The journey to digital sustainability: A CIO’s perspective

Key points:

I recently had the privilege of co-presenting a session on digital sustainability with UDT at FETC this past January. Meeting with other education technology and instructional leaders affirmed how multi-faceted and critical digital sustainability is for school districts right now.

My unique path to serving as Chief Information Officer for Orange County Public Schools has enabled me to experience our district’s digital transformation from multiple perspectives. I began at OCPS as a first-grade teacher before joining the district’s teaching and learning team, where I helped plan our five-year 1:1 device rollout for 280k students. In August 2023, I transitioned from teaching and learning to IT.…Read More

Appealing New Charging Cart Offers Enhanced Value in Classrooms

Lakewood Ranch, FL  JAR Systems premiered its newest solution, the Elevate USB-C Charging Cart EDU 32, at the Future of Education Technology Conference. The illuminated cart caught the eye of many educators and technology leaders as they learned of the new advantages it provides.

The cart maintains a critical feature—AC adapterless charging. This eliminates the long-dreaded activities of wiring carts and maintaining expensive charging cables. Powered by the company’s latest charging technology, the Quick-Sense USB-C PD Education Line, the cart is newly fine-tuned to the requirements of educational devices.

“Over our 20 years as a company, it has always been our goal for our developments to be forward-thinking to what our customers will need next. The Elevate USB-C Charging Cart EDU 32 is a shining example, making state-of-the-art USB-C PD charging technology more affordable in education”, said Axel Zimmermann, JAR Systems’ CEO.…Read More

Bluum Launches Innovative Esports, STEAM, and Security Solutions

PHOENIX, Ariz. — At its recent Impact 2024 conference, Bluum, a leading provider of education technology, unveiled five new solutions designed to address the biggest challenges in education today. The latest customizable selections of hardware, software, and services from Bluum aim to help educators increase and improve enrollment, keep schools safe and informed, and deliver curriculum innovation for K-12 and higher education.

“Bluum is on a never-ending mission to help improve learning and access to education,” said Bluum CRO Scott Pintsopoulos. “With the new solutions we unveiled at Impact 2024, we are poised to partner with educational institutions to solve some of the toughest challenges facing teachers and learners today.”

Bluum’s diverse range of new offerings include best in class brands addressing everything from stem to school safety.…Read More

5 FETC 2024 sessions that grabbed our attention

Key points:

Known as one of the nation’s premier K-12 education technology events, this year’s FETC kicks off on Jan. 23, 2024 in Orlando. Attendees will learn directly from top ed tech experts and successful real-world practitioners in hundreds of in-depth workshops and hands-on sessions.

Sessions, keynotes, discussions, and the expo hall will connect attendees with need-to-know details on the latest edtech innovations shaping the education landscape. Plus, they’ll learn best practices and current trends to best leverage educational technology resources. …Read More

5 major education trends in 2023

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on equity, edtech innovation, immersive learning, and the science of reading. This year’s no. 1 most-read story focuses on some of the biggest education trends from 2023.

With the start of a new year and education conference season just beginning, educators and industry leaders are discovering the biggest education trends for 2023. The past few years have seen a significant transformation for education and edtech, and 2023 will continue to bring new ideas and emerging technologies.

This year, schools are placing a focus on supporting students’ individual needs and recovering pandemic learning loss. Because of this, we will see an increase in edtech to support learning, better accommodations for students, a focus on wellbeing, and new approaches to teaching that engage with students’ interests and future careers.…Read More

Casio and Open Up Resources Launch New Innovative Partnership to Enhance Mathematics Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the first step in a new partnership focused on equity in math education, Casio and Open Up Resources (OUR) have joined forces to integrate Casio’s ClassPad.net technology into the Algebra 1 Program of Open Up High School Mathematics, the organizations announced today at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. This collaboration addresses challenges stemming from limited access to technology resources, aiming to create a more inclusive and enriching learning environment.

Open Up High School Mathematics students and educators now have access to ClassPad.net, an intuitive online tool seamlessly incorporated into OUR’s openly accessible curriculum. This platform empowers teachers and students to delve further into the presented mathematical concepts.

The integration of ClassPad.net within Open Up High School Mathematics represents a significant step forward in the shared mission of both organizations to promote equity and accessibility in education. Casio and OUR have developed an Equitable Integration of Technology Framework, which underscores the importance of empowering students with a deeper understanding of mathematics through the strategic use of technology, with a focus on providing equal access and opportunities for all learners.…Read More

2023 Content Marketing Awards Top Winners Announced Live at Content Marketing World

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES /EINPresswire.com/ — The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) just awarded the top eight winners in the prestigious 2023 Content Marketing Awards program during a special live ceremony at the Content Marketing World Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C. The Content Marketing Awards is the largest and longest-running international content marketing awards program in the world.

Here are the 2023 top Content Marketing Award winners:

-Content Marketing Project of the Year: The Ecopreneurs – Produced by Salesforce and agency, FORTUNE Brand Studio
-Agency of the Year (Less than 100 Employees): Imprint
-Agency of the Year (More than 100 Employees): Pace
-Agency of the Year (Branded Studio or Agency within a Media Company): FORTUNE Brand Studio
-B2B Branded Content Campaign of the Year: The Ecopreneurs – Produced by Salesforce and agency, FORTUNE Brand Studio
-B2C Branded Content Campaign of the Year: Enfamil 2022 Content Strategy – Produced by Reckitt and agency, Hearts & Science
-B2B Content Marketer of the Year: Richard McGill Murphy, Editor in Chief, Director of Brand Thought Leadership, ServiceNow
-B2C Content Marketer of the Year: R. Ethan Braden, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Purdue University…Read More

The Future of Canvas

Drop the company name Instructure on the average educator and you may get a blank stare in return. Now mention the company’s flagship product Canvas and be ready for a flash of instant recognition. Founded in 2008, Instructure reports having more than 6000 customer organizations with more than 35 million users around the world in both K12 and higher education.

I had the opportunity to attend InStructure Con23 in Denver last month—the company’s first user conference since the pandemic—and met many educators, partner companies, and senior leadership including Chief Product Officer Shiren Vijiasingam, Ryan Lufkin, Vice President of Global Strategy, and CEO Steve Daly. We hit on a number of topics that will affect the way educators and students teach and learn, including post-pandemic behaviors, student security, the pursuit of equitability and education, and the future of hybrid learning. Plus of course, AI, AI and yes, a little more AI. This was the first Innovations podcast recorded in person, but it certainly won’t be the last.

More Highlights from InstructureCon23:…Read More

Certiport Recognizes Washington Teacher as Educator of the Year

Salt Lake City — Certiport, a Pearson VUE business and the leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners, today announced that Karen Coulombe, career and technical education (CTE) teacher at Lake Stevens High School in Washington state, has been named Certiport’s Educator of the Year. The award was announced at Certiport’s 2023 CERTIFIED Educator Conference, where educators gather to explore the full promise and potential of business and technology certification in the classroom.

Karen teaches both computer applications and computer science to first-year high school students in Lake Stevens. She is also a robotics advisor for the largest VRC Robotics team in Washington. Before becoming a teacher, Karen worked for more than a decade as a licensed avionics technician and airframe and powerplant mechanic for the U.S. Air Force, DynCorp Aerospace, and the Boeing Company. She was also selected for special assignments involving Air Force One and the B2 stealth bomber.

Throughout her career, Karen has been a passionate believer in continuing education and giving back to her community. She has participated in the U.S. Naval Academy’s SET SAIL, Certiport’s National CERTIFIED Conference, STEM Guitars, Space Camp for Educators, the Washington Alliance for Better Schools STEM Externship, and multiple nanotechnology conferences. Karen also serves on the teacher advisory board for the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, and as a member of two technical advisory committees.…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

3 new trends in student assessment

Key points:

The National Council on Measurement in Education’s (NCME) annual meeting has always offered an opportunity to learn about innovative research and new trends in student assessment. It is a chance to get hints of where the field is moving and what will be available to school districts, teachers, and students.

This year did not disappoint. There were three notable topics at the conference that signal new directions in assessment: through-year assessment, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and individualized assessment.…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