Erik Ofgang

Erik Ofgang

Erik Ofgang is Tech & Learning contributor. A journalist, author and educator, his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Smithsonian, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Forbes.com. He currently teaches at Western Connecticut State University’s MFA program. While a staff writer at Connecticut Magazine he won a Society of Professional Journalism Award for his education reporting. He is interested in how humans learn and how technology can make that more effective. 

Articles by: Erik Ofgang

An illustration of a robot brain.

The NEA Has Adopted A New Statement On AI in Education. Here’s What Educators Think

By Erik Ofgang published

We spoke to educators about the NEA’s new policy statement on AI in education. They shared what they liked about it and a few areas that could be improved.

A screenshot of Grammarly's AI Writing Assistant

I Tested Grammarly’s AI Writing Assistant For Teaching. I Love And Hate It

By Erik Ofgang published

When Grammarly's AI writing assistant is working it's great, but when it's bad, it's very bad.

The letters AI

AI Is Getting Better At Grading. Should Teachers Use It To Grade?

By Erik Ofgang published

AI grading tools can now match human accuracy and consistency in certain topics and situations putting the spotlight on the ethics of machine grading.

AI chatbots

Teaching Writing With AI Without Replacing Thinking: 4 Tips

By Erik Ofgang published

AI has a lot of potential for writing students, but we can’t let it replace the thinking parts of writing, says writing professor Steve Graham

Scrabble letters spelling "teach."

Using Technology Differently and 3 Other Ways I've Gotten Better At Class Prep

By Erik Ofgang published

As a young teacher, I used to focus on the wrong things when it came to prep. Here’s how I’ve changed.

A phone screen with the words "AI" printed above OpenAI and Gemini apps.

Scientists Compared ChatGPT Writing Assessments to Human Assessments. Here’s What They Found

By Erik Ofgang published

Human teachers provided better assessments than ChatGPT but AI was closer than expected and even better in certain ways.

An artists rendinger of a neural network for an AI

The Biggest Edtech Companies Are Going All In on AI. Here's Why

By Erik Ofgang published

Edtech is all about AI these days, from tech giants to startups and everything in between. We talked to some executives about the potential they see for AI technology and learning.

A screenshot of Microsoft Reading Coach.

Microsoft Reading Coach: How To Teach With The AI Reading Tutor

By Erik Ofgang published

Teaching tips for Reading Coach, an AI-powered tool designed to teach reading, from the Vice President of Education at Microsoft

A group of students work together looking over each other's notes

Authentic Learning: What It Is And How to Incorporate It In Your Teaching

By Erik Ofgang published

Authentic learning is the difference between learning science and being a scientist, says educator Todd Stanley.

An abstract illustration depicting AI

Creating AI Tutors That Don’t Hallucinate

By Erik Ofgang published

Cracking the AI hallucination problem is all about the right training data and human input.

An iPhone from apple with a series of OpenAI apps on the homescreen and a finger about to press one of them.

5 Reasons The OpenAI and Apple Partnership Intrigues Me As An Educator

By Erik Ofgang published

OpenAI’s GPT technology will be integrated into Apple products and tools, including Siri. Here’s why I think that’s good news for teachers.

A shield with curved lines behind it.

5 Cybersecurity Tips For Schools From CISA’s Deputy Assistant Director

By Erik Ofgang published

Making quick cost-effective changes to cybersecurity systems can make a big difference for school safety, says CISA Deputy Assistant Director Trent Frazier.

A computer on a desk with a whiteboard laying on its side in front of it and glasses on top of the whiteboard.

5 Tips For Getting Online and In-Person Adjunct Teaching Positions

By Erik Ofgang published

These strategies have helped me get consistent work as an adjunct professor

A human hand shakes a digital hand coming out of the screen of a laptop in this illustration of AI assisting a human.

4 AI Tools I Actually Use As An Educator

By Erik Ofgang published

There’s a lot of talk about AI’s uses in education but I find that personally I only really use a few tools.

ai written papers

My Students Are Submitting AI Papers. Here’s What I Do

By Erik Ofgang published

Like many educators, I've been thrust into a brave new world of AI and modern teaching that I had not been trained for and to which appropriate responses aren't always clear

An array of solar panels on a rooftop.

Solar-Powered Schools: What You Need to Know

By Erik Ofgang published

Thousands of schools across the U.S. have saved money by installing solar panels. The process can involve little to no upfront costs and often results in significant cost savings for the school or district.

7 Ways to Detect AI Writing

10 Ways to Detect AI Writing Without Technology

By Erik Ofgang published

As more of my students have submitted AI-generated work, I’ve gotten better at recognizing it.

An AI deepfake being created

Guarding Your District Against AI Deepfakes, Including Porn

By Erik Ofgang published

Students in U.S. schools have already created deepfakes of classmates, including deepfake pornography

An illustration of an ebook reader with the letters "A" and "a" on it against a blue backdrop.

Digital Leisure Reading Does Less to Aid Comprehension Than Print Reading

By Erik Ofgang published

A new study found that when students read digital texts for leisure it had almost no impact on their reading comprehension. Here’s everything you need to know.

A screenshot demonstrating how GPT-4o can create images based upon text.

GPT-4o: What Educators Need to Know

By Erik Ofgang published

I tested GPT-4o, the new model powering some versions of ChatGPT. It combines text, audio, visual, and video outputs and inputs, and is faster and more natural in its responses, which has many implications for teachers.

An illustration of a laptop screen with a video of a person played on it.

Flipped Classrooms Can Benefit From AI, Say Flipped Learning Pioneers. But There Are Concerns

By Erik Ofgang published

AI chatbots could potentially assist flipped classroom instructors, both during class time and when students are watching videos, but the tech needs to solve its bias problem first

summer learning

Best Summer Learning Apps & Sites

By Ray Bendici, Diana Restifo, Erik Ofgang published

The best summer learning apps and sites for students can help keep kids learning all year round

An ebook reader on table with a headset.

4 Ways to Increase Ebook and Audiobook Awareness For Summer Reading

By Erik Ofgang published

More students are reading ebooks and listening to audiobooks than ever before but more can still be done to increase awareness of these platforms

A classroom filled with desks but no students.

4 Ways To Fight Spring Fever Outbreaks

By Erik Ofgang published

Spring is the time of year when even normally diligent students (and even some faculty) start struggling to pay attention.

An illustration of a computer hooked by a phishing line indicating someone has fallen victim to a phishing cyberattack.

Hackers Are After Student Data. Here’s Why

By Erik Ofgang published

Students generally have pristine credit records, which makes student data an appealing target for criminals. The good news is, there are ways they can help keep student data safe.