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.

Prioritizing social growth during online learning

Key points:

The expansion of online education has been a real boon for busy parents, teachers, and students. Online learning lets children learn from the comfort of their own homes and gives teachers a chance to set their own schedules.

However, some parents and teachers are worried about the social growth of students who are learning remotely. This is understandable, as some kids who learn online do so alone and only meet their peers via video calls.…Read More

5 tips to keep online students motivated

Key points:

  • Educators must support efforts that boost online student motivation
  • Peer mentors, change of scenery, and spending time with students are important for online students

A student’s motivation in school is a key driver of their academic success. Yet, the demanding nature of high school classes, mixed with a teenager’s natural craving for independence and individual identity, can stand in the way of that motivation. COVID-19 took a toll on student motivation, and 80 percent of educators are still feeling the effects. Following the rapid and sudden shift to online learning, parents and educators remain concerned about keeping online students motivated and engaged. 

As we move past the pandemic and rethink the role of online education, it’s vital to education reform that teachers remain focused on fostering student motivation. …Read More

How online learning changed the post-covid era

Key points:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic facilitated the introduction of new learning technologies into the mainstream
  • Educators and students were forced to adapt to new edtech tools, which now have a permanent place in today’s classrooms

It goes without saying that the Covid-19 pandemic affected every aspect of our lives in one way or another. The world was forced to adapt to a new reality to overcome the numerous challenges and hardships brought by the virus.

The field of education was affected like no other. More specifically, online education saw massive changes and transformations that were accelerated by the pandemic. Without further ado, here’s how pre- and post-Covid education differs and how online classes changed.…Read More

SIIA Announces Education Technology Finalists for 2023 CODiE Awards

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) — In celebration of the 38th annual SIIA CODiE Awards, the  Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announced Education Technology finalists. Finalists, selected by expert reviewers, represent the most innovative and impactful products from education technology developers, online learning services and related learning-focused technologies.

“The 2023 CODiE Award finalists are some of the most inspiring products, services and leaders who are blazing a trail in the education technology space,” said SIIA President Chris Mohr. “Their innovations stand to improve the teaching and learning experience for teachers and students here in the U.S. and globally. Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists.”

The SIIA CODiE Awards are the industry’s only peer-reviewed awards program. Educators and administrators serve as judges for the first-round review of all nominees. Their scores determine the SIIA CODiE Award finalists and account for 80 percent of the overall score. SIIA members then vote on the finalist products. The scores from both rounds are tabulated to select the winners. Details about each finalist are listed at  https://www.siia.net/codie/codie-finalists/. The category winners will be announced June.…Read More

Ancora High School Partners with McGraw Hill to Launch New Online High School for Adults

ARLINGTON, Texas/PRNewswire/ — Workforce solutions provider Ancora has developed a new relationship with McGraw Hill to launch Ancora High School. The flexible, individualized and 100% online learning experience is open to learners aged 18 or older who have completed 9th grade. Students can apply on a rolling basis throughout the year and complete coursework on their own timeframe. Ancora High School is an online high school that offers a Texas high school diploma and is accredited by Cognia™.

In 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the high school dropout rate was 5.3% amongst those between the ages of 16 and 24, meaning approximately two million people in that age range had not completed a diploma and were not enrolled in high school. The economic consequences of not receiving a high school diploma or alternative credential like a GED is significant for the individual and society. For example, according to a separate report by NCES the median annual earnings for full-time workers ages 25 through 34 who had not completed high school were $26,000, compared to $32,000 a year for those whose highest education level was high school completion. Additionally, the average high school dropout costs the economy approximately $272,000 over his or her lifetime in terms of lower tax contributions, higher reliance on Medicaid and Medicare, higher rates of criminal activity, and higher reliance on welfare.

“Keeping in line with our prioritization on preparing students for further education or entering the workforce, Ancora High School helps to lay the groundwork for those who need it most,” said Bill Nance, CEO of Ancora. “With approximately 30 million adults without a high school diploma in the United States, we believe focusing on this important mission will provide communities with the opportunity to develop individuals with knowledge, skills, and upward career potential.  We recognize the positive personal, economic, and community impacts of earning a high school diploma, and we are proud to provide this affordable opportunity for busy adults to earn their diploma with flexibility that fits into their busy lives.”…Read More

Online learning can help schools retain students

There were 1.3 million fewer students enrolled in U.S. public schools in fall 2021 than there were before the pandemic began–a drop of nearly 3 percent. Given that educational funding is tied to enrollment, this development has serious implications for the availability of resources in our schools.

Some of this decline may be the result of changing demographics. But much of it can be attributed to families who have opted out of public schools during the pandemic, choosing private schools or homeschooling for their children instead.

On top of these losses, traditional school districts also have lost about a quarter of a million students to charter schools since the emergence of COVID. An analysis by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools found that charter school enrollment increased by more than 7 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2020 as families found other alternatives for their children’s education.…Read More

5 ways to prep students for online learning success

Students who attend online school today range from homeschoolers, to those seeking an alternative to in-person public schools, to learners who want to mix virtual schooling with in-person learning. Also, some districts have decided to keep an online option open for students who choose that method.

And while numerous parents and students have chosen to make online learning part of their education, the transition can be challenging. As someone who’s been involved with online schools for more than eight years, here are five common areas of concern and tips for how teachers and parents can navigate these challenges successfully.

Organization and Scheduling are Vital…Read More

4 tips for online learning success in schools

Our school has been using online learning since the mid-1990s when we became one of the first to sign up for VHS Learning. Since then, we’ve expanded our use of the program and involved more students.

Here are four tips for success that I’ve learned along the way, and that other schools can use to get the most out of their online learning partners:

1. Involve all types of learners. Online learning isn’t just for high-performing students who want to earn more credits or expand their learning horizons. We use it for learners of all levels, and it can serve as a successful alternative for struggling students, allow students to explore specific areas of interest not offered at our school, and for those who want to take more Advanced Placement (AP) courses than we offer on campus. I always have several students who are interested in AP classes that we don’t offer at our school, but I also make sure that I keep half of the online semester elective courses open for students who are interested. I want to make sure that students at different levels have an opportunity to learn online as well.…Read More