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.

Is 2023 the year of the microschool?

This post originally appeared on the Christensen Institute’s blog and is reposted here with permission.

With all the surprises sprung on the world over the last few years, it can be both exciting and frightening to imagine what 2023 might hold. Will this be a year defined by amazing breakthroughs for humanity—like cracking the formula for nuclear fusion and clearing a path to abundant clean energy? Or will it be a year loaded with new challenges—such as a global recession or escalating tensions between powerful nations?

Amidst the tectonic shifts that may be on the global horizon, there’s a comparatively smaller phenomenon brewing in US K-12 education. While barely a blimp on the global scale, it could impact learning trajectories for millions of American students and have a significant impact on the conventional model of schooling. What warrants this attention? Microschools.…Read More

How learning science informs edtech product development

It’s no secret that the pandemic shift to remote learning resulted in boom times for edtech. Market intelligence firm HolonIQ expects global edtech spend to reach $300 billion in 2022 and up to $404 billion in 2025. The growth is fueling investment, too, as last year venture capital tripled over pre-pandemic levels.

But is all that money well spent on learning products with proven efficacy in the classroom, or are those billions going toward technology for technology’s sake?

With the boom in edtech and so many shiny, new product offerings on the market, it’s essential for educators to select tools they can trust will have a long-term impact on learning. More often than not, these are the tools that have prioritized learning science in their product design, to guide product vision and focus.…Read More

Museum of Science, Boston enters metaverse with “Mission: Mars” Roblox experience

The Museum of Science, Boston is making its first move into the world of immersive online education with its launch of “Mission: Mars,” an educational experience on Roblox, a global platform connecting millions of people through immersive 3D experiences.

Developed in partnership with Filament Games, “Mission: Mars” challenges participants to engage in the Engineering Design Process, developing and iterating on vehicles ready to navigate the mysterious red planet and complete exploratory missions with friends to survive on Mars.

The Museum of Science is the first Roblox Community Fund (RCF) recipient to launch their experience since the fund’s introduction in November of 2021. Through the initial $10M fund, RCF has been offering grants to educational organizations to develop innovative learning experiences and curriculum leveraging the platform in immersive and compelling ways. …Read More

Carnegie Learning Recognized as Global Innovator on 2023 GSV 150 List

Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Learning, a leader in artificial intelligence for K-12 education and formative assessment, announced today it has been selected for the GSV (Global Silicon Valley) 150, a list of the world’s most transformative private companies in education.

Carnegie Learning was chosen from over 4,000 venture capital and private equity-backed private companies revolutionizing the world of education technology. GSV estimates that together, these 150 companies reach roughly 3 billion people—almost half of the global population—and generate approximately $25 billion in revenue.

“It’s an honor to be recognized among such a distinguished list of companies,” says Carnegie Learning CEO Barry Malkin. “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do—from our products to our culture to our people. Not only do we embrace change, we create it. Our commitment to research, more than any other edtech company, and to producing world-class content and technology puts us in a unique position to really make a meaningful impact on education.”…Read More

Oklahoma’s Millwood Public Schools Partners with Global EdTech Leader to Create Dynamic Learning Experiences

Oklahoma City, OK —Students and teachers in classrooms across Oklahoma’s Millwood Public Schools (MPS) now have access to a host of dynamic digital resources supporting science and social studies instruction thanks to a new partnership with Discovery Education. Through this collaboration, MPS educators districtwide now have access to rich content and powerful digital tools that support the creation of immersive learning environments. Discovery Education is the global edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. 

Located in the heart of Oklahoma City and serving approximately 1150 students, the Millwood Public Schools is dedicated to preparing all students academically and socially for lifelong learning and achievement. In the district’s recent strategic plan, MPS outlined several goals and measures of progress for student success. To help meet MPS’s goal of student mastery of science and social studies, school administrators sought engaging digital resources designed to connect what students are learning in school to the world beyond the classroom. 

Following a careful review, the district selected several Discovery Education resources for classroom use. To support science instruction in grades 3-12, the district selected the Discovery Education Science Techbooks for classroom use. The Discovery Education Science Techbook series is a comprehensive, research-backed science solution for grades K-12. Used in classrooms across the United States, the Science Techbooks drive engagement with exclusive phenomena and interactive content.  …Read More

Teaching ‘stranger danger’ should extend to the virtual world

In recent days, Ukrainian officials have expressed urgent concern that “Russia is planning to launch massive cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.” Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a dizzying series of cybersecurity threats and incidences that have plagued the global community for what seems like forever. Every day our country is fighting a seemingly invisible war against cybercriminals, and our students—the most vulnerable among us—are suffering the most.

According to the FBI’s 2021 Internet Crime Report, more than 14,000 victims of cybercrime that year were under the age of 20, with losses totaling $100 million. Of these victims, about six children per day faced online exploitation or abuse. And these are only the crimes that have been reported to the FBI—about 80% of cybercrime goes unreported every year.

That’s why it’s becoming increasingly more urgent for us to protect our students from the constant threats they face online. Teaching them how to navigate these threats must include four vital strategies:…Read More

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CYPHER LEARNING Builds Out Proven Executive Team

PLANO, Texas —   CYPHER LEARNING, a leading provider of intelligent learning platforms for schools, universities and organizations around the world, today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team with Jennifer Geisler as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Matt Kane as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Combined with the prior appointment of Hank Courson, CFO, these proven leaders will help fuel CYPHER LEARNING’s global growth, customer success and innovation — helping the company achieve its mission to improve education by fundamentally changing the way people teach and learn worldwide.

“Jennifer, Matt and Hank bring a new and invigorating level of experience and leadership required to drive scale and high growth with a strong go-to-market strategy,” said Graham Glass, CEO of CYPHER LEARNING. “The large $8.1 billion LMS market has created significant growth opportunities for CYPHER LEARNING, as its leading-edge learning platform continues to gain traction due to its intuitive user experience, powerful functionality and innovative approach to teaching and learning. With our recent $40 million growth round and the addition of this power trio, we are now full speed ahead.”

In her role as CMO, Geisler will define and lead CYPHER LEARNING’s global marketing strategy with tight alignment across the company that drives scale, customer value and clear differentiation from the traditional learning management system (LMS). She brings more than two decades of marketing leadership experience, including two successful initial public offerings (IPOs), category creation and accelerated adoption of innovations. Geisler has previously held leadership roles at Vectra AI, Forescout, McAfee, Cisco and more.…Read More

Edalex selected for the HolonIQ 2022 ANZ EdTech 50

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, / EINPresswire.com/ —  Edalex, the EdTech company that unleashes the power of skills data, digital assets, and personal credentials, are thrilled to be included in HolonIQ’s 2022 Australia & New Zealand EdTech 50 – for the third year in a row! The 2022 Australia & New Zealand EdTech 50 is an annual list of the most promising EdTech startups from Australia and New Zealand, selected from more than 750 candidates.

HolonIQ is an industry leading market intelligence platform that provides data and analysis of developments in the global education market, providing updates and commentary on companies, countries and industries and how their innovation activities form patterns and trends in the market.

“We are beyond pleased to be recognised for the third year running as one of the most promising EdTech startups in the region by HolonIQ,” said Dan McFadyen, Managing Director of Edalex. “We feel that this continuing recognition is reflective of the large strides made by our team in placing the learner at the centre, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and introducing enhanced features and services that more directly meet their needs as the skills ecosystem continues to evolve,” he continued.…Read More

Vivi and Headspace Partner to Bring Mindfulness to K-12 Classrooms

MELBOURNE – Vivi, the leading classroom communication and collaboration platform built exclusively for education, today announced an exciting new and unique partnership with Headspace, a global leader in mindfulness and meditation, with a goal of improving social-emotional health for all students. The partnership will give all Vivi users access to easy and effective mindfulness and meditation practices created by Headspace, designed for use in K-12 classrooms.

“We are excited to give teachers and students easy access to resources needed to build mindfulness skills, to help them focus, recharge, and get the most out of every lesson,” says Simon Holland, co-founder of Vivi.io and a key driver of the partnership. “By delivering access to mindfulness and meditation practices designed specifically for K-12, we hope we can play a role in reducing stress and anxiety in the classroom and further improving emotional health and wellness for all students and teachers.”

A study has shown 30 days of Headspace resulted in 32% decrease in stress, eight weeks of Headspace resulted in a 19% decrease in anxiety symptoms and Headspace has improved focus by 14%. Until now, it has been challenging for teachers to gather insights on students’ social and emotional needs and support them in the moment. By pairing Vivi’s emoji-based polling ability with Headspace’s mindfulness practices, teachers can administer a quick, confidential, whole-class check-in to get a temperature read on how students are feeling about the day or lesson, and then offer targeted support to those students in need.…Read More

Gale Business: Insights Enhances User Experience with New All-in-One Platform to Support Global Business Research

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Gale, part of a Cengage Group, today announced the migration of its Business Insight platforms – Gale Business Insights: Essentials and Gale Business Insights: Global – to a single new and improved all-in-one platform, Gale Business: Insights. With enhanced navigation and collaboration tools, business professionals, entrepreneurs, students and researchers can spend less time searching and more time turning their findings into practical applications. Developed based on user feedback, this new platform supports usability and accessibility with a single database that encompasses the global nature of business.

“Business researchers need instant access to reliable, comprehensive data and the tools to analyze and interpret the information on a single platform,” said Seth Cayley, vice president of global academic product at Gale. “Gale Business: Insights’ new interface was designed with extensive input from students, librarians and business professors throughout the process to ensure easy access to the desired information. The updates we have made to this platform make it an invaluable source for compiling business intelligence.”

Gale Business: Insights combines Gale reference content with respected business sources and full-text periodicals to help researchers gain a broader understanding of the global nature of today’s business world. In addition, users can access daily updates, more than 450,000 detailed company profiles, and in-depth country and industry overviews. …Read More