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.

Roylco Secures “Best STEM Building Toy” in Best Building Toys for Kids, According to Experts

ANDERSON, S.C. ––  Roylco, a leading innovator in manufacturing educational kids’ toys, proudly announces its recent accolade as “Best STEM Building Toy” in Good Housekeeping’s expert-rating “16 Best Building Toys for Kids, According to Experts.”

Good Housekeeping, a coveted source for all parents seeking quality children’s products, has turned to its in-house panel of experts to test and review hundreds of building toys over the course of the year. Roylco’s determination and commitment to bringing high quality and performing toys is a testament to its core beliefs of promoting cognitive and motor skill development through the course of play.

“We put so much thought and care into each of our toys,” says Darby Smith, Director of Business Development at Roylco, “We are deeply committed and passionate about fostering hands-on educational growth in children through play, and this recognition is extremely meaningful.”…Read More

BIOZONE’s High School Biology for Texas achieves Top Marks

COLORADO, Parker – BIOZONE has just officially received the awesome news that their inaugural High School Biology for Texas has received “High Quality” status by scoring 100% TEKS and 100% ELPS after an extensive review by the Texas Education Agency’s State Review Panel

The goal of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is for all students in Texas to have access to rigorous, high-quality educational materials. The review process was created by and for Texas educators to provide  rigorous reviews of instructional materials that are independent, objective, comprehensive, and Texas focused. These detailed reviews allow school districts to easily compare instructional materials and choose the best in order to deliver a robust educational program for students.

BIOZONE’s new program: Biology for Texas has fully met expectations and was rated 100% for both TEKS and  ELPS by the educator-reviewers at TEA.…Read More

Carolina Biological Products Named Best-in-Class for K to 12 Science Teaching and Learning in National STEM Awards

BURLINGTON, NC – Carolina Biological is proud to announce that its products won a number of new science education awards. Leading K-12 science supplier Carolina Biological Supply Company won four prestigious national Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023 Awards and earned Finalist in two more categories. The awards are the only competition in which products are reviewed and judged only by STEM educators. Thirty-four awards total were given in thoughtful and important categories tailored to STEM education. The awards program, operated in partnership with the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), MCH Strategic Data and the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT), spotlights innovative products, technologies, and services that are changing the world of STEM education.

Winners were chosen for qualities such as alignment with NGSS standards, the use of simulations, instructional support for teachers, and the flexibility of implementation for different modes of instruction across all STEM topics. Carolina Biological Supply Company was awarded for: Building Blocks of Scienceâ 3D won“Bridging the Gap—English Language Learners: Science & Literacy,” Smithsonian Science for the ClassroomÔ  won “Best of STEM: Most Comprehensive Culturally Relevant Teaching,” and Carolina® Healthcare Simulations Kit Series: Blood Typing Kit won “CTE Training: Health Science—Training Kits” and Carolina Distance Learning® Online Gateway HyFlex won a “Trailblazer Award: Hybrid Learning Superhero.” Carolina also received Finalist status for 3-D Earth and Space Science Kits for “Best of STEM: Environmental Science” and CRISPR in a Box™ Kit for “Trailblazer: Biotechnology Innovator.”

Products were judged first by an expert panel of judges. Then, more than 267,000 STEM educators were invited to evaluate the finalists via survey.For information about the awards program, visit www.bestofstemawards.com.…Read More

A recipe for using explicit phonics instruction in reading lessons

Key points:

Evidence-based reading research, or what many refer to as the Science of Reading, has been a much-discussed topic within the literacy landscape for the past few years. While it may seem like the “next new thing” in reading instruction, the theory, research, and instructional best practices are based on historical, neurological, and scientific understanding of how the human brain works, as well as the relationship to language and literacy development. At the root of evidence-based reading research and reading instruction is the goal of heightening the reader’s experience with text by providing them with strategies to engage with that text for deep understanding and the synthesis of content to build knowledge. 

One aspect of evidence-based reading research is the need for explicit phonics instruction versus implicit instruction.  While comprehension of text is the goal, the foundational skills of early literacy, such as phonological awareness, decoding, encoding, and fluency are essential. …Read More

Winners Announced for “Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023” Awards

Portland, OR – The Teich Group and Catapult X announce the winners of  the Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023 Awards, the only awards program judged by STEM educators. The awards program, operated in partnership with the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and MCH Strategic Data, and for the first time this year with the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT), spotlights innovative products, technologies, and services that are changing the world of STEM education.

These STEM products were subject to a two-part evaluation process. First, by an expert panel of judges including Dr. Linda Johnson-McClinton, Dr. Lance Brand, Dr. Jeffrey Crapper, Dr. Omah M. Williams-Duncan, Kim Collazo, Christina Wilson, Jamica Craig, and Erin Barr. Once judges selected the finalists, more than 267,000 STEM educators were given the opportunity to evaluate the finalists via survey. 

“The number of remarkable products and the degree of innovation made an enormous impression on the judges,” said Annie Galvin Teich, president of The Teich Group and lead judge. “Educators value the alignment with NGSS standards, the use of simulations, instructional support for teachers, and the flexibility of implementation for different modes of instruction across all STEM topics.”…Read More

Sneak a peek at 8 eSN K-12 Hero Awards contenders

Nominations for the annual eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards are open through September 1, 2023, and this year, we’re giving you a look at some of the entries that came in by our early-bird deadline.

The 2023 K-12 Hero Awards program is dedicated to recognizing the country’s best examples of K-12 success using innovative education technologies.

Companies are encouraged to nominate the schools and districts using their products and services–this offers a chance to share success stories and impart valuable lessons learned with the education community. Education professionals across K-12 departments are eligible for nomination, including IT, curriculum, instruction, and administration.…Read More

Finalists Announced for “Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023” Awards

(Portland, OR) – The Teich Group and Catapult X announce the finalists for the Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023 Awards, the only awards program judged by STEM educators. The awards program, operated in partnership with the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and MCH Strategic Data, and for the first time this year with the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT), spotlights innovative products, technologies, and services that are changing the world of STEM education. 

Educator judges evaluated all product entries and selected the finalists listed below, and hundreds of thousands of STEM educators will select the winners in early August. Winners will be announced on August 18, 2023, just in time for schools and districts to review for the back to school season.

Led by Annie Galvin Teich, President of The Teich Group, this year’s judges included Dr. Linda Johnson-McClinton, Dr. Lance Brand, Dr. Jeffrey Crapper, Dr. Omah M. Williams-Duncan, Kim Collazo, Christina Wilson, Jamica Craig, and Erin Barr.…Read More

Mobile app helps students with special needs self-monitor behavior

Key points:

  • A new grant will fund research around increasing the academic engagement of students with special needs
  • Teachers will benefit from insights into how to best support students with unique needs who also wish to be independent
  • See related article: What matters most for our special education teachers?

When Sara Estrapala started her career as a high school paraeducator supporting students with disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, learning disorders and challenging behaviors, she quickly recognized a challenge–her teenage students desire to make their own decisions and their teachers’ struggle to keep them engaged and following directions.

Now an assistant research professor in the University of Missouri College of Education and Human Development, Estrapala is leading a four-year, $519,939 early career development and mentoring grant aimed at increasing academic engagement and decreasing disruptive behavior by empowering select students to self-regulate their own behavior.…Read More

Gale Launches Online Community to Help Educators Thrive

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Gale, part of Cengage Group, is giving educators a new social space to exchange ideas and share best practices. The company has launched Gale Community For Educators, a new Facebook community designed with K-12 educators in mind. With a mission to enhance teaching practices and foster collaboration, Gale Community For Educators offers a platform that encourages literature, English, history, and civics high school teachers to connect, share ideas and access valuable resources.

“Gale Community For Educators is a helpful resource for high school teachers,” said Shawn Clark, senior vice president of Gale’s domestic learning business. “This platform fosters collaboration and professional growth and ensures that teachers have the necessary tools to create dynamic, engaging and transformative learning experiences for their students. By connecting educators nationwide, Gale Community For Educators enables us to collectively elevate the quality of education and help students to reach their full potential.”

Networking and Collaboration…Read More