THE Journal’s “7 Questions: Ed Tech Explainer” series gives ed tech leaders an opportunity to summarize their solution(s), explain how their product helps educators and schools, and give a quick overview for K–12 decision-makers — sort of an extended (but not too extended) elevator pitch. For this installment, SchoolStatus Founder and CEO Russ Davis explains how SchoolStatus works in a school tech ecosystem, how it helps educators and students, and how it's pivoted over the past year.
When Felisa Ford and her instructional tech colleagues in Atlanta had trouble getting the district's teachers on board with using Minecraft: Education Edition, she created a student ambassador program to empower young Minecraft experts to coach other students and teachers, and it was so successful that Microsoft started a learning path for educators to sponsor their own local student ambassador programs. Then came Good Trouble.
Education nonprofit InnovateEDU today launched the Blueprint for Inclusive Research and Development in Education, dubbed BIRD-E, an open source, universal framework designed to generate actionable, high-quality research that ed tech providers, policymakers, researchers, education leaders, and other K-12 stakeholders can easily access, understand, and apply in the classroom.
Ffrom Alief ISD in Houston, Texas, teachers Daniel O’Kilen and Carolyn Dersen, shard their enthusiasm for using 3D printing to entice students to learn STEAM concepts at a Tuesday session of the annual convention of the Texas Computer Education Association, and shared their free online guide “11 Classroom Lessons To Use With Your 3D Printer,”
Todd Miller, senior vice president of strategic programs at Rave Mobile Safety, recently spoke with THE Journal about Rave’s panic button app and how it’s helping keep schools and students safe, how Rave helps automate the instantaneous sharing of information that helps safety responders, and why he believes a statewide approach to school safety technology works best.
Documentary filmmaker Brett Culp describes how his journey making documentaries that tell the stories of everyday people doing extraordinary things to make a difference in the lives of others, changed his definition of what a hero and what a leader is — and teachers are both.
Cyberinsurance premiums are expected to skyrocket this year as insurers crack down on the amount of risk they’ll accept — and they’re starting to require organizations requesting a quote to prove that their network security is in tip-top shape, industry experts said.
A new website, EduRecoveryHub.org, launched today showcases emerging best practices in how K–12 school districts are using federal pandemic recovery education funds, along with expert analysis from varying perspectives on what makes each effort stand out.
Cybersecurity leader and district IT chief Rod Russeau maintains that the biggest hurdle to an effective K–12 cybersecurity strategy isn’t technical know-how; it’s getting district leaders and decision-makers on board and ensuring communication about cybersecurity goals and best practices permeates every level and every group within the district.
THE Journal reached out to district technology and IT leaders, school leaders and teachers to find out what they expect to see in the new year.