TRENDING  //  5 Ways to make your eSports program successful  //  A Community within a Community: How and why schools should start eSports programs

Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

TRACK IT FORWARD ANNOUNCES INTEGRATION WITH CLEVER SINGLE SIGN-ON

OAKLAND, Calif. – Track it Forward, a leader in volunteer time tracking software, just announced their new integration with the most widely used school single sign-on platform, Clever. Track it Forward is also the first volunteer time tracking app to be listed in the Clever Library.

Schools can effectively track service hours by implementing this easy-to-use volunteer time tracking software. The new integration with Clever will make it easier than ever for students to log community service hours and for teachers and administrators to track progress toward requirements and awards.

Track it Forward allows school districts and teachers to set up custom categories for different types of community service, and students can view their progress toward milestones, or service hour goals. In addition, students can submit verification of volunteer work completed onsite, like signatures, selfies, and GPS locations.…Read More

eSN K-12 Hero Awards Program nominee: Spotlight on Green Bay Area Public School District

Many new and innovative practices emerged as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, shuttering physical classrooms and pushing students and teachers online. It’s critical to document these stories, which range from efforts to close the homework gap and expand virtual learning to increased opportunities for DEIA. These stories are exactly what the eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards Program recognizes.

Sponsored by JAR Systems and SAP Concur, The eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards Program lets vendors nominate as many individuals or organizations as they’d like. The program recognizes the dedicated efforts of education professionals across K-12 departments, including IT, curriculum, instruction and administration. Nominations are open through Sept. 15.

eSN Editor-at-Large Kevin Hogan sat down with Amy Sterckx of K-12 Hero Awards Program nominee Green Bay Area Public School District, along with Axel Zimmermann with sponsor JAR Systems, to chat about post-pandemic education and innovation.…Read More

Savvas Unveils Major Enhancements to its Award-Winning Savvas Realize Platform, Offering Time-Saving Features Designed with Educators in Mind

PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — Inspired by input from its educator users, Savvas Learning Company is excited to announce that for back to school it has updated its award-winning Savvas Realize platform with powerful enhancements and a new user experience intended to save teachers time, freeing them up to focus more on classroom instruction with their students.

Savvas Realize, recognized as one of the most innovative learning management systems (LMS) in the industry and the winner of seven edtech awards, has now been made even easier to use with intuitive navigation for both teachers and students and time-saving tools for teachers to make the most of their teaching day. These updates include a more streamlined interface with faster grading workflows, improved classroom management tools, and greater integration with the edtech tools that schools use most.

“Teachers have a lot on their plates, especially this school year with trying to get their students caught up. They need an LMS that’s easy to navigate for them and their students — one that provides robust support for personalized learning and the right tools to make their jobs easier,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “After a year-long collaboration with nearly 100 educators, our highly acclaimed Savvas Realize LMS has been updated with significant enhancements to provide greater simplicity, shareability, and interoperability — helping teachers be more productive in the classroom.”…Read More

eSN K-12 Hero Awards Program nominee: Spotlight on FLVS

Educators have always deserved praise and recognition–that has never been more evident than during the pandemic, when they prioritized student safety among heroic efforts to keep learning going virtually, in hybrid environments, and finally, for full in-person learning. These efforts are exactly what the eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards Program recognizes.

Sponsored by JAR Systems and SAP Concur, vendors can nominate as many individuals or organizations as they’d like. The program recognizes the dedicated efforts of education professionals across K-12 departments, including IT, curriculum, instruction and administration.

eSN Editor-at-Large Kevin Hogan sat down with Kelly Goodman of K-12 Hero Awards Program nominee FLVS, along with Jim McClurkin from sponsor SAP Concur, to chat about post-pandemic education and innovation.…Read More

ClassTag Awards $10,000 Community Engagement Grant

August 2, 2022 – NEW YORK: As schools and families prepare for back-to-school, ClassTag is announcing the winning district of its Community Engagement Grant, who received $10,000 in funding.

Since launching The Community Engagement Grant in June 2022, ClassTag has received 65 passionate, compelling submissions on how school districts across the country have emerged out of the pandemic to build trust and strong relationships with their community. As part of the application, leaders were asked to share the creative ways they have engaged their community and the impact this additional funding can have. Initiatives shared as part of the applications offer diverse and creative perspectives on how to tackle the most pressing issues facing school communities across the country, however the opportunities remain consistent and span across
the following five areas:

  • Equity and Accessibility
  • Social Emotional Learning and Mental Health
  • Family Education Programs
  • Partnerships with Local Organizations and Businesses
  • A Unified Communication System

After much deliberation, the ClassTag team has selected the winner – Lexington City Schools, a suburban district in North Carolina serving over three thousand students.…Read More

Whitney Brothers® Nature View Writing Center Earns Platinum Spaces4Learning 2022 New Product Award

Keene, NH, July 29, 2022 – Acclaimed Early Learning furniture brand Whitney Brothers® today announced its new Nature View Writing Center received the Platinum 2022 Spaces4Learning New Product Award, one of the most widely recognized awards for product innovation in the educational products market.

The inventive design of the Nature View Writing Center accommodates social distancing and activity workspace in Early Learning environments, a nod to the impact of covid-19 on student desk design. The vibrant woodland scene on the desk’s clear back panel brings the calm of nature indoors and creates a comforting personalized activity space for young children that also provides important visibility for adult supervision. Notably, the 2022 award marks the company’s third consecutive win and fourth in the last six years, vaulting it to the level of a few select brands.

Now in its seventh year, the Spaces4Learning New Product Award program honors manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are judged for their ability to enhance learning environments. The contest judges are members of the publication’s Editorial Advisory Board, a panel of executives and professionals from leading industry vendors, industry associations, and architecture firms.…Read More

Next-generation tech for schools–right now

In this episode of Innovations in Education, hosted by Kevin Hogan and sponsored by Galaxy Next Generation:

  • 7 things K-12 IT teams can do now to manage OT risks
  • AI is the key to scaling personalized, one-on-one instruction
  • A look at cybersecurity with past Hero Awards Winner Brevard Public Schools

…Read More

How 3 past Hero Awards winners navigated COVID

The eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards program, sponsored by JAR Systems and SAP Concur, has returned for 2022 and recognizes the dedicated efforts of education professionals across K-12 departments, including IT, curriculum, instruction and administration.  The nomination period runs from June 27 – September 1, 2022.

“The great education beta test brought on by the pandemic has resulted in discoveries and innovations across education — from distance learning and closing the digital divide, to addressing the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools, and so much more,” said Kevin Hogan, eSN’s editor-at-large. “I’d like to encourage everyone to participate in this year’s Hero Awards, so your real-life challenges and successes can be celebrated and shared with the education community.”

As nominations come in from across the country, let’s take a look at last year’s winners and the amazing efforts they put in to keep learning accessible for students, teachers, and staff during an unprecedented global pandemic.…Read More

1 2

Educators Name Best Products and Services that Meet the Evolving Needs of STEM Teaching and Learning

BEAVERTON, Ore. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As educators face a new generation of technology needs for teaching and learning STEM, science, and coding, companies are rising to the challenge by deeply understanding educators’ evolving needs. The 2022 Best of STEM Award provides EdTech companies with a fresh twist—an awards program judged by STEM educators for STEM educators: “The Educators Pick Best of STEM Awards.”

“Three years ago, we created the awards program EdTech was missing—Educators Pick Best of STEM,” said Daylene Long, CEO, and Founder of Catapult X. “The needs of educators are rapidly transforming as new teachers enter the field, administrators address learning loss, and educators search for modern solutions to engage students born as digital natives. This program is truly about creating connections between EdTech and the teachers they serve.”

“Our educator judging team this year was particularly strong,” said Lead Judge Annie Galvin Teich. “With a larger team, we were able to match science and STEM technology to specific science and STEM expertise, such as high school physics and emerging technologies. These experienced STEM educators offered unique insights and feedback to the award entries.”…Read More

FEV Tutor Named 2022 Winner in Best of STEM Awards in the Bridging the Gap: Tutoring Programs for STEM Category

WOBURN, Mass. – July 27, 2022 – FEV Tutor, the most comprehensive virtual tutoring solution in K-12, was selected as a 2022 Educators Pick Best of STEM Award winner in the “Bridging the Gap: Tutoring Programs for STEM” category. The 2022 Best of STEM Award provides EdTech companies with a fresh twist—an awards program judged by STEM educators for STEM educators: “The Educators Pick Best of STEM Awards.” Winners were announced on July 21 at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education.

The awards program is run by market and product development company Catapult X in partnership with the Teich Group, the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and MCH Strategic Data. “Three years ago, we created the awards program EdTech was missing—Educators Pick Best of STEM,” said Daylene Long, CEO and Founder of  Catapult X. “The needs of educators are rapidly transforming as new teachers enter the field, administrators address learning loss, and educators search for modern solutions to engage students born as digital natives. This program is truly about creating connections between EdTech and the teachers they serve.”

The Bridging the Gap series of awards acknowledges products and services that enable educators to help accelerate student learning. The evaluating judges stated, “FEV Tutor is what districts have been asking for—individualized tutoring plans that address all students’ needs. What sets it apart? FEV Tutors gives students access to 1:1 tutoring with individualized plans available 24:7. For districts, data are provided to measure that the program works!”…Read More