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.

At ISTELive 23, balancing humanity with AI

Key points:

What does it mean to be human in a digital world? At ISTELive 23, that question was central to the annual edtech conference’s focus on what’s happening in education—and what’s next.

“Four years ago, I made a prediction: I predicted that in five years, education would be completely transformed by two factors: a dramatic increase in connectivity, and a dramatic increase in the capabilities of AI,” said ISTE CEO Richard Culatta. “At that time, less than half the schools in the country were one-to-one, and nobody really knew what AI was. It’s interesting to think about where we are just four years later, and how this combination of increased connectivity and AI capabilities is totally changing our world. AI can do some pretty amazing things.”…Read More

4 ways to build engineering into your curriculum

Key points:

  • Engineering doesn’t have to be intimidating
  • Engineering helps students learn the mechanics of their world

Engineering is arguably one of the most useful and relevant subjects in our schools today. Its impact on our world cannot be overstated. Engineers are the ones who help humanity reach the moon, explore the depths of the ocean, assist in the treatment of serious illnesses, and even design many of the games our students play.

Unfortunately, engineering can often feel like a separate unit or idea that teachers need to explain. With many of today’s educators already feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities of teaching, finding ways to seamlessly integrate engineering into the curriculum is essential for both teacher and student success.…Read More

Is education lacking humanity?

With a national climate full of blame, are educators still human?

humanity-education Sitting down for an impromptu meeting with one of the country’s largest education nonprofits, a small cluster of education reporters and leaders discussed how the upcoming education trend for 2014 won’t be some new tablet, but rather a focus on education’s lost humanity.

Walking through 30-degree weather, bundled against a cold that’s turned the country into one giant icicle, it was a warming experience meeting Brian Lewis, the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) CEO. “After this I’m hopping on the train to see my son,” Lewis said. “He’s a creative type and is going to perform some things from his YouTube channel tonight. He’s inspiring.”

Also inspiring was sitting down to a meeting that materialized into a conversation about how ISTE aims to refocus its mission and its branding to become a more “human” organization.…Read More