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Here’s a cool tool you can use to help you find inspiration and enjoyment: The Schoolyard Podcast is a new show from School Specialty and teacher Nancy Chung. Twice each month, host Chung, also known as @FancyNancyin5th on Instagram and TikTok, will be joined by industry experts, fellow educators, and subject matter experts from School Specialty to dive into educational trends, seasonally relevant topics, and emerging and proven solutions to create an entertaining and educational listening experience.

Chung is a fun-loving 5th-grade teacher, former robotics coach, and content creator from Orange County, California, in her 26th year of teaching. She is passionate about sharing her ideas on creative projects, designing intentional learning spaces, teaching highly engaging lessons, building meaningful relationships, and cultivating a community that sparks discovery and inclusion.

Each episode will begin with a thought-provoking introduction by Chung, followed by a conversation between Chung and the episode’s guest. In the final segment, launching in episode 5 and dubbed “Tag, You’re It!,” Chung and the featured guest will answer a question submitted by a listener by tagging @SchoolSpecialty with #schoolyardtagyoureit and their question on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter. Listeners who have their question answered on the air will receive a free Schoolyard Podcast t-shirt. 

The first five episodes explore:

1. “How to Make Space for Wellness and Social-emotional Learning” with Sue Ann Highland, PhD, national education strategist with School Specialty;
2. “Esports is Like a Magnet!” with Claire LaBeaux from the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF);
3. “Extended Learning for Every Student” with Nicole Hill, a former educator, principal, and current subject matter expert with School Specialty;
4. “Setting the tone for Back to School” with Instagram influencers Stephanie Osmundson and Loreal Hemenway, collectively known as @happilyeverelementary; and
5. “Surprising Benefits of Robotics in Schools & Where to Start” with Naomi Hartl, science and STEM subject matter expert with School Specialty.

The first five episodes are available now on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Samsung Podcasts, Podcast Index, and Listen Notes. Learn more.

The post The Schoolyard Podcast from School Specialty and Nancy Chung appeared first on EdTech Digest.

In close with a dedicated force in our field who believes in the power of education to shape lives. 

INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero

As CEO of Savvas Learning Company, Bethlam Forsa leads up a global next-generation K-12 learning solutions provider that recently acquired Outlier, an edtech startup that has created a portfolio of high-quality online college-level courses enabling high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building. A leader whose career in education and publishing spans over two decades, Bethlam has guided Savvas to deliver award-winning product lines. The Savvas Realize digital platform won the 2024 EdTech Digest Cool Tool Award for Learning Management System Solution. The company’s enVision Mathematics and SuccessMaker: Foundations of High School Math were named EdTech Cool Tool Award finalists in the Math Solution and the Personalized Learning Solution categories, respectively. Bethlam was also recently named the Most Influential Thought Leader in EdTech by the 2024 CODiE Awards. In this EdTech Digest exclusive, hear why she first became drawn to the work of education, how she defines an oft-used phrase, and her thoughts on technology’s role in—and what the future of—learning might look like.  

What prompted you to first become involved with technology and learning?

I was drawn to this work because I fundamentally believe in the power of education to shape lives. The best way to make a difference in the world is through a quality education. To do this, all of us at Savvas have dedicated ourselves to supporting educators by developing innovative, high-quality learning solutions that enable all students to succeed. Early in my career, I realized that education technology, when leveraged effectively, could revolutionize the way students learn, just as it has empowered us in our everyday lives. We’ve long been a leader in the digital transformation of K-12 education, including our pioneering use of adaptive technology to provide personalized learning solutions that help educators meet the needs of all learners. Our learning management system, Savvas Realize, — it’s earned more than a dozen edtech innovation awards, including one from EdTech Digest — has been widely recognized as a game-changing platform known for driving innovation and exemplifying the best in edtech solutions. It’s an exciting time to be in the edtech industry. Technology will continue to significantly impact education, especially with the advent of generative AI and the possibility of it taking personalized learning to new heights.

‘It’s an exciting time to be in the edtech industry. Technology will continue to significantly impact education, especially with the advent of generative AI and the possibility of it taking personalized learning to new heights.’

How do you define “next-generation learning,” and why?

There is a simple truth in education that student engagement leads to student achievement. For us, next-generation learning is about combining the power of advanced technology with research-based pedagogy and compelling content to deliver interactive, real-world learning experiences that spark student engagement and drive student achievement. Another important aspect of next-generation learning is enabling differentiated instruction to meet the needs, skills, and interests of individual learners, making education personalized, relevant and engaging to each student. We know that the traditional, one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for all learners. That is why at Savvas we make it our mission to design flexible learning solutions that enable teachers to tailor instruction to each student’s distinct learning style and pace, ensuring that they receive personalized support and challenges that align with their abilities and goals. The educators and students who use our learning solutions deserve nothing less.

What does “proven pedagogy” mean to you and the team behind Savvas?

We take great pride in developing the highest-quality instructional materials available in today’s educational marketplace. Proven pedagogy is the very foundation of this. What it means to me, and all of us at Savvas, is that we develop research-based, standards-aligned learning solutions that incorporate the most current educational best practices coupled with compelling, relevant, and accurate content — all developed by dedicated teams of authors who are experts in their fields, working in conjunction with top editors, academic consultants, and teacher reviewers. In order to create our high-quality, evidence-based curriculum, we adhere to strict editorial standards and a rigorous product development process.

‘In order to create our high-quality, evidence-based curriculum, we adhere to strict editorial standards and a rigorous product development process.’

In the end, the gold standard for us is ensuring that the educational solutions we provide our customers prove to be efficacious and improve the educational outcomes and opportunities for all learners. As such, we believe that rigorous research should include multiple studies, creating a large body of research supporting an educational solution. For us, this involves continuously conducting research to measure the effectiveness of a product, as well as gain insights into educators’ experiences in the classroom. We partner with educators and school districts nationwide to constantly evaluate and test our instructional materials and drive development of evidence-based learning solutions. Our extensive research, combined with the feedback we receive from educators and teachers who use our programs, helps inform every step of our product development process, from pedagogy and instructional design to usability and efficacy in the classroom. Our goal is to ensure we deliver the most effective learning solutions that make a positive impact so that every student — no matter where they come from or which school they are in — has an opportunity to achieve their full potential.

What are some important guiding elements involved in helping students become productive contributing adults?

I believe it is important that we impart in young students the skills to help them thrive not just in the classroom but in life. Critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, teamwork, and other soft skills are essential for preparing students to navigate the complexities of adulthood. Likewise, encouraging curiosity and a love for lifelong learning can equip students with the mindset they’ll need to continuously adapt and grow.

As a next-generation K-12 education leader, Savvas develops instructional materials that make learning relevant to students’ lives and prepare them for college and career. Our programs challenge students to think more deeply and analytically about what they’ve read, giving them the tools to become critical thinkers and effective communicators, which is especially important in today’s fast-paced digital world. I think it’s important to also provide educators solutions that build upon the strong foundation of knowledge and life skills that they’ve taught their students by delivering personalized pathways to support college and career readiness for their high schoolers. Giving students the ability to “try on” college and earn valuable credit through dual-enrollment courses or take career technical education (CTE) classes to launch their careers is a critical next step to helping high school students become productive adults.

‘Giving students the ability to “try on” college and earn valuable credit through dual-enrollment courses or take career technical education (CTE) classes to launch their careers is a critical next step to helping high school students become productive adults.’

What trends are you looking at (AI, others) with the ‘future of learning’ in mind? And what does that look like to you—what do you see in the next couple of years for Savvas, for learning generally?

We are actively developing ways to use generative AI to create time-saving tools for teachers to reduce their burdensome administrative tasks, such as grading assignments and lesson planning. This will help make their jobs easier and alleviate some of the causes that have led to teacher burnout, allowing them to do what they love most: instructing students.

We are also leveraging AI to generate even more robust data-driven insights to differentiate instruction and enhance the adaptivity of our learning solutions. Another major focus of ours is using AI-powered tools to develop highly sophisticated and, most importantly, reliable “tutorbots” or “coaches” that can provide real-time feedback to students to improve their writing and math skills. The idea is that we want students to get better at literacy and math, and with machine-learning capabilities we can now give them in-the-moment, constructive critiques of their work that can guide them to become stronger at writing and math.

These are just some of the ways we are incorporating AI into our learning solutions. The use of generative AI in K-12 education is going to grow rapidly as more use cases are identified. Looking ahead, I think generative AI offers the potential to provide a deeply personalized learning experience like we’ve never seen before. It will bring to market new solutions to solve real world problems for teachers and learners in ways that were not previously possible. However, like with any new technology, the use of AI’s capabilities as a classroom tool must be pedagogically sound and implemented responsibly, with clear guardrails for its use that prioritize safety, integrity, and efficacy, above all else. Lastly, we must ensure that we keep teachers and students at the center of whatever learning solutions we create. AI may help revolutionize learning but it will never replace the teacher.

Anything you care to add or emphasize concerning edtech, the future of learning, or anything else regarding tech’s role in learning?

Edtech will continue to have a significant role in the future of learning. There’s no doubt about that. However, what I think is really important to point out is that edtech is also now reimagining learning for the future.

‘Edtech will continue to have a significant role in the future of learning. There’s no doubt about that. However, what I think is really important to point out is that edtech is also now reimagining learning for the future.’

We all know it’s vitally important that we prepare today’s students with the skills they will need to be successful in college and the workforce. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 70 percent of jobs will soon require education or training beyond high school. Yet only two in 10 high school students believe they are career-ready, according to a 2021 survey by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Dual-enrollment courses can help fill the gap in college and career readiness by allowing students to simultaneously earn course credit for both high school and college while also exploring career pathways and learning skills needed in the job market. However, logistical challenges in the way these courses have been traditionally offered have often posed barriers to students. For example, in many cases students have long needed to travel to a nearby college — if one even exists in their community — to take a college-level dual-enrollment course. 

By utilizing technology, we can eliminate those barriers. Through our acquisition of Outlier, we are now able to offer the millions of students we serve the opportunity to experience the rigor of college courses through high-quality, online dual enrollment courses. Credit for these courses come from the University of Pittsburgh, a top 50 school, and are highly transferable. Since Outlier’s cinematically produced courses are offered asynchronously, students can take them virtually — in the comfort of their own school, at a time that fits conveniently into their high school schedule. What’s really exciting about these state-of-the-art Outlier offerings is that students, no matter where they live, can experience college-level courses taught by professors from Harvard, MIT, NYU and other first-rate institutions without the hassle of leaving their building or missing other classes. There’s nothing else like it on the market that makes earning college credit while in high school so accessible for students, jump-starting learning for their future. Outlier technology is the future of learning, happening now.

—

Victor Rivero is the Editor-in-Chief of EdTech Digest. Write to: victor@edtechdigest.com

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This is a comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) that enhances the educational experience. The digital platform connects educators, students, and parents to facilitate interactive and engaging learning. It provides an app and webpage user-friendly interface for educators to efficiently create, manage, and deliver educational content. Administrators can effortlessly set up classes and curriculums, add users, and assign content, whether it is custom or pre-existing. Students can access this content, complete assignments, and track their progress. Students and teachers can use a stylus on the app to write directly on the assignment. It also has a helpful writing feature to display work. Part of its real value is actually quite basic: it allows efficient communication between teachers, students, and parents.

EdQuill was developed by a team with Ushapriya Ravilla to address the evolving needs of modern education. EdQuill aims to improve the teaching and learning experience, reduce administrative burdens on educators, and foster greater parent involvement in students’ education. It is available to educational institutions, learning centers, tutors, and educators. Access EdQuill by signing up for a free trial or scheduling a demo with EdQuill’s expert representatives.

In two short years, EdQuill has helped over 100 educators impact more than 2,000 students nationwide. Using the platform led to a 40% decrease in printing costs and increased productivity in administrative tasks for 100% of teachers. For these reasons and more, EdQuill earned a Cool Tool Award (finalist) for “Best Classroom Management Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more. 

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SETDA

State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) just released The 2024 State EdTech Trends. The survey and report tracks insights on the top edtech priorities as identified in SETDA’s survey of state policy-makers including state edtech directors, state superintendents and commissioners of education and CIOs. “With every new report, it’s more evident that state education agencies are evolving to meet the demands of a digital, modern world while navigating the uncertainty created by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence,” says Julia Fallon, Executive Director of SETDA. Like its predecessors, the report catalogs ways state education agencies are adjusting to a world where technology is ubiquitous and where new and emerging innovations create never-before-seen opportunities and risks. Conducted in collaboration with Whiteboard Advisors, the report includes responses from 46 states and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). The report complements the survey data with state spotlights that showcase the work states are leading to support cybersecurity efforts, the effective and equitable use of edtech tools, and the development of policy to guide the use of AI in K-12 classrooms. Learn more.

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How to scale to new markets using pilots with international school operators.

GUEST COLUMN | by Michael Spencer

MAKSYM MAMCHUROV

It’s hard to ignore the ongoing macro market challenges in edtech right now: venture investing is at just 10% of peak 2021 levels, while K-12 budgets in the U.S. are facing a $65B revenue decline due to the ESSR funding cliff, declining enrollment and increasing labor costs.

At the same time, sales to schools has become ‘noisier’ as there are more and more K-12 startups selling products, while US school districts have cracked down after being inundated with sales offers and phishing scams that lead to ransomware attacks.

Global from the Get-Go

In this climate, the only viable route to success for edtech companies is adopting a global sales strategy from the get-go. 

‘In this climate, the only viable route to success for edtech companies is adopting a global sales strategy from the get-go.’

Over the years, I’ve spoken with many edtech founders about go-to-market and many of them have expressed a reluctance to expand and sell into international markets. They cite long sales cycles, high costs and low success rates among the reasons they don’t want to do it. After all, selling to U.S. schools and districts is challenging in the best of circumstances, so why extend that effort to geographical markets you know even less about? 

To Take Your Startup to the Next Level

However, the reality for many K-12 B2B founders, especially if they sell to U.S. school districts and/or organic growth has reached a saturation point, is that to take your startup to the next level, you need proactive early growth into international markets. As a long-time edtech executive turned early- to mid-stage investor, I believe that using channel partners to facilitate growth into thousands of untapped international school operators can be a highly successful way to scale your sales. Expanding into international markets while you’re trying to establish your company may sound daunting, but it’s often the simplest and fastest way to generate scalable, sustainable recurring revenue growth.

The Key is Pilots

So how do you put this into practice? The key is pilots. 

What are pilots?

Pilot programs aren’t the same as product demonstrations, or even beta tests. Conducted effectively, pilot programs can help schools and companies together weigh the potential value and impact of new education tools in ways that tests alone typically can’t.

This makes pilots a critical part of the K-12 sales process. They are also a common fail-point for vendors, something I call ‘pilot purgatory’ – prolonged pilots with no clearly defined expectations, measure of success or decision points that don’t then convert to paid customers. The majority of schools lack the resources, know-how, tools and processes to conduct effective edtech pilots, so to make this the cornerstone of a successful global growth strategy, you need to be prepared to take the lead.

What does a successful edtech pilot program look like? What pitfalls should you avoid?

Advantages of pilots

‘Fail fast’ is a famous philosophy among startup entrepreneurs. For product developers, this means rapid testing and re-development to find what solves your users’ pain points most effectively. When testing and evaluating edtech solutions, it is most valuable to do it in the classroom with real teachers and students. This enables:

• Feedback loops → the developer gets the most relevant feedback to support feature development by improving their understanding of how schools actually use technology and what the real needs of teachers, students and parents/carers are, as well as identifying potential challenges ahead of technology implementation. (For this reason, the famous accelerator Y-Combinator lists pilots as criteria in their guidelines for edtech products.)
• Educator buy-in → pilot programs increase communication between schools and companies, as teachers can see the tool in action and founders develop a deep understanding of the way schools really work, their challenges and roles. Enhanced communication and collaboration among stakeholders creates a more connected learning community.
• Evidence of efficacy → pilots are best practice to find product-market fit and pave the way to get VC funding. The biggest edtech-focused VCs, such as Reach Capital, guide companies to build their own efficacy portfolio.

Overcoming challenges for a successful pilot

1. Identify need – Clearly articulate the specific challenge your solution is trying to address so you can clearly communicate the value you will add to a school’s day-to-day operations. Exploring international markets doesn’t require a shift in mission, values, or approach. Students globally all face the same challenges – all that’s required to succeed in the international market is a strategic channel partner or school operator who knows what works and what they need to maximize your impact, to do your due diligence, and to ensure solutions are presented in a manner that the local market needs.

2. Plan – Agree with the school upon specific pilot objectives to ensure a shared vision and identify data that will be used to determine success. Set agreements with the school that outline roles and responsibilities, timelines and how results will be used.

3. Train and implement – Ensure teachers have training and tech support to enable strong implementation of your solution. Take a high-touch approach to onboarding students.

4. Collect data – Collect quantitative and qualitative data so you can determine whether the pilot objectives are being met. Create formal opportunities (such as surveys, focus groups and post-pilot debriefs) for teachers and students to give feedback. Send usage updates to the school regularly throughout the pilot.

5. Analyze and decide – Analyze collected data to evaluate whether the edtech tool met the pilot objectives.You can pilot something, but without a benchmark and post-pilot review, it is useless. Work with the school to understand and negotiate the total cost of implementing the edtech tool. (Consider ongoing costs for licensing, installation, training and tech support.)

—

Michael E. Spencer is founder and CEO of Global Expansion Strategies supporting founders and schools with all aspects of the pilot process. To date, 100% of GES pilots have gone on to full implementation, with significant impacts on student outcomes. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn. 

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The choices we make today will have lasting impacts. 

GUEST COLUMN | by Jeff Faust and Melissa Loble

AI is dominating conversations in public education and is all but certain to be a key theme at education conferences for the foreseeable future. The choices we make today will have lasting impacts on our profession, our institutions, our leaders, our teachers, and most importantly, our students. While it’s important to avoid hype and futurism, doing nothing is risky. The rapid development of AI requires action, as we are already experiencing economic and professional impacts across industries with a rate of change almost certain to further accelerate.

‘The rapid development of AI requires action, as we are already experiencing economic and professional impacts across industries with a rate of change almost certain to further accelerate.’

‘We’ve Opened Up the Gate’

In a recent Instructure-hosted webinar focused on the role of AI schools, high school teacher Paul Satchwill explained the changing technological landscape succinctly: “We’ve opened up this gate…and there’s not a lot of direction.” While the potential of AI is immense, the lack of clear guidance and understanding poses significant challenges. As with any edtech, districts are worried about data privacy protections for both their teachers and students. The information provided by AI can’t always be trusted. Algorithms can perpetuate the biases of the humans who created them. Faulty models can also lead to data hallucinations –  incorrect or misleading results generated by the AI. But as the saying goes, “knowledge is power”, and with the increase in knowledge, comes the ability to overcome these issues.

Vendors need to be open with administrators regarding many data privacy concerns. Instructure, for example, is providing its clients with “nutrition fact sheets” that highlight the imperative information about its products. Districts can also use products, such as LearnPlatform by Instructure, to assess whether these AI products meet evidence-backed standards. With increased AI literacy, users will also know the best use cases for AI and how it applies to their classroom experience. 

Crucial Role of Schools 

Schools play a crucial role in addressing this by providing comprehensive education and training around AI for both teachers and students. This includes developing AI literacy programs, establishing clear expectations for AI use, and fostering open communication about its implications. Schools are uniquely equipped to foster open communication and collaboration with their communities through community conversations focused on AI. 

Schools can highlight the steps they are taking to responsibly incorporate AI, including the development of AI literacy programs, the establishment of clear guidelines for AI use, and ongoing professional development for staff. 

By proactively engaging parents, educators, and community members in these conversations, schools can build trust, address concerns, and ensure that AI integration aligns with the values and goals of the community. This collaborative approach not only promotes transparency but also empowers stakeholders to actively participate in shaping the future of AI in education.

Immense Promise 

The integration of AI in education holds immense promise for transforming teaching and learning experiences. AI has the potential to revolutionize education by offering personalized learning journeys, optimizing efficiency, and sparking creativity. By leveraging AI’s capabilities, schools can create a dynamic environment where each student receives tailored support, teachers can dedicate more time to inspiring students, and learning becomes an engaging and immersive adventure. AI-powered feedback enables educators to provide real-time insights, nurturing students’ abilities to think critically and become self-directed learners. 

AI has the potential to be a valuable tool for overcoming writer’s block and creativity challenges, enabling users to quickly generate ideas and content, save time, and “visually bring things to life” even without prior graphical expertise. However, it should be used as an aid rather than a replacement for human creativity. Through this practice, we can prioritize critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability in education and empower learners to excel in a world alongside AI.

Embracing the Potential 

AI will have lasting impacts on education, and its potential to enhance teaching and learning is vast. We should accept that leveraging AI to increase efficacy or to be the best educator possible is not cheating; rather, it’s a strategic move toward preparing ourselves and our students for the future. Schools must embrace this reality and begin exploring, training, and integrating AI tools purposefully and strategically. 

By leveraging industry partners, experts, and thought leaders in the field, schools can navigate this complex landscape with confidence, ensuring that AI is both effective and responsible. As we embark on this journey, let us embrace the potential of AI to create an education system that empowers every learner to reach their full potential in a future world that is all but guaranteed  to look vastly different from the world we know today.

—

Jeff Faust is Chief Technology Officer for Chesapeake Public Schools. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn. Melissa Loble is Chief Academic Officer at Instructure. Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn.

The post The Biggest Risk in Education: Doing Nothing About AI appeared first on EdTech Digest.

EPSON

To accommodate the need for flexible and easily movable large displays, the new Epson ELPCS01 Mobile Projector Cart is a smartly designed integrated AV furniture solution built to meet mobile display needs for shared spaces in education environments. Its lightweight design and convenient wheels make it easy and safe for virtually anyone to move. 

The ELPCS01 Mobile Projector Cart, paired with the powerful PowerLite® 810E or 815E extreme short throw display, offers a massive 100- to 160-inch display on wheels when it is placed just inches from the wall. It can be set up in minutes and users no longer need to be concerned about shadowing in the projection area since it can be set up right next to the wall. The plug-and-play portable solution offers a true mobile experience with locking casters and low center of gravity, making it easy to move wherever it is needed. Because of its extreme mobility, it allows schools to use one display option in numerous places such as classrooms, multi-purpose rooms, libraries, gymnasiums, and more, making it extremely affordable to provide students and educators with a large viewing area just about anywhere.    

Powered by the PowerLite 810E/815E, it includes an integrated I/O and user panel for easy connectivity and display control. Featuring a state-of-the-art laser light source, the projector can produce immersive, bright and extremely clear images which shines bright in well-lit spaces. Learn more. 

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Randi Economou is at the helm of Capstone at precisely the right moment of edtech’s evolution from providing technology for technology’s sake to vendors becoming true solution-oriented partners.

Whether at the beginning of her career teaching 9th grade or now as a leader of 200+ employees, Randi has been in schools every week for the past 23 years, and one thing is very clear: problems like closing the literacy gap are solved with collective action.

The message of collective impact guides her work. At Capstone, she champions customer-centric thinking and cross-departmental collaboration. She fosters employees’ sense of mission by asking employees to approach each other, their work, and their customers with empathy and a commitment to problem-solving.

In her evolution from teaching to CEO, impact has been central to her motivation: “I learned that I was impacting more kids across the nation by helping districts adopt just-right solutions and motivating teachers to use technology.” A recent example is entering into a partnership with ISTE to publish Sonia’s Digital World, the first in a series of children’s titles. The partnership teams ISTE’s subject-matter experts and research-based best practices on technology use in schools with Capstone’s delightful, engaging storytelling for young readers.

Randi’s core belief is that district/vendor partnerships are more than corporate-speak. They succeed by helping educators make a difference for students. Capstone’s customers are responding to the authenticity she inspires, setting both the trend and the pace for continued growth. For these reasons and more, Randi Economou is The EdTech Trendsetter Awards Winner for “Leader Setting a Trend” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more.

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This cool tool plays an intrinsic role in education: it helps provide space for learning. Lambent Spaces Occupancy Analytics platform helps higher education space planning professionals see their physical campus spaces in entirely new ways with powerful insights for decisions related to utilization, student experiences, classroom planning, scheduling and maintenance. It is a highly efficient and effective alternative to capital-intensive and intrusive solutions such as sensors, and it works with existing Wi-Fi infrastructure to get users up and running quickly while reducing costs.

Key capabilities include:

• Dynamic Space Management: identifies behavior trends to improve operations and inform decision-making for the use/reallocation of existing campus spaces, and construction of new ones.
• Data-Driven Decisions – provides in-depth, to-the-minute understanding of how/where people flow throughout a campus to surface risks, reduce costs, optimize space.
• Visual Mapping – makes occupancy data and usage patterns more relevant.
• Actionable Insights – in weeks vs. months.
• Privacy as a Priority – counts people and surfaces data points anonymously.
• Simple Integrations – with existing systems; deployed onsite or in the cloud
• Transforming Data to People Count – proprietary algorithms and machine learning at the edge produce anonymous spatial estimates of occupancy utilization by zone.
• Platform Data Insights – utilization trends and patterns throughout buildings and across campus.

Users can view utilization rates over time, compare registrations to reservations, identify underutilized spaces to reassign students and employees during build/maintenance projects, and make lease renewal and facility budget decisions with hard data.

Eastern Tennessee State, George Mason, Purdue, University of Southern Florida, University of Tennessee-Knoxville and William & Mary are a few of the institutions using the platform. For these reasons and more, Lambent Spaces was named “Best Occupancy Analytics for Space Optimization Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more.

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Here’s a great communication tool for learners with autism. Pyramid Educational Consultants, the pioneers behind the Picture Exchange Communication System® (PECS®), recently launched PECSTalk™, an innovative communication app designed for learners with autism and other complex communication needs. Available now for Android tablet users, PECSTalk™ merges decades of proven strategies with modern technology, offering an intuitive, user-friendly experience; redefining how non-speaking individuals communicate.

The cool factor of this tool lies in its simplicity and versatility. With fewer steps required to build and speak a message, users experience less frustration and more successful communication. The app’s streamlined interface mirrors a traditional PECS Communication Book, yet it supports a much broader vocabulary, thanks to its Speech-Generating Device (SGD) capabilities.

Customization is at the core of the tool. Users can access the extensive Pics for PECS® image library, choose from 14 languages, and tailor voice outputs, creating a truly personalized communication experience. The app also allows caregivers and educators to back up data, transfer information, and share books across devices, making it easier to support learners in various environments.

Whether making requests, asking questions, or expressing feelings, PECSTalk™ empowers non-speaking individuals to fully participate in their world. A free version with limited functionality is available, making this essential tool accessible to more learners. Learn more. 

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Kindiedays is a digital platform developed to support early childhood education centers, preschools, and kindergartens in creating an ideal learning environment for children’s growth and development. Founded in 2015 in Finland, Kindiedays was born from the vision to bring the globally acclaimed Finnish education system to a wider audience. The platform serves as a digital solution that assists educators in adopting the Finnish way of education and curriculum while making high-quality education accessible to all.

Kindiedays offers a suite of tools and features, including attendance tracking, communication tools for educators and parents, photo sharing, curriculum reports, learning portfolios, daily reporting and 300 playful plans. These features streamline administrative tasks and enable systematic learning and data-driven decision-making.

The platform stands out by offering a comprehensive solution tailored to early education settings, allowing educators to focus on pedagogy and children’s holistic learning. It promotes playful learning and adapts to various cultures and preschool environments.

Educational professionals and managers using this solution have reported positive outcomes. They have found it valuable for analyzing children’s progress, enhancing parent engagement through daily updates, and reducing educators’ workload by integrating technology into daily routines.

The platform’s effectiveness is evidenced by improved learning outcomes, streamlined operations, and positive feedback from educators, parents, and managers. They doubled their sales last year and are set to double them again this year. 

The platform is used in 25 countries, including Finland, Estonia, India, Dubai, and Thailand, impacting numerous early education centers and children worldwide. For these reasons and more, Kindiedays was named “Best Best Pedagogical Management Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more. 

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After teaching, founder and CEO Jamie West spent 20+ years building literacy programs with education companies. “One inspiration for Johnnie Max came while collaborating with a language researcher to develop an intervention program for preschoolers. Another came from my dad, Johnnie Max Jones, who spent years traveling and photographing the world,” says Jamie. “When he left his photographs to me, I wanted to use them to impact the learning trajectories of all young children.”

The result is an award-winning platform — a web-based bilingual, early literacy program for Pre-K–K designed to build oral language.

Oral language competence in young children is a strong predictor of later reading and writing success. Yet more than 50% of underserved preschoolers have moderate to severe language delays. These delays can hinder children’s social and academic learning from K–12 into adulthood. Too many children enter school with oral language deficits that prevent later academic achievement. Johnnie Max builds foundational literacy skills with nonfiction content, using an evidence-based framework that accelerates the development of oral language, vocabulary, and critical thinking.

Despite research espousing the benefits of informational text for pre-readers, only 5% of read-alouds in Pre-K are nonfiction. This solution appears to be the only bilingual supplemental online literacy program for Pre-K that offers dialogic reading support with nonfiction.

The team behind the platform are industry leaders in early literacy, early childhood, and social emotional learning. Their device-agnostic platform houses digital media, resources, and lessons based on the science of learning. Annual classroom subscriptions extend to families through a free family portal for equity of access. For these reasons and more, Johnnie Max was named “Best PreK Early Literacy Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more.

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ClassWallet is a purchasing and reimbursement platform for public funds. Founded in 2014, the company’s technology is used by state education departments, districts and public and private schools to get public funds to the right people and ensure they are used for the right purpose – from teacher stipends for classroom supplies to scholarships and other federal and state education grants.

The company’s solution replaces outdated reimbursement processes including teacher/ administrator expense reports and receipts, debit cards and other manual systems which are inefficient and difficult to audit. Managing the compliance around getting public funds to the right people while ensuring those funds are used for the right purpose is very complicated. ClassWallet does it at a fraction of the time and cost compared to legacy processes, in a fully transparent manner, without any sacrifice to compliance.

ClassWallet has emerged as the national de facto technology standard in education with 10% of teachers in America having a ClassWallet account. It is used across 32 states serving 6,200 K-12 schools and more than six million students. The company has helped its clients realize the full potential of over $2.7 billion in public funds.

One ClassWallet school district reported a reduction in purchase orders from 3,772 to 37 and a 42% increase in funds being utilized for their intended purpose, aided by the digital wallet technology. That same district expanded their usage from one to eight funding sources including Pre-K Funds, Special Education Funds and State Classroom Instructional Supplies. For these reasons and more, ClassWallet was named “Best Reimbursement Platform Helping Education Funds Distribution in a Compliant Manner” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more. 

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ClassLink Academy is a comprehensive online training platform designed to provide technical administrators, educational leaders, instructors, and students with top-notch resources. The primary goal is to elevate their proficiency and comprehension in utilizing ClassLink’s suite of products effectively.

All courses are organized by anthologies. The ClassLink product anthologies are organized into fundamental and advanced content. and teach employees and users how to navigate, utilize, and configure ClassLink products like LaunchPad, OneSync, RosterServer, Analytics, Analytics+, and the CMC.

The platform was designed around proven pedagogy and utilizes multimedia to support learners through product simulations, knowledge checks, short voice-over videos, and quizzes to solidify knowledge. It keeps learning light through the use of conversational, friendly tones, emojis, and humor. It’s updated and improved regularly as new products are added or altered so that learners have the best, most accurate information possible.

Thanks to ClassLink Academy, users have comprehensive onboarding and orientation training for students, educators, administrators, and staff. It provides step-by-step guidance on how to navigate and effectively utilize the ClassLink platform, ensuring a smooth transition and minimizing the learning curve for new users.

Additionally, ClassLink Academy empowers users through troubleshooting guides and resources to help them resolve common issues they may encounter while using products. It equips users with the knowledge and skills to independently troubleshoot problems, reducing the reliance on technical support and minimizing disruptions to their workflow. For these reasons and more, ClassLink Academy was named “Best Customer Training Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more. 

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This edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher is a familiar face at so many edtech conferences and events. She’s also a teacher: Rachelle Dené Poth teaches Spanish and STEAM: Emerging Technology. She has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. She is currently pursuing a second doctorate, focused on Educational Technology.

She is also an ISTE Certified Educator and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. She is past-president of ISTE Teacher Education and received the ISTE Making IT Happen Award in 2019 and Presidential gold and silver awards for volunteer service to education. Rachelle was named one of 150 Women Thought Leaders to Follow for 2022 and one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers for 2021.

In 2017, Rachelle was selected as the 2017 Outstanding Teacher of the Year by PAECT and one of ”20 to Watch” educators by NSBA. Rachelle has written seven books, which include more than 150 educators from around the world. She presents at state, national, and international conferences.

Rachelle started researching and presenting on AI and emerging technologies more than five years ago. She has presented more than 100 sessions, trainings for educators, written articles, spoken on panels and taught about AI as well as AR/VR, the metaverse and STEM. She has been called upon by media outlets, educational organizations, to provide insight into AI and is currently writing several publications about AI.

Rachelle is a columnist for various magazines and websites about the future of learning. She has a podcast ThriveinEDU, hosts ThriveinEDU Live and leads a community of educators on Facebook. For these reasons and more, Rachelle Dené Poth earned The EdTech Trendsetter Awards Winner status as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more. 

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Cignition delivers high-impact K-12 virtual tutoring, led by experienced educators who produce proven, repeatable results in student success. Tutors complete internal assessments, broken down by grade level, to validate their qualifications. Using classroom data, students are initially matched for tutoring. Teachers and tutors then utilize data from mastery progress, surveys, and online activities to continuously track and enhance student progress within the established groups.

Cignition’s research-based approach focuses on data-informed instruction and collaborative learning, encouraging student-to-student interaction to build deep conceptual understanding. Instead of the traditional model of learning through repetition, Cignition tutors focus on the conceptual goals of each topic. Teachers tell Cignition they can see the change in their students’ engagement and participation after receiving tutoring.

Making dashboards and tools available to help tutors understand each student’s most immediate needs also contributes to the success of the thousands of virtual tutoring sessions delivered by Cignition. Research on Cignition’s learning model, backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates and Overdeck Family Foundations, shows an effect size indicating dramatic student growth. The amount of growth shown in the study suggests that students complementing their learning with a year of Cignition tutoring would advance by up to two years’ learning gain with their robust intervention model.

In addition to the collaborative learning model, Cignition is committed to connecting students with certified educators who have experience crafting personalized learning experiences. Keeping instruction inquiry-focused empowers students to build academic confidence and critical 21st-century skills.

For these reasons and more, Cignition was named “Best Collaborative Learning Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more.  

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Bouncy’s Ready to Learn Resilience Program is anchored by Breathing Bouncy(TM), a bilingual animatronic service dog. The program uses a multi-sensory approach to help children in grades preK-1, develop positive, secure relationships and build essential social emotional competencies needed for school success.

In addition to being used as part of whole class instruction, Bouncy the Service Dog provides a just-in-time, evidence-based response to support students when they are dysregulated. Unique, proprietary technology differentiates Breathing Bouncy from other edtech solutions in that he breathes at a slowed pediatric rate, allowing children to soothe and self-regulate when they hold him belly-to-belly and feel his chest move in sync with his breathing. While the physical Breathing Bouncy anchors the research-based learning system, the program features both physical and digital elements.

Used across settings, the program includes character-driven apps, music videos, games, interactive books and more to reinforce the relationship and provide differentiated, play-based skill practice and reinforcement.

Many of the elements are available in Spanish and English. In several pilots studies conducted with children identified as chronically disruptive, the program resulted in an increased ability [of children] to slow breathing on demand. Furthermore, those same children were able, in real-time, to transfer self-regulation skills during meltdown situations, which led to a reduction in problem behaviors, freeing up substantially more instruction time for the teacher.

For these reasons and more, Bouncy’s Ready to Learn Resilience Program from Ripple Effects was named “Best Early Childhood Learning Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards from EdTech Digest. Learn more.

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During the recent ISTELive 2024 in Denver, Discovery Education unveiled Mystery Writing by Discovery Education by offering elementary educators nationwide the unique opportunity to participate in the development of its latest product through a free, year-long trial. 

Mystery Writing is a dynamic and engaging writing program designed specifically for students in grades K-5. This innovative curriculum captivates young learners with “wow!” content that not only sparks their interest but also builds their confidence in writing.

One of the standout features of Mystery Writing is its no-prep, open-and-go lesson plans, which make it exceptionally easy for multi-subject elementary educators to implement. Teachers can effortlessly provide differentiated lessons tailored to the varying needs of their students, ensuring that each child receives instruction appropriate to their skill level.

The program’s structure explicitly teaches the writing process through a series of step-by-step written, visual, and auditory directions. This comprehensive approach ensures that no young writer is left struggling with the daunting “fear of the blank page.” By featuring stories and visuals that are of high interest to students, Mystery Writing maintains student engagement and enthusiasm throughout the learning process. The inclusion of visual and auditory directions caters to different learning styles, making the lessons accessible to all students, including those who might need additional support. 

Moreover, Mystery Writing’s content is thoughtfully designed to seamlessly integrate various subjects, making learning multidimensional and holistic. Students are not only improving their writing skills but also enhancing their overall academic knowledge. 

In summary, Mystery Writing is an invaluable resource for elementary educators, providing an effective and enjoyable way to teach the writing process. Its innovative design ensures that students remain engaged, confident, and fear-free when it comes to writing. With Mystery Writing, teachers can foster a love for writing in their students that will last a lifetime.

Elementary school educators interested in claiming their free trial can visit the Mystery Writing website here. 

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