Personalized learning that relies only on adaptive assessments and differentiated lessons are just one part of the solution to boost achievement. Research indicates that high dosage tutoring at scale can expand opportunities for student success.
…Read MorePodcast 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.
How educators can navigate AI-driven plagiarism
Key points:
- The explosion of AI tools has introduced interesting questions for educators
- Students who learn to use AI responsibly will develop a useful skill for learning and working
- See related article: Education in the age of AI and smart technology
From the very beginning of its meteoric rise, generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools seemed to stir a universal reaction: How will students use it to cheat? However, students engaged in cheating well before tools like ChatGPT became household names. According to a survey, as many as 58 percent of high school students have plagiarized work, and 95 percent admitted to some form of cheating.
There are countless past innovations, from handheld calculators to Wikipedia, that have prompted similar classroom concerns. In each of these cases, teachers evolved, adopting new strategies and tools to keep students learning. As AI matures, educators will need to do the same. Many teachers already are rethinking assessments and assignments to shift the question from how students will use AI to cheat, to how students can learn to use AI responsibly.…Read More
CASEL Announces New Cohort of SEL Fellows to Support Young People Nationwide
CHICAGO – Education leaders representing 44 school districts and regional offices of education will join a national fellowship focused on social and emotional learning (SEL), hosted by field leader CASEL.
Selected from an impressive pool of applicants, the 2023 cohort of the SEL Fellows Academy take part in a 10-month engagement to deepen their SEL leadership and build systemic implementation strategies in support of their students, educators, and communities. The 46 SEL Fellows in the 2023-2024 cohort represent 26 states that collectively serve more than 2.7 million students from preschool to high school. These districts range in size from 325 students up to some of the largest urban districts in the country. The full roster of the 2023 cohort can be found here.
A convergence of challenges amplified the spotlight on SEL, bringing with it a demand from educators for more guidance on how to advance SEL for millions of young people. Launched in 2020, the SEL Fellows Academy is a unique opportunity for education leaders in rural, suburban, and urban communities to build SEL expertise and develop action plans alongside a growing network of peers and CASEL experts. …Read More
Edtech integration, student engagement are top goals for new school year
Key points:
- Educators are looking forward to a new year and plan to focus on growth
- Edtech tools have become critical for student engagement
- See related article: 5 edtech tools to save time this year
Educators are optimistic about implementing new education technology tools, including AI and gamified learning, and are prioritizing student engagement as the new school year gets underway, according to a new survey from GoGuardian.
The survey of more than 1,100 educators from across North America highlights back-to-school excitement, challenges, student engagement, and technology usage.…Read More
Believing the Hope, Not the Hype, of AI
How much longer will our newsfeeds be stuffed with headlines either extolling AI as the greatest thing since sliced bread or damning it as a sign of the coming education apocalypse? It’s going to be a while I’m afraid. In the meantime, I suggest you listen to this insightful interview with Dr. Eric Wang, Vice President of AI at Turnitin, who puts much of the hoopla into context.
Turnitin has been working in AI since before it was cool—25 years this month. The company’s tools are built into popular learning management system (LMS) workflows across 16,000 institutions, in 140 countries, and used by over 40 million students at both the k-12 and higher ed level. In April 2023, Turnitin launched its AI writing detection tool, which as of July 2023 has processed over 76 million paper submissions.
Eric conjures a future where AI detection tools in education serve as a means to foster learning and growth rather than a gotcha app meant to punish or shame students. The goal is not to discourage AI use but to teach students how to use the tool effectively while valuing authentic human work. Click below to listen and scroll down for some takeaways and other resources offered by Turnitin.…Read More
Dear parents: 3 ways AI will show up in your child’s classroom this year
Key points:
- Parents may have concerns about AI, but it’s important to know that AI is already in use in classrooms
- AI helps teachers personalize learning for students, and also frees teachers from tedious tasks so they can devote more time to direct instruction
- See related article: Taking a measured look at AI in the classroom
As teachers, we know that the back to school season is a time full of excitement and big emotions about what the year ahead will bring. And we’re not just speaking to our own experiences. We understand that students and families are often just as concerned about what the school year will be like, what will be going on inside our classrooms, and what and how their students will be learning. And this year, we have a hunch that a lot of those questions are going to be focused on a topic showing up all over the news: AI in education.
AI has been capturing headlines across the country, with questions about how it is being used in classrooms, how students are interacting with this new technology, and what it ultimately means for learning. While all of these questions are valid, there’s also something to be said for making sure parents understand that AI has already been quietly in thousands of America’s classrooms–recent data shows that over 60 percent of teachers are using AI on the job–and the impact on teachers and students has been largely positive.…Read More
Research-Based Digital Family Engagement Program Set to Expand Student Support
SAN FRANCISCO/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — ParentPowered PBC, an education technology company that provides research-based digital family engagement, today announced the appointment of Terri Soutor as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Melissa Palmer as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). These moves coincide with ParentPowered’s preparations for substantial growth as it continues expanding its product portfolio to further enhance student support.
Soutor is an experienced C-suite leader and go-to-market strategist, skilled at building and growing education technology companies. As CEO at FastBridge Learning, Soutor scaled the company over a four year period to $11M ARR at a 45% annual growth rate and delivering more than 25 million assessments to over 1.6 million students across the country and earning the company the honor of becoming the second fastest-growing private company in the Twin Cities. Her business acumen, leadership and accomplishments have been publicly recognized. She made the list of CEOs in The Real Power 50 by Minnesota Business and was a recipient of a Titan of Technology award from Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. She has served since early 2022 on the ParentPowered Board of Directors and brings an in-depth understanding of the organization’s mission to support student learning.
“We are poised to make a real difference in student learning with a dedicated team and a mission that truly matters. I’m proud and excited to lead the charge and amplify our impact together,” said Terri Soutor, ParentPowered’s incoming CEO.Tweet this…Read More
An AI to-do list for educators
Key points:
- Schools should integrate conversations around AI into professional learning opportunities
- A basic understanding of AI’s potential for learning can help educators become more comfortable using it for teaching and learning
- See related article: More students are seeking an AI-powered school year
The AI revolution is here, and educators are feeling the impact. For many, it is exciting, unsettling and overwhelming all at the same time.
The key to successfully navigating this maelstrom of emotions is to start small, break the challenge down into achievable tasks, and begin with actions that will have the most impact. This five step to-do list can help educators engage in artificial intelligence and begin using it to positively impact both teaching and learning. …Read More
“Ambitious growth” is needed to accelerate learning recovery
Key points:
- Students who follow ambitious yet attainable pathways to grade-level proficiency that go beyond typical learning trajectory can recover learning
- Learning loss is still profoundly felt even as schools move back to a “post-pandemic normal”
- See related article: Finding the learning loss data needed to drive learning recovery
A new report from Curriculum Associates demonstrates what happens when educators set ambitious targets for students–and what happens when they meet them. The report comes at a time when students continue to struggle academically in the wake of the pandemic and as efforts turn to learning recovery.
Findings from Pathways to Success: How Stretch Growth Goals Support Learning Recovery are based on data from more than 2.4 million students who completed the i-Ready Diagnostic for Reading and more than 3 million students who completed the i-Ready Diagnostic for Mathematics in Grades K–7 in 2021–2022 and in Grades 1–8 in 2022–2023. The report evaluates trends in growth patterns and grade-level placements for students who may require the most support to get to grade-level or develop essential prerequisite skills for later grades.…Read More
How to support student agency
Key points:
- When students are given choice in their learning, they are more empowered to achieve
- Student agency is a critical part of personalized learning
- See related article: Will, skill, & thrill: How learner agency accelerates innovation
In my more than 20 years of supporting students on their academic journey, I’ve realized there are no “magic” solutions in education. But there are some strategies that have proven to be more effective than others in helping all students succeed.
One of the most basic, yet effective, strategies is giving students choice and agency over their learning.…Read More