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

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

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

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

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

Curriculum Associates Launches Extraordinary Educators™ Leadership Collaborative to Support the Professional Growth of Rising School Principals Nationwide

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass. — Curriculum Associates recently launched its Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative to support the professional growth of rising school principals nationwide. Through this program, the inaugural class of 16 principals representing schools across 16 states will have the opportunity to receive monthly, high-quality professional development and grow as leaders as they work in small cohorts to analyze data, learn to plan strategically, and share information with different constituencies.

“A major focus of the Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative is giving leaders time and space for connecting as well as collaborating with each other on the importance of building positive school cultures,” said Danielle Sullivan, national director of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. “We look forward to working with this stellar group of highly motivated and highly passionate educators as they progress in their profession and learn new ways to further serve their school communities. And, we look forward to celebrating their successes along the way.”

All of the principals participating in the Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative have been in their current role for three or less years. They additionally have experience using i-Ready® and/or Ready® for two or more years, lead staff who illustrate growth and achievement via formal assessments, demonstrate schoolwide innovation and engagement practices for students, are evangelists for high standards and student achievement, champion equity, and are eager to grow as leaders.…Read More

IXL and Fayette County Public Schools Partner to Boost Academic Achievement and Personalize Learning for All Students

LEXINGTON, Kentucky  — IXL, the personalized learning platform used by more than 14 million students, has announced a new partnership with Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) in Kentucky. As part of the collaboration, the state’s second-largest K-12 school system will now use IXL’s award-winning platform district-wide to boost academic achievement in math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish. IXL is used by nearly 40 percent of all K-12 students in Kentucky, accounting for more than 283,000 learners. 

Fayette County Public Schools strives to provide a world-class education and positive learning environment to more than 40,000 students from the Lexington area. FCPS began using IXL to support its special education and English language learner communities, and recently expanded its implementation district-wide after successfully piloting the platform. 

The district highly values IXL Analytics because it provides educators with data that allows them to track student achievement across schools and identify any gaps in knowledge. This information can then be used to quickly intervene and provide students with the support they need to succeed.…Read More

How IT leaders tackle 7 digital asset management challenges

Key points:

  • Poor digital asset management can lead to lost class time, missing devices, and lost funding
  • Innovative approaches to asset management let K-12 educational institutions optimize their operations
  • See related article: 5 ways our district streamlines edtech ecosystems

With kids out the school door for the summer, IT leaders now face the daunting task of organizing, identifying, and managing the many thousands of devices per district that have been in the hands of students over the past year. In K-12 education, the importance of digital asset management–from Chromebooks to iPads to chargers and more–cannot be overstated.

Schools and districts run the risk of wasting class time, losing valuable devices, and incurring financial losses if they fail to effectively manage the hardware, software and systems that are essential in today’s classrooms. Fortunately for IT leaders, powerful new digital solutions can be leveraged to address many logistical and functional challenges.…Read More

3 tools that foster gamification in my 4th grade classroom

Key points:

Gamification is one of the biggest in education trends right now in education. According to ISTE, “Gamification is about transforming the classroom environment and regular activities into a game” (Haiken, 2021). Many students want more than just good grades from school–they want something physical or immediate. “Gamification empowers students with the ultimate in choices when setting goals for what badges and achievements they want to complete, which leads to learners building skills for self-reliance and self-control” (McCarthy, 2021).

Embracing gamification in the classroom will lead to students taking responsibility for their learning while also enjoying their time in class.…Read More

How ChatGPT made my lessons more engaging

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

Much of the education narrative around ChatGPT has focused on the potential downsides of the AI tool (think Skynet from “The Terminator”). But as a high school teacher who has experimented with the sophisticated word predictor app in my economics, U.S. History, and speech and debate classes, I’ve found that ChatGPT provides opportunities to engage the students in class activities. Here’s how I’ve harnessed a tool that is here to stay (no matter how many school districts try to block it). 

I welcomed our first “speaker,” ChatGPT.…Read More

5 ISTELive 23 sessions you won’t want to miss

Key points:

ISTELive 23 lands in Philadelphia on June 25, and the annual conference promises to be packed with content for administrators, curriculum directors, classroom teachers, and everyone in between.

This year’s conference theme, “Discover Your Next,” celebrates the ideas, partnerships, teaching strategies, and edtech tools that can take learning to its next iteration. Register here, for in-person or virtual access.…Read More

Global Impact STEM Academy Senior Receives Inaugural Waklatsi Service Scholarship

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Cooper Johnson, a graduate of the Global Impact STEM Academy class of 2023, has been awarded the first-ever Waklatsi Service Scholarship. The $500 scholarship recognizes Johson’s exceptional commitment to service and his dedication to making a positive impact in the community, and was established this year by Global Impact alumnus and current Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy, Kordell Waklatsi.

“Cooper was chosen as the recipient of the Waklatsi Service Scholarship because of his remarkable understanding of the importance of giving back to others,” said Waklatsi. “From an early age, he was an active participant in 4-H, which fostered his passion for community engagement. Inspired by his own experiences, Cooper became a camp counselor to ensure that other children have the opportunity to enjoy the same enriching camp experiences he had.”

In addition to his involvement in 4-H, Johnson has made significant contributions to the local Honor Flight program since his freshman year. Through this program, he has provided veterans with the opportunity to visit and pay their respects at memorials in Washington D.C., creating lasting memories for those who served this country.…Read More

Why system transformation is likely a pipe dream

Key points:

  • Public schools are part of a complicated system
  • True system transformation will require disruptive replacement

I can’t count the number of times people at an education conference have approached me and said something to the effect of, “But how do we transform the education system?” or “We need to focus on system transformation” or “How do we scale system transformation?”

I get why they share these sentiments with me. Ever since I wrote Disrupting Class in 2008, I’ve been publicly in favor of transforming education, not merely reforming it (although I do work in both spheres). But when I hear calls about transforming existing systems, I recoil a bit and grow suspicious. There are many reasons for my reaction.…Read More

ClassIn Launches its World-Class Teaching and Learning Platform in the United States

SAN DIEGO (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClassIn, a world leader in hybrid, blended, and remote learning solutions, today announced the launch of its globally recognized platform in the United States. The ClassIn platform has been purpose-built for education and based on nearly a decade of research, development, and in-market experience. Through its software and hardware solutions, ClassIn provides the digital infrastructure for the hybrid future of education by building classrooms in both the virtual and physical worlds. ClassIn is the only end-to-end education platform with a full suite of innovative tools and features, all designed with hybrid-first pedagogy at its core. It supports active learning, student flexibility, and various teaching and learning methods.

While schools have worked to embrace technology for decades, innovation has been slow and fragmented, and most new technologies have been designed to solve a singular problem. Today, the average US teacher uses 148 different EdTech products and the average US school district uses over 1,400 EdTech solutions. The pandemic exacerbated this issue, as most schools implemented “emergency remote teaching” instead of pedagogically aligned instruction, cobbling together many disparate technologies that were not built or designed for education.

“Remote and hybrid teaching brought long-touted but previously out-of-reach, student-centric instruction to life, making room for self-guided learning, flexible schedules, and additional time to explore volunteer, hobby, and work opportunities,” said Sara Gu, Co-Founder, and COO at ClassIn. “We’re at an inflection point. The classroom of the future will be networked, digitized, and intelligent, which means our learning solutions must be built on a solid foundation: based on hybrid-first pedagogy and backed by learning science. With over 50 million students using our solution in 160+ countries, our hardware and software solutions reduce districts’ need for the patchwork of over 1,400 different technologies by combining many of those capabilities seamlessly.”…Read More