. This shortcoming means that, every year, nearly 100,000 elementary teachers across the country enter classrooms with false assurances that they are ready to teach reading.

The data brief, False Assurances: Many states’ licensure tests don’t signal whether elementary teachers understand reading instruction, provides the most up-to-date analysis on the quality of elementary reading teacher licensure exams being used by each state.

More than 50 years of research has illuminated the most effective way to teach children to read. It requires systematic, explicit instruction in the five core components of the science of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Preparing teachers to teach these five components—known as scientifically-based reading instruction—can ensure more than 1 million additional students enter 4th grade able to read each year.

Unfortunately, far too often, states allow teachers into the classroom inadequately prepared to teach reading. Licensure exams, if rigorous and aligned to the science of reading, can serve as an important guardrail for making sure teachers have this critical knowledge. However, many licensure tests are weak in that they do not adequately assess teachers’ preparedness to teach reading. Far too many states are using these weak tests.

“Every child deserves great reading instruction, but far too many children aren’t receiving it,” said NCTQ President Heather Peske. “As part of a comprehensive strategy to improve reading instruction, states can help ensure teachers are prepared to teach reading effectively by requiring stronger licensure tests.”

Examining every elementary teacher reading licensure exam currently being used by states, NCTQ  looked for evidence that the tests adequately address the five core components of reading. NCTQ also examined whether these tests devote undue attention to methods of reading instruction that have been debunked by research and can hinder students from becoming strong readers, such as three-cueing. Additionally, NCTQ checked whether these tests combine reading with other subjects. This is important because if subjects are combined, the teacher’s understanding of reading could be masked. Using these criteria, NCTQ determined whether tests were strong, acceptable, weak, or unacceptable.

Key national findings:

• Of the 25 elementary teacher reading licensure tests in use by states, the majority (15) are weak.
  • Just six exams are rated “strong” and four are rated “acceptable.”
• Across these 15 weak licensure tests:
  • Ten do not adequately address all five components of the science of reading.
  • Five combine reading with other subjects, such as social studies or science.
    • (Note, one test fits into both categories listed above)
  • One includes too much emphasis on content contrary to research-based practices.
• The majority of states (29 states and the District of Columbia) use “weak” tests that do not signal whether teachers have the knowledge they need to teach students to read.

“Teachers who aren’t prepared in the most effective instructional practices for teaching reading unknowingly enter classrooms ill-prepared to help students become successful readers,” said Peske. “This lack of preparation has a profound impact on students’ literacy skills and future prospects, especially among students of color and those living in poverty.”

Roughly one-third of children in elementary classrooms across the country cannot read at even a basic level by the middle of the fourth grade. The situation is even bleaker for historically marginalized students, for whom inadequate reading instruction is yet another barrier to educational equity, with 56% of Black students, 50% of Hispanic students, 52% of students in poverty, 70% of students with disabilities, and 67% of English Learners reading below basic reading levels.

Students who are not proficient readers are four times more likely to drop out of high school, face lower lifetime earnings, and have higher rates of unemployment.

Recommendations 
To address this pressing issue, the NCTQ recommends the following solutions.

State education leaders should:

• Transition to a stronger reading licensure test: States select and approve the tests that their teachers must pass for licensure. Requiring a stronger test will likely lead to better reading instruction in elementary classrooms across the state as preparation programs will be motivated to align their courses with the components of reading addressed in a stronger test.
• Require a strong reading test for anyone teaching students in the elementary grades. In some cases, states require reading tests for general education elementary teachers but not for special education teachers or for early childhood teachers who are licensed to teach lower elementary grades. These loopholes ultimately hurt the students who most need teachers capable of building a foundation in literacy.

Testing companies should:

• Shore up weaknesses and clearly identify limitations in existing tests: Both major testing companies, ETS and Pearson, have strong and acceptable reading licensure tests on the market, but they also offer tests that omit numerous topics from the core components of reading, and that combine reading with other subjects, diluting the assessment’s ability to verify teachers’ reading knowledge.

Resources

• For additional information, please access the following resources.
• The brief: False Assurances: Many states’ licensure tests don’t signal whether elementary teachers understand reading instruction 
• Download full dataset
• View list of states with their corresponding reading licensure tests
• For more details on the methodology, including the topics considered within each component, as well as the scoring rubric, see the report appendix.

Avantis Education, the leading provider of VR and AR content and hardware for K-12 schools, has released a new white paper: “Building Back Stronger: New Thinking and Technologies Reshaping Education” which delves into the myriad ways K-12 schools are embracing different methodologies and cutting-edge technologies to support students following a period of declining academic success.

The white paper, released under the brand ClassVR, Avantis’ award-winning all-in-one VR/AR headsets for schools, is available for download at https://bit.ly/BBSwhitepaper.

As stated in the white paper, “issues such as underfunding, understaffing, the digital divide and the impacts of the pandemic have set the stage for an ambitious revival.” It notes that ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding has provided school districts with opportunities to leverage new educational approaches and technologies and that “these innovations serve as the catalysts for rejuvenation, charting a course toward the restoration of educational excellence. U.S. education is building back stronger.”

The white paper examines several specific approaches and technologies being used in schools, including:

• The flipped classroom
• AI-generated teaching materials
• The no-grades movement
• Data-driven learning analytics
• Post-pandemic expansion of SEL
• VR and AR
• Maker-based learning, makerspaces and STEM labs

The white paper includes insights from five education thought leaders:

• Dr. Rupert Rawnsley, Chief Science Officer for Avantis Education
• Christopher Klein, Education Consultant for Avantis Education
• Simon Luxford-Moore, Head of eLearning at ESMS independent schools
• Luke Knightly-Jones, Education Researcher and private tutor for Royal Tutors
• Dr. Lorah Sirri, Senior Lecturer in Educational Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University

It also provides examples of how some of these approaches and technologies are being used in classrooms.

“The 2020s will likely be a defining decade for education as schools and policymakers rethink their approaches to education,” said Avantis Education’s Chief Executive Officer, Huw Williams. “In this white paper we provide an informative look at some of the innovations happening in K-12 schools today and their potential to engage students and support academic growth. It includes thoughtful context offered by experts in the field about these practices and technologies in order to help inform the conversation about how best to support students in moving forward.”

Through December, the editors at eSchoolNews will be collecting, reporting, and sharing the bold, provocative, and even dare we say, audacious predictions of edtech experts. Want to join in the fun? It’s as easy as sending us a voice or video recording, or even just a comment on our LinkedIn page. We’ll be selecting the best for our annual prediction post!

The predictor: Noel Loughrin, Strategic Solutions Manager at Laserfiche

Click below to hear Noel’s predictions in context:

The predictions:

• There has been a growing interest in ecological validation within higher education. In 2024, institutions will explore technologies that offer solutions enabling them to deliver coordinated, connected efforts that help students succeed. In the realm of K-12 education, there is a growing demand for digitization and centralization of records, which allows schools and teachers to access and secure vital records.

• Digital Transformation will continue to play a significant role in supporting students, granting them unprecedented access to staff and information. This increased access will empower staff to identify trends and develop tailored approaches for individuals, while students will benefit from enhanced transparency and access.  

• In 2024, generative AI will continue to revolutionize higher education institutions by creating a more connected and intelligent campus. AI can and will be used as an assistant, aiding staff, colleges and universities in locating essential information and aggregating data for comprehensive reports and insights. Moreover, AI can be leveraged to create more personalized experiences for students by quickly assessing their records and forecasting trends, enabling more informed advice and support. What was once a one-size-fits-all approach can now be easily transformed into an individualized approach, yielding more successful outcomes for students.