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 teach writing skills in the ChatGPT era

Key points:

When ChatGPT appeared in November 2022, most educators felt it could become a threat and change the whole niche forever. No wonder: This language model algorithm is smart enough to produce logical and grammatically correct texts for any prompt.

Today’s digital-savvy students welcomed ChatGPT with open arms and began using it for writing assignments. According to a new study from Academic Help, 67 percent of students use AI for creating texts – the basis for their essays and other papers.…Read More

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Is generative AI a new secret weapon, or just another gadget?

Key points:

  • Generative AI can provide consistent, personalized feedback to students
  • It’s crucial to remember that AI is a tool, not a replacement for teachers–it’s there to enhance the educational experience
  • See related article: The importance of teaching generative AI

Today, we’re going to take a peek behind the curtain of edtech to examine the developing phenomenon that’s on all of our lips: Generative AI. The question, of course, is whether this fancy newcomer is the secret weapon educators have been waiting for or just another high-tech toy with a lot of hype and little substance. Spoiler alert: It might just be the former.

A brief primer on generative AI…Read More

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How to redefine learning in the digital age

Key points:

  • ChatGPT-4 enriches curriculum, fosters collaboration, and prepares students for the challenges of the digital age
  • As higher learning institutions embrace ChatGPT-4 and AI technologies, they contribute to shaping a future-ready generation of learners
  • See related article: At ISTELive 23, balancing humanity with AI

In an era defined by technological innovation, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has become a game-changer in higher education. ChatGPT-4, developed by OpenAI, presents an extraordinary opportunity for higher learning institutions to revolutionize education. By incorporating ChatGPT-4 as a required part of the learning experience, institutions can unlock a new realm of innovation, critical thinking, and personalized learning.

The integration of ChatGPT-4 enriches the curriculum, fosters collaboration, and prepares students for the challenges of the digital age. Dr. Ryan Watkins, a professor of education at The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development, said he plans to have his students use ChatGPT to write outlines for class presentations: “I might have my students use it as a starting place, and then they can add their content in and comment about how useful or not useful it was.”…Read More

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3 reasons creativity is essential for the future of education

Key points:

I like to say I was raised by a combination of nonprofits and the arts. At 15 years old, I moved into Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, a nonprofit group home in Chicago, and attended an independent arts high school in Illinois, a unique model where there was a minimum requirement of three hours of art a day.

I’d leave in the late afternoon and walk to my after-school arts program, The Marwen Foundation in Chicago, where I practiced digital art making – including photography, design, or other creative tracks – until late into the evening.…Read More

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Indiana’s Vigo County School Corporation Adds New, High-Tech Tools Supporting Teaching and Learning to Students’ Digital Book Bags

Charlotte, NC — Students across Indiana’s Vigo County School Corporation (VCSC) will add new, high-quality learning resources to their digital book bags this Fall thanks to a new partnership with worldwide edtech leader Discovery Education. In this new collaboration, Discovery Education will provide district students in grades K-12 exciting new digital and print services that will help them explore their curiosity about all subjects. In addition, district educators will receive in-depth professional learning opportunities that will help them integrate their new resources into instruction and create engaging lessons that prepare students for success beyond the classroom.

VCSC is one of Vigo County’s largest employers, serving nearly 14,000 students across three traditional high schools, five middle schools, 15 elementary schools, an alternative school, and a virtual school. VCSC works to build upon the strengths of their diverse community to create a comprehensive and engaging learning environment that supports the lifelong success of all students.

The VCSC community sees educational technology’s potential to advance relationships between teachers and their students, shrink long-standing accessibility gaps, and increase the depth of learning experiences for all children. So, to support district goals in the sciences and other academic disciplines, school administrators sought high-quality digital resources that featured hands-on components and could easily be integrated into teaching and learning. Following a thorough review of available solutions, VCSC’s administration selected the following Discovery Education resources for K-5 classrooms:…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

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SmartPass Launches New Product Innovations Expanding Beyond Hallway Management

NEW YORK – SmartPass, a digital solution for hallway management, expands its SmartPass Hall Pass product by adding three new products SmartPass Flex, SmartPass Attendance, and SmartPass ID Cards (which is completely free for schools) to support educators with student management tasks throughout the school day.

“We found that our customers were jury rigging our hall pass product to use it for other needs,” said Peter Luba, CEO of SmartPass. “We listened to their feedback and created new products built for specific student movement management tasks. They got a great reception at ISTELive 23 and we look forward to helping more schools manage student movement through technology.”

More than 1,000 schools across the country use SmartPass to manage hall passes, improve time on task, reduce disruptions, and help ensure all students feel safe and are accounted for while at school. In addition to SmartPass Hall Pass, SmartPass now offers:…Read More

Discovery Education and its Corporate Partners Offering Free Resources for Families to Keep Learning Alive All Summer 

Charlotte, NC ) — To keep students engaged in learning while on summer break, Discovery Education and select partners have created free dynamic digital resources for students and caregivers to use at home. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. 

The following selection of family activities that connect families to engaging learning experiences anywhere learning is taking place:  

Build the Change: Take the power of play beyond the classroom with collaborative activities that inspire students and families to learn through play by solving creative challenges as a team while exploring their own local environments with these activities from Build the Change, a program by the LEGO Group’s sustainability team. …Read More

Wayside Publishing to Enhance New and Future Products After Acquisition

FREEPORT, Maine – Wayside Publishing®, the fastest-growing, U.S.-based K–12 world languages publisher, announces the acquisition of Lit®, a leading creator of comprehensible input animated video stories. 

Wayside Publishing has been in business since 1988 and creates proficiency-based print and digital world language programs and Comprehension-based Readers™. With a focus on innovation, Wayside continues to expand their range of creative and time-saving technologies for educators—ones that also provide students with engaging and supportive learning-enhancement tools. 

“We will immediately begin using the Lit library of videos to enhance new and future products, and the in-house video production will allow us to create content faster and at a lower cost,” said Wayside President Greg Greuel. “The combination of Lit content with our products will enhance our offerings and add to what our customers have been asking from us.” …Read More