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.

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As 2023 winner of Library of Congress’ Literacy Award, Worldreader unites families through technology on BookSmart. This digital reading solution is device agnostic and delivers a thoughtfully curated library for children, 3-12, encouraging home reading behaviors. Globally, Worldreader has served 22 million readers through digital technology, with BookSmart reaching 239,979 since inception in 2020. A newly imagined BookSmart, unveiled in 2024, empowers even more young readers and families to engage in daily reading.

BookSmart is:

Accessible. Available on any mobile device, reading together can occur when and where it works best for caregivers, incorporating reading as a fun, fulfilling part of everyday life.

Inclusive. Designed to serve all families, especially within communities historically underserved, BookSmart is available in multiple languages with international and BIPOC authors.

Affordable. BookSmart is 100% free. Books can be saved offline for those with limited data access. The light app, optimized for all connection speeds, keeps data costs low.

Engaging. BookSmart’s caregiver tips support home reading best practices. In Spanish or English books feature growing self-awareness and play-based family activites.

Data-Driven. A program data dashboard includes user and reader numbers, content, pages and minutes read. For readers, a dashboard allows caregivers to sets weekly goals. Gamification meets those goals, engages and rewards children.

Effective. “BookSmart is something different – it’s formatted to mimic the experience of a print book closely and has very high quality books. I love the hands-on activities that connect to the stories. This technology is beneficial.” – Joan Spoerl, The Literacy Cooperative

For these reasons and more, BookSmart from Worldreader is a Cool Tool Awards Winner for “Best Open Educational Resource (OER) / Open Learning Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. Learn more.

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How artificial intelligence can empower teachers to deliver quality education.

GUEST COLUMN | by Richard Savage, Ed.D.

SIMPLELINE

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Grammarly have taken the world by storm. ChatGPT alone is setting records with more than 1.6 billion visits per month and 180 million active users. 

While technology has always driven educational transformation, the fast arrival of AI tools has created considerable debate among educators, largely due to uncertainty about their operation and path forward.

‘While technology has always driven educational transformation, the fast arrival of AI tools has created considerable debate among educators, largely due to uncertainty about their operation and path forward.’

As an online-based school, we’ve asked ourselves how AI will impact our own curriculum as an online-based learning environment and our academic integrity. Whether we’re prepared or not, students are already embracing the AI trend: roughly one-in-five teenagers who have heard of ChatGPT utilized the tool to aid them in their schoolwork, according to a 2023 Pew Research Study.

Parents Say AI Skills for Children ‘Crucial’ 

While the need for critical conversation around AI tools is warranted, optimism is rising. An April 2024 YouGov survey revealed that two-thirds of parents with children under 18 consider learning AI skills crucial for K-12 students’ future career prospects.

As schools nationwide face learning loss and low student engagement, coupled with overwhelmed and understaffed teaching staff, educators have opportunities to improve their classrooms through AI:

• Tracking Classroom Learning and Student Outcomes. One of the key advantages of AI is its capacity to process large volumes of data. In the classroom, this can provide teachers with deeper insights into student learning and outcomes. Platforms like BrightBytes use AI to track student performance, identify areas of difficulty and design effective interventions. Consolidating and analyzing classroom data through AI can help teachers create targeted instructional plans, ultimately enabling them to focus more on teaching and less on administrative tasks.

Educators Need Proper Training

However, our educators need proper training, AI literacy, and ethical guidelines to ensure responsible usage. This includes safeguarding student privacy, maintaining human oversight in AI-based decision-making and actively addressing algorithmic biases.

• Personalize Learning Experiences. If the technology is available, kids will find it and use it. When it comes to AI, that may not be a bad thing. In a 2023 study by Quizlet, 73 percent of students indicated that AI helps them to understand material better; 67 percent said it helped them to study faster and more efficiently. 

In the classroom, AI-powered platforms and tools have the ability to provide students more tailored instruction and feedback that caters to their individual learning styles, preferences and pace of learning. Personalized approaches both enhance student engagement and motivation while fostering deeper understanding of material. New technologies can also play a pivotal role in aiding classroom inclusivity by offering tools that accommodate diverse learning needs. Technologies like text-to-speech, speech recognition and language translation break down barriers, allowing students with varying levels of language proficiency or learning abilities to engage with educational content. 

On the teacher’s end, educators can leverage AI-powered platforms like Curipod or Eduaide.Ai to develop interactive lessons, activities and assessments for specific students or the class as a whole in topics that might be a little harder to comprehend. 

• Deploy AI in the Classroom To Assist with New Curriculum: Young people are prolific at using technology as it is something they have grown up with. Students have more information at the tip of their fingers than we ever thought possible. Unfortunately, there are times when the sources of news and information that students access contain misinformation.  

Getting Educated

Last year, the California Assembly passed Bill 873, which mandates media literacy education in various subjects, in response to the massive spread of misinformation and need for such skills. AI-based tools can help educators teach students how to recognize trusted sources vs. misinformation. In turn, this underscores the responsible use of technology and our responsibility as global citizens.

• New, Innovative AI-Themed Classes: Offer “Intro to AI” or AI-forward classes. These types of classes can help students learn about the vast, real world applications of AI beyond ChatCPT and open up a world of future possibilities for them to consider. Potential class offerings could include a coding class for AI or science which focuses on the vast applications of AI in medicine today. 

Lastly, if your school is incorporating AI into the classroom or including it as part of the students’ educational experience, it is imperative that you establish a clear AI policy. Also, it is very important to explain and reiterate the policy to students as they advance grade levels.

As educators, we play a crucial role in molding the foundation for the next generation. Drawing upon our own experience in the technology revolution and leading in the next, let’s ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive.

—

Dr. Richard Savage is the superintendent of California Online Public Schools, an accredited, tuition-free online public school serving students in grades TK-12 across 32 California counties. He has taught high school Spanish, coached soccer and volleyball, and served as vice principal to over 2,500 students at Antelope Valley High School. He also coordinated a Distinguished School Award, a successful six-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and school-wide project-based learning implementation, during his time as school principal at Calistoga Junior/Senior High School. He holds an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of Laverne. Connect on LinkedIn.

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Lingoda is one of the world’s top online language schools. Founded in Berlin, Germany in 2013, they provide convenient and accessible online language courses in German, English, Business English, French and Spanish to over 100,000 students worldwide. Their small group and 1-on-1 private classes are taught by over 1,500 qualified, native-level teachers. With almost 550,000 classes available per year and accessible 24/7, their mission is to build bridges around the world through language learning. “By speaking someone’s language you learn about them. Their culture and their ideas. Breaking down the language barrier bridges cultural differences, fosters a world of inclusion and is a first step in helping to address humanity’s challenges.”

The company believes in a communicative approach to language learning: mastering a language means being able to speak it with confidence. Their CEFR-focused learning materials (this stands for Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) are designed by linguistic experts and focus on meaningful topics that are applicable to students’ interests, careers and everyday lives. Thanks to their extensive rotating roster of teachers and their small group classes, students are exposed to a variety of regional accents and expressions within the same language and have the opportunity to practice speaking in every lesson.

For these reasons and more, Lingoda is a Cool Tool Award Winner for “Best Language Learning Solution” as part of The EdTech Awards 2024 from EdTech Digest. 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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