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.

5 ways our district streamlines edtech ecosystems

Student data privacy has been at the forefront of district leaders’ minds well before the pandemic. However, since COVID-19 shifted schools and classrooms online, it’s not surprising that tech usage has reached an all-time high. Districts are accessing 1,400 edtech tools per month on average, and cybersecurity attacks in our nation’s schools are also increasing.

As an Education Technology Specialist at one of Colorado’s fastest-growing districts, District 49, I was tasked 5 years ago with the responsibility to ensure our district complied with federal and student data privacy laws. Both state and federal laws require vendors and school districts to facilitate safe online learning experiences. However, when the pandemic hit, our district was forced to rethink our approach beyond compliance to further vet our edtech tools and make protecting student data privacy a regular practice of our edtech ecosystem.

For the process to work, I knew we would have to work collaboratively, across departments and buildings, to confirm that our teachers and students were using digital tools that delivered value without exposing student data to risk.…Read More

7 Black History Month resources to use the whole year

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 8th most-read story focuses on Black History Month resources educators can use throughout the school year.

During Black History Month, educators have the opportunity to delve into the difficult–and often uncomfortable–experiences of Black people in the U.S. and around the world.

Perhaps one of the most important “do’s” is this: Don’t limit your teaching of Black history to the month of February.…Read More

Chicago Public Schools is monitoring students’ social media for ‘worrisome behavior’

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

Chicago Public Schools is monitoring students’ social media posts for signs they might engage in violence on campus or harm themselves so that school staff — and in some cases police — can intervene. 

A Canada-based company the district hired started scouring public posts for threats and “cries for help” last month. District leaders say the program is key in efforts to prevent violence and self-harm as the district responds to an uptick in school shootings nationally and in the number of local students expressing suicidal thoughts.…Read More

Poptential™ Offers Free Content for National American Indian Heritage Month

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Poptential™, a family of award-winning social studies course packages that infuse lessons with digital storytelling, offers an array of engaging content to illustrate the culture, traditions, and history of Native Americans for National American Indian Heritage Month. Click to tweet.

Signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, November’s National American Indian Heritage Month is a time to celebrate and pay respect to Native Americans for their culture and contributions to the United States and to raise awareness about the challenges they have faced in the past and today.

Poptential American History Volume II curriculum and digital media examples offer a look at the battles and struggles of the Native Americans as they were removed from their homelands and separated from their families. Content includes:…Read More

8 ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15–October 15, starts in the middle of the month because that day that marks the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua from Spain. Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain on September 16, and Chile on September 18.

During this month, we recognize the contributions, heritage, culture, and importance of Hispanic and Latinx Americans and how they have shaped our country’s character.

Here are eight opportunities for your school or district to celebrate.…Read More

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DisplayNote Enables Parity for All Students by Adding Webcam and Mic Integration to their Screen Sharing Tool Broadcast

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND (PRWEB) — Technology company  DisplayNote has released a new version of their one-to-many screen sharing tool, Broadcast.

Made for teachers and learners,  Broadcast is a web tool that allows teachers to share their computer screens directly to their students’ devices in real-time, making content more accessible and engaging.

This month, Broadcast welcomes a new webcam and mic integration, allowing teachers to share their video and voice inputs alongside their content. The feature is designed to enable parity for all learners inside and outside the classroom, regardless of where they’re sitting or their level of vision or sound.…Read More

Trustifi Recognized with Four Awards for Data Protection and Classification in First Half of 2022

LAS VEGAS — June 30, 2022 — Leading cybersecurity and data management firm Trustifi has added four new awards as of this month, demonstrating its consistent reliability in protecting customers against email-related cyber threats. The latest slate of honors includes a Gold Globee, Gold Stevie Award, SourceForge’s Top Performers Award, and a place on Expert Insights’ Top 100 Most Innovative Cybersecurity Companies list for 2022.

“Our most important endeavor is protecting information. Our customers rely on us to keep their data safe, and we take that seriously because we know we are protecting their livelihood and all that entails,” said Trustifi CEO Rom Hendler. “Recognitions like these showcase our solutions and their efficacy across many different customer bases.”

Two awards were determined based on overall company performance, while the others were focused on specific product benefits. For instance, Trustifi’s Inbound Shield and Outbound Shield were recognized. Inbound Shield protects organizations and individuals by analyzing, detecting and classifying an abundance of malicious email types — including phishing, spam and viruses. Outgoing emails are protected with Outbound Shield, which secures information with data identification features and has quick implementation and automated integrations for common office suite software.…Read More

How 7 educators are accelerating summer learning

The pandemic has augmented concerns about learning loss, leading many schools and districts to examine their summer learning programs and help students strengthen progress in various academic areas.

Here’s how seven educators are tackling summer learning in fun and engaging ways for their students.

Accelerating Learning Through Fun…Read More

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Good News Network and Rise Vision Partner to Help Schools Foster Positive Learning Environments

(May 26, 2022) –– Wichita, KS –  With childhood depression and anxiety rising during the pandemic and disturbing news stories only adding to the mental health burden in our schools, it is the perfect time to be delivering some positive news headlines into hallways and classrooms across the U.S. That’s exactly what the Good News Network® is now providing in a new partnership with digital signage company Rise Vision.

Launching this month in over 120 schools, Rise Vision and Good News Network (GNN) are spreading positivity with uplifting news content on video screens for grades K-12. Now, students and teachers can stop and read about kindness and scientific breakthroughs on new templates created by Rise Vision.

Founded in 1997, millions of people have turned to GNN as an antidote to the barrage of negativity experienced in the mainstream media. Because of its long history, staying power, and public trust, GNN is #1 on Google for good news. “Especially this year on our 25th anniversary, GNN is thrilled to be inspiring teachers and school students with optimism and hope during these challenging times,” said GNN founder and CEO Geri Weis-Corbley.…Read More

Educator and Family Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month from Discovery Education and Social Impact Partners

Silver Spring, MD (Friday, May 6, 2022) — In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month 2022, observed annually in May, Discovery Education and partners are proud to present educators, students, and families a diverse array of dynamic digital resources supporting the mental health of students everywhere.  

Centered this year on the theme “Together for Mental Health,” Mental Health Awareness Month supports all forms of mental wellness. The following resources created in collaboration with social impact partners support students’ wellness through family and educator empowerment:  

Professional Development Content 
Deepen educator capacity around social-emotional learning (SEL) and its various applications in a variety of learning environments with professional learning resources from the Social-Emotional Learning Coalition, a network of partners committed to bringing critical, culturally relevant social-emotional learning resources into core instruction to support educators and students nationwide.  …Read More