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.

Unlocking middle school potential: Exploring career education and soft skills 

This episode of Innovations in Education, hosted by Kevin Hogan, is sponsored by McGraw Hill.

In this special edition of Innovations in Education, Content Director Kevin Hogan speaks with McGraw Hill’s Patrick Keeney about various aspects of career and technical education (CTE), including its expansion beyond traditional vocational or trade-focused subjects, the importance of soft skills, and the curriculum and teaching methods used in CTE courses for middle school students.

Patrick emphasizes the value of helping students explore different career paths and develop essential skills early in their education. The conversation also highlights the evolving nature of CTE in middle schools and its potential to provide students with a more comprehensive and purposeful educational experience.…Read More

Here’s how teachers think SEL can truly help students

A resounding majority of administrators, teachers, and parents say they believe social and emotional learning (SEL) is just as important as academic learning.

SEL is the process that helps students understand and regulate their emotions, understand different points of view and show empathy toward others, and develop intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies. Many believe these skills contribute to safer and more positive schools and communities.

Of the more than 1,000 people surveyed in McGraw-Hill Education’s 2018 Social and Emotional Learning Report, 96 percent of administrators, 93 percent of teachers, and 81 percent of parents overwhelmingly say SEL is as necessary as core academic subjects.…Read More

Teachers: English learners need resources, support

Most K-12 educators (80 percent) said they believe English Language Learner (ELL) instruction is a top priority for their school or district, according to a new survey.

Ninety-nine percent of surveyed educators also said they need more professional development and different types of learning materials to properly support ELL students and meet their needs, according to the 2017 EL Education Report from McGraw-Hill Education. Only 55 percent of respondents believe that their school or district provides sufficient, ongoing professional development to support ELL student success.

Newer ELL educators (those who have worked in ELL education for less than two years) are significantly less confident than more experienced educators in their ELL training and development, with only 36 percent of new respondents feeling they have received enough professional development compared to 70 percent of more experienced educators.…Read More

McGraw-Hill Education acquires Redbird Advanced Learning

McGraw-Hill Education has acquired Redbird Advanced Learning, a digital personalized learning company that offers courses in K-12 math, language arts, and writing and virtual professional development programs for educators. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Built on 25 years of research at Stanford University, Redbird’s adaptive learning solutions enable students to have a highly personalized educational experience to support each student’s individual pace and skill level. Redbird’s math courses will strengthen McGraw-Hill Education’s current math offerings, which include Building Blocks, Everyday Math, Glencoe Math, McGraw-Hill My Math, Number Worlds and ALEKS, a web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system.

“Redbird shares McGraw-Hill Education’s vision of harnessing the power of research, technology and the highest quality content to create personalized courses that can unlock the full potential of each student,” said David Levin, President and CEO of McGraw-Hill Education. “The Redbird acquisition allows us to expand our portfolio of adaptive learning products as we continue our transformation from a textbook publisher to a learning science company. Redbird’s digital curriculum, grounded in foundational and ongoing research from Stanford University, will make a great addition to our already strong lineup of education programs and enhance our robust K-12 math offerings.”…Read More

Nominations open for The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education

The nomination window is open for the 2017 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, which honors innovation and has become one of the most prestigious educational awards since its founding in 1988. The Prize is administered through an alliance between McGraw-Hill Education and Arizona State University, which began in 2015.

The public will have the opportunity to submit nominations by visiting McGrawPrize.com until October 31st, 2016. The 2017 Prize winners will be featured at and join in an evening reception during the ASU GSV Education Innovation Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 8-10, 2017.

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education annually recognizes outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving education through new approaches and whose accomplishments are making a difference today. The Prize includes three categories: U.S. K-12 and higher education, and international education. Honorees receive an award of $50,000 and a bronze sculpture designed by students from ASU.…Read More

6 reasons why tablets are ready for the classroom

Since the debut of the iPad, tablets have captured the imagination of consumers. In just one year, the iPad surpassed even the most optimistic of projections to define a brand new product category and become the best-selling gadget of all time, and Forrester analysts project that in 2011, tablet sales will more than double. But are tablets ready for the classroom? Asks Vineet Madan, vice president of McGraw-Hill Higher Education eLabs for Mashable…

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Blackboard to include McGraw-Hill content

Blackboard Inc., a provider of software to schools and colleges, on July 14 said it will make content and learning technology from The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. available to its customers, BusinessWeek reports. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed. Blackboard said it will combine McGraw-Hill’s assessment engines and adaptive learning tools with its own Blackboard Learn products. McGraw-Hill’s tools allow teachers to manage course content, create assignments, and track students’ performance. The publisher’s tools also can deliver content to students based on individual strengths and weaknesses. The combined system is expected to be ready for classroom use in early 2011, Blackboard said…

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Intel partners with McGraw-Hill on updated Classmate PC

Intel's newest Classmate PC features a partnership with McGraw-Hill.
Intel's newest Classmate PC features an elementary reading program from McGraw-Hill.

Intel’s newest Convertible Classmate PC design, unveiled April 26, gives elementary school students a chance to have “micro-mobility” as they move between individual, small-group, and whole-class activities, Intel says. The new Classmate portable computing device also includes improved energy efficiency and enhanced eReading capabilities.

Intel has joined forces with McGraw-Hill to include that company’s LEAD21—a new elementary school literacy program that offers students and teachers full print, digital, and professional development resources—on the new education technology device.…Read More

McGraw-Hill moves beyond electronic textbooks, but obstacles remain

McGraw-Hill Cos.’ McGraw Hill Education unit is venturing further into digital learning with the release of a new internet-based elementary-school reading program, reports the Wall Street Journal. At least, it will try to do this. The unit, whose textbooks and other learning materials provide about 40 percent of the parent company’s revenue, is launching its LEAD21 literacy curriculum in partnership with Intel Corp., offering the materials on the chip maker’s “Classmate” personal computer, built specifically for elementary-school students. The Wi-Fi enabled devices are waterproof and vaguely resemble toys. But with schools strapped for cash and teachers still hesitant about digital devices after some e-readers came up short for educational purposes, the companies could face an uphill battle. “You want all the bells and whistles, but the schools tend to be not all that sophisticated,” said Peter Appert, a Piper Jaffray analyst who covers McGraw-Hill. While digital textbooks are generally cheaper than their hard-copy counterparts, the up-front costs of supplying devices for an entire school or district can be prohibitive…

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Class in 140 characters or less?

Fourteen percent of college faculty said they saw educational value in social media like Facebook.
Only 14 percent of college faculty said they saw educational value in social media such as Facebook.

There are more than 20 million college students in America, and more than 50 percent will not graduate. The No, 1 reason contributing to student dropout rates is a lack of engagement. The billion-dollar question for our education system is: How do we motivate and stimulate students to take a more proactive role in their academic success?

An obvious starting point might be the environments in which we know today’s students are currently engaged, all day, every day—social networks. To date, a significant chasm has existed between students’ interactive, stimulating experiences with social media and the reality of their “low-tech” classrooms.…Read More