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.

EVERFI Tackles Inequality in Nation’s Healthcare System with Introduction of First Healthcare Literacy Course for Students

New program addresses barriers that lead to social disparities; students learn to make important health and financial decisions 

EVERFI Inc., the leading Impact-as-a-Service TM education innovator, announced the development of the nation’s first healthcare literacy course designed for high school students. This new digital program will empower students across the country with the knowledge to navigate a complex healthcare system, advocate for medical care, and make good financial decisions to manage their healthcare needs.  The program will be available to all high schools nationwide at no cost during the fall 2021 academic term. EVERFI will work with its strategic partners to focus on reaching students in underserved, high-risk communities in an effort to drive ecosystems of change.

Although a lack of healthcare literacy disproportionately affects lower socioeconomic and minority groups, it is a widespread concern across the country regardless of age, education level, income, or race. More than 88 percent of adults in the U.S. have a low level of health literacy, lacking the skills necessary to fully manage their healthcare and prevent disease and nearly 46 million Americans say they would struggle to afford quality healthcare. Other studies suggest adolescents have a low level of healthcare literacy and struggle with reading health-related words and describing symptoms, particularly as they begin to take ownership of their health and medical needs.  

“Systemic inequality in our healthcare system has taken a heavy toll on disadvantaged communities,” said Tom Davidson, CEO and founder of EVERFI. “This is not just a health problem. This is a financial problem. We can no longer sit back and hope that individuals learn how to effectively use our healthcare system. The negative impact on individuals and their families can be devastating financially and may put someone’s health – or life – at risk. This critical knowledge needs to exist in every high school in America.”…Read More

How cloud adoption is changing public school education

As the past year has shown, cloud computing has proved a vital service for K – 12 public schools. It’s enabled online learning during a time of critical need, and the schools who have embraced cloud adoption have thrived and will continue to do so.

Cost efficiencies are a big driver of cloud adoption. For schools grappling with budget cuts, the cloud offers a cost-effective way to educate students and streamline operations. Cloud solutions are also easier to deploy and integrate than traditional IT infrastructure. This allows schools to reallocate their limited budgets toward teaching and improving student outcomes. Schools who choose to keep their operations on-premises may miss out on these benefits.

Let’s look at the ways the cloud is changing public school education today–and some of the common bumps administrators and IT teams should avoid along the way.…Read More

Discovery Education and Industry Leaders Launch Social-Emotional Learning Coalition to Address Critical Educator and Student Needs with No-Cost Resources

Silver Spring, Md. (Wednesday, April 28, 2021) — Discovery Education – the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms – today launched the new Social-Emotional Learning Coalition. The Social-Emotional Learning Coalition provides K-12 educators, students, families, and afterschool directors a no-cost library of digital social and emotional learning (SEL) resources supporting the integration of SEL into core instruction.

The Social-Emotional Learning Center is the first initiative of the Social-Emotional Learning Coalition, a partnership between Discovery Education and leaders across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to drive access and innovation in embedding SEL in the student experience. The Allstate Foundation and National AfterSchool Association are anchor partners.

More than two decades of research shows that SEL can help young people develop social responsibility, practice leadership, and gain personal and social skills. COVID-19 and its impact on education underscores educators’ need for curated and vetted content supporting the whole child in any learning setting. To better meet the need for resources supporting students’ SEL development, the new Social-Emotional Learning Coalition improves access to high-quality, instructional resources.…Read More

GoGuardian Offers Student Mental Health Service for Free as Schools Face Growing Mental Health Concerns

Qualifying Schools and Districts Can Receive GoGuardian Beacon for No Cost or Obligation Through the Remainder of the School Year

Amid a growing nationwide concern over the effects of the pandemic on student mental health, GoGuardian, a leading education technology company helping K-12 schools maximize the learning potential of every student, today announced that its award-winning student safety solution, GoGuardian Beacon, will be available at no cost for schools and districts to use through the remainder of the school year. Beacon helps educators identify students who are at risk of suicide or self-harm, alert those who can help, and quickly activate the school’s custom response plan. With this offer, K-12 schools can have access to supportive tools to help protect students in this growing time of need, regardless of funding and budgetary constraints.

Educators and public health officials are growing increasingly alarmed by the pandemic’s impact on student mental health. A recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found suicidal ideation was 1.60 and 1.45 times higher in March and July 2020 compared to the same period one year earlier; suicide attempts were 2.34 and 1.77 times higher during the same period. Even as COVID-19 infection rates decline and schools move to reopen, students face extraordinary challenges adjusting yet again to hybrid learning schedules, altered school environments, and new classroom health requirements.…Read More

CSDE Announces New Partnership to Launch Statewide K-12 Social-Emotional Learning Assessment System

Universal Screener Provides Data to Strengthen Social -Emotional Skills, Informs Instruction for Students Who Need Additional Support

The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) announced it is entering into a partnership with Aperture Education to provide a statewide SEL assessment for K-12 schools. Starting in the fall of 2021 and after a thorough procurement process, CSDE will make Aperture’s research-backed social-emotional learning assessments, the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) System and the DESSA-mini, available to all Connecticut districts at no cost.

“Reinforcing a strong, statewide system of supports around SEL and mental health is how we will most effectively address the unprecedented level of trauma, anxiety, and uncertainty that both students and school staff have experienced over the past year. Outside the context of the pandemic, we know the integration of SEL is a key component in PK-12 education and contributes to whole-child success in school, life, and career,” said Acting Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker. “As we continue to advance this important work together, adding DESSA as part of a coordinated approach to providing SEL supports will allow us to build upon existing efforts already underway in districts across the state.”…Read More

Discovery Education Brings Together Thought Leaders to Amplify Social-Emotional Learning

Educators, Students, and Families Receive Access to Dynamic Learning Resources for SEL Day

Educators, students, and families are invited to explore social-emotional learning with dynamic digital resources from Discovery Education and its diverse network of partners. In recognition of the second annual Social and Emotional Learning Day (March 26), the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum and professional learning presents communities no-cost content for wherever learning takes place.

Social-Emotional Learning is often described as the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Research reveals that SEL programs provide students the ability to manage stress and depression, improve self-esteem, and better school behavior. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) key pillars of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills.…Read More

Epson Expands its Laser Projector Warranty for Schools Through Brighter Futures Program

Epson today announced it is expanding warranty coverage on laser projection models1 for education through its popular Brighter Futures® program. Designed to make it easy for schools to put state-of-the-art visual displays in every classroom, Epson’s Brighter Futures program adds an expanded 5-Year Limited Warranty with registration1 to its list of special discounts and benefits that help reduce the overall cost of ownership for education customers. Epson is known for world class service and support for the education industry and the new limited warranty dramatically expands its service commitment to education customers.

“We know 2020 was a hard year financially for a lot of school districts with education budgets being cut and having to spend money on unexpected supplies such as PPE, and we want to continue to support our customers in this space,” said Jason Meyer, group product manager, Projectors, Epson America, Inc. “This expanded limited warranty underscores our commitment to providing high-quality, long-lasting, state-of-the-art displays for public and private education.”

Epson has significantly expanded its laser projection offerings over the past year, introducing new models at various price points to enhance student engagement and optimize existing spaces with eye-catching effects and displays. Designed to offer educators innovative, reliable solutions for the challenges they and their students face, Epson’s laser projectors feature a virtually maintenance free laser light source2 and are made for today’s teaching environments to create immersive, laser-focused learning.…Read More

LenelS2 Announces BlueDiamond Mobile-Ready Readers

LenelS2 today announced a new line of BlueDiamondTM mobile-ready readers. The new multi-technology readers are cost-effective, designed to provide simultaneous support for a wide range of physical credentials and can be seamlessly upgraded to support BlueDiamond mobile credentials. LenelS2, a global leader in advanced security systems and services, is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions.

“Access control needs are dynamic, and with BlueDiamond mobile-ready readers, users have a single platform that can meet their needs today, tomorrow and into the future,” said Jeff Stanek, president, LenelS2. “These new readers allow organizations to easily transition to mobile credentials at their own pace.”

BlueDiamond is an open platform, and the new line of mobile-ready readers are among the most versatile access control readers on the market. The readers work seamlessly with existing infrastructure and are access control platform agnostic. They include support for the standard output protocols including Supervised F/2F (SF/2F), Wiegand, OSDP™ and OSDP V2.…Read More

Discovery Inc. and Discovery Education Partner to Present Exclusive Virtual Field Trip Behind the Scenes of the Inauguration

Discovery Inc. and  Discovery Education are partnering to present  I Do Solemnly Swear: The U.S. Presidential Inauguration to help educators, students, and families across the United States and around the world explore the rich history and tradition surrounding the Inauguration of the President of the United States. This exclusive, no cost virtual learning experience provides students behind-the-scenes access to this extraordinary quadrennial event. I Do Solemnly Swear premieres Tuesday, January 19 at 12:00pm ET exclusively on  www.discoveryeducation.com and will air the same week on  Discovery Family, and in Spanish on  Discovery Familia.

During I Do Solemnly Swear, elementary and middle school students, their teachers, and families will learn about the many distinctive aspects of the Presidential Inauguration. Through a series of interviews, Inaugural experts and historians will share their perspectives and insight, and answer questions such as why we have an Inauguration, how does a First Family move into the White House during the Inauguration, and what do the symbols and language of the Inauguration mean. In addition, a surprise guest is scheduled to appear who will share a special message with students.

Interviewing the Inaugural experts featured in I Do Solemnly Swear are a group of extraordinary students from families served by  Operation Homefront, the national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families. Since 2002, Operation Homefront has provided relief, resiliency, and recurring support programs that help military families overcome short-term bumps in the road so they do not become long-term chronic problems.…Read More

Barix Speeds and Simplifies IP Speaker Installations with New Remote Configuration Toolset

IP audio innovator Barix has added a powerful new remote configuration toolset in its award-winning IP Former analog-to-IP speaker upgrade solution that makes multi-unit installation faster and easier. Built into each IP Former device and accessible through a web browser, the new toolset enables efficient, centralized configuration of all IP Former units on the same network.

The IP Former hardware transforms analog loudspeakers into feature-rich, networked IP speakers. The cost-efficient device provides an IP network interface, audio stream decoder, and amplifier front-end for a two- to eight-ohm speaker, with power supplied over PoE to minimize cabling requirements. Current analog speaker installations can be retrofitted by simply swapping their transformers with IP Former units, maximizing the lifespan of customers’ existing investments.

The new toolset enables installers to efficiently configure any number of IP Former devices – from two to hundreds of units – at once from a single, intuitive dashboard. A grid view displays all IP Former devices on the network, their settings, and the active stream on each unit for easy visualization and validation of the deployment.…Read More