The journey to digital sustainability: A CIO’s perspective

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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

Vernier Science Education Names Jill Hedrick as Its New Chief Executive Officer

BEAVERTON, Oregon — Vernier Science Education has named Jill Hedrick as its new chief executive officer (CEO). With a wealth of leadership experience in the education technology industry, Hedrick will lead the 40-plus-year science company as it continues to grow as a values-aligned Perpetual Purpose Trust dedicated to helping educators build a science literate society.

“What stood out to me about Vernier Science Education is its longstanding history in serving science educators worldwide,” said Hedrick. “My arrival to the company is in support of the continuation of this journey and I am honored to join the team. The roots of Vernier Science Education extend deep into the communities it serves, and as we continue to grow, keeping the legacy of providing for educators, employees, and the community at large will be a top priority of mine.”

Hedrick is a passionate leader focused on the intersection of technology and social impact. Prior to joining Vernier Science Education, she held executive positions at NWEA, Turnitin, Edmentum/APEX Learning, and Discovery Education, among other technology companies. She has deep experience serving both domestic and international markets, and creating results-oriented, scalable, and diverse teams.…Read More

CoSN names 9 edtech hurdles, trends, and tools

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Teacher retention, learner agency, and, yes, generative AI are among the Hurdles (challenges), Accelerators (mega-trends) and Tech Enablers (tools) impacting education innovation for the year ahead as outlined in CoSN‘s 2024 global Driving K-12 Innovation report.

CoSN’s Driving K-12 Innovation Advisory Board–made up of 140+ global educators and IT professionals–has selected three top Hurdles, Accelerators, and Tech Enablers impacting education technology for the coming year. This year’s top topics shifted more from 2023 to 2024 than they have in any of the past five cycles of the project, underscoring a turning point in education and emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts.…Read More

Classroom tech: The new and the tried-and-true of 2024

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It’s 2024! Chalkboards, heavy textbooks, and other analog tools of the past have no place in today’s schools. Over the last few decades, applied technology in the classroom has grown by leaps and bounds. This dovetails nicely with the fact that today’s students are full digital natives who instinctively know their way around smart devices.

Of course, there’s more to education technology than allowing computers in the classroom. School administrators should be continually on the lookout for emerging technologies that can increase student engagement, retain knowledge, and make learning more accessible.…Read More

TCEA24 Roundup

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.”…Read More

2024 National Education Technology Plan targets the digital divide

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The latest iteration of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) takes aim at several obstacles limiting edtech’s ability to transform teaching and learning.

While past NETPs have largely served as surveys of the state of the field, the 2024 NETP frames three key divides limiting the transformational potential of educational technology to support teaching and learning, including: …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

How to ensure edtech ROI? Ask these 4 questions

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Working with curriculum and system leaders and educators across the state of New Hampshire, I frequently hear some common refrains about education technology tools for the classroom.

I know ___ is a great resource, but I don’t think teachers are even aware of it.…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

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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

Bluum Names Dan Groskreutz as CFO

PHOENIX — Bluum, a leading provider of education technology, this week named Dan Groskreutz its new chief financial officer (CFO). Groskreutz brings decades of executive experience to the Bluum leadership team, having served as CFO for Appvion, Whitehall Specialties, and Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC over the past 20 years.

Before embarking on a financial career spanning 40 years thus far, Groskreutz earned his undergraduate degree from Bethel University and his MBA from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management.

“We are thrilled for Dan to join Bluum,” said Erez Pikar, the CEO of Bluum. “He brings a wealth of experience that will help Bluum continue to drive growth and innovation in the market and improve learning outcomes for all students.”…Read More

What are the 8 trends in education technology that will have a major impact in 2024?

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In recent years, K-12 tech innovation news has spread the word about how edtech has witnessed transformative trends shaping the future of learning. The integration of digital tools, online platforms, and innovative applications is revolutionizing traditional teaching methodologies.

Edtech trends encompass personalized learning experiences, adaptive technologies, and the evolution of hybrid learning models. The emphasis on digital literacy, coding education, and the integration of immersive technologies like augmented and virtual reality is reshaping classrooms. The landscape of K-12 edtech is dynamic and ever-evolving, reflecting a commitment to preparing students for the demands of the 21st century through innovative technological approaches.…Read More