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.

New Mexico’s Aztec Municipal School District Renews Multiyear Partnership Driving Student Engagement in Science  

Charlotte, NC — New Mexico’s Aztec Municipal School District (AMSD) today announced the renewal of its multiyear partnership with Discovery Education supporting science education in three district elementary schools. This renewed collaboration ensures students and teachers in the district’s K-5 classrooms will continue to use the company’s award-winning Mystery Science service to drive deeper student engagement in science instruction. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports instruction wherever it takes place. 

AMSD serves 2,800 K-12 students in a rural community located in the northwest corner of New Mexico within the “Four Corners region” where New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona meet. AMSD’s diverse student population is approximately 63% Anglo, 22% Hispanic, and 13% Native American. The district employs over 200 certified staff members and a support staff of more than 150 to provide transportation and educational services to students. The family-oriented district is a nurturing learning community in which everyone has a job title, but their key role is to improve learning for all students.  

AMSD’s talented team of educators are dedicated to ensuring all learners develop a strong educational foundation that will serve as a launching point for future success. In 2021, the district selected Mystery Science to help teach students how to think like scientists and develop a life-long love of learning. This year, following a careful review of the district’s usage and success with the Mystery Science service, school administrators elected to renew for two additional years the partnership with Discovery Education that brings Mystery Science to ASMD’s elementary school classrooms. By doing so, the district believes they are helping build young learners’ knowledge of the scientific fundamentals that will drive future success in the subject in middle school, high school, and beyond.  …Read More

Why schools are a natural setting for mental health support

Children in America are in crisis–struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues at unprecedented levels. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist for the Behavioral Health Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, I have had a first-hand look at the increasing numbers of youth struggling with mental health.  

From losses and disruptions caused by the pandemic to increases in gun violence and school shootings to social injustices, children are inundated with messaging across many platforms that negatively impacts their mental health. 

In response to the influx of mental health cases, the American Academy of Pediatrics has declared a national emergency and the U.S. Surgeon General has issued a public health advisory. Over 60 percent of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. Even in states with the greatest access, nearly 1 in 3 are going without treatment. …Read More

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News Flash! PRESSTO Sees Exponential Growth Within Early Launch Of Generative Ai Integration

New York, NY — Within a month of its official launch, edtech startup Pressto has seen unprecedented growth. The first-to-market generative AI for teachers is a classroom ready platform that has yielded over 1,300 teachers and 5,000 student sign-ups – totaling an 875% overall user increase – from more than 700 schools across the country.

“Based on our years of research, we know that both the desire to find alternative tools to motivate writing, as well as the need to remain ahead of students when it comes to AI in the classroom is essential, so we are not surprised that teachers are quickly embracing Pressto and our user numbers are growing at such a rapid pace,” says Pressto Founder and CEO, Daniel Stedman. “There hasn’t been a disruptor in writing in decades until now, and Pressto has found a way to implement this new wave of AI technology to help educators with writing instruction.”

Pressto’s unique capabilities and innovative approach resulted in early accolades for the beta version, including an honorable mention in the Education Category of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards. The platform has continued to push the boundaries of innovation and has since transformed into the first platform to put AI in the hands of teachers, empowering them with tools and knowledge needed to utilize AI confidently and effectively in their classrooms. …Read More

Council of the Great City Schools Selects Dr. Lily Wong Fillmore as the 2023 Recipient of the Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) has named Dr. Lily Wong Fillmore as the 2023 recipient of the Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice. The annual award, which is sponsored by Curriculum Associates and named after the Council’s former executive director, recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of Grades K–12 urban education by taking courageous and passionate stances on the issues of educational justice and equity.

Fillmore, who received her Ph.D. in linguistics from Stanford University, was a faculty member of the University of California at Berkeley Graduate School of Education from 1974 to 2004. During this time, she focused much of her research, teaching, and writing on issues related to the education of multilingual learners. She specifically focused on social and cognitive processes in language learning, cultural differences in language learning behavior, sources of variation in learning, and primary language retention and loss.   

In her research, Fillmore has conducted studies of second language learners in school settings of Latino, Asian, American Indian, and Alaskan Native children and has held steadfast in calling for high expectations for such children. Before her research work, she was instrumental in establishing a volunteer corps to teach in farm labor camps in California from 1954 to 1964.…Read More

Action for Healthy Kids to Implement Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative

CHICAGO — Action for Healthy Kids has signed a cooperative agreement with the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to develop and implement the  Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. To further enhance USDA’s ongoing support for the school meal programs, the initiative includes an allocation of $47 million for identifying and recognizing school districts that excel in providing healthy meals and for supporting small and rural schools in adopting best practices and innovative approaches.

“Action for Healthy Kids is excited to partner with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and school districts to lift up and support innovative school nutrition practices that ensure that our nation’s students have access to nutritious meals,” said Rob Bisceglie, CEO of Action for Healthy Kids. “Through this historic investment in school nutrition, we aim to help school districts across the country overcome challenges and develop creative solutions to provide nutritious foods for the children they serve.”

Action for Healthy Kids will lead the overall implementation and management of the cooperative agreement. In partnership, RMC Health will design, lead and manage the overall training and technical assistance strategy. In addition, Action for Healthy Kids will partner with Chef Ann Foundation to provide in-depth individualized technical assistance to support and guide the school food authorities (SFAs) in implementing key strategies to improve school meal quality, meet the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award, and mitigate any potential roadblocks to success.…Read More

How esports is creating scholarships, jobs, and school investments

Educational institutions in the United States have long promoted and prided themselves on their campus grounds, endowments, opportunities, and student achievements. Student life and athletics are also powerful messages and motivators for applicants, and can be the deciding factor when students are choosing between multiple institutions. Comprehensive esports programs effectively combine these two ideas, offering modern education and skills necessary to enter a growing industry while creating a new competitive team for the school to promote.

As a result of growing esports popularity and institutions’ recognition of its educational value, esports competitions have made their way into the hearts and minds of students and youths across the country. An increasing number of schools are launching esports clubs and competition teams as extracurricular activities that appeal to a broad range of students and can excite fans and viewers all over the world.

Esports Takes on Traditional Sports…Read More

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6 ways to help reluctant readers become booklovers

Not everyone loves to read. Even in schools with strong reading cultures, some students just don’t feel the spark—yet.

Through helping reluctant readers find books that capture their imaginations, teachers and librarians can ignite a newfound enthusiasm for reading in students.

Here are six strategies for engaging hesitant students:…Read More

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3 ways to engage students in productive struggle

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Think about it for a minute. You are facing a new challenge – whether it be learning to fix a burst pipe, tackling a new hobby, or just struggling to figure something out. What do you do?

I’ve asked hundreds of people this question and the first thing they often say is, “I Google it.” (Then I joke about the times before the internet when we needed to spend time looking through the Encyclopedia Britannica to find our answers.)

In education, a big challenge is how to teach students what do to do when they don’t know what to do. What systems are needed for productive struggle to take place in classrooms and schools? How do students learn to struggle so they can eventually problem solve for themselves?…Read More

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