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.

Central High School Robotics Team Excels at “Bots at the Fair” Tournament

Phenix City, Ala.— Phenix City Schools is proud to announce the exceptional success of our robotics teams at the recent “Bots at the Fair” tournament. The competition brought together 24 teams from various schools, showcasing their robotics skills and innovation in the VEX Robotics Competition.

The day’s highlight was Team 36867D, composed of Brookelyn Bedford and
Taelynn Teel, who secured the prestigious “Excellence Award.” This
remarkable achievement places them as the overall top team in the tournament,
outperforming competitors from schools like LAMP, Vestavia Hills, Oak Mountain,
Pike Road, and Westminster at Oak Mountain. Their victory qualifies them for
the State Championship and positions them at an impressive 57th place globally
out of over 700 teams.

…Read More

The advent of AI

What’s better than watching a lively and substantive conversation thread develop on LinkedIn as a result of your recent posting on the hottest topic in edtech today? Getting the participants to follow up with a real live conversation of their own. So it was that I was able to snag a Zoom session with Jerry Crisci, founding co-director of the Center for Innovation for the Scarsdale Public Schools in Scarsdale, NY; Mark Loundy, instructional technology specialist for the Cupertino Union School District, CA; and Gary Stager, a pioneer in 1:1 computing, online learning, and computer science for all students, to weigh in on their perspectives. 

In an inspired and somewhat provocative go around, we touch on topics including AI’s influence on the education sector, concerns about cheating, the need for educational reform, and the potential for AI to enhance learning. Give it a listen and maybe chime in yourself! To read more about Gary Stger’s work regarding AI click here; for Jerry Crisci, click here; and for Mark Loundy, click here.

.Three Key Takeaways:…Read More

Frontline Education Releases Year-to-Date Administration Software Innovation Summary

Malvern, Pa. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Frontline Education, a leading provider of administration software purpose-built for educators in K-12, today released a comprehensive year-to-date innovation summary that underscores the company’s commitment to anticipating and meeting the evolving needs of school districts across the country. Investments made across its broad portfolio of connected solutions for human capital management, student and special programs, business operations and analytics support educators in streamlining administrative processes and optimizing district operations so school leaders can prioritize their time on delivering high-quality education.

“The technology needs of K-12 school leaders are at the core of our software and services strategy, which inspires us to always embrace an innovation-first mindset,” said Kevin Haugh, Chief Product Officer of Frontline. “As school leaders endure the busy back-to-school season, our aim through these new or enhanced capabilities is to assist districts in fulfilling their goal of achieving operational excellence. This summary highlights Frontline’s leadership in and dedication to providing cutting-edge tools and resources that empower educational institutions to succeed in an ever-changing landscape.”

Year-to-Date Product Highlights
Human Capital Management
Frontline’s Human Capital Management (HCM) solution plays a pivotal role in assisting school districts in the process of attracting, engaging, nurturing, and retaining personnel, all while enhancing the overall employee experience. The significance of HCM has grown into a strategic imperative for school districts, especially in the face of ongoing challenges related to shortages of both teaching and non-instructional staff. Several of Frontline’s HCM products were enhanced during the first half of the year. …Read More

Engage younger students with tech the right way

When it comes to building literacy skills, students are never too young to start—as long as it is implemented in a thoughtful way. That’s the perspective of John Costilla, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Capstone, the nation’s leading educational publisher of K-5 digital solutions, children’s books, and literacy programs for school libraries, classrooms, and at-home reading. 

In this recent conversation with eSchool News, John touches on integrating technology into primary classrooms, highlighting the need for a scaffolded approach, where EdTech complements traditional teaching methods. He mentions, (what else?), innovations like AI, and emphasizes the importance of metadata, transparency, and standards alignment in content development and search capabilities. Just as important, he touches on the intangible significance of providing joy and fun in teaching and the importance of building strong connections and relationships in education. Click below for a listen and scroll down for some more takeaways.

  • Focus on K5 Education: John emphasizes the importance of focusing on the K5 (Kindergarten to 5th grade) sector in education. He mentions the challenges students face in these grades, especially in the context of the pandemic, with some students missing significant amounts of schooling
  • Importance of Literacy: John stresses the significance of literacy in K5 education. He highlights the need for explicit instruction, phonics, decoding, and a focus on vocabulary development within the context of students’ interests, whether related to EdTech, science, social studies, or other subjects.
  • Diversity and Representation: John discusses the importance of diversity and representation in educational content. He mentions the need for students to see themselves in the materials they use and learn from, citing examples of books featuring diverse characters and cultures.
  • Balanced Approach to EdTech: John advocates for a balanced approach to technology in early education. He acknowledges the role of EdTech in providing innovative learning experiences but emphasizes the importance of a balance between technology and non-technology-based teaching methods.
  • Role of AI and Metadata: John discusses the role of AI, including ChatGPT, in educational content. He mentions the use of AI for tagging, metadata, and content creation, as well as its potential for enhancing the transparency of educational materials for districts and educators.
…Read More

Transhumanism and AI in education: Revolutionary leap or ethical abyss?

Key points:

  • Transhumanism promotes human advancement via emerging technologies
  • But as technologies like AI expand, many tools are not universally accessible, which could exacerbate educational disparities
  • See related article: Why AI’s flaws won’t slow its adoption

We collectively stand in the beginning stages of academic and technological innovation. Universities and labs across the globe are stirring a revolution. Transhumanism, a philosophy advocating for human augmentation through emerging technologies like AI, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology, is shaping a new educational frontier. The genesis was Chat GPT, an AI developed by OpenAI that exhibits human-like text generation, but that was just the start of this profound transformation. Those who attempted an outright ban early in 2023 now seem out of step with the future.

Transhumanism aims to transcend human limitations, a concept no longer purely theoretical. In the realm of sports, for instance, we see strength-enhancing “powered clothing” by Seismic and performance-boosting drugs like EPO, repurposed by athletes from its original use for severe anemia. …Read More

4 exciting ways AI is a game-changer for teachers

Key points:

  • Teachers are embracing AI and other emerging technologies to help elevate lesson plans and make challenging lessons more engaging
  • AI can also help teachers alleviate the burden of tedious tasks and make learning more inclusive
  • See related article: How to redefine learning in the digital age

In the world of education, where innovation and creativity are especially vital, technologies with AI-generated content are reshaping teaching and how students learn in surprising ways.

There has been no shortage of news coverage on AI in education. However, much of that coverage has centered on the student experience. As a former teacher who now interacts with edtech companies on a daily basis, I think we miss a hugely important part of this conversation if we don’t also focus on how this technology could positively impact the teaching profession.…Read More

4 ways admins can support teachers’ technology use

Key points:

Technology is quickly changing the way we learn and teach. To keep up with these changes, administrators need to support teachers in using technology in the classroom.

Following are three ways administrators can help teachers become successful with technology in the classroom and help student engagement.…Read More

Why AI’s flaws won’t slow its adoption

Key points:

  • Educators need more information on AI-powered tools, and they need it yesterday
  • Administrators will be tasked with staying up to date on what’s happening in the world of AI–and with helping teachers become more comfortable with it
  • See related article: 5 things to know about ChatGPT in education

As the ‘23-’24 school year comes into focus, there is now little doubt we are on the brink of a major technological revolution that will affect our schools, our jobs, and our lives in ways we can’t yet fathom. By now, you’ve likely seen countless variations of “The Robots are Coming” headlines from clever copywriters hunting for clicks. But when is this tidal wave of innovation going to hit, and how can we be ready when it does?

There are legitimate concerns about early-stage AI, including:…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