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.

Most Parents Think Teachers Are Fully Prepared to Deliver Science of Reading-Aligned Instruction; Educators Are Less Optimistic

BOSTON – A national survey of over 800 U.S. parents[1] commissioned by  Lexia, a part of   Cambium  Learning Group, and conducted online by The Harris Poll, found that just over half (51%) of parents strongly agree that their children’s teachers are properly trained in the science of reading. However, Lexia’s own nationwide survey of educators[2] found that only 27% of educators felt the same. 

“Understanding what parents are likely thinking about their child’s school and its faculty is valuable for school and district administrators,” said Lexia President, Nick Gaehde. “And when it comes to the science of reading, the disconnect between parents’ perception of teachers’ readiness and teachers’ feelings of preparedness is rather extreme. Only when we become aware of a situation, can we then move forward with a solution.” 

The term “science of reading” refers to decades of research in fields such as cognitive science, linguistics, and neuroscience that identify best practices for reading instruction. Structured Literacy is the approach that applies the research of science of reading and includes components such as phonics, building vocabulary and comprehension.…Read More

Roylco Secures “Best STEM Building Toy” in Best Building Toys for Kids, According to Experts

ANDERSON, S.C. ––  Roylco, a leading innovator in manufacturing educational kids’ toys, proudly announces its recent accolade as “Best STEM Building Toy” in Good Housekeeping’s expert-rating “16 Best Building Toys for Kids, According to Experts.”

Good Housekeeping, a coveted source for all parents seeking quality children’s products, has turned to its in-house panel of experts to test and review hundreds of building toys over the course of the year. Roylco’s determination and commitment to bringing high quality and performing toys is a testament to its core beliefs of promoting cognitive and motor skill development through the course of play.

“We put so much thought and care into each of our toys,” says Darby Smith, Director of Business Development at Roylco, “We are deeply committed and passionate about fostering hands-on educational growth in children through play, and this recognition is extremely meaningful.”…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

Unfinished learning concerns still plague educators

Key points:

Concerns over unfinished learning continue to occupy educators’ minds, with only teacher shortages and burnout ranked higher, according to a national survey conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by Lexia, a part of Cambium Learning Group.

Just 43 percent of parents strongly agree that their child’s school has done a good job addressing unfinished learning from the 2021-22 school year, according to the survey.…Read More

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

BookmarkED Addresses the State of Challenged Books with Industry-First Technology to Enable Parental Choice in School Libraries

DALLAS, Texas – BookmarkED, the industry-first technology solution to personalize libraries with parental choice, has announced its official launch in Texas. With the passing of  Texas House Bill (HB) 900, school districts face a pressing need to meet the changing requirements for parental engagement on library books that children have access to. BookmarkED is a Texas-based company that enables parents to make individual decisions on literary options for their children and protects school districts from liability by ensuring compliance.

Library book challenges are increasing across the US. The  American Library Association (ALA) documented 2,571 unique library books and resources challenged in 2022, nearly double the number of challenges reported in 2021 and the highest since ALA began compiling data more than 20 years ago. BookmarkED’s technology addresses the current state of challenged books by fostering parental choice to decide what books their children have access to, based on their family’s values and interests. 

“BookmarkED is an innovative solution that fosters parent’s choices for their individual child so that decisions are one-to-one versus one-to-all. Our platform puts the power into the hands of their parents, so that they can decide the literary path for their children by setting parameters over what books their children have access to. We are driven to first empower Texas school districts with this technology, and then move to a national level,” said Steve Wandler, CEO and Co-Founder of BookmarkED.…Read More

School safety concerns are on the rise as classrooms open

Key points:

More than half of teachers and parents are more worried about school safety than in previous years, according to the 2023 K-12 School Safety Report from Motorola Solutions, which captured sentiments from 1,000 K-12 parents and 1,000 K-12 educators across the United States.

The research reveals the most pressing concerns for those closest to school safety and highlights their perceptions about emergency preparedness plans, communication practices, school safety technologies, and training for teachers and students. …Read More

5 critical things to know about the new SAT

Key points:

In the shifting, ever-changing landscape of American education, a major transformation is on the horizon. The SAT, an iconic rite of passage for college hopefuls since its inception in 1926, is shedding its paper skin to embrace the digital age. The College Board, the body governing the SAT, has already begun rolling out groundbreaking moves to transform the test from its dated paper format to a dynamic, streamlined online format. 

This pivot to the virtual realm is set to usher in a new era of efficiency and accessibility, but it does arrive with its own set of new challenges for students. With its U.S. debut in March 2024, the now Digital SAT (DSAT) will arrive with a new structure and layout to modernize the test-taking process. …Read More