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.

Singlewire Software Acquires Visitor Aware to Add Visitor Check-in and Student Management to Its Suite of School Safety Offerings

MADISON, WIS. (PRWEB) — Singlewire Software, the leader in solutions that help keep people safe and informed, announces its acquisition of  Visitor Aware, a robust tool for visitor and student management. The acquisition enables Singlewire to expand its suite of safety and communication offerings with visitor and student management capabilities that add to the emergency notification and incident management offerings of its  InformaCast software.

“It’s becoming more evident that school safety starts at the front door, so when our school customers started asking us for help with visitor check-in and student management, we went looking for a partner that could offer a solution that would exceed their expectations,” said Paul Shain, president and CEO of Singlewire Software. “Visitor Aware develops state-of-the-art safety solutions that help organizations keep their building secure and their people protected, which pairs perfectly with our mission of keeping people safe and informed, everywhere. Every time.”

Visitor Aware provides schools and other organizations the tools to screen visitors so they can identify threats before unwanted guests gain access to sensitive areas. Visitors have their IDs scanned when they enter a building. That information is used in conjunction with encrypted facial recognition to screen visitors against national sex offender and government watchlists and active legal injunctions. Potential issues are flagged to prevent guests from further entering a building, and approved guests are given a printed pass so they can proceed. Visitor Aware also offers tools for volunteer management, tardiness tracking, secure student release and pick-up, rostering and reunification, and setting up a tip line for potential threats.…Read More

4 edtech SEL trends to follow this year

Technology has become increasingly important to every level of education, and its value to social-emotional learning, or SEL, is no exception. Just as digital tools provide educators with innovative and flexible ways to reinforce learning in core academic subjects, they can be used to more effectively teach the social-emotional and life skills that students need to thrive in the classroom and beyond.

An essential part of my role as vice president of product for Committee for Children, an industry leader in SEL, is to keep a close eye on trends in education technology. After spending more than 25 years in edtech, I know how crucial it is for educators to understand how to leverage technology to support SEL in practical, meaningful ways.

Here are four of the latest SEL edtech trends that districts and schools can use this year to support the social-emotional well-being of students and staff, enhance students’ engagement with SEL content, and improve family communications.…Read More

Oregon Public School Breaks State Assessment Score Record with Carnegie Learning

Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Learning, a leader in artificial intelligence for K-12 education and formative assessment, announced today that students from the Howard Street Partnership School achieved record-breaking results on Oregon’s state assessment, SBAC, using Carnegie Learning’s core secondary math solution that comprises MATHbook, a consumable write-in text that fosters collaborative classroom learning, and MATHia, the one-on-one, adaptive math coaching software.

Howard Street Charter School in Salem, Oregon, is a project-based institution that pushes students to achieve excellence in all areas of study. Howard Street Charter School is no stranger to academic success and had already achieved  curricular excellence with passing rates above the state average. Carnegie Learning’s math solution helped them achieve even higher.

“Our highest passing rate ever in the history of the school was fifty-two percent before Covid. And now that’s the mid-range,” Principal Christina Tracy states. “Our SBAC data was the best we’ve had for math in 25 years! And we did not teach to the test. We just used Carnegie Learning Math.”…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

Mississippi Principal Named Curriculum Associates’ 2023 Inspire Award Winner

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.—Dr. Kiana Pendleton, principal of Laurel Magnet School of the Arts in the Laurel School District in Laurel, MS, was recently named the winner of Curriculum Associates’ 2023 Inspire Award. This recognition, which is part of the company’s annual Extraordinary Educators™ program celebrating exemplar teachers around the country, is given to one administrator nationwide for their ability to create strong bonds with school-based teams to take the use of Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready program to new levels to support students’ academic success.

“Dr. Pendleton is a standout leader who understands the support and resources teachers and students alike need in order to succeed,” said Emily McCann, vice president of educator community at Curriculum Associates. “Dr. Pendleton’s dedication to her school community and her hard work day-in and day-out is admirable.”

Pendleton began her career in education as an America Reads tutor in Jackson, MS. Prior to coming to the Laurel School District in April 2018, she served as a teacher, interventionist, and district reading specialist. For her outstanding leadership and dedicated service as principal of Laurel Magnet School of the Arts, Pendleton was named Laurel School District’s Administrator of the Year in 2019. She was also later selected by the Mississippi Department of Education as a finalist for the title of Mississippi Administrator of the Year.…Read More

7 Mindsets Launches App Focused on Mindsets Learning and Well-being for Educators, Students and Families

ROSWELL, Ga. – 7 Mindsets, the leader in PreK-12 mindsets-based learning and well-being solutions, today announced the launch of an app designed to offer free access to the research-based principles for developing human potential from The 7 Mindsets to Live Your Ultimate Life: An Introduction. The company is committed to its mission of driving greater success, happiness, overall well-being and improving school climate and culture.

“The goal of the 7 Mindsets app is to plant seeds and equip our community with attitudes and perspectives that will allow them to not just survive but thrive,” said Jeff Waller, co-creator of 7 Mindsets. “Learning the 7 Mindsets is eye-opening but living the 7 Mindsets is life changing. We’re excited to launch the app and help our users live the 7 Mindsets every day.”

The app, the first of its kind for the company, will provide a comprehensive introduction to the 7 Mindsets for those looking to improve and enhance their personal well-being. It will also serve as a valuable resource for the 7 Mindsets community of educators, support staff, administrators, students and families. Through the app, educators can quickly review the Mindsets to help inform their lesson plans. Families can use the app to better understand the Mindsets and what their children are learning at school. For students, it serves to reinforce the Mindsets learning in the classroom.…Read More

Track It Forward Announces New Community Service Directory Feature

OAKLAND, Calif. – Track it Forward, a leader in volunteer time tracking software, is excited to announce the launch of its newest school-focused feature, the Community Service Directory. The Community Service Directory is designed for schools and school clubs and allows administrators to help match students with verified volunteer opportunities in the community.

Students can browse their school’s custom directory to find verified volunteer
opportunities and contact the organizer, all through their Track it Forward account!
School administrators and club advisers can build this custom directory by sharing a link with community organizations. The community organizers can then submit opportunities to the directory with all the necessary information and prerequisites.

Administrators can review each opportunity before it is posted to the Community
Service Directory, which means students will only have access to approved
opportunities for their school. This can improve the student volunteer experience
because students can easily find verified opportunities, which can increase volunteer hours while decreasing inaccurate reporting. …Read More

Navigate360 Advances Whole-Child Student Wellness and Safety Suite with Latest Acquisition in Continuing Effort to End School Shootings, Teen Suicide and Bullying

RICHFIELD, OHIO (PRWEB) — Navigate360, the nation’s leader in K–12 student wellness and physical safety solutions, has acquired  PBIS Rewards, a SaaS platform that simplifies the implementation and management of the evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional and mental health. The acquisition expands Navigate360’s leading whole-child safety suite, giving district leaders the tools, expertise and confidence they need to create safe school environments for 50 million U.S. students and strengthen the academic performance of our youth.

PBIS, which stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, provides a framework for schools and educators to create a safe learning environment where students feel valued and connected through tiered support. With the addition of PBIS Rewards, Navigate360 is setting the new standard for whole-child safety through modern, holistic solutions that address school climate and culture, full-cycle emergency management, early detection, assessment and violence prevention—issues that all desperately require action in today’s schools.…Read More

Dedication to STEM learning makes this eSN Hero Awards winner a standout leader

One of three eSN K-12 Hero Awards winners and nominated by Bluum, Kim Leblanc was selected for the innovative STEM learning initiatives she champions in her district and for her students.

Conventional wisdom would say that economically disadvantaged schools across the country would need to think twice before making a major investment in technology. However, not all districts in that predicament have a technology director like Kim Leblanc.

Calcasieu Parish School Board is the fifth-largest school district in Louisiana, resting in the southwest part of the state. In total, the district serves 29,500 students across 60 elementary, middle, and high schools. It is a 100 percent CEP district, which means that every student is eligible for free lunch based on the economic poverty data submitted to the federal government.…Read More

1 2

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