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.

Discovery Education and Boeing Present a New Virtual Field Trip for Students Exploring STEM and Robotics in Aviation Manufacturing 

Charlotte, NC — Discovery Education and Boeing present a new virtual experience – Manufacturing the Future of Aviation Virtual Field Trip – to show students how STEM makes aviation manufacturing more efficient and safer. This virtual field trip is part of FUTURE U, an award-winning program that provides standards-aligned, hands-on, experiential learning resources that ignite excitement and inspire students to become tomorrow’s innovators. 

Premiering Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. ET and available on-demand, this virtual learning experience transports students to manufacturing centers in Renton, Wash., Portland, Ore., and Salt Lake City, Utah to meet the diverse mechatronics, robotics, and ergonomic engineers at Boeing. During the Manufacturing the Future of Aviation Virtual Field Trip, students discover the revolutionary devices and machines that make modern manufacturing safer, faster, and safer. Learn more and register here. 

“It’s critical for us to do all that we can to get students excited about the careers of the future. This new virtual field trip is another exciting way students can learn more about how important STEM careers are in the aerospace industry–and how fun and rewarding they can be,” said Vice President of Boeing Global Engagement Cheri Carter. …Read More

How to use alternative assessments in the classroom

Did you know that a 5th grade teacher is expected to guide students to mastery of 200 standards each year? Given a typical school year of 180 days, that’s 1.1 standards a day! Of course, standards don’t exactly work like that. You can certainly teach more than one standard a day, but that doesn’t give you time to explore them, unpack them, and revisit them, which is where learning and mastery actually happen. That’s a lot of content to cover, and not much time to do it in.

But this is only the beginning. Not all standards can be treated equally. Some have limited application and require lower levels of critical thinking; others are foundational to future learning and broadly applicable. So, how do we even begin to tackle this mess? How can teachers determine their power standards and assess student mastery in a way that’s both fun and effective?

One way to begin is by utilizing a scoring system to single out the standards that align to the chief priorities in your classroom. Consider implementing the following categories and grading them on a scale of 1–5: …Read More

SkriLab Receives ISTE Seal of Alignment

(Warsaw, Poland) – Skriware, an international edtech company providing schools with equipment and lesson plans that enable practical and hands-on education in the spirit of STEAM, earned the Seal of Alignment from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) for its educational laboratory, SkriLab. This seal of alignment, and Skriware’s sales and marketing partnership with New Ascent Education, marks the company’s expansion into the U.S. education market.

“We are thrilled that Skriware’s entry into the U.S. education market has been preceded by the official ISTE Seal of Alignment. Our solution is well adapted not only to ISTE standards, it has also received the Education Alliance Finland certification,” said Karol Górnowicz, CEO of Skriware. “In Poland, SkriLab is already used by more than 2,500 primary schools (grades 1-8 in U.S. schools). We receive very positive feedback from teachers and school principals, and the reports from the lessons conducted on Skriware equipment provided by the institutions clearly indicate students are more engaged. We hope we will be granted the same opportunity to help teachers raise students’ engagement in STEAM across North America.”

ISTE Seal of Alignment reviews are conducted by a panel of education and instructional experts. By earning a Seal of Alignment, ISTE verifies that SkriLab promotes critical technology skills, supports the use of technology in appropriate ways, contributes to the pedagogically robust use of technology for teaching and learning, and aligns to the ISTE Standards in specific ways as described in the review finding report.…Read More

Discovery Education and Illumina Corporate Foundation Present a New Virtual Field Trip for Students to Explore the Power of DNA

Charlotte, NC — Discovery Education and The Illumina Corporate Foundation today announced a new virtual experience – Genomics: Decoding the Language of Life Virtual Field Trip – to immerse students in grades 6-12 in the power of DNA. Presented by the Illumina Corporate Foundation and Discovery Education, this virtual field trip is part of DNA Decoded, a program designed to inspire students to unlock the power of genomics with ready-to-go, standards-aligned lessons and activities.  

Premiering September 15th at 1 PM ET and available on-demand, this virtual learning experience transports students to the Illumina labs in San Diego, CA to meet real-world experts harnessing the power of the genome to improve lives and support the conservation of the Earth’s natural resources. During the Genomics: Decoding the Language of Life Virtual Field Trip, students will explore the cutting-edge genome sequencing technology that is being used to revolutionize everything from medicine to agriculture to sustainability and much more. Learn more and register here. 

“DNA has not only the potential to transform life, but it can also inspire students to pursue careers in STEM,” said Sharon Vidal, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility. “At Illumina, we are dedicated to fostering opportunities for students in the world of genetic science and to expanding future possibilities for the next generation by putting genomics into action.”   …Read More

Phenix City Schools Awarded Cognia STEM Certification

Phenix City, Ala. (August 4, 2022) — Phenix City Schools (PCS) are now STEM certified, becoming the largest and fourth district in the nation. Every school in the PCS system earned Cognia’s STEM Certification in June.

According to Cognia, its STEM Certification Program, “guides leaders with a specific framework and improvement process, culminating in recognition for programs that demonstrate a strong and effective STEM focus… These standards, which Cognia identified through robust research and extensive observations, focus on characteristics like problem-based experiential learning and the integration of
STEM thinking into a broad range of activities and learning opportunities.”

PCS met and exceeded each of the standards and expectations set forth by Cognia. Cognia recognizes and certifies PCS’ STEM program:…Read More

When it comes to edtech, it’s not about the tools, but how you use them

In this week’s Getting There: Innovations in Education, Editor at Large Kevin Hogan explores how to get the most impact out of the edtech tools in your district.

Also in this podcast:

  • New cyber security standards attempt to help secure district networks through awareness.
  • Dr. Matthew X. Joseph, Executive Director of Learning, Providence Public Schools on the power of human networks.
  • How video creation tools can improve parental relations.
…Read More

Cybersecurity learning standards offer a new look at a consistent threat

CYBER.ORG has released the nation’s first voluntary K-12 cybersecurity learning standards to be used to in schools and districts around the country. As the United States continues to face an onslaught of sophisticated cyberattacks, there are more than 464,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions nationwide.

As the first national effort to align cybersecurity learning criteria across all 50 states, the K-12 cybersecurity learning standards aim to build a strong, more diverse talent pipeline to protect U.S. national security and maintain U.S. competitiveness on the world stage, while helping address the cybersecurity workforce shortage. States now have the option to adopt the K-12 cybersecurity learning standards ahead of the 2022-2023 school year.

“The national K-12 cybersecurity learning standards are critical to providing the next generation of students with the skills and knowledge to pursue cybersecurity careers, ultimately helping solve the cybersecurity workforce gap,” said Kevin Nolten, Director of Academic Outreach at CYBER.ORG. “For the first time, educators have a roadmap for uniformly teaching cybersecurity to students in each grade band across the country. We are thankful to all our partners who dedicated their time to making the standards an incredible success and look forward to helping states adopt the standards in the coming year.”…Read More

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West Sound STEM Network Expands Partnership with Slooh to Engage More Students in Space Exploration

Washington Depot, Connecticut, October 29, 2021 – Slooh, the only organization offering live online telescope feeds of amazing astronomical events to students, and the West Sound STEM Network recently expanded their partnership to help more teachers and students throughout northwest Washington State engage in space exploration that is aligned with state and national standards. After successfully providing a number of Network member schools with access to Slooh’s robotic telescopes and patented Mission Interface last year, West Sound STEM Network is now expanding the program to reach 250 teachers and 10,000 students. This comes as Slooh works toward its goal of helping one million students nationwide experience the wonder of space from their classroom and home computers.

“Our partnership with Slooh is – and has been – highly inspirational for our teachers and students,” said Dr. Kareen Borders, executive director of the West Sound STEM Network. “Our schools are actively exploring the moon, Mars, and beyond in real time!”

Serving the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, the West Sound STEM Network is a public-private regional network committed to building PreK-career pathways to postsecondary credentials and a stronger STEM workforce. The cross-sector network of businesses, school districts, education agencies, higher education institutions, Career and Technical Education (CTE) practitioners and providers, government, military, community, Tribes, library systems, nonprofits, out-of-school providers, and workforce development agencies introduce and link students, teachers, and the community to high-quality STEM resources, such as Slooh.  …Read More

How 3D tech can help overcome learning hurdles

Over the past year, virtual learning proved to be a mixed bag of success. Some students adapted; but for others, learn-from-home was a gargantuan hurdle. Many school systems, in fact, were forced to alter their student performance standards simply due to the number of failing grades students were receiving.

A recent McKinsey study showed that present forms of virtual learning, especially those built around videoconferencing, actually widen learning gaps. But don’t make the mistake in thinking that technology itself is to blame for these educational struggles.

If anything, new solutions are sorely needed. Students need the ability to learn effectively both inside and outside the classroom. There needs to be a seamless connection between modes of learning, with immersion at the core. The right technology can make this happen.…Read More

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Marking a New Era in Education, MindSpark Learning® Launches First of It’s Kind Certification in Disruption

August 3, 2021 — Denver, Colo. — MindSpark Learning® (MindSpark™), a nonprofit that delivers extraordinary and sustainable learning experiences for educators and professionals, is taking the concept of ‘disruption for good’ further than ever before in the education sector with the launch of the Disruption Certification (D-Cert). D-Cert is designed to recognize and reward the highest possible standards in education. 

The Disruption Certification uses a human-centric architecture designed to renovate the global education system, with district and school leaders being at the forefront of the change. This certification is not a band-aid but a solution that places meaning and value on the preeminent leverage points for education. The D-Cert is based on emergent practices driven by accountability, transparency, and performance. This certification is intergenerational and comes with a duality to retain and expand our educator talent, while activating the next generation to take its place in the workforce. 

While companies have long focused on stakeholder value, education has been slow to follow suit and acknowledge the broader ecosystem. The landscape of global education is changing and D-Cert defines a new set of rules. D-Cert’s robust, peer-to-peer network will fuel a collective vision, amplify the voices of strongest education leaders, and drive enduring prosperity for our society. It will put intelligence into practice by upskilling and uplifting educators across the globe – changing mindsets and behaviors about what it means to lead and learn. …Read More