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.

How to make secure K-12 digital transformation a reality

Key points:

  • More students and educators are connecting personal devices to school networks
  • This makes network security–an already underfunded area–even more critical

The pandemic was a massive shift for school districts across the country, and even as we move out of it, we’re still feeling the impact. On the technical side, it prompted quick transformation to enable virtual schooling–and these changes were made as districts were already challenged by legacy technology, reduced budgets and understaffing. Existing problems were exacerbated.

In parallel, we’ve seen a rise in ransomware and other cyberattacks in the education sector. What’s needed is a digital transformation strategy that also prioritizes security.…Read More

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7 best practices from educators and IT leaders

Educators frequently turn to their colleagues and peers for best practices, inspiration, and new approaches to stubborn problems. After all, who better to offer insight than others who have experienced the same challenges?

Be it making tricky IT decisions, trying to engage underrepresented students in STEM learning, or how to perfect grading policies and practices, all educators can use some help from their colleagues.

Here are some tips, lessons learned, and inspiring wisdom from educators across the nation.…Read More

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Edtech is critical in evolving school environments

K-12 schools are facing a host of new challenges coming out of the pandemic, but many educators and school leaders believe technology holds the key to solving even the most entrenched problems, according to new data from Promethean.

The annual State of Technology in Education report, a survey of 1,700 U.S. educators, offers a snapshot of current trends, as well as a glimpse at what the future holds.

According to survey findings, educators put social-emotional learning (SEL) as one of their school’s top priorities, likely due to students still dealing with the fallout from pandemic disruptions. Two-thirds of respondents said their school is implementing SEL measures to tackle these issues, and 70 percent said technology is a good tool for providing the experiential learning and connections that students need to thrive.…Read More

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The 21st century learning mantra is played out

The world is changing in remarkable ways, and the pace of this change is only accelerating. Thanks to unprecedented advances in technology, society continues to evolve at an exponential rate. The rapidity of change has led to dramatic shifts in all aspects of life, from how people communicate and collaborate to how they solve problems, create projects, and consume content (Sheninger, 2019).

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, and it is drastically different from the previous three, with the hallmark of this period being the momentous evolution of digital technology. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is defined as “a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.” Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, and biotechnology characterize this revolution.

This high-speed evolution of technology has drastically changed the way we communicate. Social media platforms have revolutionized how people interact, allowing them to connect with each other no matter where they are in the world. People can now instantly share their thoughts and experiences with people worldwide, creating a truly global community. This phenomenon has enabled people to collaborate on a global scale, working together to solve complex problems and create far-reaching projects that would have been impossible in the past.…Read More

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BenQ Board RP03 Series Recognized as First Smart Board to Achieve Eyesafe® Certification for Low Blue Light

COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions, is helping to minimize blue light emission with the Eyesafe® Certification of its latest interactive display, the BenQ Board RP03. The industry’s only interactive display to meet the safety standard, BenQ Board RP03 features built-in EyeCare™ technologies that have been tested and certified to protect users’ eyesight by reducing high-energy blue light while maintaining optimal color performance.

“Blue light may contribute to visual discomfort and sleep problems,” said Bob Wudeck, senior director of business development at BenQ Education. “Our built-in blue light technology and Eyesafe Certified screen effectively reduces the potential risks from blue light. Together with our other EyeCare technologies — flicker free and antiglare features, germ-resistant screen and accessories, air-quality sensors, and air ionizer, schools and other organizations can feel confident that the increased screen time that comes with the demand for greater interaction and engagement doesn’t come at a risk to users’ health.”

Minimizing Blue Light is Critical…Read More

Using rewards to encourage positive behavior from your students–and teachers

When GEMS American Academy returned to in-person schooling after the COVID shutdowns, one of the first things our positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) team noticed was that we had a significant increase in behavior problems. We knew that our students would respond well to rewards for positive behaviors, but in the past, we found it difficult to manage a schoolwide system and to ensure it was used consistently by teachers.

We decided to continue using our updated House system, CritterCoin, to track positive behaviors and manage rewards, and took some extra steps to encourage teachers to use it. Each year our use of the system has grown. In year one, some teachers struggled to make the transition, but those same teachers are now taking the lead in using it to encourage positive behaviors in their classrooms. Here’s how we’ve been working to bring teachers and students on board.

Addressing Negative Behaviors…Read More

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Is blockchain the key to college success?

A student’s credentials and accomplishments, stored on and secured by blockchain technology, can set students up for college acceptance and college success, said Joshua Samuel, the CEO of Coins for College.

During a session at FETC 2023, Samuel explored how blockchain can be used in real world to solve problems like knowledge gaps, student motivation, attendance, teacher compensation.

Blockchain technology holds the promise to change much of what’s plaguing education today, he asserted. Blockchain relies on methods of cryptography, which secures data from unauthorized access and keeps students’ information safe.…Read More