Savvas Learning Company Acquires Outlier.org 

PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, today announced that it has acquired Outlier.org, an edtech startup that has created a portfolio of high-quality, turnkey, online college-level courses that enable high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building.  

Outlier.org combines cinematic video and charismatic professors with the best in modern, evidence-based teaching techniques to virtually transport the student to a college lecture hall. Its diverse catalog of award-winning courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are taught by hand-picked, world-class instructors from NASA, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and other top institutions.  

“There’s a growing demand for dual-enrollment and dual-credit opportunities for high school students across the country,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company, noting, however, that school administrators have long faced challenges when considering these programs for their students, such as limited course offerings, along with costly transportation and other logistical issues. …Read More

Friday 5: Tracking AI in education

Key points:

It seems as if we hear about AI in education every day, if not every hour. AI’s rise in popularity has brought with it questions about ethics, skills students will need for workplace success, and how to balance negatives with positives when it comes to teaching with this new generative tool.

Here are five insights around AI in education:…Read More

How esports can help students in the classroom (no, seriously!)

Key points:

Ask most parents if their children’s school should start an esports team, and you’ll be met with reluctance. Video games? In the classroom? Absolutely not!

The reasons why pile up quickly. Some worry it could lead to their children spending less time on schoolwork and more time on screens. Others fear what their kids may wind up seeing and hearing in online gameplay. More than a few don’t even know what esports means.…Read More

Appealing New Charging Cart Offers Enhanced Value in Classrooms

Lakewood Ranch, FL  JAR Systems premiered its newest solution, the Elevate USB-C Charging Cart EDU 32, at the Future of Education Technology Conference. The illuminated cart caught the eye of many educators and technology leaders as they learned of the new advantages it provides.

The cart maintains a critical feature—AC adapterless charging. This eliminates the long-dreaded activities of wiring carts and maintaining expensive charging cables. Powered by the company’s latest charging technology, the Quick-Sense USB-C PD Education Line, the cart is newly fine-tuned to the requirements of educational devices.

“Over our 20 years as a company, it has always been our goal for our developments to be forward-thinking to what our customers will need next. The Elevate USB-C Charging Cart EDU 32 is a shining example, making state-of-the-art USB-C PD charging technology more affordable in education”, said Axel Zimmermann, JAR Systems’ CEO.…Read More

How to ensure edtech ROI? Ask these 4 questions

Key points:

Working with curriculum and system leaders and educators across the state of New Hampshire, I frequently hear some common refrains about education technology tools for the classroom.

I know ___ is a great resource, but I don’t think teachers are even aware of it.…Read More

Vivi Expands into a Whole-School Communication Tool, Launches New Features

Today, Vivi, the only wireless screen mirroring and digital signage solution purpose-built for education, announced it has expanded into a communication tool that can connect an entire school. Vivi, which currently helps over 2,000 schools, introduces new Announcements features that extend Vivi’s reach beyond classroom walls. 

“Schools are communities, but too often students and teachers feel disconnected from school leadership and each other. Existing public address systems can be disruptive and in-person assemblies are not always feasible. Text and video announcements give schools effective and scalable tools for communicating with students and staff throughout the school day,” said Natalie Mactier, Chief Executive Officer, Vivi. 

With Vivi Video Announcements, a school leader can deliver morning announcements, ad-hoc messaging in response to incoming news, or any other messaging made more powerful with video. Vivi Text Announcements enable a school’s administrative team to send concise, non-disruptive yet noticeable messages, directly to classrooms, common areas, or groups of displays to relay any message to students and staff, without interrupting the flow of instruction.  …Read More

A Real Show Starter

Many people are talking about virtual reality and its effectiveness in classrooms but few are doing it. Chad Lewis, Director of Technology for Tampa Preparatory School in Florida is one of them. Chad recently presented his steps for planning and creating the school’s virtual filmmaking program at the FETC show In Orlando. In this conversation, he goes into detail on his first-hand experiences in this process, including purchasing technologies and creating a curriculum utilizing Unreal Engine, Rokoko motion capture suits, and HTV Vive Mars trackers.

His program aims to democratize filmmaking skills, bridging the gap for students in both independent and public schools. Chad also envisions AI advancements in motion capture and scene creation, anticipating a future where AI streamlines 3D modeling and scene development, making filmmaking more accessible and diverse. Have a listen:

Key Talking Points:…Read More

Friday 5: Strategies to promote student success

Key points:

Student success is at the top of every educator’s mind–particularly as research is still emerging about the pandemic’s impact on learning loss.

Here are five strategies to explore as your school, district, or state focuses on boosting success for all children.…Read More

How to Create a Culture-Conscious Campus

The Culture Conscious Campuses Model which has been approved by the Texas Education Agency commissioner as a research-based instructional model with proven results in increasing academic success for African American students as well as students from low socio-economic backgrounds, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Host Kevin Hogan talks to the author.

The computer-generated transcript is below:

Kevin Hogan…Read More

Friday 5: The many faces of classroom learning

Key points:

There’s no denying it: Classroom learning is changing. Classrooms today could be in person, online, or hybrid. Classrooms may be student-driven, might focus on project-based learning, or may offer learning through a specialized topic such as STEM.

And while today’s classrooms look different, students and teachers remain at the heart of classroom learning.…Read More

The modern CIO’s role is changing–here’s how to keep up

Key points:

Eighty-eight percent of CIOs say their role is becoming more digital and is increasingly focused on innovation, which begs the question: How is education, a notoriously slow industry, going to keep pace with digital transformation?

During a session at FETC 2024, Marlon Shears, CIO of IDEA Public Schools, offered a realistic view of what CIOs across all sectors are prioritizing and how digital transformation is driving changes and investments in education.…Read More

Student engagement requires more than edtech tools

Key points:

Student engagement is critical to academic achievement, but it can often be a struggle to engage students in meaningful and relevant ways. During a session at FETC 2024, Tom Murray, Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools, dove into just what, exactly, makes for the effective use of edtech in supporting student engagement.

“Just because it’s digital doesn’t mean it’s any good,” Murray said. “We could be 100 percent digital and also at 100 percent low-level learning.”…Read More