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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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.

Their mission is to help educators and academic institutions responsibly adopt AI technology, empowering teachers and ultimately improving student outcomes while preparing them for the future. To help achieve this, AI for Education provides an assortment of freely available resources and training, including:

AI Literacy Curriculum;

School and policy development resources to help institutions and educators responsibly adopt AI, many of these have been translated into different languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese) by educators in different countries;

Free online course: An Essential Guide to AI for Educators, taken by over 3,000 educators globally;

A weekly webinar series, attended or watched by over 10,000 people;  

Their robust and popular Prompt Library for Educators, with 75 prompts across a variety of educator needs. Categories include: Administration, Lesson Planning, Assessment, Communication, Special Needs, and for Students.

Every prompt:

• Is designed to work with any freely available chatbot version
• can be customized to suit an educator’s particular needs
• provides examples to help get you started and crystalize their use
• provides further ideas for getting creative and exploring their use
• allows educators to input their own knowledge and use their expertise to guide and refine the process, creating far better results.

In addition to the resources available on their site, they also work directly with schools to provide either in-person or virtual professional development training and workshops. They’re already working with dozens of schools, districts, and professional associations, including NYC DOE.

For these reasons and more, AI for Education is a Cool Tool Award Winner for “Best Resource / Other Helpful Site or Tool for Education” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more. 

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It’s kind of a big deal in edtech and it’s just now out: The 7th annual EdTech Top 40 list. Of note, this year the ETT40 highlights tools that are ESSA-aligned and indicates that AI’s explosion on the scene has led to districts, teachers and students accessing more tools – hence the need for interoperability and evidence.

‘…this year the ETT40 highlights tools that are ESSA-aligned and indicates that AI’s explosion on the scene has led to districts, teachers and students accessing more tools…’

Increases in Unique Digital Tools

The new LearnPlatform by Instructure report finds increases in more unique digital tools access by K-12 institutions, students, and teachers. The report highlights the reliance on edtech in our schools and the importance of maintaining an interoperable technological ecosystem.

LearnPlatform by Instructure published the report which focuses on the usage of digital solutions, tools and resources in K-12 districts, schools and classrooms within the United States during the 2023-24 school year. In addition to highlighting the top 40 education technology products, which represent more than 3.9 million student and teacher interactions, the report provides insights on trends, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)-aligned evidence and categorical rankings relevant to K-12 decision-makers as well as edtech product leaders.

According to the report, K-12 institutions are accessing eight percent more tools aggregated annually from the prior academic year–continuing a similar trend seen in recent years’ reports. This year also saw an increase in unique edtech tools accessed individually by both students and teachers.

Building An Effective Learning Ecosystem

“The evidence is clear: tech-enabled learning is here to stay,” says Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure. “As districts continue to explore different tools to enhance learning, the obstacles they now face aren’t just about picking the best tool, but picking safe, effective and interoperable tools that work together to build a highly effective learning ecosystem. Districts need trusted guidance and transparent information to empower them to make efficient and effective decisions that will improve teaching and learning.”

School districts accessed an average of 2,739 distinct edtech tools annually, with an average of 1,436 tools accessed each month during the school year. This indicates that districts are continuing to explore different technological tools over the course of the school year in order to improve or assist the learning experience. 

No Surprise, AI Explosion — Scrutiny Expected

“The increase in tools used isn’t a surprise,” says Shiren Vijiasingam, Chief Product Officer at Instructure. “On the one hand, we know districts are actively looking for opportunities to consolidate their edtech, but with the explosion of new AI-enabled tools, there has been a lot of experimentation. We expect scrutiny on how these tools are helping the teaching and learning process.” 

As with previous years, the top 40 tools continue to remain consistent with only a handful of new products joining the list. The five new entrants to the EdTech Top 40 this academic year include PBS, Panorama Education, Scratch, Adobe, and Grammarly; the latter three indicating the quickly increasing prevalence of AI in schools and drawing attention to the need for best practices to guide its use.

Evidence-based Decisions

Educators are using technology to boost student engagement, personalize learning and save time, but how do they know what’s making a difference? The report found that 32% of the tools on the 2024 Edtech Top 40 have published research that meets one of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) four tiers of evidence. The ESSA framework offers an accessible model for educators to identify research-backed edtech, ranging from innovative new solutions to established tools with empirical validation. School districts are increasingly seeking ESSA-aligned research as part of their vetting processes to make evidence-based decisions.

Deeper Look, Comprehensive Analysis

Consistent with previous years, this report analyzed products performing specific functions to provide a deeper look at the top education technology tools within key categories. This year’s categories include Learning Management Systems (LMS), Supplemental Platforms, Courseware Platforms, Study Tools, Classroom Response & Assessment Tools, and Sites and Resources. Recognizing the rise of LMS solutions as the hub of teaching and learning, the report also offered a snapshot of the fifteen solutions most commonly accessed within Canvas, the second-most used LMS, and found just under 50% overlap with the Top 40 list.

Data for both the rankings and usage metrics was gathered via LearnPlatform’s Inventory Dashboard from September 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024. This Inventory Dashboard seamlessly integrates with browsers and mobile device management systems, providing transparent insight into the edtech tools utilized by students and educators in any U.S. educational institution. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of over 57 billion engagements spanning more than 9,000 education technology products throughout the year.

Analysis, tools and reports are compliant with all federal and state student data privacy laws, including FERPA, COPPA, CIPA and PPRA. The Edtech Top 40 is based solely on quantitative analysis of engagement, and does not reflect user sentiment, effectiveness, or utility. (For additional detailed insights, evidence, and more information on any education technology, educators and leaders should access LearnPlatform by Instructure)

“Year after year, the EdTech Top 40 has provided comprehensive data of K-12 education technology engagement across our nation’s districts,” Loble concludes. “Data-driven decision-making is more important than ever when assessing the role of technology in our schools. This is why the EdTech Top 40 remains more relevant than ever.”

Learn more. 

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Rebecca Leis, Ph.D. is a Full Sail University Program Director overseeing the Computer Science Bachelor of Science – Mobile Development Concentration, Computer Science Master of Science, and User Experience Bachelor of Science degree programs. In her role, she continues to work to build new hands-on educational opportunities for current and future students.

Leis brings with her into the role knowledge from earning a master’s and a Ph. D in Modeling and Simulation. Her research focused on an acute understanding of the human mind through technology. For example, while earning her master’s degree, one of her research studies explored how people could use technology to become safer, more efficient workers in high-risk jobs at oil rigs or nuclear power plants.

Recently, Leis, Ph.D. has done the following:

Aided in the launch and deployment of three new Full Sail emerging technologies degree programs – Computer Science Master of Science, User Experience Bachelor of Science, as well as the Computer Science Bachelor of Science Mobile and Artificial Intelligence (AI) concentrations.

Played an instrumental role in the grand opening of the “Full Sail University Fitness Technology Lab Powered by Echelon Fit.” This on-campus lab environment allows students across the emerging technologies-focused degree programs to participate in innovative research initiatives centered on enhancing existing Echelon equipment and features, as well as the development and implementation of new features for different Echelon product lines.

Continued to manage a team of over 50 educators while regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the programs she oversees. For these reasons and more, Rebecca Leis, Ph.D. is The EdTech Leadership Awards 2024 Winner for “Best Higher Education Leader” as part of The EdTech Awards from EdTech Digest. Learn more. 

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An interview with Brian Shaw, Discovery Education’s new CEO.

INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero

He’s not new to Discovery Education; Brian Shaw recently served as Discovery Education’s Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operations Officer. He joined Discovery Education in 2018 and has played a significant role in the growth of the Company as a standalone business. And now, most recently, Brian has assumed the role of CEO. 

‘I believe that at this moment, edtech is in an unprecedented period of change which is going to have major implications for years to come…’

Prior to joining Discovery Education, Brian created and then led the Corporate Development, Investments, and Investor Relations functions at Red Ventures, a technology-enabled portfolio of digital companies. Prior to Red Ventures, he held leadership roles in the financial planning and analysis and accounting functions at Time Warner Cable, and in the assurance practice at Ernst & Young. 

“For the last six years, I have worked alongside an incredibly talented team of individuals to create and distribute high-quality digital learning solutions globally,” says Brian. “I look forward to progressing our tradition of innovation, expanding our impact on education, and building on the foundational initiatives we’ve invested in over the last several years to drive growth alongside my colleagues at Discovery Education as well as our partners at Clearlake.” In this EdTech Digest exclusive, Brian talks about the moment before us, how we can better serve school systems, his past informing his present role, ensuring the “voice of the educator” is heard, technology’s role in education, and the future of learning. 

Great to meet you, Brian!  You are taking over as CEO of Discovery Education at an interesting time. Tell me what you sense is going on in edtech at this moment.

Thanks Victor.  It’s a pleasure to connect with you!

I believe that at this moment, edtech is in an unprecedented period of change which is going to have major implications for years to come, not only for companies like Discovery Education, but also for teachers and students around the world. At Discovery Education, we are calling this moment The Great Rationalization and Consolidation. 

During the pandemic, school districts made unprecedented investments in education technologies. Now, districts are carefully analyzing their edtech spending and rationalizing their purchases through a careful review of the usage data and alignment to outcomes and evidence of learning. With efficacy data in hand that highlights which resources are working, and which are not, school systems are consolidating their edtech spending on fewer, higher-impact services. 

Does this period of “rationalization and consolidation” impact how you look at serving school systems?

Discovery Education has always provided school systems with innovative, best-in-class digital resources.  We pioneered the use of digital content in the classroom, created the first digital-first textbooks, or Techbooks, and we are now leaping ahead again though our AR/VR content and our applications of Artificial Intelligence. 

That said, I think the rationalization and consolidation of edtech spending turns up the heat on Discovery Education and all other edtech providers in the space.  

During a time when school systems are evaluating the ROI of their edtech spending and categorizing it according to value and potential for improvement, Discovery Education is looking carefully not only at how we can demonstrate greater value for our school-based partners, but how we can continue to innovate and bring the school systems we serve the highest-quality digital products that empower educators to create the most impactful learning experiences possible. 

Prior to your current role as CEO, you served as Discovery Education’s COO and CFO.  How did those roles prepare you for your current position?

As Discovery Education’s COO and CFO, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside talented CEOs and Board members to craft plans and strategies for expanding our impact on teaching and learning. While this was good training for my current role, I think the experience I gained as COO will be most helpful to me moving forward.

As COO, I had the opportunity to work alongside Discovery Education’s talented team around the globe to implement our growth strategies. During that time, I learned—from the inside out and from the folks on the ground doing the work—what [our company] actually does, how we do it, and what impact we have on the teachers and students we serve.  

One added benefit to having served as COO is the opportunity to learn from what I think are some of the most talented educators in edtech.  At Discovery Education, you will find educators in every aspect of our business.  They play an important role in ensuring that everything we do is informed by the voice of the educator and most especially, the needs of students. 

You mentioned that everything Discovery Education does is informed by the “voice of the educator” How do you ensure the educator’s voice is heard when DE designs and builds products?  

Well, as I said, ensuring the educator’s voice permeates everything we do begins with the former classroom teachers and school administrators on our team. Having so many former educators on our staff from almost every type of school system imaginable helps inform everything from our corporate strategies to our decisions on where we place the buttons in our digital services.

‘Having so many former educators on our staff from almost every type of school system imaginable helps inform everything from our corporate strategies to our decisions on where we place the buttons in our digital services.’

Equally important however is input from active educators in the field. Through qualitative and quantitative means— 1:1 interviews, panels discussions, surveys, studies of product usage patterns, third-party research and more, Discovery Education’s team is aggressively working to identify the challenges teachers are facing and create ways to address those challenges through our products.

Finally, the Discovery Educator Network or DEN, one of the oldest and most active professional learning networks of its kind, is a never-ending source of feedback. This year at ISTE, the DEN will celebrate 19 years of connecting members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration. Over the years, the DEN has played a tremendous role ensuring the educator’s voice guides Discovery Education’s path, and I look forward to hearing even more insights from this group in my new role.

What role should technology play in education, and what are some of the challenges leaders face as they consider this evolving relationship? 

I believe technology’s role in education is to empower teachers to more easily scale what we know is best practice, improve student achievement, and save teachers time and effort that is better spent with the students they serve.

When I think about the challenges school leaders face in the evolving relationship between school leaders and technology, I think of accountability. In today’s data-driven world, school leaders are in the position of demanding more accountability from their edtech providers. To do so, those leaders will need to know how to read the data to which they will have access.  Aligning edtech resources with learning objectives and then securing, reading, and understanding evidence of student progress often requires a nuanced understanding of the resource’s impact on learning.  To ensure the level of accountability coming in this new era of edtech is going to require both providers and school leaders to learn some new skills.

We began with a question about what’s going on in edtech at the moment.  Let’s jump ahead. Where do you see edtech in the next 1-2 years?

I believe that the next 1-2 years will provide a new level of clarity as to which edtech resources work. In school systems, there will be a heightened emphasis on selecting products that deliver high quality materials and drive student engagement. The use of data and a focus on efficacy will grow even more critical in the evolution of edtech.

‘I believe that the next 1-2 years will provide a new level of clarity as to which edtech resources work.’

For companies like Discovery Education, this will spur a new era of innovation as we work to continuously improve our products to meet the evolving demands of both teachers and students. It is an exciting time to be working in educational technology and I am looking forward to the challenge!  

—

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

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OpenAI recently announced ChatGPT Edu, a version of ChatGPT built for universities to responsibly deploy AI to students, faculty, researchers, and campus operations. Powered by GPT-4o, ChatGPT Edu can reason across text and vision and use advanced tools such as data analysis. This new offering includes enterprise-level security and controls and is affordable for educational institutions. “Integrating OpenAI’s technology into our educational and operational frameworks accelerates transformation at ASU. We’re collaborating across our community to harness these tools, extending our learnings as a scalable model for other institutions,” says Kyle Bowen, Deputy CIO at Arizona State University. “We built ChatGPT Edu because we saw the success universities like the University of Oxford, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania(opens in a new window), University of Texas at Austin, Arizona State University(opens in a new window), and Columbia University in the City of New York were having with ChatGPT Enterprise,” according to a May 30, 2024 message from OpenAI. Learn more.

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A call to action for edtech.

GUEST COLUMN | by Jason Katcher

ANDRES RAMOS

The weight on teachers’ shoulders is heavier than ever. According to Canva, educators are clocking over 50 hours per week on average, yet they spend less than half of this time directly interacting with students. This relentless pressure has led to a disturbing trend: over half (53%) of teachers feel overwhelmed, impacting their well-being and their ability to teach effectively.

These statistics are alarming:

• Missed workdays: 55% of teachers are taking more unscheduled absences.
• Decreased patience: Nearly half (45%) report having less patience with students.
• Burnout: Over a third (34%) are losing interest, leading to a decline in instructional quality.

For those of us in educational technology, while we may not be able to directly alter union structures, salaries, or schedules, we have a powerful opportunity to make a significant impact.

‘For those of us in educational technology, while we may not be able to directly alter union structures, salaries, or schedules, we have a powerful opportunity to make a significant impact.’

By developing products and platforms that address these initial challenges, we can empower teachers and create a more positive classroom environment.

This is where AI Comes In

This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) comes into play. AI-powered tools can handle administrative tasks, personalize learning experiences, and provide teachers with valuable data to tailor their instruction. Remember when creating a custom lesson plan would take hours, days, even weeks? Now we are talking about seconds. These tools act as supplements, not replacements—much like vitamins to exercise. Our founders at Merlyn Mind, an AI voice assistant for teachers, recognized AI’s potential during their decades of research at IBM Watson for Education. They realized that AI would never replace teachers as the essential human elements of curiosity and empathy are irreplaceable in optimizing a student’s learning experience. This should assuage any concerns about the demise of the teaching profession. In fact, it heralds a revitalization of a profession that needs its core values now more than ever.

Have the assistants on your phone, at home, and in your car made your days better or worse? If it’s the former, then why not extend this affordance to our classrooms? According to data from McKinsey, teachers can save an average of 13 hours per week using smart AI solutions—equivalent to adding six days of instruction per month! Furthermore, a study from UC-Irvine, supported by Digital Promise, found that after seven weeks of using a digital classroom assistant, teachers were 61% less stressed with their technology, enabling more active learning and less time on administrative tasks. Imagine the increased impact teachers could have with that much additional time and the ability to be more present with their students.

We Have Been Profoundly Moved

We have been profoundly moved by stories of teachers in wheelchairs and students with learning disabilities who have harnessed our products to level the playing field of learning and instruction. Imagine the transformative power of enabling teachers to create fulfilling, impactful, and collaborative experiences, free from the constraints of their computers. AI and voice technology have emerged as great equalizers in the classroom, empowering every educator and student to thrive.

Ultimately though, this is all about the students. No amount of classroom technology can compensate for an overly stressed teacher. John Hattie’s work, Visible Learning, reveals that the number one factor impacting student outcomes is collective teacher efficacy. Not only is it the top factor, but its effect is more than twice as significant as other important factors like scaffolding, summarization, and effort. If digital assistants in classrooms lead to more effective teachers, and teacher efficacy is the leading factor in improved student outcomes, then it stands to reason that digital assistants will lead to better student results.

The Ripple Effect This Could Have

Moreover, let’s not underestimate the ripple effect this could have on the broader educational landscape. By alleviating administrative burdens and reducing stress, we enable teachers to focus more on innovative teaching methods and student engagement. This, in turn, fosters a more dynamic and effective learning environment. The future of education hinges on our ability to integrate technology seamlessly into our classrooms. Now is the time to embrace AI as a vital ally in our mission to enhance education. Let’s champion this change and make a lasting difference.

As the school year comes to a close, let’s take this time to reflect. How can we leverage technology to improve the classroom atmosphere? How many low-value tasks can be replaced with high-value ones through AI and voice assistance? How can we increase the connections between our teachers and students? 

AI is not a panacea, but it’s a heck of a vitamin. Teachers need our support now more than ever. It’s time to step up and show them we care.

—

Jason Katcher is VP Strategic Channel AI Partnerships at Merlyn Mind. He previously worked at Google and Dropbox Education. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

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