With the realization that COVID will stick with us, and with determination to live with it and resume aspects of pre-pandemic life, educators are once again eager to gather at edtech conferences and experience the latest and greatest solutions, digital learning resources, and professional learning opportunities.
In Dallas, TCEA began with keynotes and sessions from top edtech thought leaders and real-world practitioners.
Here’s a sampling of new digital learning tools and innovations from edtech solution providers.
Avantis Education, producer of ClassVR, demonstrated its AR and VR content including Avanti’s World, an educational VR experience split into four lands, each with learning zones and scenes for students to explore independently. Avantis Education also demonstrated its ClassVR Premium Headset, designed for classrooms and available in sets of 8 or 30. ClassVR is a full turnkey VR and AR offering for classrooms, teachers, and education. It offers a web-based management portal and uses existing IT infrastructure for wi-fi and connectivity to make it easier for teachers to integrate VR resources into their existing instruction.
BetterLesson announced BL Connect, an online library of quick, self-directed courses designed to bring actionable professional education to every teacher. BL Connect courses build upon educators’ past successes, connecting the dots between professional learning and everyday practice. Courses range from 20 minute bite-size primers to 60-minute interactive sessions. The BL Connect platform will be available for implementation in the 2022–23 school year.
CTL announced its newest 14″ Chromebooks, the CTL Chromebook PX14E and PX14EX. Running multiple applications is effortless with these devices as they are equipped with the latest technology in processors, connectivity, graphics and security. The CTL Chromebook PX14E and PX14EX feature Intel® Jasper Lake processors that are up to 35 percent more powerful than previous generation processors, making them ideal both for use in K-12 Education and work from home environments.
Curriculum Associates highlighted its latest research on what’s happening with unfinished learning related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research, which pulls from i-Ready Diagnostic data, shows fewer students started the year prepared for math and ELA, fewer are on target to learn to read, and there are more gaps in phonics and sophisticated math skill comprehension. Curriculum Associates plans to continue partnering with schools, districts, and educators to provide deep insight and understanding to help educators save time and understand where students are in terms of unfinished learning in math and reading
Epson announced BrightLink® Academy, new e-learning courses powered by Eduscape. BrightLink Academy is designed for teachers and instructional coaches to learn how to create engaging learning experiences for students of all grade levels, as well as maximize their proficiency while teaching with Epson BrightLink interactive displays. It will provide professional development resources to help schools integrate BrightLink into existing curriculum and create interactive learning experiences. New e-learning courses will include topics such as designing engaging activities and lessons with BrightLink, Google workspace for education and BrightLink, virtual field trips with Minecraft and BrightLink, and meeting needs of diverse learning with BrightLink.
Identity Automation demonstrated how RapidIdentity has the flexibility and security to streamline your district’s Identity and Access Management (IAM). RapidIdentity SafeID, a new option for educational institutions that use the company’s flagship RapidIdentity platform to manage identities and access, constantly compares digital identities used at customer institutions and can alert and/or automate security measures when compromised credentials are discovered so IT can take action to prevent account takeovers and targeted attacks.
INVZBL, a hygienic technology company for education, and TEQlease Capital, a provider of equipment lease financing solutions, announced a new partnership designed to assist school districts and other schools with their acquisition plans to leverage budgeted dollars to purchase UV-C disinfection technology. TEQlease financing for K-12 schools can be applied to any of INVZBL’s UV-C products and services, including its device disinfection cabinets and ceiling air panel purifiers, as well as its just-launched protection-as-a-service solution powered by FedEx Corporation.
Founded in 2014, Pikmykid is a comprehensive school safety and dismissal platform that serves more than 2,000 schools in all 50 states. Pikmykid offers a combination of dismissal management, safety and emergency tools, parent messaging, and real-time reporting to ensure that every school is safe, no matter the zip code. The all-in-one platform addresses the safety needs of schools without the need to purchase, install, or support additional hardware, enabling schools to quickly roll out Pikmykid on existing devices.
COVID-19 has accelerated the demand for online tutoring from school districts coast to coast to provide additional learning support, address learning gaps, and increase educational equity. TutorMe has quadrupled the number of partners it serves since the pandemic began. Most recently, Saint Paul Public Schools, Oklahoma City Public Schools, and Richland School District Two have teamed up with TutorMe to provide its students with 24/7 high-dosage tutoring and essay review at no cost to families, democratizing quality academic support. With over 15,000 expert tutors in hundreds of subjects, students get live 1-on-1 guidance in the award-winning lesson space, which features a virtual whiteboard, text editor, audio/video chat, screen sharing, and more. TutorMe has recently received several prestigious awards and industry recognitions, including the FETC’s Top Ed Tech Products of 2022 and Timmy Award for Best Tech for Good.
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