THE Insider
Critical Insights for K-12 Education Technology Pros
8/4/2023
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Editor's Choice

Ed Tech Is Critical to Addressing the Student Mental Health Crisis

Students’ unique mental health challenges require all stakeholders to work closely and collaboratively to help all students thrive physically, emotionally, and academically. With school social workers, teachers, counselors, and administrators already working exceptionally hard to support their students, ed tech solutions will play an important role in helping schools meet students where they are, providing effective solutions that enable impact at scale.

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Top 10 Articles of the Last Month

Digital Tools Deliver ROI for District Finance Leaders

Technology can not only save money and administrative resources for school districts, but it can also lead to improved accuracy, real-time reporting and budget management capabilities, and speedier purchasing and accounts payable processes. Here, one district CFO shares his insights on digitally transforming finances in K–12.

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Class-Action Lawsuit Says Securly Collected, Sold Student Location Data, Video History Without Consent

The parents of two California children are suing Securly, accusing the online-activity surveillance provider of violating California wiretapping and data privacy laws and of violating the federal Video Privacy Protection Act by collecting protected private information without consent and selling it to third-party advertisers.

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Governance, Strategy Needed in Enterprise Generative AI Adoption

The current wave of popularity for generative AI is just "scratching the surface." The real impact will be felt in enterprises — including education — which, over the next seven years, will see growth in the hundreds of billions of dollars, according to a new market analysis, "Generative AI Business Outcomes: Identifying Enterprise Commercial Opportunities."

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Enhancing Teaching & Learning Tops Digital Transformation Goals for K–12 IT Leaders, Administrators

Among the many goals for digital transformation among IT leaders and administrators in K–12 districts, "enhancing teaching and learning" topped the list, followed by "enhancing digital literacy" and "improving the student experience."

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44% of Teens Intend to Have AI Do Their Schoolwork This Fall, and 60% Consider This 'Cheating'

In a survey conducted for the Junior Achievement organization in July 2023, of the 1,006 respondents between the ages of 13 and 17 who were polled, nearly half of them said they intend to use AI this fall to do their classwork for them. But most teens consider doing this to be “cheating.”

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K12 Schools See Massive Spike in Malware and CryptoJacking in First Half of 2023

K–12 schools and other education organizations in the United States are experiencing a “massive spike” in malware, encrypted threats, and cryptojacking so far this year, even as ransomware attacks have slowed, according to SonicWall’s 2023 Mid-Year Cyber Threat Report.

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Majority of School Apps Advertising to Kids Even In SOPIPA States, ISL Data Shows

A new in-depth analysis from Internet Safety Labs’ 2022 K–12 EdTech Safety Benchmark Findings reveals alarming data about advertising in apps widely used by schools and finds that state privacy laws and third-party certifications claiming to keep students’ data private are often not making kids any safer.

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Turnitin AI Detection Rates for 65M Papers Illustrate Pervasiveness in Student Work

Having reviewed over 65 million student papers between the April launch of Turnitin’s AI detection tool through June 30, the company revealed today that over 2 million — or 3.3% of all papers reviewed — were flagged as containing 80% or more text written by AI, according to a news release.

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FCC Proposal Would Create Voluntary Cybersecurity Label for Smart Devices

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has introduced a proposal to create a “voluntary cybersecurity labeling program” for smart devices in an effort to boost transparency and protection against cyber threats in the growing Internet of Things market.

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Study Finds Positive Results for Disadvantaged Children in Fifth Grade from Public Pre-K Programs

A recent study conducted by University of California Irvine School of Education associate professor Jade Jenkins, along with other researchers, showed marked positive outcomes for Black and Hispanic disadvantaged children in the fifth grade who had attended pre-K programs. The study has implications for states such as California providing funding for free pre-K attendance.

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New & Upcoming K–12 Grants

Ongoing K–12 Grants

  • Inventionland Grants for K–12 Schools

    Sponsor: Inventionland Education
    Award: Funds for Innovation Labs, professional development, and Innovation curriculum (varies by request)
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Ongoing (rolling)
  • NEA Foundation Learning & Leadership Grants

    Sponsor: National Education Association Foundation
    Award: $2,000 or $5,000
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Feb. 1, June 1 and Oct. 15 of each year
  • Association of American Educators Foundation Classroom Grant

    Sponsor: Association of American Educators Foundation
    Award: $500
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: March 1 and October 1 of each year
  • Toshiba STEM Project-Based Learning Grants for Teachers Grades 6–12

    Sponsor: Toshiba America Foundation
    Award: Two categories: Up to $5,000 and Over $5,000 
    Number of Awards: Varies
    Application Deadline: For grants up to $5,000, deadline is March 1, 2023, and every three months thereafter; for grants over $5,000, deadline is May 1, 2023, and Nov. 1, 2023
  • Association of American Educators Foundation Teacher Scholarship

    Sponsor: Association of American Educators Foundation
    Award: $500
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: March 1 and October 1 of each year
  • Calm Room Grants for Schools

    Sponsor: Cook Center for Human Connection
    Award: $5,000 matching grant
    Number of Awards: 20 for 2022–23 school year
    Application Deadline: Ongoing
  • CDA Funding for Maryland Early Educators

    Sponsor: The Council for Professional Recognition, Maryland State Department of Education, and Maryland Family Network
    Award: $425 initial online assessment fee; $125 renewal online application fee; $33 for the Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program and CDA Competency Standards book
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Ongoing
  • Edthena Innovation Fund

    Sponsor: Edthena
    Award: Varies based on district size; matching grant
    Number of Awards: Not specified
    Application Deadline: Ongoing (monthly reviews on the 30th of each month)
  • Connect For Success Grants

    Sponsor: Mobile Beacon
    Award: Up to 25 laptops with one year of free 4G LTE high-speed internet each
    Number of Awards: Varies
    Application Deadline: Accepted year-round; awards granted on rolling basis
  • Naiku Innovative Teacher Grant

    Deadline: Ongoing (30 total awards in 2021, with applications accepted until Nov. 1)
  • Sony Grants for Education

    Deadline: Ongoing (grants awarded on a rolling basis)

Upcoming K–12 Events 

  • Tech Tactics in Education: Data and IT Security in the New Now

    Brought to you by the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal, the 2023 Tech Tactics in Education conference offers hands-on learning, practical tips, and strategic discussions on critical cybersecurity issues and key data infrastructure and practices across K–12 and higher education. Access the latest thinking on current and emerging technology, data, and security trends impacting education institutions, as well as models for implementation, best practices, and strategies for effective technology leadership. If you are a technology leader in K–12 or higher education, data specialist, cybersecurity pro, or other individual charged with technology decision-making on campus, you’ll find valuable information for any experience level, team size, or institution type.
    Nov. 7–9, 2023
    Orlando, Florida

Call for Papers & Proposals

Submit calls for papers/proposals to [email protected].
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