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. 

The post Mystery Writing by Discovery Education appeared first on EdTech Digest.

Kognity for High School Science presents phenomena-based science in an easy and flexible way, empowering teachers to bring science to life with confidence. Whether teachers use the content to spark ideas or dive in and adopt the full curriculum, Kognity’s lessons can be seamlessly integrated into existing plans for courses on biology, chemistry, physics, and, starting in the 2024–25 school year, Earth and space science.

Crafted by experts and built specifically for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Kognity’s rigorously vetted science content supports teachers in implementing complex standards. The curriculum includes embedded and color-coded performance expectations (PEs), crosscutting concepts (CCCs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) throughout. 

All Kognity lessons are rooted in a natural phenomenon. A curated Driving Question Board inspires a student-led and teacher-guided classroom and acts as a stepping stone into phenomena-based learning, which helps students make meaningful connections to real-life situations and become more engaged in their learning. Kognity’s Media Library features more than 220 videos, 740 images, 650 interactives, and a reading assistance tool that supports more than 130 languages.  

Teachers also have easy access to activities, teacher guides, lesson plans, and assessments designed to improve test scores by familiarizing students and teachers with content and performance in CCCs, SEPs, and DCIs. This saves teachers time grading three-dimensional learning and helps track student progress with reliable data.

In addition to its alignment with NGSS standards, Kognity for High School Science meets the ESSA Level IV (Demonstrates a Rationale) requirements of evidence standards. 

Kognity integrates with all major learning management systems, including Canvas, Schoology, Microsoft Teams, and Google Classroom. From task management to rostering, these LMS integrations automate time-consuming processes for convenience and ease. 

Learn more.

The post Kognity’s High School Science Curriculum appeared first on EdTech Digest.

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.

The post Rethinking How We Support Teachers appeared first on EdTech Digest.