The ongoing fourth industrial revolution, driven by technology’s pervasive presence in our lives, has led to a significant increase in STEM careers. But future careers will require a combination of creative and analytical skills. This report explores how students can apply creativity to STEM-focused pursuits and provides tips and tools – including a Chromebook app list – to help educators create project-based lessons that nurture artistic expression in students.…Read More
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.
Why SEL is the foundation of Future Schools
One of many post-pandemic truths exposed and emphasized is that learning outcomes suffer without proper student mental health measures.
In this episode of Innovations in Education, host Kevin Hogan has a conversation with Sonny Thadani, CEO of Robin, to explore how SEL can be integrated into district policies and school curricula. The key? Get everyone involved.
…Read More3M and Discovery Education Name 10 Grant Recipients Supporting Nation’s Young Scientists
St. Paul, Minn. and Charlotte, NC. – 3M (@3M) and Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEd) today announced the 10 recipients of the inaugural 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network Alumni Grants Program. Launched in 2023, the program supports past participants and future scientists as part of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge ( #YoungScientist).
As the nation’s premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for a mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” The new Alumni Network and Alumni Grants Program offers previous participants networking opportunities, resources, events, and funding for existing science projects. Former finalists must be registered members of the 3M Young Scientist Alumni Network to apply.
The Alumni Grants Program awarded a total of $25,000 in funding to ten 3M Young Scientist Challenge alumni. The 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Grants Program recipients across three funding areas are as follows: …Read More
How to elevate climate literacy for future scientists
Key points:
- A majority of teenagers want to learn about climate change in school
- New Jersey became the first state to implement comprehensive climate instruction across all grades and subjects
The climate crisis is undermining decades of progress in global health and poverty reduction. We look to our next generation of planetary heroes for solutions, but are we educating them in climate literacy?
Climate-literate people understand the principles of Earth’s evolving climate system, the complex interconnections, the influence of humans, and scientific approaches to mitigation. They make informed and responsible decisions on actions that may affect climate, and communicate about climate change in a meaningful way.…Read More
4 ideas to consider when designing a STEM lab
Key points:
- STEM labs are engaging environments that encourage exploration
- With the right tools and supports, students develop and grow 21st-century skills
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is focused on developing students’ skills and connecting these subject areas, preparing them for future careers and the real world. It’s a key area of teaching worldwide and thousands of schools are now investing in learning spaces specifically designed to support STEM–called STEM labs.
What is a STEM Lab?…Read More
ParentSquare Announces 2023-24 Advisory Council Members
Santa Barbara, CA — ParentSquare Inc., the leading provider of school-home community engagement solutions for K-12, today announced the members of its 2023-24 ParentSquare Advisory Council. The Advisory Council members help inform the company’s future development plans for the ParentSquare platform and serve as a peer-to-peer forum for discussing best practices and pressing issues in school communications and family engagement.
The ParentSquare Advisory Council is an invitation-only group, comprised of K-12 communications, technology, and administrative leaders who use ParentSquare. The size of the council has grown from 14 members in the 2022-23 academic year to 18 members for the coming year. New and returning members include:
● Jason Borgen, Chief Technology Officer for Santa Cruz County Office of Education (Calif.)…Read More
The Case For Coming to School: One Simple Approach to Improving Attendance
School is so much more than just a place to be. It’s a place to become. Students who come to school regularly have far better options and opportunities open to them. As a 2020 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research states, students who attend school regularly are more likely to have higher academic achievement, higher future earnings, and better health outcomes.
There are lots of problems out there out of our control, but our school communities are ours to shape. …Read More
The importance of teaching generative AI
Key points:
- Textbooks alone won’t help students build critical durable skills
- AI tools have great potential to generate creative ideas and tackle complex problems
The era of the textbook isn’t dead, but it’s important to start looking forwards rather than backwards when addressing education for school children. Whether we like it or not, it is becoming increasingly clear that generative AI will play a pivotal role in shaping the future and, with the workforce demanding greater expertise in AI, it is crucial to equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in this rapidly-evolving landscape.
School leaders must recognize the importance of incorporating generative AI education into curriculums to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.…Read More
ClassIn Launches its World-Class Teaching and Learning Platform in the United States
SAN DIEGO (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClassIn, a world leader in hybrid, blended, and remote learning solutions, today announced the launch of its globally recognized platform in the United States. The ClassIn platform has been purpose-built for education and based on nearly a decade of research, development, and in-market experience. Through its software and hardware solutions, ClassIn provides the digital infrastructure for the hybrid future of education by building classrooms in both the virtual and physical worlds. ClassIn is the only end-to-end education platform with a full suite of innovative tools and features, all designed with hybrid-first pedagogy at its core. It supports active learning, student flexibility, and various teaching and learning methods.
While schools have worked to embrace technology for decades, innovation has been slow and fragmented, and most new technologies have been designed to solve a singular problem. Today, the average US teacher uses 148 different EdTech products and the average US school district uses over 1,400 EdTech solutions. The pandemic exacerbated this issue, as most schools implemented “emergency remote teaching” instead of pedagogically aligned instruction, cobbling together many disparate technologies that were not built or designed for education.
“Remote and hybrid teaching brought long-touted but previously out-of-reach, student-centric instruction to life, making room for self-guided learning, flexible schedules, and additional time to explore volunteer, hobby, and work opportunities,” said Sara Gu, Co-Founder, and COO at ClassIn. “We’re at an inflection point. The classroom of the future will be networked, digitized, and intelligent, which means our learning solutions must be built on a solid foundation: based on hybrid-first pedagogy and backed by learning science. With over 50 million students using our solution in 160+ countries, our hardware and software solutions reduce districts’ need for the patchwork of over 1,400 different technologies by combining many of those capabilities seamlessly.”…Read More
K-12 Security Essentials for Beginners
There are few industries that have felt the transformational touch of technology quite like education. In this e-book, we address the unique cybersecurity threats that impact K-12 education, highlight why it is so critical to proactively address them and:…Read More