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.

10 K12 education trends to look for this year

We may technically be in the middle of a school year, but starting a new calendar year has us looking at and forecasting the new K12 education trends we expect to see in 2019.

In the first half of this school year, we’ve seen some of these ideas start to emerge, and we suspect that as we close out the academic calendar, they will become more prominent. In fact, we’re excited to see what role these trends will play going forward and into the 2019-2020 school year.

K12 trends in education

1. Increased use of immersive technologies

Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) have been creating new opportunities in teaching and learning. As the technologies become more affordable and available, we expect to see their usage increase dramatically in K-12 education. It gives teachers the ability to show their students aspects of history, travel, and STEM subjects in an immersive experience. Students will be able to take “field trips” across the world and gain hands-on vocational training through VR simulations without ever leaving the classroom. See how a district in Pennsylvania is investing in VR and AR.…Read More

10 technology trends that will revolutionize 2019

The next year will focus on technologies that influence how users interact with the world, according to Gartner in its list of top 10 strategic technology trends for 2019.

A strategic technology trend is “one with substantial disruptive potential that is beginning to break out of an emerging state into broader impact and use, or which are rapidly growing trends with a high degree of volatility reaching tipping points over the next five years.”

The IT research and analyst firm announced the upcoming trends at its annual Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in October.…Read More

Is your district on track with these classroom tech trends?

Although they’re touted as game-changers for classroom learning, virtual reality and augmented reality have yet to catch on in schools, according to a new survey of 1,500 teachers.

The Kahoot! tech trends survey reveals that just 11 percent of surveyed teachers said virtual reality and augmented reality are emerging trends in their school or district.

Part of the reason for such low adoption could be lack of equipment or resources–including financial resources–to implement new technologies. In fact, the biggest obstacle for teachers hoping to implement technology is a lack of funding. Half of teachers surveyed say they struggle with obtaining technology-related funding.…Read More