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.

Taking a measured look at AI in the classroom

Key points:

  • What if AI can take over mundane tasks and free teachers up for more direct instruction?
  • AI doesn’t just spit out data–it provides real, actionable insights that allow teachers to better help students
  • See related article: The importance of teaching generative AI

AI in the classroom: The idea brings up images of students plugged into the Matrix, learning differential equations in seconds, doesn’t it? Well, not quite, even if the question of existential threat for schoolchildren has been purported in recent discussions. We’re talking about something more grounded, a little less sci-fi, but nonetheless intriguing.

Imagine you’re teaching a class, and instead of that time-consuming grading, you have AI in the classroom, taking care of the rote tasks. Interesting, but not quite a blockbuster movie scenario, right? It leaves you with time to ponder the intricacies of your educational philosophy or perhaps even enjoy a quiet lunch break.…Read More

4 ways edtech tools drive student engagement and build classroom culture

Key points:

As a teacher, I constantly wondered how to get students more engaged in my lessons. As an administrator, this question was the guiding force of my coaching.  Student engagement can be tough to define and difficult to systematize, but for anyone who’s walked into a highly engaged classroom, it’s immediately apparent. 

In my experience, it’s almost a direct path from increased student engagement to stronger learning outcomes. The two combined can often mean improved classroom culture, and in turn, higher teacher retention and other major benefits. There are four key ways that edtech tools can increase student engagement, and when done correctly, be a catalyst for building a culture of learning.…Read More

HMH Introduces Generative AI Teacher Supports in its Connected Literacy Solution to Empower Educators

BOSTON – As part of its human-centered approach to AI in K-12 education, learning technology company  HMH today announced new OpenAI-powered integrations within  Writable, its award-winning writing practice and assessment solution for grades 3-12. Within HMH’s connected literacy solution, Writable’s new GenAI capabilities increase the impact teachers can have by engaging more students with targeted feedback and motivating better writing in the moment. This approach to AI is teacher-guided, allowing teachers to incorporate AI-suggested feedback and scores into their instruction. This saves valuable time teachers can use to invest in student connections.

“At HMH, we believe technology should be applied with purpose to deepen the human connections that accelerate learning outcomes,” says Jack Lynch, CEO at HMH. “Today’s announcement represents a thoughtful step forward in the transformative journey of using generative AI to enhance student learning and give teachers time back to do what only they can do, which is really connect with their students on a human level.”

Providing comprehensive and skill-aligned feedback on student essays is time-consuming, and educators often wish they could offer more support during a student’s writing process. To address this challenge, Writable’s new generative AI-powered tools include AI-generated prompts and assignments, AI-suggested feedback and scores on any writing assignment, as well as tools to guard against plagiarism and detect AI writing in student submissions.…Read More

5 ways AI can help teachers in the classroom

Key points:

  • As AI tools like ChatGPT grow in popularity, there’s no avoiding them in the classroom
  • Using AI to teach students about AI helps students approach it with the respect it deserves and emphasizes its use as a learning tool
  • See related article: Debunking common myths about AI in education

If you’ve spent any time tinkering with AI like I have, you’ve discovered what a powerful and versatile tool it can be for teachers in the classroom. Sometimes, it almost feels like AI gives us superpowers. Simply by using a collection of prompts, I can direct AI to write, draw, code, and perform any number of difficult tasks in ways I otherwise couldn’t. The only limit is your imagination!

This brings up some pressing questions, though, and as with any new technology, it will take time before we reach definitive answers. In the meantime, however, finding positive ways of integrating AI into education can give us a better understanding of its full potential, and maybe point us in the right direction for its future use. Here are just 5 ways AI can help teachers in classroom:…Read More

Teachers are surprise AI champions

Key points:

  • While some reports have teachers wary of AI in the classroom, a new survey reveals that approximately half of teachers are excited about its potential
  • Teachers say they can use AI for research, lesson plans, generating classroom materials, and more
  • See related article: Is generative AI a new secret weapon, or just another gadget?

Roughly half of teachers say they are excited about AI’s potential in the classroom and say they believe it increases learning equity, according to a new survey from study platform Quizlet. 

The first-ever State of AI in Education Report polled students and teachers in the U.S. on how they are using AI in the classroom and how these technologies are shaping the future of education.…Read More

Epilepsy Foundation Partners with Vector Solutions to Offer Seizure First Aid Trainings to Educators

BOWIE, MD. — The Epilepsy Foundation announced a five-year collaboration with Vector Solutions, the leading provider of training and software solutions for K-12 and higher education institutions, to offer the Epilepsy Foundation’s Seizure Recognition & First Aid Certification training in the Vector Safety and Compliance Course Library. This agreement will provide an easy and convenient way for educators and school personnel, who are already contracted with Vector, to take the seizure first aid training to better serve their students.

There are 470,000 children living with epilepsy in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the opportunity for academic success is increased when students with chronic health conditions have a safe and supportive learning environment.

“Our collaboration with Vector will give school personnel — who are required by state laws to take seizure first aid training — a place to do so easily and effectively through a familiar learning portal,” said Brandy Fureman, Ph.D., chief outcomes officer, Epilepsy Foundation. “In addition, it will expand access to our seizure first aid training to school systems around the country using Vector’s platform. Our end goal is to have a seizure safe nation where everyone who has a seizure feels safe, no matter where they are. This partnership is a stepstone toward that goal.”…Read More

Closing the gap in school emergency response

Key points:

  • One of the biggest issues surrounding school emergency plans is a reliance on disparate and disconnected technologies
  • Automated emergency response and streamlined communications are two ways to improve school emergency response plans
  • See related article: How our school handled the chaos of an active shooter hoax

As school violence has reached a 20-year high, schools and first responders are feeling more pressure to make sure they’re prepared to respond to and resolve school safety incidents as quickly and effectively as possible.

When an emergency happens at a school, every second matters during the response. But communication and visibility gaps continue to hinder school officials and first responders and their ability to respond quickly in emergencies. The ability to effectively communicate during these incidents saves lives.…Read More

Will, skill, & thrill: How learner agency accelerates innovation

Editor’s note: This blog post originally appeared on CoSN’s blog and is reposted here with permissions.

When it comes to students in the classroom, they want to feel ownership and control of their learning. According to the American Institutes for Research, encouraging student agency is beneficial because:

  • students who believe their knowledge can grow over time perform better on IQ tests,
  • those with a growth mindset are more likely to set academic goals focused on mastering content versus studying for a test score or course grade,
  • students who set mastery-focused goals tend to process information in a deeper and more organized fashion, and
  • the skills and behaviors that learner agency fosters are positively related to higher education and career outcomes.

During CoSN’s Driving K-12 Innovation 2022-23 cycle, our esteemed Advisory Board of about 100 educators and technologists agreed that learner agency is, indeed, one of the top three accelerators in education today. Download the 2023 Driving K-12 Innovation Report: Hurdles + Accelerators to learn more.…Read More

The Once and Future ISTE

Sometimes the most insightful interactions at events don’t come from keynotes or session panels but from random conversations in a hotel lobby or airport gate. This seems to be the case whenever I bump into Kari Stubbs. In this conversation, which was reconstructed in a Zoom recording this week, we run the gamut—from post-pandemic hybrid event models to ramifications of the ISTE-ASCD merger, to AI noise, to new ways to better balance industry involvement with instructional inspiration. Click below to listen in and scroll through some of the edited highlights. You can read and see more about her ISTE experiences on LinkedIn.

Her ISTE highlight:

All of our teams need some elevated care right now—kind of the long tail of those emotions coming out of the pandemic. We have continued teacher resignations and ed leader resignations. And then for our business partners in the education space, we also have an elevated need for team care. Our panel looked at female leadership as a potential solution for making that happen. And it was a phenomenal conversation. I don’t know that I’ve ever been a part of a panel that struck a nerve quite as deeply as this one.…Read More