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.

CENTEGIX Posts Record Demand for Its Wearable CrisisAlert Solution

ATLANTA /PRNewswire/ — CENTEGIX, the leader in incident response solutions, announced that new customers of its award-winning CrisisAlert™ solution were the highest in company history and that demand in the first half of 2023 has exceeded the 2022 full-year result.

School districts nationwide overwhelmingly select CENTEGIX’s CrisisAlert wearable panic button to protect staff and students. Now with more than 600,000 badge users, CENTEGIX is by far the industry leader and largest solution provider of wearable incident response technology for K-12 education, representing over 95% of the wearable safety technology market.

“We have six years of experience with wearables and have built a large and rapidly expanding suite of software applications and integrations that protect close to 10 million people for everyday and extreme emergencies. Customers tell us that CENTEGIX is the standard in wearable safety, and because all staff wear our badge, it builds a culture of safety at the location and in the community,” said Brent Cobb, CEO of CENTEGIX.…Read More

Making the grade: How to spur achievement after NAEP declines

Key points:

  • Alarming declines in NAEP scores are prompting educators to look for ways to increase academic achievement
  • Understanding each individual student helps educators design supplemental educational programs
  • See related article: What do superintendents really think of the NAEP?

For decades, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has pursued a mission to monitor student academic performance, providing insights into educational progress and long-term trends. It’s a record of consistency that has earned NAEP scores a reputation as “the nation’s report card.”

Recently, that report card revealed some worrying trends. In May, NAEP reported that eighth grade students’ U.S History and civics scores declined significantly between 2018 and 2022. Only 13 percent of eighth graders were at or above the level that NAEP categorizes as proficient in U.S. history—and only one in five were at or above the proficiency level in civics.…Read More

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How ChatGPT made my lessons more engaging

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

Much of the education narrative around ChatGPT has focused on the potential downsides of the AI tool (think Skynet from “The Terminator”). But as a high school teacher who has experimented with the sophisticated word predictor app in my economics, U.S. History, and speech and debate classes, I’ve found that ChatGPT provides opportunities to engage the students in class activities. Here’s how I’ve harnessed a tool that is here to stay (no matter how many school districts try to block it). 

I welcomed our first “speaker,” ChatGPT.…Read More

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With Critical Race Theory spurring debate, is there hope for diversity in schools?

Key points:

The greatest social justice movements teach us that progress isn’t linear, but is rather dynamic. This means that progress doesn’t transpire overnight. It doesn’t transpire instantaneously with one motion or action, but is the product of concerted efforts compounding to create change. This also means that in the midst of fighting for what is right, resistance sometimes hidden in the form of defeat and regression can take place.

In the case of fighting for educational equity, this means that creating schools that honor and celebrate diversity, affirm students’ identity, develop a sense of social and critical consciousness within students, cultivate inclusivity, and provide equitable access and outcomes for all students can often feel nearly impossible. With bans on teaching Black history; book bans that prohibit certain texts that center the histories, perspectives, and lived experiences of marginalized communities; and other unjust and discriminatory practices, educators, parents, and education advocates may wonder if there is any hope for diversity, equity, and inclusion within schools.…Read More

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5 to thrive: SEL resources to help students grow

Key points:

  • SEL teaches students to think and behave like healthy, mature adults
  • SEL helps students become better learners and take ownership of that learning

Every educator hopes to equip their students with the knowledge they need to thrive as a healthy adult. It’s a daunting task, especially considering there is so much to teach in such a small amount of time.

We want students to fall in love with reading while building up skills in language and grammar. We try to show them that math and science can be outlets of wonder and imagination, while also grounding them in foundations of history and social studies. And yet, out of all the knowledge at our disposal, fostering healthy social-emotional learning (SEL) may be the most important lesson that we impart to our students.   …Read More

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Cutting-Edge Technology Teaches Lessons about World War I

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During the upcoming National History Day Finals, The Doughboy Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to World War I education, will be on hand to demonstrate the power of augmented reality (AR) to immerse history lovers in WWI. Using the Foundation’s Augmented Reality Apps, attendees registering on June 11 for the National History Day Finals week can explore life-sized WWI-era aircraft and giant timelines right in the registration hall at the University of Maryland, College Park.

“It can be a challenge to engage students in lessons about events that happened more than a century ago,” said Theo Mayer, chief technologist/program lead for the Doughboy Foundation. “Making the subject experiential and interactive through smartphones and tablets that use the power of AR brings the subject of World War I to life for today’s students.”

While National History Day participants will get a personal introduction to the WWI Teaching Resources, educators anywhere in the country can use them to bring history to life. Using the resources, made available through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, educators and students can immerse themselves in WWI history. They can experience the wide-reaching effects of the war by viewing it in the context of women’s rights, immigrants’ experiences, Black and Native Americans struggles, propaganda, and the Bill of Rights.…Read More

With greater access to devices, teachers are folding more tech into instruction

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

Before the pandemic, U.S. history teacher Travis Malekpour hesitated assigning his students work in the classroom that required a computer. He knew not every student had a laptop or tablet.

Three years later, Malekpour, who teaches in Queens, doesn’t think twice about assigning and grading in-class work that requires a device. …Read More

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Renaissance’s All New Visual Identity Champions a Teacher-Led Ecosystem, Empowering Educators to “See Every Student”

BLOOMINGTON, MINN. (PRWEB) — Renaissance, a leader in pre-K–12 education technology, announces a rebrand and new visual identity reflecting the company’s transformational teacher-led learning ecosystem and demonstrating how the right technology can help educators truly see every student. The new brand identity embraces the company’s almost 40-year history as a leader in pre-K–12 education technology, while taking a fresh and forward-looking approach to the future of Renaissance.

“Our business has changed dramatically over the past few years,” said Sarah DiFrancesco, Chief Marketing Officer at Renaissance. “The rebranding marks a new Renaissance, demonstrating how we help every student succeed by providing teachers and administrators with the digital tools they need to unlock personalized teaching.”

Nationwide, schools and districts face unprecedented challenges from teacher burnout, teaching vacancies, and the pressure to deliver results like never before. In addition, supporting students’ academic learning is a source of job-related stress for almost half of teachers, according to a  RAND Corporation survey. To address these issues, solutions that cater to the unique needs of each student are crucial. Together, Renaissance’s assessments, instruction, and insights provide a complete, comprehensive solution—while keeping educators at the forefront of classroom decisions and instruction.…Read More

VHS Learning Is Awarded Teaching with Primary Sources Grant from Library of Congress 

 Boston – VHS Learning has been selected to receive a $25,000 grant to create a high-quality U.S. History curriculum and professional development supporting discussion-based primary source analysis online and in other learning settings. This project is funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Eastern Region program, managed by Waynesburg University.

“The goal with this grant project is to engage online learners in frequent primary source analysis experiences that increase their sense of connection to classmates, self, and the curriculum,” President & CEO of VHS Learning, Carol DeFuria said. “We are honored to receive the TPS grant from the Library of Congress to deepen student discussions through primary source analysis, and we look forward to bringing this to high school students through an online U.S. History curriculum.”

During the grant project, VHS Learning will design 33 primary source analysis lessons within a cohesive, newly-developed U.S. History curriculum. Primary source analysis will be integrated into weekly discussions within all three course formats of the curriculum, including asynchronous, paced, and self-paced models. …Read More

Discovery Education and Social Impact Partners Offering Free STEM-Focused Resources to Educators and Students Celebrating Women’s History Month

Charlotte, NC —  Discovery Education and its social impact partners are offering educators and students nationwide a variety of free, STEM-focused resources to support celebrations of Women’s History Month. This high-quality content highlights the accomplishments of women STEM leaders and encourages girls to see themselves in future STEM careers. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.  

The Women’s History Month  theme for 2023 is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.”In support of this theme, Discovery Education has curated the following no-cost resources that help share the stories of women leading STEM industries to inspire the girls of today: 

Career Profiles
Meet the women cybersecurity experts working to keep us all safe online in the  career profiles from  Girls4Tech – Mastercard’s signature science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program supported by Discovery Education. Geared towards giving girls in middle and high school access to STEM resources and career exploration tools, this program dives deeply into the topics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cyber security. …Read More