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.

Teacher burnout persists, but solutions are emerging

Key points:

The American Federation of Teachers teamed up with Educators Thriving for a yearlong study culminating in a new report, “Beyond Burnout,” which details practical, research-based solutions to improve the chronic levels of stress and burnout that are plaguing teachers and support staff in K-12 schools and contributing widespread teacher shortages.

The report highlights the numerous challenges facing educators and proposes a slate of strategies and solutions to address them, including several factors that reliably predict educator well-being: responsive leadership and supportive culture, acceptance, adaptability, personal well-being, and a professional-growth orientation. The report includes a survey tool—generated by educators—that more accurately defines and gauges educator well-being.…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

How to support student agency

Key points:

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

Coming out of the AI closet: A scholar’s embrace of ChatGPT-4

Key points:

  • Instead of running from AI advancements, scholars should leverage its capabilities
  • ChatGPT-4 has ushered in a new era of brainstorming, structuring, and academic possibility
  • See related article: How to redefine learning in the digital age

For the past 12 years, I’ve navigated the rigorous waters of academia – from my MBA journey to obtaining a Ph.D. in business, and now diving into a Doctorate in education. It has been an odyssey of intellectual growth and endurance. However, an unexpected ally emerged in the last six months: ChatGPT-4. In this brief period, this AI tool has intensified my research prowess, sharpened my analytical acumen, and enhanced my productivity.

Today, with conviction and defiance against naysayers, I am stepping out from the shadows, declaring loud and proud: I harness the power of AI in my academic work, and no, it is not cheating. The era of AI-enhanced academia is dawning, and I stand at its vanguard, ready to redefine what is possible.…Read More

Gale and SirsiDynix Announce Partnership That Will Expand CloudSource Index by More Than One Billion Records

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. & LEHI, UT – Gale, part of Cengage Group, a global provider of research and learning resources, and SirsiDynix, a global leader in library technology solutions, are excited to announce a strategic partnership that will deliver more than one billion records to CloudSource, SirsiDynix’s premier content and discovery services platform.

The collaboration is a natural fit for the two companies, whose missions both emphasize the importance of libraries as hubs of discovery and whose software and services are dedicated to helping libraries demonstrate their value and ability to empower their communities. Working together, they aim to offer a seamless search experience for Gale and CloudSource subscribers alike.

The integration displays Gale’s wide range of online databases—including full-text journal articles, newspapers, archives, and eBooks—into a single discovery index.…Read More

A recipe for using explicit phonics instruction in reading lessons

Key points:

Evidence-based reading research, or what many refer to as the Science of Reading, has been a much-discussed topic within the literacy landscape for the past few years. While it may seem like the “next new thing” in reading instruction, the theory, research, and instructional best practices are based on historical, neurological, and scientific understanding of how the human brain works, as well as the relationship to language and literacy development. At the root of evidence-based reading research and reading instruction is the goal of heightening the reader’s experience with text by providing them with strategies to engage with that text for deep understanding and the synthesis of content to build knowledge. 

One aspect of evidence-based reading research is the need for explicit phonics instruction versus implicit instruction.  While comprehension of text is the goal, the foundational skills of early literacy, such as phonological awareness, decoding, encoding, and fluency are essential. …Read More

More students are seeking an AI-powered school year

Key points:

  • Two out of three students seek outside homework and studying help
  • When used thoughtfully and in conjunction with teacher expertise, AI can be a powerful tool to enhance learning outcomes for students
  • See related article: 5 ways AI can help teachers in the classroom

Students are gearing up for the 2023 school year, and new research from Brainly reveals the vital role of AI in education and its place as an integral element in middle and high school students’ academic life – even as educators debate and worry whether the revolutionary technology belongs in the classroom.

Brainly’s Back-to-School survey highlights a growing trend–66.5 percent of students in grades 6-12 actively seek external support for their homework and study needs. With 57 percent expressing concerns about excessive homework, it is evident that students are keen on finding additional resources to aid their academic progress. Forty-five percent of these students spend more than two hours daily on homework. …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

Sibme Unveils AI Tool to Save Teachers’ Time and Strengthen Coaching Conversations

Sibme — Research reinforces the effectiveness of video coaching in education, and a  recent study from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) noted that at least 70% of teachers that received feedback via video coaching learned specific strategies that they could use in their classrooms. In addition, almost 90% of teachers in the study said they were more reflective about their teaching as a result of the feedback they received.

“Teachers have so much on their plates—from creating lesson plans to ensuring each of their students grows and grasps important concepts and lessons,” said Dave Wakefield, Chief Executive Officer of Sibme. “When we created Sibme, we set out to make sure professional learning opportunities were based on evidence of practice and designed to save valuable time. Sibme AI does just that and takes some of the extra work off teachers’ and instructional leaders’ shoulders to analyze recorded classroom instruction—while still providing the insights teachers need to work with their instructional coaches and grow in their craft.”

Sibme AI automatically transcribes a video or audio recording and then uses data from the transcription and video to generate reports on a variety of quantitative metrics about classroom instruction. Those key metrics allow teachers to self-reflect on what’s working and not working in their classroom, collaborate with their colleagues and engage in authentic, data-focused coaching conversations. The tailored metrics provide direction and opportunities for rich discussions when teachers work with their instructional coaches one-on-one, helping them pinpoint areas for potential growth together.…Read More

First AI-powered School Year Begins, Ushering in a New Era in Education

NEW YORK –  Students are gearing up for the 2023 school year, and new research from  Brainly reveals that AI is an integral element in middle and high school students’ academic life – even as educators debate and worry whether the revolutionary technology belongs in the classroom.

In its Back-to-School survey,  Brainly, the leading learning platform for all school subjects and grades, highlights a growing trend – a remarkable 66.5% of students in grades 6-12 actively seek external support for their homework and study needs. With 57% expressing concerns about excessive homework, it is evident that students are keen on finding additional resources to aid their academic progress. Forty-five percent of these students spend more than two hours daily on homework. 

Where are students going for help? To their AI tools. Brainly’s research shows that 67% of middle and high school students are using AI to help with their schoolwork.…Read More