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.

An AI to-do list for educators

Key points:

  • Schools should integrate conversations around AI into professional learning opportunities
  • A basic understanding of AI’s potential for learning can help educators become more comfortable using it for teaching and learning
  • See related article: More students are seeking an AI-powered school year

The AI revolution is here, and educators are feeling the impact. For many, it is exciting, unsettling and overwhelming all at the same time.

The key to successfully navigating this maelstrom of emotions is to start small, break the challenge down into achievable tasks, and begin with actions that will have the most impact. This five step to-do list can help educators engage in artificial intelligence and begin using it to positively impact both teaching and learning. …Read More

“Ambitious growth” is needed to accelerate learning recovery

Key points:

  • Students who follow ambitious yet attainable pathways to grade-level proficiency that go beyond typical learning trajectory can recover learning
  • Learning loss is still profoundly felt even as schools move back to a “post-pandemic normal”
  • See related article: Finding the learning loss data needed to drive learning recovery

A new report from Curriculum Associates demonstrates what happens when educators set ambitious targets for students–and what happens when they meet them. The report comes at a time when students continue to struggle academically in the wake of the pandemic and as efforts turn to learning recovery.

Findings from Pathways to Success: How Stretch Growth Goals Support Learning Recovery are based on data from more than 2.4 million students who completed the i-Ready Diagnostic for Reading and more than 3 million students who completed the i-Ready Diagnostic for Mathematics in Grades K–7 in 2021–2022 and in Grades 1–8 in 2022–2023. The report evaluates trends in growth patterns and grade-level placements for students who may require the most support to get to grade-level or develop essential prerequisite skills for later grades.…Read More

Taking a measured look at AI in the classroom

Key points:

  • What if AI can take over mundane tasks and free teachers up for more direct instruction?
  • AI doesn’t just spit out data–it provides real, actionable insights that allow teachers to better help students
  • See related article: The importance of teaching generative AI

AI in the classroom: The idea brings up images of students plugged into the Matrix, learning differential equations in seconds, doesn’t it? Well, not quite, even if the question of existential threat for schoolchildren has been purported in recent discussions. We’re talking about something more grounded, a little less sci-fi, but nonetheless intriguing.

Imagine you’re teaching a class, and instead of that time-consuming grading, you have AI in the classroom, taking care of the rote tasks. Interesting, but not quite a blockbuster movie scenario, right? It leaves you with time to ponder the intricacies of your educational philosophy or perhaps even enjoy a quiet lunch break.…Read More

What does learning fueled by student motivation look like?

Key points:

Editor’s note: This article on learning and student motivation originally appeared on the Christensen Institute’s blog and is reposted here with permission.

In 2020, my wife and I bought a used 2017 Nissan Leaf (an all-electric vehicle) for her commute to work. We thought it was a practical choice, but we soon found our purchase had come with some serious limitations. First, the car had very limited range, meaning we had to restrict our trips to about a 30-mile radius from our house. Then, about a year into owning the car, an even worse issue came up that gave us major heart palpitations: the car would completely lose power and stall while climbing the freeway grade between our valley and the neighboring town where my wife works. …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

5 ways AI can help teachers in the classroom

Key points:

  • As AI tools like ChatGPT grow in popularity, there’s no avoiding them in the classroom
  • Using AI to teach students about AI helps students approach it with the respect it deserves and emphasizes its use as a learning tool
  • See related article: Debunking common myths about AI in education

If you’ve spent any time tinkering with AI like I have, you’ve discovered what a powerful and versatile tool it can be for teachers in the classroom. Sometimes, it almost feels like AI gives us superpowers. Simply by using a collection of prompts, I can direct AI to write, draw, code, and perform any number of difficult tasks in ways I otherwise couldn’t. The only limit is your imagination!

This brings up some pressing questions, though, and as with any new technology, it will take time before we reach definitive answers. In the meantime, however, finding positive ways of integrating AI into education can give us a better understanding of its full potential, and maybe point us in the right direction for its future use. Here are just 5 ways AI can help teachers in classroom:…Read More

Education in the age of AI and smart technology

Key points:

  • As AI advances, workers will be needed to do the tasks that technology won’t be able to do well
  • Educators will have to model the behaviors and new way of learning that students need
  • See related article: ChatGPT is the shakeup education needs

We are in a new era–the Era of Smart Technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of ChatGPT-4 is very smart and ChatGPT-5, -6, and -7, etc. will be even smarter. Smart technology will change the “game of work” and it will change how we educate people.

We will live in the most disruptive job time since the Great Depression. Technology is and will continue to automate many blue- and white-collar jobs. Oxford University predicts that 25-47 percent of U.S. jobs will be automated by 2030. Scientists have predicted that the average person will have 5 completely different jobs in the next 20 years. No one will be exempt.…Read More

Digital tools are a vehicle–not a standalone solution–for trauma-responsive care in schools

Key points:

  • Investing in mental health training, resources, and digital tools supports students’ immediate needs and creates a foundation for the long term
  • By leaning into the power of human connection and leveraging digital health tools, schools can proactively enhance student well-being
  • See related article: Using tech to combat trauma

Schools play a vital role in nurturing the well-being of their students. And, as the primary setting where children spend a significant portion of their time, schools are well-positioned to be an additional touchpoint in the mental healthcare continuum. This additional touchpoint is particularly critical amid mental healthcare provider shortages, enduring access challenges, and the stigma associated with these illnesses.

As a result, schools can help bridge the gap to treatment through a trauma-responsive environment, which has shown to improve student well-being, reduce chronic absenteeism, and raise student engagement. But in my experience, it will take a multipronged approach that centers relationship building, integrates digital tools, and invests in the long-term to make a difference for a school community.…Read More

District virtual schools need to innovate beyond flexibility and security

Key points:

  • It’s time to transform district virtual schools from pandemic stop-gaps into pioneering models of 21st-century learning
  • The sustainability of district virtual schools hinges on whether they can evolve beyond the current versions we see in most districts
  • See related article: 5 tips to keep online students motivated

Imagine a classroom where learning transcends physical boundaries, and where every student’s need is met with individualized attention. This isn’t a distant dream, but an emergent reality born in the wake of the global pandemic. 

Prior to the pandemic, approximately 375,000 students attended online schools—less than 1% of the total number of US K–12 students. But as the crisis unfolded in 2020, virtual schools became a preferred educational choice for a significant number of families. Our survey in August 2021 found that 43% of districts had introduced a full-time virtual school option during the pandemic. These were new schools that students and families could opt into, separate from the emergency remote instruction commonly provided during the pandemic though existing brick-and-mortar schools.…Read More