Latest from Tech & Learning in Awards

Tech & Learning Launches “Best for Back to School” Contest

Christine Weiser — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:57:11 +0000

With the 2026-27 school year approaching, Tech & Learning is back with the “Awards of Excellence: Back to School” to help readers find the most impressive products and solutions that will support their work in any learning environment.

Tech & Learning is seeking nominations for products that offer schools versatility, value, and solutions to specific problems to support innovative, effective teaching and learning. From security solutions to hardware, software, and non-tech instructional materials, this award recognizes both new and legacy technology that support effective teaching and learning practices in the new school year.

NEW FOR 2026

**NEW FOR 2026** The Awards of Excellence is now welcoming entries from all the following: Instructional Materials, Learning Manipulatives & Aids, and other Supplemental Educational Resources.

The entry deadline is set for 11:59 PM ET on Friday, September 4. Begin your entry by clicking the button below or continue to read through the awards site for more information on eligibility, benefits for entering, and information on the Awards of Excellence.

Why Enter?

Winning an AOE for the best products and solutions for Back to School is more than just acknowledgement from Tech & Learning's editors, it's a fantastic way to showcase your products and their contributions to education.

Awards of Excellence: Back to School

Nominee Evaluation

Winning products will be showcased in a special edition of Tech & Learning distributed to the T&L readership (73,000), which is built of education professionals, district leaders, and school administrators.
All winners will receive a winners' package. This will include a fully licensed winner badge for in-house promotion, press release, and social graphic.
A Tech & Learning Award of Excellence is a highly recognized accolade provided only to the best products supporting education, based on evaluation by a panel of education-experts.

Tech & Learning is looking for the brightest new products in the educational space — to help readers find the most impressive products and solutions that will support their work in any learning environment.

Each nominee will have to answer the following questions:

What specific problem does this product solve?
How is this product being used?
How did your product exceptionally support teaching and learning in 2026?
How does your product address the challenges facing education today?

So what does that mean in practice? It means our judges will be thinking about questions like:

Is your product easy to use and does it include support for teachers as needed?
Does your product simplify and enhance the teaching and learning experience?
Is your product flexible enough to support both in-person and asynchronous teaching and learning?
How is your product unique compared to others in the market?
Can your product be easily integrated with existing products being used in schools?

Tech & Learning's panel of educators and judges will evaluate each of these answers, along with the product descriptions, images, and case studies.

Judging Process

The panel will score each entry against the following judging criteria: Performance; Reliability; Features; and Innovation. The products that score the highest across all the criteria will be named as winners in the 2026 Awards of Excellence: Back to School.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: The Best for Back to School?

The Awards of Excellence are an award program recognizing innovation in the education industry. Tech & Learning magazine’s Awards of Excellence program for Back to School is a way to celebrate the most impressive products and solutions that support the work of teachers, students, and parents as they prepare for the new 2026—27 school year.

Who Can Enter?

Any company that has a product that supports innovative, effective teaching and learning (it can be a new or legacy product).

Why Should I Enter?

Winning an Award of Excellence tells the industry that your product has been approved by the most important audience - the educators themselves. The top products will be selected and featured in a special edition of Tech & Learning magazine reaching over 73,000 edtech professionals.a special edition of Tech & Learning magazine reaching over 80,000 edtech professionals.

When Are Entries Due?

All entries are due by 11:59 PM ET on September 4, 2026.

How Much Does It Cost To Enter?

Single Entry: $625.00

2-4 Entries: $595.00

5+ Entries: $525.00

What are the categories?

The categories are broken down into Primary (Tools for K-6 grade education), Secondary (7-12), and Higher Ed. You can enter the same product into multiple categories.

May I Enter More Than One Product?

Yes. There are no limits to the number of products you may nominate. Each requires a nomination form and entry fee(s).

When Will Winners Be Announced?

Winners will be announced in September 2026 and featured in a special issue of Tech & Learning

What If I Have More Questions?

If you have any questions about nominations please contact Beckie Sirs at beckie.sirs@futurenet.com

Learn more about the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence Best for Back to School contest here.

Tech & Learning Announces Winners of Best of Show at ISTE 2026

TL Editors — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

ISTELive 26 was another energetic and inspiring conference. Held in Orlando this year, the event featured hundreds of sessions and exhibitors, offering attendees unparalleled opportunities for learning and networking.

The association also announced a name change. It will now be known as International Society for Transforming Education (ISTE), reflecting the merger of legacy ISTE’s focus on technology and ASCD’s commitment to instruction.

The exhibit hall showcased a vast array of new products and services. Our Tech & Learning judges scoured the show floor to rigorously review the nominations for this year’s Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 26 awards. The evaluation criteria included ease of use, overall value, uniqueness in the market, and clear proof that the product streamlines teachers' workflows and supports student achievement.

“AI took a back seat to discussions about the screen time debate at this year’s ISTE conference,” noted Christine Weiser, Content Director for Tech & Learning. “The overarching question from the show floor: How do we educate our communities about the difference between active screen time that supports student learning and passive doom scrolling?

“There were plenty of examples of edtech products that are supporting active learning on display, and our judges used this as one measure of their nominee evaluations. Below are their top picks. Congratulations to all our winners!"

Primary

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725T)

“The Acer Chromebook 311 is a solid option for younger learners, especially considering its price point. We found it to be durable, reliable, and well-suited for the daily wear and tear that comes with elementary classroom use, making it a strong value for schools.”

Adobe, Aqua by Adobe

“Aqua by Adobe is a thoughtful and timely entry into elementary creative technology. Rather than adapting professional creative software for younger users, it was designed specifically for children, balancing creativity, accessibility, digital literacy, and age-appropriate AI in a safe, free environment. The combination of educator input, strong early adoption, and the absence of cost barriers makes it particularly compelling for schools.”

Amplify Education, Amplify Desmos Math

“The new Desmos math tool from Amplify is an amazing platform to help students concretize the abstract concepts of math! This tool not only uses a project-based approach to learning, which solidifies complex math concepts, but also provides many opportunities to learn them in different ways. An added bonus is that many of the lessons that are available are available at no cost to any student!”

Amplify Education, mCLASS Math

“This new mClass Math product from Amplify is pretty solid at helping students analyze mathematical reasoning and thinking patterns and improve their overall math skills. It is particularly good for middle school students who have been struggling in the past, helping them catch up with their peers.”

Belkin International, Belkin Connect USB-C Keyboard with Stand for iPad

“The Belkin Connect USB-C Keyboard with Stand for iPad is a no-nonsense classroom tool built around the things schools actually need: durability, easy setup, and testing compliance. It is not flashy, but removing Bluetooth, batteries, and charging issues makes it a very dependable choice for shared iPad programs.”

BenQ RP05

“The BenQ Board RP05 feels like a standout interactive display because it brings AI tools directly into the classroom experience rather than treating them as an add-on. With on-device AI, 50-point touch, Google EDLA support, wireless sharing, and robust IT management features, it looks like a comprehensive solution for schools seeking to modernize instruction at scale.”

Boxlight Symphonic Series — Primary Education

“This series of notification and information products give the end user a variety of features to choose from. They appear to be very easy to install and maintain.”

Boxlight Symphony — Primary Education

“This is a powerful and very well thought out communication system. That it can be implemented on an existing IP network without the need for an Internet connection is a great value ad for school districts.”

ClassLink Suite

“ClassLink has been an efficient and impactful tool in our district for staff and students. Our workflow and student experience have been elevated using this tool

Clear Touch, Nova

“The 6000 Nova Series comes across as a very smart long-term classroom display, especially because the hot-swappable Core Module directly tackles the pain of costly refreshes and downtime. It feels well-rounded and future-focused, with strong hardware durability and a useful software suite that adds real value beyond the screen itself.”

Clear Touch, Command Studio

“Command Studio feels like a really practical way to bring high-quality broadcast into schools without making it overly technical or equipment-heavy. The portability, wireless setup, touchscreen control, and Clear Touch ecosystem integration make it especially valuable for campuses that want students or staff to produce polished live content with less friction.”

CTL Chromebook PX112C with Integrated 5G, 4G LTE, and CBRS Connectivity

“This is a very capable Chromebook. Although the broadband connectivity is not new or innovative, the use of the Citizen’s Band Radio Spectrum (CBRS) is a great feature.”

Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Professional Learning

“i-Ready Professional Learning is a comprehensive and well-developed educator support system that goes beyond traditional workshop-based professional development. Its combination of coaching, leadership development, on-demand learning, and embedded guidance reflects current best practices in adult learning and implementation science.”

CyberNut - K12 Phishing and Digital Citizenship Training

“CyberNut is a strong cybersecurity tool built specifically for the needs of K–12 schools. We found it provides valuable protection while also giving district leaders the data and insights needed to proactively identify risks, strengthen security, and make informed decisions about keeping students, staff, and systems safe.”

Edmentum, Courseware Elementary

“Edmentum’s comprehensive Courseware digital curriculum for grade 6 through adult learners is based on the development of real-world skills, identifying students’ passions, and cultivating perseverance and grit. Our Courseware is rigorous, relevant, and aligned to state and national standards with over 400 courses covering core, elective, CTE, world language, and advanced subjects.”

Epson BrightLink 870Ei Ultra Short Throw Interactive Display with 4K Enhancement

“The Epson BrightLink® 870Ei is a strong evolution of interactive classroom display technology, combining the flexibility of projection with many of the collaboration features typically associated with interactive flat panels. Its ability to create a large interactive image on existing whiteboards, combined with 4K enhancement, wireless casting, and collaborative annotation, makes it an attractive option for schools looking to maximize instructional space while avoiding the size limitations of fixed displays.”

ExploreK12, Frax (ExploreK12)

“Frax is an adaptive, game-based design that emphasizes conceptual understanding rather than rote procedures. It is grounded in sound instructional research and is adaptive to the needs of the learners. It is a powerful supplement to math instruction in the intermediate grades.”

ExploreK12, Raz-Plus (ExploreK12)

“Raz-Plus is a comprehensive supplemental literacy platform that aligns well with current Science of Reading practices. Its greatest strengths are the breadth of instructional resources, assessment capabilities, and flexibility for differentiated instruction across K–5 classrooms. The refinement and expansion of an established product makes it a robust tool for reading intervention and supplemental literacy instruction.”

ExploreK12, Reflex (ExploreK12)

“An excellent supplemental math solution for building foundational fact fluency. Its greatest strengths are adaptive personalization, student engagement, and a clear focus on helping learners develop the automaticity needed for success in higher-level mathematics.”

Follett Software, Follett Destiny Library Manager

“The Follett Software Destiny Library Manager is the best tool on the market for managing school libraries and providing real-time usage reporting. Follett has become the gold standard for doing so in elementary, secondary, and even higher education.”

Follett Software, Follett Software AI

“Follett AI provides helpful analytics within Follett environments. It gives relevant insights to users within the context of district policies, all while protecting data and privacy.”

Forward Edge, Edge U Badges

“The Edge U Badges platform provides hundreds of self-guided courses with microcredentialing. It combines flexibility, instructional relevance, and meaningful credentialing opportunities. Its greatest strengths are the depth of content and its ability to personalize educator growth while supporting district professional development goals.”

HamiltonBuhl, HamiltonBuhl PowrePost

“The HamiltonBuhl PowerPost is a practical classroom product that solves a common operational problem: providing accessible charging where it's needed. Its mobility, mix of AC and USB ports, and thoughtful cable management make it useful in flexible learning environments.”

InfoCase, PermaLock XP Case

“The PermaLock XP case provides real protection for student devices. Its innovative design locks onto each side of the device, avoiding the need for hinges, typically the weakest point of the case. If I had a student with a 1:1 device, this is the case I'd get!”

IPEVO Inc., IPEVO Cast

“PEVO Cast is a clean, easy classroom solution for wireless sharing without the usual app downloads, logins, or device headaches. It is especially useful for schools with mixed devices, and the fast switching plus smooth 1080p sharing make it a practical fit for everyday teaching and student presentations.”

JAR SYSTEMS, Stack6 by JAR Systems

“The JAR Systems Stack6 is a thoughtfully designed charging station that focuses on portability, simplicity, and efficient USB-C charging for shared-device environments. Features such as integrated short cables, Quick-Sense charging, ventilation, and a modular stackable design address many of the day-to-day frustrations school IT teams face.”

Learning.com, EasyTech Digital Readiness Platform with Integrated AI Literacy — Primary Education (K–6)

“EasyTech Digital Readiness Platform presents a well-conceived approach to digital literacy. It embeds AI literacy into a broader K–8 progression rather than treating it as a standalone topic. It uses sound pedagogy and a strong developmental sequence—from foundational digital skills to AI ethics and algorithmic reasoning.”

LEGO Education, LEGO Education Science

“Everybody loves LEGO! These highly engaging kits draw students into science learning by providing hands-on, collaborative challenges. Teachers and students will love these inquiry-based, curriculum-aligned activities.”

LEGO Education, LEGO Education Computer Science & AI

“LEGO Education Computer Science & AI appears is an effective way to make coding and AI more approachable for younger students without making them feel like it is too abstract or intimidating. The hands-on kits, scaffolded lessons, and mix of icon- and word-based coding give it strong classroom value, especially for teachers who need something structured yet creative.”

Lexia, Science of Reading Classroom by Lexia

“Lexia has evolved to become one of the most comprehensive literacy ecosystems available for K–12. The suite of products covers a range of tools including adaptive instruction, assessment, AI-supported guidance, English language development, and professional learning, all in a unified platform.”

Lightspeed, Redcat by Lightspeed

“Lightspeed solutions are excellent and reliable. They are easy to implement in any classroom without a lot of IT intervention. They have the quality audio and feature set of more expensive hardwired classroom systems without the labor overhead or complexity.”

Lightspeed Systems, Lightspeed Insight - Screen Time Dashboard

“Lightspeed Insight seems like a very useful decision-making tool for districts that need clearer answers around app usage, screen time, and whether technology is actually supporting instruction. I like that it turns a messy, emotional topic into real-time data that leaders can use in board, parent, and policy conversations.”

LocknCharge

“The LocknCharge FUYL Smart Locker System addresses a real operational challenge for schools by automating device lending, charging, repairs, and asset management. Rather than functioning as a simple charging locker, it combines secure hardware with cloud-based workflow management, reducing the burden on IT staff while improving accountability. The integration of multiple authentication methods and real-time tracking makes it a mature and practical solution for 1:1 device environments.”

MagicSchool

“We piloted MagicSchool across our district and received very positive feedback from both staff and students. Teachers found it intuitive and easy to incorporate into their daily workflow, while students appreciated how it supported learning in meaningful and accessible ways.

MAXCases, MAXCases Extreme Shell-F Slide-On Case for the MacBook Neo

“The MAXCases Extreme Shell-F Slide-On Case for the MacBook Neo is custom designed to fit the new NEO by Apple. MaxCases brings their quality-designed protection to Apple's latest computer line. While this is a solid case, this case also does a great job of protecting the most vulnerable areas of the computer as well as protecting the keyboard.”

Moravia Education, Cubetto+

“Cubetto+ is a delightfully tangible way to teacher the littlest learners about coding. This tool provides developmentally appropriate learning with emphasis on storytelling, debugging, and hands-on exploration. No screen required!”

Otus

“Otus makes every step of the learning process more efficient for teachers, administrators, students, and families by using their portals that integrate grades, assessment scores, progress monitoring, and a full-fledged data warehouse. Their all-in-one platform, with integrated tools to gather, visualize, and act on student growth data, allows teachers and administrators to make decisions based on solid data that help students achieve significant growth and make strides toward reaching their full potential.”

Ozobot, K-2 Math Fluency Kit

“Ozobot's Math Fluency Kit brings together coding basics with deep math learning. Using Evo robots with common math manipulatives, students explore mathematical concepts in engaging, hands-on ways. Fully developed lesson plans and materials align to standards. This tool provides the perfect way to build computer science learning into math.”

Pitsco Education LLC, Drone Maker Kit

“The Drone Maker Kit excellent STEM solution for grades 3 - 8. It authentically integrates engineering, physics, and problem-solving. Its greatest strength is immersing students in the complete engineering design cycle, making it much more than a drone flight activity.”

Prodigy Education, Prodigy

“Prodigy is a highly engaging learning platform because it turns math and ELA practice into something students actually want to keep using. The adaptive practice, teacher dashboard, free access, and new game modes make it a strong classroom support tool, though its biggest strength is engagement and skill practice rather than full curriculum replacement.”

Promethean, Promethean ActivPanel 10 (AP10)

“Promethean makes great products with the features students and teachers need to succeed as well as the flexibility to include multi operating systems. The included software are great additions too.”

Read Naturally, Inc., Read Live

“Read Live is an excellent literacy intervention platform distinguished by its strong research foundation, comprehensive intervention tools, and long history of success. Its greatest strength is consistent, evidence-based implementation rather than technological innovation. With the current trend towards less screens for young learners, their print option provides a relevant and appealing option for literacy learning.”

Samsung Electronics America, WAFX-P

“Not only does this new WAFX-P Interactive Panel by Samsung offer stunning, vibrant displays of life-like content for learning, but it is also amazingly versatile, accepting content from many curriculum companies and converting lessons created with other display brands and interactive software platforms. I especially like its AI Assistant capabilities, including Circle to Search, AI Summary, AI Quiz, and Live Transcript, which bring cutting-edge tools that are easy to use for teachers of all subjects!”

Seesaw

“Seesaw is one of the most established and versatile learning platforms for elementary education. Its combination of digital portfolios, standards-aligned instruction, family communication, and creative student expression makes it especially effective for PreK–6 classrooms. The addition of AI-powered instructional tools strengthens the platform, while third-party validation and broad adoption reinforce its educational impact.”

SMART Technologies, SMART SoundLift Voice Amplification Solution

“This helpful addition to the SMART ecosystem allows teachers to use natural voice without any students missing a word. Although it has a narrow use case, it works seamlessly to provide dual-microphone support for presentations.”

TORSH Talent- Professional Learning Platform for Instructional Coaches and Educators

“This is a coach's dream! Extremely helpful tool for tracking teacher learning and student outcomes. Made by a coach, it is intuitive and provides lots of info in a usable format.”

TouchView Companion Series: Portable Collaboration Without Boundaries

“I found the TouchView Companion Series to be a unique approach to projecting content, especially in small group learning environments. Instead of keeping instruction tied to the front of the room, it gives teachers the flexibility to bring content directly to students, creating more opportunities for collaboration and interaction, especially in primary grades and centers.”

TouchView Interactive ULTRA Series Gen 6: Secure, Future-Ready Collaboration for Every Learning Environment

“The TouchView Interactive ULTRA Series is a robust classroom solution that gives educators the flexibility to teach in a variety of learning environments. We found its ease of use, portability, and connectivity make it a strong option for supporting everything from whole-group instruction to small-group collaboration.”

Wayground

“This is a very good solution for elementary education. Its tool set is varied enough to address the needs of the modern classroom, whether it be special needs accommodations or language understanding. It also seems to use AI in a strategic and well thought out manner.”

Secondary

Acer, ProDesigner PE270K L1

“I found the ProDesigner PE270K L1 to be a solid monitor that delivers great value for the cost. Its high-resolution display makes it a strong option for classrooms where students and staff are creating graphics, digital media, or other visual content that benefits from accurate color and sharp detail.”

ASUS NUC 16 Pro Mini PC: Small Footprint, Big Impact in Education

“The ASUS NUC 16 Pro Mini PC is a strong fit for schools that want serious AI-capable performance without taking up much space. Its compact design, centralized management, rugged certification, and service-friendly build make it feel especially practical for classrooms, labs, and district-wide deployments.”

AVID Products, AE-15 USB-C Headset: Bridging the USB-C Affordability Gap

“The AVID AE-15 USB-C Headset is a smart, no-nonsense classroom audio solution that solves a compatibility and affordability issue for schools moving to USB-C devices. It’s not flashy, but the durability features, student-friendly design, low price, and 2-year warranty make it a strong everyday option for districts buying at scale.”

BenQ RP05

“The BenQ Board RP05 Interactive Display comes across as a powerful, future-ready classroom display that goes well beyond basic touch and presentation features. The on-device AI, 50-point touch, Google EDLA access, wireless sharing, and district management tools make it feel like a strong all-in-one option for modern learning spaces.”

Bluum, Redefining Career Readiness Through the Nation's First District-Wide Esports Program

“Bluum’s esports career pathway initiative is a well-executed example of turning student interest into a real district-wide learning opportunity. What stands out is that Bluum is not just selling equipment but also bringing together the space, technology, curriculum, partners, and implementation needed to make the program sustainable.”

Boxlight Symphonic Series — Secondary Education

“The Symphonic platform has the features and ease of installation that would work in any school district. Great solution.”

Boxlight Symphony — Secondary Education

Brisk Labs, Brisk Teaching

“Brisk Teaching is one of my favorite AI tools for teachers on the market today. Not only do they pay close attention to student and teacher data privacy as a process input for AI, but I also love that it already resides as an extension to your browser. This makes it a tool that teachers don't have to leave their workspace to use another web platform.”

Britannica Education, Britannica Studio: AI Teachers Can Trust

“I really like that this product is focused on appropriate use of AI. Britannica Studio helps teach appropriate and responsible use of AI as a tool to work alongside or in place of student work.”

Cellairis, Cellairis Cyber Pouch

“This is a simple, reliable, and low-tech solution to keep devices safe while blocking distractions. Making them large enough for additional items is a nice feature too. The device storage accessory also makes devices quickly accessible in case of an emergency. Not including locks takes away the added labor of managing them for teachers and lost keys/forgotten combinations for IT managers.”

Cidi Labs, DesignPLUS: Transforming Canvas Course Design at Scale

“DesignPLUS feels like a really helpful upgrade for Canvas users who want better-looking, more accessible courses without needing technical design skills. The mix of templates, design controls, content tools, accessibility support, and AI-assisted creation makes it feel both practical and scalable for institutions managing lots of courses.”

Cidi Labs, UDOIT Advantage: The Course Accessibility Tool for Canvas

“UDOIT Advantage appears to be a very practical accessibility tool because it meets educators directly in Canvas and helps them fix issues without requiring technical expertise. The smart filters, scorecards, file remediation, and AI-assisted SpeedFIXIT workflow make it feel both efficient and meaningful for creating more inclusive courses.”

ClassLink Suite

“ClassLink Suite gives high school teachers the flexibility to customize the look, layout, and content of their classes to meet the needs of their students. We found this level of personalization helps create a more organized and engaging digital learning environment while giving students quick access to the resources they need every day.”

ClassVR, EduverseSTEM from Avantis Education

“The ClassVR Eduverse Module is the total package for bringing and scaling Virtual Reality use in schools. ClassVR has not only made the hardware and its management easy for schools to adopt and implement, but has also created a phenomenal software platform to complement this amazing system.”

Edmentum, Accelerating Student Achievement with Exact Path

Epson America, Epson PowerLite L370E 3LCD Laser Projector with 4K Enhancement

“The Epson PowerLite L370E is a strong, flexible projector for classrooms and shared spaces that need bright, large-scale visuals with minimal maintenance. Its brightness, laser lifespan, wireless connectivity, and easy setup tools make it a dependable upgrade.”

ExploreK12, Gizmos (ExploreK12)

“Gizmos offers interactive experiences for rich math and science learning, including simulations, real world cases to analyze, and investigations that lead to sense making from phenomena. If you want your students to grapple with open ended explorations, Gizmos is the perfect tool!”

FACIL'iti, FACIL'iti Talents

“This is a great solution. I myself have vision issues and when I tried the features for low vision it made websites much easier to read. I also like that it is free for end-users.”

Follett Software Facilities Schedules“Facilities scheduling is always challenging and having an integrated system with built-in workflows is very valuable for school districts. The schedule visibility to all stakeholders ensures this information is easily available to avoid conflicts. This product would be a great addition to administrative, maintenance, custodial, and security teams.”

Forward Edge, Edge U Badges

HamiltonBuhl USBC-A Smart-Trek

“The Smart-Trek USBC-A Headset is a smart classroom workhorse, especially because the built-in USB-C and attached USB-A dongle solve a real compatibility headache. It is not trying to reinvent the headset category, but the durability touches and school-friendly design make it feel very useful and easy to standardize.”

Kahoot!

“We've had great success with Kahoot! in our district as a way to increase engagement while giving teachers quick, meaningful feedback on student learning. Like any instructional tool, it's most impactful when it's part of quality instruction rather than a standalone activity, helping reinforce learning instead of simply becoming a game.”

Learning Genie, Curriculum Genie

“Curriculum Genie is a strong AI curriculum tool because it is built around actual K–12 needs, not just generic lesson generation. The student-centered planning, standards alignment, UDL support, differentiation, and teacher-approval model make it feel practical, responsible, and genuinely useful for saving time without compromising quality. I love the community-based curriculum as well.”

Learning.com, EasyTech Digital Readiness Platform with Integrated AI Literacy — Secondary Education 6-8

LEGO Education Computer Science & AI

“An excellent middle school STEM solution that effectively combines engineering, coding, and AI literacy. Its greatest strength is making emerging technologies tangible through LEGO's proven hands-on learning approach while providing teachers with a structured, scalable curriculum.”

LEGO Education Science

“The LEGO Education Science Kit 6-8 is a strong hands-on science solution that makes middle school concepts easier to teach, explore, and actually enjoy. Its biggest strength is combining curriculum alignment, inclusive design, and playful learning in a way that feels useful for both teachers and students.”

MagicSchool's MagicStudent

“MagicSchool for Students provides a safe, education-focused space where students can get support, ask questions, and brainstorm ideas. We found it encourages independent thinking while giving students guidance throughout the learning process, helping them build confidence rather than simply giving them answers.”

Medal of Honor Foundation, Path to Honor Expansion

“Path to Honor is a compelling character education platform that uses authentic stories from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society to engage students in ethical reasoning, civic responsibility, and personal reflection. Its greatest strength is grounding lessons in real people and real decisions rather than hypothetical scenarios, making discussions about values more meaningful. This is a beautiful resource for teaching character in deep ways.”

Merge, The all-new Merge 3D Platform: Empowering the next generation to explore, learn

“The new Merge 3D Platform is literally ‘out of this world’ and is one of the most innovative products in EdTech today! All of the great individual Merge Apps from the MergeEDU world are now on one platform, making them easily accessible. Now, you no longer even need a MergeCube to do MergeCube activities, thanks to the addition of A.I. and you can take any real-world object, even a drawing, and turn it into a 3D digital model or asset. This platform is amazing!”

Microsoft Learning Zone

“Microsoft Learning Zone is a powerful classroom-ready AI tool because it integrates lesson creation, live delivery, personalization, and formative insights, rather than leaving teachers to piece them together. Its real strength is keeping educators in control while making AI feel practical, responsible, and useful in the flow of teaching.”

Moravia Education, Inc., HP Robots - Otto

“HP Otto is a well-rounded educational robotics platform that takes students beyond coding by having them build, wire, and program a functioning robot. Its progression from physical assembly to increasingly sophisticated programming provides an authentic engineering experience. The modular, customizable robots will have students iterating and creating again and again!”

Otus

ParentSquare Attendance Plus

“Attendance Plus is a highly relevant and thoughtfully designed addition to ParentSquare. Rather than an isolated attendance management product, it tackles chronic absenteeism within an established parent communication system. Its greatest strength is connecting data, intervention, and family engagement within a single platform educators already use.”

Pitsco Education LLC, Seeker

“Seeker is a very strong middle school robotics platform because it combines hands-on building, real sensors, career-connected challenges, and a smooth path from block coding to Python. The built-in simulator, web-based portal, and teacher supports make it especially classroom-ready, while the rover-to-robot flexibility gives it more depth than a basic coding kit.”

Play Piper LLC, Piper Robotics Expedition Set: Physical Computing for Engaged Classrooms

“The Robotics Expedition Set is a lot of fun, an approachable way to get students building, coding, and thinking like engineers instead of just using technology passively. Its strength is the hands-on progression from guided builds to creative problem-solving, though it feels more focused on STEM exploration than on being a broad, all-subject classroom tool.”

Plugable PS-10CC 10-Port USB-C PriorityShare™ Charger

“The Plugable PS-10CC is a 10-port USB-C charging station is a great way to revitalize old and outdated charging carts or caddies that have older style charging cables. Not only does it update the cables but it brings modern fast charging technology to these older carts and caddies and prioritizes which ports should charge faster than others.”

PowerSchool

“Our district uses Naviance, and we've found it to be a valuable resource for college and career readiness. After reviewing a number of platforms, we appreciated the depth of information it provides to help students explore their options, set goals, and make informed decisions about their next steps after high school.”

Reading Horizons Elevate

“I really like the combination of teacher-led direct instruction with the use of the software. Also, that the product is specifically designed to meet the needs of learners from a variety of age levels and not something that teachers need to adapt to.”

Samsung Electronics America, WAFX-P

Securly

“This product is different from solutions that block or detect if AI is used for an assignment. It actively monitors and reports on usage and sentiment in a safe, compliant environment. It would make enforcing district AI policies easier.”

Senturo

“The creators of this product were very smart in creating something that it used alongside popular MDM and device administration tools. The lack of good geolocation tools has long been an issue and these tools seem to help a great deal. It's a great tool for anyone who has to manage a fleet of devices.”

SMART Technologies, SMART MultiStylus: Untethered Teaching & Interactive Learning Anywhere

“The SMART MultiStylus feels like a genuinely useful upgrade for teachers who want to stay mobile while still controlling the board and lesson flow. The combination of precision writing, air mouse control, programmable buttons, and fast battery-free charging makes it feel thoughtful, classroom-focused, and more innovative than a standard stylus.”

Thames & Kosmos, Robotics Workshop with micro:bit

“I like this product. It incorporates a well respected block coding language which facilitates learners who want to go further learn more advanced programming languages. The basic kit seems to have the sensors and components needed for a variety of lessons to keep learners engaged. Furthermore, there are many add-on components to extend its capabilities.”

TouchView Interactive ULTRA Series Gen 6: Secure, Future-Ready Collaboration for Every Learning Environment

“We really liked the TouchView Interactive ULTRA in our district. The seamless connection to our existing devices made it easy for teachers to get started, and its lightweight design made it simple to move between classrooms and learning spaces when needed.”

TouchView Companion Series: Portable Collaboration Without Boundaries

Vasco Electronics, Vasco Audience

“Vasco Audience feels like a very practical equity tool for schools because it makes multilingual communication easier to access without extra hardware, downloads, or complicated setup. The real-time subtitles, audio streams, custom glossaries, and pay-as-you-go model make it especially strong for family engagement, though its impact depends heavily on translation accuracy in live settings.”

ViewSonic IFP41 Series Interactive Displays

“The ViewSonic IFP41 Series Interactive Display is amazing! Not only is it priced right, but it offers wonderful functionality to laptops or desktop computers by bringing the power of touch to these devices, as well as additional viewing real estate. The ViewSonic IFP41 Series Interactive Display series also offers a suite of device management and monitoring tools provided by Google Workspace. Packed with an upgraded octa-core CPU and high-bandwidth DDR5 memory, as well as now offering 64-point multi-touch screen with palm rejection, this series features native 4K Ultra HD resolution and a 5,000:1 contrast ratio for vivid visuals, which places it as one of the most powerful IFP's on the market today!”

Vivi Live Captions: Real-Time Translation for Multilingual Learners

“Vivi Live Captions feels like a highly practical accessibility and language-support tool that fits naturally into classrooms instead of adding another awkward layer for teachers or students. The real strength is giving each student live translation on their own device, which makes the product feel both inclusive and genuinely useful for day-to-day instruction.”

Vivi Device Alerts: Cross-Platform Crisis Response

“Vivi Device Alerts feels like a strong, practical safety tool because it closes a real gap in school crisis communication: making sure staff actually see and acknowledge critical messages. Its value is especially clear for larger campuses, though its innovation is more in execution and accountability than in creating an entirely new category.”

Wayground

“This is a very well thought out integrated platform with features that are needed for today's challenges, like AI cheating and integrated data analytics.”

Higher Ed

Airia

“Airia is a practical platform for higher ed teams that need control over AI sprawl without slowing down innovation. The value lies in bringing visibility, security, compliance, and auditability into one place, rather than forcing institutions to stitch together separate tools.”

ASUS Computer International, ASUS ROG G700

“The ASUS ROG G700 Desktop is a serious powerhouse for esports, gaming, streaming, and creative work where performance really matters. It brings a strong mix of top-tier components, smart cooling, upgrade-friendly design, and premium ROG styling, making it feel built for both immediate impact and long-term use.”

BenQ, BenQ WDC15

“he BenQ InstaShow WDC15 is a polished, classroom-ready solution for making wireless presenting less frustrating and more dependable. Its biggest advantage is the mix of broad device compatibility, strong 4K performance, touchback control, and robust security, all without adding subscriptions or extra IT complexity.”

Copyleaks, Copyleaks AI Logic

“The AI Content Detector by Copyleaks comes at an incredibly opportune time in the Age of ChatGPT! This product is the first company to release an AI content detection product onto the market, supplying a solution for academic institutions to make more informed decisions surrounding generative AI use.”

D2L, D2L Lumi: Trusted AI for Higher Education

“This is a very good add-on product to the Brightspace solution. It has all of the features and controls needed for a modern higher ed learning environment.”

Epson America, The LE-C1135 Epson 135-Inch All-in-One Direct View LED Display

“This is a very nice display. The use of Chip-on-Board technology ensures you get a quality image every time. The variety of AV ports and controls as well as the serviceable control box are great additions.”

Samsung Electronics America, WAFX-P

TouchView Interactive, TouchView Interactive ULTRA Series Gen 6: Secure, Future-Ready Collaboration for Every Learning Environment

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Tech & Learning Launches Best of Show at ISTELive 2026

TL Editors — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:27:00 +0000

Tech & Learning's Best of Show Awards at ISTELive 2026 are back to celebrate the products, and businesses behind them, who are transforming education in schools around the world. The awards have been running for a number of years and have increased in popularity, proving to be a must-have for any companies looking to maximize their exposure at the show.

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Companies now have until 11:59 PM ET on Fri, June 19 to submit their nominations HERE.

We're welcoming entries from any company that has announced and/or launched an edtech product since ISTE 2025, or any company who has brought a significant new feature, upgrade, or variation to a product since the last show. Entrants are required to have a presence at ISTE, whether this is at the manufacturer's booth, a partner booth, demo space, or a session.

The Best of Show accolade is awarded to those who show the greatest promise to the industry, judged by some of the U.S.'s most tech-savvy and knowledgeable educators, and awarded by one of the leading names in the education technology industry.

Benefits of entering:

Winners will be announced during ISTE on techlearning.com. All award winners will be featured in a special digital issue distributed to the Tech & Learning audience, reaching 72,000 school district decision makers.
Crystal glass trophies will be sent directly to winners after ISTE, so you can continue celebrating your success after the show.
All winners will receive a winner's marketing package. This will include a fully licensed winner's badge for in-house promotion, a social graphic, and press release.
NEW for 2026! Winners will receive a marketing toolkit, with tips and tricks on how to utilize your winner assets, as well as a template press release.
NEW for 2026! Receive a testimonial from our judges for in-house marketing purposes!

Why should you nominate your product?

Nominating a product is easy. No shipping of products or setting up guest user accounts. Just complete a simple form that includes your product's name, image, and a brief description.
Winning a Best of Show award signifies that your product has, or will have, an incredible impact on teaching and learning experiences. Our judges are looking for the best of the best in edtech innovation.
Winners of the Best of Show award will be featured in Tech & Learning’s digital magazine, reaching industry professionals who will see your product showcased in a special section of educator-endorsed products.

FAQ

What are the ISTE Best of Show Awards?

The program recognizes products exhibited at ISTELive 26 which are believed to be changing the way we educate around the world. Winners are selected by a panel of professional users and editors based on product descriptions provided in the nomination form, as well as on judges' inspection at the show.

Who can enter?

Entrants are required to have a presence at ISTE, whether this is at the manufacturer's booth, a partner booth, demo space, or a session. You don’t need a product that’s already shipped — but it must be a product that’s been shown publicly either before or during June 2026. Previous entrants are welcome to enter this year's program. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility please email beckie.sirs@futurenet.com, and we'll be happy to assist.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: When are entries due?

All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on Fri, June 19. A single entry costs $625, with discounts available for multiple entries. We reserve the right to consider late applicants as circumstances dictate

What are the entry categories?

The categories are broken down into Primary (Tools for K-6 grade education), Secondary (7-12), and Higher Education. You may enter the same product into multiple categories.

May I enter more than one product?

Yes, there is no limit to the number of products you may nominate. Each requires a nomination form and entry fee(s).

How are the products evaluated?

All entries are reviewed by a panel of judges and editors - chosen in advance by the editors of our publications - who will review nominations and choose the winners on a points score against a range of criteria. Judges use a combination of on-site inspection and the online nomination information to build their scores.

What do I get if I win?

If selected as a winner, you’ll receive:

A physical winner’s trophy shipped directly to you after ISTE
A digital winner’s pack, including badges, graphics, and banners for your in-house promotion
Features in online articles, social posts, and newsletters with Tech & Learning

Winning a Best of Show award is a great accomplishment for any organization, and the benefits go far beyond just an announcement at the conference. For more information, contact Beckie Sirs, beckie.sirs@futurenet.com.

Tech & Learning Announces Winners of the Best of 2025 Awards

TL Editors — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:23:09 +0000

The Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2025 awards celebrate educational technology from the last 12 months that has excelled in supporting teachers, students, and education professionals. Whether focused on classroom instruction, professional development, or the management of education resources, these winning solutions made a significant impact. Nominated products were divided into three categories: Primary, Secondary, and Higher Education.

Tech & Learning's panel of expert judges evaluated each nominated product based on perceived: Data Privacy & Governance, Integration & Interoperability, and Outcomes & Impact. Only those products that scored highly across these criteria were named winners.

“We saw an explosion of innovation in educational technology in 2025, and these nominated products represent the best of the best,” says Christine Weiser, Content Director for Tech & Learning. “Our judges were impressed with the breadth of these winning products that empower deeper learning, personalized experiences, and student engagement. Congratulations to the winners!”

Find more details about the winning products below, including quotes from our judges.

PRIMARY WINNERS

+PlusOut!! Battle Points STEM Game

"This is an old school response to number sense—analog games. I love this approach as it is an engaging game that is a reward for the math classroom. As a former teacher, I found existing games that could fit the needs of number sense, but this is specifically designed for that purpose—it's not a repurposed game."

3P Learning, Mathletics

"As a complement to core math instruction, Mathletics provides a variety of engaging learning opportunities for students. In our classrooms, it works well for practice, reinforcement, and motivation, giving teachers flexibility to support different learners without trying to replace the core curriculum."

3P Learning, Reading Eggs

"The goal of Reading Eggs matches the literacy goals of schools—independent, confident readers by 3rd grade. The evidence of impact in Reading Eggs is impressive, and it is a great tool for a teacher to use in engaging reading activities for beginning or struggling readers in grades K–3."

95 Percent Group, Tier 1 Phonics Solution

"What I like about 95 Tier 1 Literacy Solution is that it is teacher-led. While it uses digital tools, it complements your existing ELA curriculum well. It recognizes the important role an expert teacher has, and gives tools to the learner and teacher, while maintaining the teacher's expertise."

95 Percent Group, Tier 2 Phonics Solution

"Literacy is at the forefront of education, and the need for HQIM literacy tools that adhere to the science of reading is a high priority for districts. 95 Tier 2 Phonics Solution is an intervention program and library to help support those who need assistance beyond Tier 1 instruction."

95 Percent Group, Tier 3 Literacy Solution

"What I like about 95 Tier 3 Literacy Solution is that it is teacher-led. While it uses digital tools to assess and give recommended next steps, it is not a computer program to set in front of a student. It recognizes the important role the expert teacher has in Tier 3 interventions."

AB Studios: AI-Supported Planning and Story-Driven Learning for Afterschool

"For a growing market, before- and after-school programs, AB Studios is a welcome addition. It gives staff flexible, ready-to-use experiences that keep students engaged and creative without feeling like an extension of the school day, which is especially valuable in spaces with limited time and staffing."

Acer Chromebook R857TN

"Our students respond positively to the Acer Chromebook, and from a technology department perspective, we’ve found the devices to be durable, reliable, and easy to repair. The convertible design holds up well in daily classroom use, and the straightforward maintenance helps control downtime and overall costs. It’s a practical, student-friendly Chromebook."

Acer, TravelMate B3 Spin 12 (TMB312R-31)

"This is on the upper end of student devices, but there are key features that are enticing. One, the removable keyboard makes repairs/replacements easy. Two, if you are looking for a more enhanced laptop with tablet functionality, this is a true 2-in-1 device with a storable stylus. Three, it is AI-ready."

Amplify Education, Amplify Desmos Math

"Amplified Desmos Math employs three areas to support math instruction: core instruction, integrated personalized learning, and intervention through problem-based lessons, practice, and assessment."

Amplify Education, mCLASS Math

"mCLASS provides assessments and insights in benchmarks, but also in domain-specific progress monitoring forms. The time frame is appealing—30 minutes for the whole benchmark, and 10–15 minutes for the domain-specific assessments. mClass also provides a beginning-of-the-year benchmark screener to show grade-level readiness and next steps in instruction."

AverMedia M11WB

"The AverMedia M11WB is a solid document camera that offers great optics and many features for great presentations. I particularly like that the M11WB features 4K resolution and 29X zoom to eliminate visibility problems, allowing every student to see fine details, whether it’s a science experiment or a piece of student art."

Belkin, SoundForm Inspire Wired Over-Ear Headset for Kids

"These are great over-ear headsets. The scale, durability, and user-friendly features make them valuable for classroom use. I really appreciate the 85 dB volume limiter to protect hearing as well as the USB-C and 3.5mm tethered adapter. Furthermore, the audio out jack allows sharing audio from one source, which helps with group work."

Benchmark Education Company, Benchmark Fonética y estudio de las palabras

"I really appreciate that they took the time to bridge both the language and culture into the product. I like how they have both reading and language comprehension tied together as well as review and building on previous skills."

Bluum (in partnership with leading Chromebook OEMs), Bluum Chromebook 1:1 Solution for Primary Schools

"A Chromebook reseller selling their own product is smart. Chromebooks are easily produced and deployed in education. Bluum has taken on the responsibility of both production and support of a product of their own making. Districts can purchase devices as well as have a service and repair contract in place using the manufacturer."

ClassLink Suite

"ClassLink is an excellent, comprehensive solution that addresses curricular, security, access, and data challenges. They are addressing some real issues in education. The workflows, interoperability, and ease of use make this an excellent solution for any level of education."

Clear Digital Sho

"Sho feels like a clean 'control center' for district signage—easy scheduling, Canva/PosterMyWall imports, Google Sheets live updates, and the ability to blast emergency alerts to screens when it matters."

Committee for Children, Second Step

"Our elementary teachers appreciate Second Step as a simple, effective way to start the day and create a welcoming classroom environment. The lessons help set a positive tone, support social-emotional learning, and build consistency in routines. It’s a strong foundational tool for fostering connection and readiness to learn."

Creative Learning Systems, SmartLab | Learning is different here

"When we looked at elementary STEM experiences, SmartLab Explorer was an impactful way to bring students into the learning through hands-on, standards-aligned STEM lessons. In our classrooms, it moves STEM beyond isolated activities and helps create consistent, engaging experiences that connect learning to real-world thinking and problem solving."

CyberNut, Staff and Student Security Awareness Training

"CyberNut is a game-changing tool for K–12 education that brings real-time cybersecurity awareness training to staff in a gamified approach. The platform provides 30-second micro-lessons helping educators recognize 'phishing hooks.' I particularly like that this platform provides a real-time dashboard for click rates and teaching data while users track progress on the leaderboard."

Discovery Education Experience

"Discovery Education Experience is an excellent solution. Not only does it have research-based content instruction, but it also makes recommendations based on how the instructor is using the program. The variety and modes of instruction are well done. The interoperability with popular LMS systems and solutions ups its value proposition, too."

DreamBox Math by Discovery Education

"Dreambox Math is a great tool for differentiated needs—whether that is remediation or acceleration. It is a great complement to the in-class strategies, with the recommendation of about 5 activities per week."

Edmentum, Exact Path for Primary Education

"ExactPath by Edmentum is a really nice tool for taking assessment scores and standards from annual and quarterly summative assessment companies and projecting a unique learning path for students to improve their areas of deficiency. I especially like how many assessment companies Edmentum has partnered with to garner scores for building learning paths."

HeyTutor

"HeyTutor feels like a strong 'whole-package' tutoring partner: consistent in-person tutors, standards-aligned curriculum, and a usable dashboard so districts can both support students day-to-day and show progress. The big upside is scalable high-dosage tutoring with clear outcome signals, while the main diligence is confirming the depth of its privacy terms and integrations."

Learning A-Z, Raz-Plus

"If you have a single sign-on option, including Google Classroom, this is a better tool, as it links class rostering to it. It is a one-stop shop for literacy, whether you have struggling readers, ELL students, or both."

Lightspeed Technologies, Topcat Cascadia

"Topcat Cascadia is a ceiling-mounted, networked classroom audio system that pulls double duty: it makes the teacher’s voice clear everywhere and gives staff one-touch silent alerts/two-way calling through life-safety integrations."

Magic EdTech, MagicBox

"MagicBox is a 'publisher-grade' all-in-one platform that finally centralizes content delivery, assessments, and analytics, so districts no longer have to juggle a bunch of disconnected tools. It has strong interoperability and a real privacy posture."

MagicSchool AI

"MagicSchool is a strong AI platform with clear value for K–12 educators, especially at the elementary level. From a user perspective, it requires significant district input and guidance to make the tools truly customizable and practical for teachers. While promising, it feels less immediately ready for secondary classrooms without additional setup and support."

ManagedMethods, Content Filter

"This product checks the boxes for web filtering, security, and safety. Being cloud-based makes it an excellent solution. The integration with Google's Cloud and granularity of filtering options gives IT departments the ability to tailor content. The use of AI is smart, especially for self-harm detection, which is important in our current environment."

ManagedMethods, Classroom Manager

"This is a valuable tool for teachers that gives them the power to easily regain control of student attention to keep them focused on the curriculum. The ability to customize the path students take during a lesson is a real time-saver. Their data and privacy policies are also well spelled out."

MAXCases, The Shield Phone Solution: Creating More Focused Classrooms

"The MAXCases Shield Phone Pouch is a simple, low-tech way to quickly reduce phone distractions. It includes durable pouches (some RF-blocking) and an organizer for efficient collection and storage. Though it lacks software usage analytics, it's easy to deploy, has a low privacy risk, and can offer a fast ROI."

MIND Education, ST Math: See Math. Learn Math. Know Math.

"I’ve seen how ST Math uses images and puzzles to fundamentally change how students think about math. The visual, non-language-dependent approach strengthens math reasoning by pushing students to make sense of concepts before procedures. What stands out most is how the puzzles create equitable access to learning while building deep, transferable understanding."

MobyMax Education, LLC, MobyMax

"If you are looking at a platform that offers curriculum resources, assessments, and differentiated technology learning tools, MobyMax is a trusted name. It is ideal for a district that is using three tools in different platforms and looking for simplicity and to slim down the support needs of platforms."

Otus

"Like any tool, it's not the availability, but the use of the tool. When used with fidelity, Otus provides assessment tools and visualizations to better use assessment strategies to impact student achievement."

Pearson Revibe

"Revibe functions as a restricted Galaxy Watch7, providing students with subtle, personalized prompts delivered through vibration. It transforms data on attention, fidgeting, and steps into progress-monitoring insights that schools can effectively utilize for MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) and IEPs (Individualized Education Programs)."

Pikmykid Visitor Management

"Visitu Visitor Management offers schools a smart, modern way to quickly and precisely track and screen campus visitors. Its K–12-specific design, real-time watchlist screening, and seamless integration with the broader Pikmykid safety ecosystem make it a standout choice for districts prioritizing security and operational efficiency."

Pitsco Education, Luma

"Luma is a very good and cost-effective solution for elementary robotics/coding programs. It comes with curriculum and teacher resources to get started right away. I really like how they integrate careers into the product as well as customization. This is a nice product that has the right features to bring coding to many classrooms."

Pocketalk

"The Pocketalk Sentio system for on-the-spot translation of more than 84 languages is nothing short of amazing. Perfect for one-to-many communication for administrators, counselors, and any other staff that present to larger audiences. It is also a perfect platform to hand to parents who speak a language other than English when they come into school."

Presence, Kanga by Presence

"Social-emotional learning has been a high need in our schools, but the needs for students vary. Kanga by Presence has tiered tools to meet those needs. From the free library of resources and case management to teletherapy sessions for students and evaluations, it can be a value-add for systems."

Savvas Learning Company, myView Literacy

"For districts and schools looking for evidence-based resources in reading instruction, myView provides the Science of Reading in a trusted platform with engaging games, Tier 2 instruction, and usable reports to improve learner outcomes."

Scholar Education

"Scholar Education stands out as a true differentiation engine, leveraging a student-facing tool and a teacher-facing tool. This dual system empowers teachers by providing insight into areas where students are struggling and how accommodations are used daily, while ensuring teachers maintain control."

SchoolStatus Attend

"The SchoolStatus Attend platform is focused on correcting and reducing the massive chronic absenteeism battle every year. SchoolStatus streamlines the communication process for messaging interventions and allows for fewer personnel to manage attendance. Not only does it offer robust interventions, but it also uses a positive, proactive approach to work with families on root causes."

Science Interactive Group, Immersive STEM Learning with Starlab

"The Immersive StarLab system has been around for more than 30 years and has been a proven method for engaging students with science and astronomy lessons. Now improved with industry-standard, robust 4K laser projection, this upgrade brings lessons to life."

SMART Technologies, The SMART Board GX Plus

"SMART has come up with a powerful and economical solution that addresses the needs of elementary educators and students. The features that you expect as well as the flexibility to use third-party apps and solutions make this board an excellent fit. I also like that they thought about longevity and environmental impact."

Taito Learning, TypeTastic with Digital Citizenship: K–5 Digital Citizenship, Digital Literacy & Computer Science Curriculum

"Keyboarding and digital citizenship are still extremely important. TypeTastic does a very good job with their solution. It has fun gamified lessons that engage students while they learn. Overall it’s a very good solution."

Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI), TCI's Elementary Social Studies Programs

"Social Studies Alive! feels like the kind of elementary social studies that keeps kids doing inquiry projects, primary sources, and real discussion, instead of just memorizing dates and definitions. From a district lens, the rollout looks pretty manageable, and the annual summer reset that permanently deletes student accounts/work is a solid governance move."

TeachTown, TeachTown enCORE - Primary Education

"The TeachTown enCORE product is a tremendous standards-first, adapted core curriculum based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). I particularly like this product for its strong analog use of manipulatives, which provide effective assessment and progress-monitoring strategies. It is a robust curriculum enabling special needs students to achieve success."

TechTerra Education, Spark and Solve: STEM in a Box Experience

"One of the challenges of a complete STEM program is resources and lesson building. This takes care of both of those challenges. STEM in a Box focuses on creative thinking and brain-based activities to expand your STEM program for K–2 students."

TORSH Talent: A Comprehensive Coaching & Professional Learning Ecosystem

"One of the best ways to improve teaching is to provide meaningful and timely coaching feedback. The challenge is the availability of an instructional coach to every teacher at the moment of need. TORSH Talent takes an innovative approach by utilizing its technology to provide a coaching and professional development ecosystem."

TouchMath Program

"I love TouchMath's multi-sensory, structured approach to foundational math skills. It is great for students who have foundational needs in number sense, whether they are early learners or in need of a different approach in middle elementary grades."

Voyager Sopris Learning, Step Up to Writing

"The Voyager Sopris Learning Step Up to Writing curriculum is designed using research-proven practices. This program has stood the test of time and was created for all students to use strategies that can be integrated into any curriculum or implemented as a standalone writing solution. This unique approach breaks writing skills into smaller steps."

Wayground (formerly Quizizz)

"Wayground (formerly Quizizz) combines interactive assessments, curriculum resources, and differentiation tools into one seamless experience for teachers and students. Wayground is basically Quizizz reinvented, enhanced with AI tools. Teachers and students both enjoy this product as a staple tool in their toolbox."

zSpace Career Explorer Powered by Career Coach AI

"This zSpace Career Explorer with Career Coach AI is an amazing platform that will help students chart their paths to the future. I particularly like the 3D aspect of performing hands-on, career-oriented tasks. The platform also offers life skills programs for neurodiverse students."

SECONDARY WINNERS

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (CPE794)

"From a technology department perspective, we’ve found it to be durable, reliable, and easy to support. The device delivers strong performance, built-in security, and added AI features, making it a good fit for our high school use. The convertible design holds up in daily classroom environments while helping the district manage costs and total cost of ownership."

Acer, TravelMate B5 14 (Model: TMB514-31)

Argossey

"Argossey feels like a practical way to turn all those quick 1:1 check-ins into organized notes and 'what to do next' insights, so teachers/counselors aren’t juggling everything in their heads."

AVID Products 50 Series: Purpose-Built Audio for Equitable Testing & Learning

"I really like the different connectivity options that the headset offers. Noise-canceling and noise-reduction features are needed in today’s classroom environment to help students better concentrate. I like the adjustability for a better fit in microphone placement."

BenQ InstaShow WDC15

"This is a great solution that simplifies the process of screen sharing. Although simple, they still put an emphasis on data and network security without compromising ease of use. The ability to still use your touchscreen on your interactive panel as well as not having to rely on any network protocols are excellent features."

BenQ SL04 PANTONE VALIDATED SIGNAGE

"One of the challenges with signage is color matching. It seems every panel/monitor says their color is the best. This is the first panel I know that Pantone has rated with their color matching. If you have signage for which color matching is imperative, this is the panel for your needs."

Bloomberg for Education

"At the high school level, Bloomberg for Education can be a strong fit when it’s tied directly to coursework and clear learning outcomes. When aligned well, it gives students meaningful exposure to real-world financial tools, but its impact depends on intentional integration rather than stand-alone use."

ClassLink Suite

"ClassLink is an excellent and comprehensive solution that addresses curricular, security, access, and data challenges. They are addressing some real issues in education. The workflows, interoperability, and ease of use make this an excellent solution for any level of education."

Content2Classroom, Best Educational Publishing Platform for Standards-Based Instruction and Assessment

"At the secondary level, Content2Classroom is a stronger fit, especially in environments with multiple courses and teachers. The ability to manage standards-aligned content across classes brings value for course teams and departments, making it more impactful for secondary teachers than in primary settings."

CTL, Student Chromebook Repair Program

"This is a very smart idea through which students can learn career-ready skills that can be applied immediately. It also builds student engagement and helps stretched IT departments. The curriculum is well done and delivered in multiple modes. Getting student buy-in and responsibility for solutions they are using is great. It is a win-win."

Discovery Education, Career Connect

"This is a good resource for bringing real-world career information into the classroom from well-known companies. I can see this being a product that would be of high interest to the students since many companies are familiar and doing innovative things in their marketplaces."

Edmentum, EdOptions Academy for Secondary Education

"The EdOptions Academy course materials are well-designed, easy to navigate and use, and feature high-quality media content. Information is clearly presented, and the combination of text and media elements makes courses engaging and grade-appropriate. Great product for middle and high school learners."

Edmentum Courseware for Secondary Education

"Edmentum’s comprehensive Courseware digital curriculum for grade 6 through adult learners is based on developing real-world skills, identifying students’ passions, and cultivating perseverance and grit. Courseware is rigorous, relevant, and aligned to state and national standards with more than 400 courses covering core, elective, CTE, world language, and advanced subjects."

Edmentum, Exact Path for Secondary Education

Gardyn

"The Gardyn for Schools Educator Bundles offer an extremely practical way to implement year-round, hands-on STEM and nutrition learning. The system is largely self-sufficient, featuring LED lighting and automated watering, and includes Kelby, which uses sensors and cameras to monitor the garden and prompt educators only when necessary."

HeyTutor

"HeyTutor is a solid high-dosage, in-person tutoring partner that’s built to scale (people + curriculum + a real admin dashboard), and it’s backed by recognizable quality signals such as Stanford NSSA’s Tutoring Program Design Badge and an EdTech Breakthrough award."

Inspired School Solutions, Improving School Administration Through the Power of Artificial Intelligence

"School Leader's Advantage serves as a practical 'admin co-pilot,' translating daily leadership challenges into research-backed, standards-aligned next steps. The integrated progress tracker and 'ITEM' idea are key features, providing the necessary structure to effectively execute improvement, rather than merely learn about it."

Instructure, Canvas - K12

"The Canvas Learning Management System by Instructure is a rock-solid platform for any educational institution. Now enhanced with AI capabilities, Canvas helps teachers set up and manage coursework easily. The tools that Canvas equips teachers and students with are both powerful and robust, enabling them to always show their best work."

IPEVO Inc., Vurbo.ai

"This is a very innovative use of AI language translation. The feature set and compatibility with video meeting software are great. Their privacy policy looks pretty solid too. They use data encryption and don’t store personally identifiable information on the servers. All data is anonymized and transcripts are saved on your device."

IXL Learning, Rosetta Stone for Schools

"This program supports non-English speaking students as they learn English. Students can learn at their own pace in culturally responsive environments. Using the same tools and features as the original Lexia Learning product, it sets students up for success."

Jebbee

"Jebbee's unique spin is providing actual responses to questions from your actual students. It's not a simple Q&A, but a short video from an actual member of that career field answering your students' questions. While it provides other tools to career readiness, this mobile-ready approach meets students how they interact with media."

K12 Tutoring

"K12 Tutoring feels like a strong high-impact tutoring option if you want certified teachers and you care about outcomes—its 2024–25 studies earned ESSA Level II, and its high school model hit Level III, with Renaissance Star gains. My main 'district hat' watch-out is making sure data governance is super clear since it falls under Stride’s privacy framework."

MAXCases, The Shield Phone Solution: Creating More Focused Classrooms

"The MAXCases Shield Phone Pouch Solution is a flexible tool that helps alleviate cell phone distractions in class. The design is flexible for classroom placement and offers ease of use and identification of student devices for easy retrieval. I particularly like the ability to choose whether to block RF signals."

NetSupport, classroom.cloud

"The NetSupport Classroom Cloud product is amazing when it comes to mobile device management at the classroom and teacher level. This system is also device-agnostic and allows teachers to have full control over the content and use of their students' district-owned devices."

Otus

ParentSquare Attendance Plus

"ParentSquare Attendance Plus is a very valuable product that we rely on to strengthen communication and support improved student attendance. Having real-time data, outreach, and intervention tracking embedded in the same platform families already use makes follow-up more timely and effective. It shifts the work from reactive compliance to proactive, relationship-based engagement with families."

PBLWorks TEACH

"TEACH feels like a legit 'PBL-in-a-box' with ready-to-run Gold Standard projects and embedded coaching, so teachers can launch strong, standards-aligned PBL without building everything from scratch."

Pikmykid Visitu Visitor Management

Visitu looks like a strong “front office safety upgrade” - fast ID scan + photo + badge printing with instant watchlist/sex-offender screening and automatic staff notifications, so you get a real audit trail instead of a paper binder.

Pitsco Education, Seeker

"This is a quality and cost-effective middle level robotics/coding solution from Pitsco. I appreciate the cross-curricular design of their instruction that also includes writing and career components. The use of block-based coding along with different sensors enriches the curriculum and adds flexibility to the learning experience."

Pitsco Education, FarmBeats

"For rural school districts, often the No. 1 industry is agriculture. For those districts, this is an insightful tool to connect the intersection of agriculture, technology, and AI. For urban districts, these STEM lessons provide insight into how agriculture is a cutting-edge industry and develop skills to connect them to meaningful careers in the industry."

Presence, Kanga by Presence

"Social-emotional learning has been a high need in our schools, but the needs for students vary. Kanga by Presence has tiered tools to meet those needs. From the free library of resources and case management, to teletherapy sessions for students and evaluations, it can be a value-add for systems who have a backlog in supporting students."

Proximity Learning

"Proximity Learning effectively addresses the teacher shortage by offering live, teacher-led instruction, avoiding asynchronous 'click-through' models. Furthermore, it extends its support to Special Education (SPED) by providing virtual case management, a critical resource when school districts are overwhelmed with compliance demands."

Reading Horizons

"Reading Horizons Elevate is an effective structured-literacy intervention for older students (grades 4–12). Its strength lies in providing scripted, teacher-led instruction alongside adaptive practice and progress monitoring, all within a format that respects the age of striving readers."

SchoolAI

"Tools such as School AI Mission Control are adaptable and support educators at all levels in amplifying instruction. By giving real-time insight into student thinking, it helps teachers address misconceptions quickly and connect learning back to content that aligns with state standards, making it a practical addition to everyday classroom practice."

School-Connect Curriculum

"School-Connect is an all-inclusive, low-preparation Tier 1–3 and advisory curriculum for grades 6–12. It offers extensive resources, including numerous lessons, videos, and a ‘Teen Voices’ component. A key feature is the built-in ability to monitor and track student development through climate surveys and pre- and post-assessments."

Sergeant Laboratories, AristotleK12

"AristotleK12 is like a legit 'one pane of glass' for student tech, filtering, classroom management, behavior alerts, and asset/utilization reporting, so IT doesn’t have to duct-tape five tools together."

Sharp Electronics Corporation - E Series Projector

"This is a well-designed projector. The longevity, paired with features, makes it an easy choice. I really like the 5-year warranty with Sharp’s InstaCare exchange service."

SMART Technologies, Lumio - Spark Plan

"Lumio Spark feels like a solid 'one platform' play for secondary: turn your existing Slides/PDFs into interactive lessons, collaborate in org/team libraries, and deliver right inside common LMS workflows without blowing up what teachers already do. I like that admins can pull real usage analytics, but I’d still want a thorough privacy/data-deletion review."

Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI), Bring Science Alive! Middle School Programs

"One of the challenges in a tech-driven educational movement is the balance of hands-on experiences, especially in science classrooms. Bring Science Alive! lives up to its name with resources, materials, and lessons that have students doing science, not just learning science vocabulary."

TeachTown enCORE - Secondary Education

"The TeachTown enCORE product is a tremendous standards-first, adapted core curriculum based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. I particularly like this product for its strong analog use of manipulatives, which provide effective assessment strategies. It is a robust curriculum enabling special needs students to achieve success."

The Social Institute, #WinAtSocial Lessons for Grades 9-12

"Whether we call it digital literacy or digital citizenship, districts are looking for tools that prepare students for better online or digital engagement, particularly when it comes to safety and skills. #WinAtSocial provides a comprehensive toolkit in the areas of A.I. literacy, college and career readiness, time management, decision-making, stress management, substance use prevention, and navigating high-pressure social situations."

ViewSonic LDS138-151 All-in-One Mobile Direct View LED Display

"This is an innovative portable solution that can take the place of cumbersome project and screen setups. The display is large and clear and can be folded smaller for transport. The motorized base and hot-swappable LED modules are great features. This display can be rolled into a multi-purpose room for quick setup."

Voyager Sopris Learning, TransMath

"Great product geared for middle and high school students who are behind grade level peers. It provides both online tools and print resources. It is not 'catch up as quickly as you can,' but a robust tool to reach underlying misconceptions for long term understanding."

Wayground

YouScience Brightpath

"Counselors and students will appreciate Brightpath’s career and strengths profiling that helps personalize pathways and support future readiness planning. It's not just getting information on careers, but an interest and skill inventory that connects students to paths to related careers."

HIGHER EDUCATION WINNERS

AppsAnywhere

"For universities looking to simplify access to academic software, AppsAnywhere is an efficiency upgrade that removes a lot of friction. By delivering required tools across devices without relying on specialized hardware, it helps institutions support students more equitably while reducing logistical and support challenges."

AVer Information Inc. TR615

"The AVer TR615 is a professional-grade remote learning camera designed for higher education lecture halls. With the built-in AI Auto Tracking PTZ functionality, it intuitively monitors classroom activity. This camera boasts a 19x optical zoom and stunning 4K resolution. I particularly like how it is platform-agnostic, working seamlessly with popular video conferencing platforms."

BenQ InstaShow WDC15

"This is a great solution that simplifies the process of screen sharing. Although simple, they still put an emphasis on data and network security without compromising ease of use. The ability to still use your touchscreen as well as not having to rely on any network protocols to share your screen are excellent features."

BenQ SL04 PANTONE VALIDATED SIGNAGE

Blackboard, Ally for Accessible Content and Better Learning for Everyone

"This is a much-needed tool for higher ed especially. This addresses a pain point for educators who want to make their lessons more accessible but don’t have the time or skills to do it."

Blackboard

"Blackboard is a strong system that supports clear communication and helps teachers build and manage streamlined courses. From a user perspective, having content, messaging, and organization in one place makes day-to-day teaching more efficient. It may not be flashy, but it is dependable and effective for supporting instruction."

Bloomberg for Education

"When it comes to preparing students for real careers, Bloomberg for Education stands out as a high-impact tool at the higher education level. Giving students hands-on access to professional-grade tools such as the Bloomberg Terminal builds real-world skills, confidence, and career readiness in a way simulated platforms simply can’t match."

ClassLink Suite

"ClassLink is an excellent, and comprehensive, solution that addresses curricular, security, access, and data challenges. They are addressing some real issues in education. The workflows, interoperability, and ease of use make this an excellent solution for any level of education."

Copyleaks AI Logic

"This tool is very good, I have used it myself and it works with a high level of accuracy. The feature improvements and integration with popular LMS solutions are great features. It is also an easy solution to use. I would highly recommend this for higher ed environments."

Epson PowerLite L790SE

"Epson PowerLite L790SE Short Throw 3LCD Laser Projector packs a powerhouse of video capability into a small form factor. It provides an amazingly large display up to 400 inches! Full HD resolution and 4K enhancements make it stunningly vibrant. The cost for education is tremendous, with no maintenance on the bulb for more than 30,000 hours!"

Instructure, Canvas

"The Canvas Learning Management System by Instructure is a rock-solid platform for any educational institution. Now enhanced with AI capabilities, Canvas helps teachers set up and manage their coursework very easily. The tools that Canvas equips teachers and students with are both powerful and robust, enabling them to always show their best work."

IXL Learning, Rosetta Stone

Kaplan, All Access License by Kaplan

"Kaplan’s All Access License feels like a clean equity play: one flat institutional fee that gives every student access to legit prep (MCAT/LSAT/GRE/NCLEX and more) instead of only the kids who can pay out of pocket."

LearnWise AI

"LearnWise AI feels like a genuinely scalable 'student experience layer' for higher ed—embedded in the LMS for tutoring and feedback, plus 24/7 campus support that can reportedly resolve ~97% of Tier 1 questions and cut ticket volume meaningfully."

Legrand | AV, Legrand | AV - Da-Lite Myriad Electric Screen System

"The Legrand Da-Lite Myriad electric screen system supports large-format screens up to 16 feet wide and is compatible with high-resolution, 16K-ready ambient light-rejecting surfaces. This screen basically future-proofs schools' display capabilities!"

Packback

"I really like the way they are using AI. They are actually using it to help coach and teach the student through the writing process."

Studiosity Support and Validate

"I appreciate that Studiosity's Support & Validate stack, comprising Study Assist and AI writing feedback, offers 24/7, 'help not answers' support, keeping students in control of their learning. Their positioning of this as a closed-system AI with human supervision is a particularly positive feature."

ViewSonic LDM136-151 All-in-One Direct View LED Display

"The LDM136-151 display is an excellent and durable display that will deliver consistent results in any large format space. There are plenty of connectivity options and the 30W speakers are sized to fill a room with sound. Also, the ability to centrally manage your fleet of displays will make IT departments happy."

Zoom Workplace for Education with AI Companion

"While Interactive Whiteboard software has been around for quite a while, the new ZOOM Workspace for Education with AI solution raises the bar for bringing interactive collaboration to fruition. I particularly liked the effortless ease to collaborate across various devices—web browser, tablet, desktop, or their new Zoom Rooms for Touch tool."

Beyond the Hype: How Human-Centered Leadership Shapes the Future of AI in Education

Christine Weiser — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In the rapidly evolving landscape of educational technology, the conversation often centers on efficiency—how quickly we can generate a lesson plan, grade a paper, or analyze data. However, for Noor Shammas, an Instructional Technology Coordinator at Naperville Community Unit School District 203 in Illinois in her second year of leadership – and recent winner of the Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award – the focus must remain steadfastly on the "human" element of the equation.

Shammas, who describes her role as a synthesis of her "Big Four" passions—instructional technology, curriculum and instruction, professional learning, and coaching—believes that while AI offers incredible utility, its true power lies in its ability to deepen human connection rather than replace it.

Defining Human-Centered AI

(Image credit: Graceful Joy Photography)

The fear that AI might replace educators is a common narrative, but Shammas argues that a human-centered approach renders that fear obsolete. To her, the definition is clear.

"Human-centered AI in education is when we integrate AI and other technology into classrooms in ways that enhance strong instructional practices, student learning, and human relationships rather than replacing them," Shammas says.

She clarifies what this looks like in practice. It isn't simply typing a prompt, generating an output, and copying and pasting it to save time. While Shammas acknowledges that "time is our greatest commodity that's depleting faster than we can keep up with," she emphasizes that efficiency should be a means to an end, not the end itself. The goal is to use AI to handle tasks that free up the educator to focus on complex problem-solving and interpersonal connections.

"It means that you're using AI to increase your efficiency in one area so that you can solve a problem or accomplish a goal with colleagues and students in another area," she says. "It’s keeping humans in the loop. You're the one who knows what your students need first."

AI in Action: From Penguins to Multimodal Learning

Shammas offers concrete examples of how her district is leveraging AI to personalize instruction in ways that were previously incredibly time-consuming. She highlights a coach she works with who utilizes image generation to support a student with specific needs.

"I've worked with a coach who is creating social stories for a student who loves penguins, and the coach is creating images of penguins to teach the student her lagging skills in social stories. Truly personalizing learning for the student," Shammas says.

Beyond individualization, teachers in her district are using tools such as NotebookLM to create multimodal artifacts, allowing students to review and extend their learning through different mediums. Crucially, the students themselves are becoming part of the process. Shammas notes that students are "creating their own images now . . . and refining their prompts to navigate the bias and inaccuracies that AI can produce."

This inclusion of student voice is vital. Shammas’ district recently facilitated a learning advisory during which staff listened to students in grades 6 through 12. The feedback was illuminating.

"We actually had one student say, 'I wish my teachers knew that we are truly trying to use it to learn . . . not only to cheat. I really want to use it for learning,'" Shammas says.

The Power of Coalition

Noor Shammas shares participating at a recent LEAP Panel. (Image credit: Naperville Community Unit School District 203/Noor Shammas)

Navigating this new terrain is not a solo endeavor. Shammas is deeply involved with the LEAP Innovations Chicagoland Coalition for Human-Centered AI. This group brings together a diverse array of educational leaders—from public and private schools to charter and rural districts—to grapple with the hopes and fears surrounding AI. The coalition allows districts to share stories, problem-solve, and realize that despite their different demographics, they are facing the same challenges.

For districts looking to replicate this success without access to a local coalition, Shammas advises looking at existing partners in a new light. She suggests that Customer Success Managers (CSMs) from edtech vendors are often untapped resources.

"Don't underestimate your customer service managers. They're not just selling products. They're also willing to help connect you," she says, noting that these partners often see what is working in other districts and can facilitate connections. (See her Tools They Use).

Leadership with a Vulnerable Heart

Implementing such a complex vision requires steady, authentic leadership. Shammas admits that stepping out of the classroom into a coordinator role came with "impostor syndrome," a feeling familiar to many women in leadership. Her advice to aspiring leaders is to lean into vulnerability and self-reflection.

Citing Brené Brown as an influence, Shammas suggests leading with a heart that isn't "armored." "To me, that just means being vulnerable, like admitting when I don't know something or I can't do something," she says.

She also emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with critical thinkers rather than "yes people," and maintaining a growth mindset even when the job gets tough. She shares a personal strategy for those difficult days when she feels the urge to retreat.

"By shifting my mindset from 'I want to run away' to 'What can I learn from it?' it really helps me grow as a leader," she says. "You have to always be growing as a leader."

Intentionality First

Ultimately, whether discussing leadership struggles or the latest AI rollout, Shammas returns to a core philosophy: intentionality.

"Technology should serve the inquiry, not dictate it,” she says. “Like the discussions we have at Tech & Learning’s events, we need a return to intentional use—focusing on pedagogy first, rather than chasing the latest shiny, flashy tools."

The technology must serve the learning, not the other way around.

"We try to quickly move staff from learning about the capabilities of a tool to focus on what we want students to learn and how we want them to show they've learned it. And then we align the use of the tool to those driving questions," Shammas says. "It’s all about choosing your starting point."

By keeping the focus on relationships, student needs, and clear instructional goals, Shammas demonstrates that the future of AI in education isn't about the code—it's about the people.

Tools They Use

Shammas' district is a Microsoft and Google district. “Our Google rep has been incredibly helpful,” she says.
Magic School - "They’ve also been incredible,” she says.
Seesaw - "Another great one as well, offering lots of professional learning.”
Formative - "An awesome group of people who really help us to get into the tools.'

Beyond the Screen: How Esports is Redefining Student Wellness

Christine Weiser — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

There are still plenty of misconceptions around scholastic esports: kids are just playing games, esports lead to unhealthy screen time and poor academic performance, video games are isolating and don't teach valuable skills.

The facts show different results. When scholastic esports are structured properly, many schools see student academic performance improving. Players learn valuable skills like teamwork and critical thinking, and a recent study shows that esports can also be a key component to student wellness and social cohesion.

According to John Phillips of Berrien RESA, an educational service agency serving over 24,000 students in Michigan, the true power of esports lies not in the technology, but in its ability to reconnect a generation of students who have faced unprecedented isolation.

Phillips recently was recently recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award for his work in scaling Professional Learning programs across Michigan and his advocacy for esports and wellness.

The Great Generational Leveler

Phillips, whose agency encompasses a diverse mix of rural agricultural communities and corporate hubs near Benton Harbor, sees esports as a unique tool for equity. Unlike traditional athletics, which often rely on physical attributes or socioeconomic access to expensive equipment and travel leagues, esports opens the door for everyone.

"It is a great generational leveler," Phillips says. "Players of any socioeconomic status can participate. It doesn't matter if the student has high or low academic performance. None of that really matters in the esports space."

This inclusivity extends to students with physical disabilities as well. Thanks to adaptive controllers and accessibility features from game publishers, students who might never make the football team can finally experience the camaraderie of varsity sports.

"We're seeing all students get involved," says Phillips. "I think that is one of the great leveling components we've had from esports. It could be the varsity quarterback or it could be a student who sits in the back of the class and doesn't talk to anybody. They get to esports and all of a sudden that's their thing."

Busting the "Basement Dweller" Myth

John Phillips (at left) with esports league players (Image credit: Berrien RESA/John Phillips)

Despite the inclusivity, administrators looking to start programs often face a significant hurdle: the stigma that gaming promotes sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles. Phillips is quick to point out that a well-run scholastic esports program actually teaches the opposite.

"Huge misconceptions include that these students don't care about their health. All they care about is the screen and all they care about is button smashing," Phillips says. "That couldn't be further from the truth."

Phillips emphasizes that to be a competitor, students must master skills that include healthy nutrition, physical activity, and balance. He jokingly refers to the need for students to "touch grass"—a gamer term for disconnecting and going outside.

"What they don't have mastered is: 'How do I take care of myself?'" Phillips says. "How do I take care of my physical self so that I don't end up with carpal tunnel or burning out or stress injuries? How do I take care of my mental wellbeing?"

By formalizing gaming into a school program, educators can provide the structure necessary to teach these wellness habits, addressing "rage quitting" and emotional regulation in a way that unsupervised home gaming cannot.

The push for wellness in esports isn't just anecdotal; it is backed by significant research. Phillips highlights a partnership involving NASEF (Network of Academic Scholastic Esports Federations) and the Department of Homeland Security focused on reducing violence and radicalization in online spaces. The goal was to see if structured esports programs could foster social cohesion and reduce isolation.

Using the eight-step program developed by NASEF, the initiative sought to help students feel a stronger connection to their school community.

"The idea was: could putting those steps in place actually help students feel more social cohesion to the school? Could it help them feel more part of a team?" Phillips says.

By creating a supervised environment, schools can turn a potentially isolating activity into a community-building engine.

Building a Durable Program

For districts inspired to launch their own programs, Phillips offers a crucial piece of advice regarding sustainability: "It cannot be a single person's passion project."

While a passionate teacher is necessary to kickstart the initiative, long-term success requires a coalition of stakeholders, including administration, parents, and students. "If you have multiple stakeholders involved, that's going to allow for that durability factor for this to continue," he advises.

This community approach also helps in overcoming parental hesitation. Phillips suggests that the best way to win over skeptics is to invite them to get involved.

"They have to see it to believe it," he says, noting that the demographic of parents is shifting toward those who grew up with video games, making the conversation easier than it was a decade ago.

Start with What You Have

Finally, Phillips addresses the financial barrier. Many districts assume esports requires a lab full of $3,000 gaming PCs. However, the barrier to entry has lowered significantly.

"You already have the infrastructure to start an esports program," Phillips asserts. "With the advent of cloud gaming and Minecraft being on the Chromebook, that makes esports pretty universally available in schools."

He also points to low-cost consoles like the Nintendo Switch as a viable entry point for games like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart. "It isn't as though you need to invest thousands and thousands of dollars. Don't let yourself get bogged down in what you don't have," he encourages. "Focus on what you do have and show that it can be successful."

Ultimately, Phillips believes that for esports to remain a fixture in education, it must be about more than just entertainment. It must serve the whole child.

"I'm grateful to Tech & Learning for the opportunity to share the wellness side of esports,” Phillips says. “While gaming is cool, gaming on its own is not a durable function in schools. There has to be more to the calling. Whether it's career pathways or wellness connections, those elements add the validity needed to integrate esports into both academic and social programming."

Finding The Right Tools To Drive Student Innovation

Ray Bendici — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

(Image credit: Andy Fekete)

“Teachers only have so much bandwidth and capacity with new technology,” says Andy Fekete, the Director for Innovation and Technology for Community Consolidated School District 93 in Bloomingdale and Carol Stream, Illinois. “So we want to make sure that as we're introducing new things, we’re doing it as a ‘value add’ and not as a one more thing to manage.”

In those discussions with teachers, Fekete focuses on how new technology can increase their efficiency and improve student learning outcomes, and tries to find a match for their need.

“I try to be a tinkerer, an explorer, and why I find so much value in conference or networking opportunities,” says Fekete. “I fill up notebooks with things that I see so that I'm prepared when a teacher reaches out and says, ‘I just wish that there was a better way to do blank.’ And I'll say, ‘Actually I do have an idea for you!’ Or, ‘Hey, I have a strong PLN that I can reach out to.’”

In his role for CCSD 93, which serves 3,300 students across nine buildings, Fekete oversees technology services, including maintenance and data privacy, and works closely with the curriculum team on effective technology use to support instruction and student learning outcomes.

For this and his other efforts, Fekete was recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award at Tech & Learning's Midwest Regional Summit in Chicago.

The Right Tools For The Job

In his work across the district, Fekete stresses the necessity of being intentional about connecting tool investments to meaningful teaching and learning.

“There's a lot of great tools out there,” Fekete says. “But everything is an investment, even if it's a free tool, right? So we focus on how do we ensure that what we're doing really is having an impact on teaching and learning.”

Fekete says the key for him is to find the right tools and resources to support student potential.

“We only have our students for so many minutes during the day and for so many days out of the year,” he says. “So one of the things that I'm really proud of is that the stuff that we have access to is really high-quality so that we can really feel confident about what students have, and that they can use it well to help achieve their goals.”

Looking Forward With CoSN

Fekete has been instrumental in supporting work with CoSN, contributing to the recent Driving K12 Innovation report, which is a guide for education leaders to help navigate an ever-changing edtech landscape. It provides a framework grounded in real-world challenges, transformative trends, and innovative solutions, and highlights three key areas of focus:

1. Hurdles - These are roadblocks that force schools to slow down, prepare themselves, and make a leap. The top ones include attracting and retaining educators and IT professionals, technology evolution, and digital equity.

2. Accelerators - These are real-world megatrends or catalysts that help motivate and increase the speed of innovation. Included are involving learner agency, building the human capacity of leaders, and fostering student voice.

“People are passionate about building the human capacity of our learners and changing those attitudes towards demonstrated learning,” Fekete says. “So what does that look like? Does it have to be an end-of-the-unit summative assessment, or can it be a video project? Can it be a podcast? What does it look like and how is this different from the way that things have been?”

3. Tech Enablers - These are “the tools that grease the wheels” to overcome hurdles and leverage accelerators. Generative AI, analytics, and broadband connectivity fall in here.

Along that line, Fekete is part of a CoSN AI task force developing guidelines for the evaluation, adoption, and ethical use of AI.

“AI is one of the first disruptors in the technology space that is happening to education where we haven't been able to have a master switch that we've turned on and off,” Fekete says. “As long as we've had technology in schools, the schools have dictated, right? ‘When are we going to buy typewriters, right?’ ‘When are we going to bring in computers, right?’ ‘When are we going to connect to the internet?’ etc. For the most part the schools have dictated the pace of those changes.”

Part of the effort to effectively implement AI involves helping to establish a baseline awareness for all educators

“Some people are latching on to it more than others, right? And so we wanted to create a floor for everyone to say, ‘Here's a starting point where everyone can be,’” Fekete says. “And then you can build upon that. But we feel like some people are in the sky and some people are in the basement.”

Fekete says he and CoSN hope to have those guidelines released later this year.

Fekete is also involved in CoSN reports concerning the future of work and ethical innovation, specifically emphasizing inclusivity, ethics, and responsible digital citizenship.

Ultimately, he notes that the challenge with edtech continues to be understanding that it is constantly changing and evolving.

“Everything is moving so fast, so it's really about trying to be progressive and supportive but also thoughtful in our approach,” Fekete says. “I’m constantly thinking about how do we embrace new technologies? How do we ensure that our teachers have the skill set and the mindset to look at the intersection of technology and learning? What does that look like in the year 2025, right? And what does that look like beyond 2025?”

Tools They Use

Google Calendar and Fantastical - "They keep my day on track and prevent surprises," says Fekete.
Gmail - "#InboxLife #InboxZero."
Google Drive (Docs, Slides, Sheets) - "Shared work happens here."
MacBook and iPad - "My core workspace."
Moleskine notebook and Retro 51 Pens - "For quick notes when typing feels slower."
ChatGPT and Google Gemini - "For drafting, planning, and thinking through ideas."
Adobe Express and Canva - "For clean graphics and quick layouts."
Spotify - "Music helps me focus."
Apple Reminders - "Keeps tasks visible so nothing slips."
A giant water bottle - "Hydration keeps the brain working!"

Embracing Diversity, Collaboration, and Inclusion For Edtech Success

Ray Bendici — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Cori Coburn (Image credit: Austin Community College District/Cori Coburn)

When it comes to technology, sometimes less is more.

“You don't have to be weighed down with so many tools around your belt,” says Cori Coburn, Educational Technology Support Manager for Austin Community College District in Texas. “I say you need just a ‘FEW’–frequently executed well-focused–tools to help you to be productive for your teaching and learning. You don't have to be a jack-of-all-trades. You need to be focused, not just have a breadth of different tools, but a depth in understanding those tools.”

Coburn encourages edtech users across her district–and beyond–to deeply learn chosen tools, participate in multiple trainings, and remain flexible as technology evolves. This approach has helped her serve Austin Community College's extensive network of 11 teaching and learning centers, which serve as physical spaces for staff and faculty technology support, as well as offer equipment checkout, software application training, and guidance on integrating technology for teaching and learning.

For this ongoing work, Coburn, who is also the current president-elect of TCEA, was recently recognized with the Innovative Educational Technology Support Manager Award at the Tech & Learning Regional Summit in Austin, part of the Innovative Leader Awards.

Coburn discusses how she handles the importance of team diversity and collaboration, and the necessity of K-12 and higher education partnerships.

Diversity Drives Success

“I think when people talk about technology and education, sometimes we pass over the human connection,” says Coburn, who oversees a team of more than two dozen direct reports. “That is the part that will not be replaced by AI. The sympathy, the empathy, the being able to communicate clearly and understand what's being given to us. Being able to be flexible in times when that is called for, and encouraging of others. Just because this is not your background doesn't mean that you do not belong.”

With a large team spread out, managing it all presents challenges on multiple fronts.

“My biggest challenge is that I've never been able to get my entire team at the same place at the same time because when we're working, we are continually providing support for the district,” says Coburn. “I think that kind of takes away from their ability to be a more cohesive team because some of them have never met face to face.”

Even if she can’t bring her team together physically, Coburn relies on their diversity to handle their responsibilities.

“Diversity seems to be a bad word depending on who's having the discussion but it has made my team extraordinarily strong,” says Coburn, who adds personnel ranges from recent college graduates to retirees returning to the workforce. “Everybody doesn't have to be knowledgeable in the same thing, but you do need to know who has more expertise in that thing to help you out. And because we are so diverse, we can serve a larger audience not just with our communication and language skills but with our experience and being able to make a connection.”

Partnering With K-12

Coburn says one of the best aspects of a partnership between K-12 and higher ed is that it allows educators on both sides to share ideas and drive innovation. In addition, it also provides valuable experiences for students.

“If you have the opportunity to collaborate with higher ed and you're in K-12, do it because not every student will graduate with a degree, but a lot of students who come out of K-12 will have some exposure to vocational or higher education who have partnerships with local industry, as well as different vocations and jobs,” she says.

To that, Austin Community College District has a Make It Center, which Coburn describes as “a maker space meets technology and vocational spaces.” It offers K-12 students access to technologies such as 3D printers and drones, and supports how those are used in real-world, local industries, such as manufacturing and health care.

“Just to get that hands-on experience with the technology that's being used in local industries without having to be enrolled in the class or any special program, I think benefits the local school districts,” says Coburn.

Bringing Everyone To The Table

When it comes to purchasing a digital solution for an entire district, Coburn says the long-term success is often decided before it even arrives on campus.

“The teachers who would be using a tool or software every day, they first hear about it and they say, ‘Oh, we got this new thing. And if I didn't have a say in it, I may not want to contribute to its use. I may not find its value. I may not see how it can help me or my co-workers.’ And it's just no buy in,” she says.

To get that early buy in, Coburn recommends bringing as many stakeholders as possible to the table during purchasing processes. “Yes, administrators are very important,” she says. “But the teachers, the aids, the parents, the librarians, other stakeholders, all need to have a say in that technology, how that technology is used and what kind of financial investment that technology is to the school district. Sometimes this bright shiny thing that looks good and now is at a reasonable price because it's almost obsolete technology.”

Ultimately, Coburn encourages everyone to “stay focused because everything we do is for the students, and those who can't keep up will get left behind and advantage will go to those who don't have the same challenges.”

Tools They Use

Coburn shares her FEW favorite tools:

Scite.ai: “AI-powered research tool that elevates how I locate, evaluate, and cite academic sources. I use it to verify the strength of claims in research, find credible evidence to support instructional content, and stay current on trends in pedagogy and educational technology. It saves time and improves academic rigor in course design and professional development sessions.”
Canva: “My go-to for designing engaging, accessible learning visuals, flyers, and multimedia content. Whether I’m creating workshop materials, tutorials, or graphics for social media, Canva’s intuitive interface and rich library help me quickly produce professional designs that enhance communication and visual learning without needing advanced design skills. It provides a wide range of visually engaging design tools while making it simple to incorporate accessibility best practices into all my projects.”
Chat GPT: “My go-to OG generative AI tool. It helps me brainstorm ideas, draft communications, create training scripts, and answer technical or instructional questions on the fly. It boosts my productivity, supports team collaboration, and allows me to scaffold AI literacy in my department. I also use it to explore how faculty can use it to support student learning and help staff build ethical AI integration practices.”
Asana: “The project management tool that keeps my team aligned across campuses, departments, tasks, and timelines. I use it to manage portfolios, assign tasks, track progress, and streamline operations for multi-campus support. Asana’s transparency and organization features make it easier to prioritize requests, meet deadlines, and coordinate our efforts with instructional designers and other district departments.”
All things Adobe Creative Cloud (fave apps are Premiere Pro and Firefly): “Adobe tools empower me to create rich, multimedia instructional content. I use Premiere Pro for producing high-quality video tutorials and faculty training modules, and Firefly for generating creative assets quickly using AI. These tools support faculty and staff who want to create their own learning media, giving our artifacts for teaching and learning a polished, professional edge.”

Installing And Owning Your Own District Fiber-Optic Internet

Sascha Zuger — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Texas City ISD’s E-Rate Fiber Project involved designing and planning the installation of district-owned fiber internet to six campuses from the former La Marque ISD that TCISD annexed in 2016. Instead of leasing fiber-optic connections from external providers, the district will now own and manage the entirety of its own fiber infrastructure.

“We were buying leased fiber from Comcast which gets really expensive,” says Gina Covington, CTO at TCISD. “We owned our own fiber originally so we knew we had the ability. Besides the price tag, not owning our own fiber in those campuses meant we were at their mercy regarding when they wanted to take it down to do maintenance.”

(Image credit: Texas City ISD/Gina Covington)

On a normal day, this might seem a matter of a small nuisance to plan around, but the district found out just how disruptive not having control of your access could be.

”We were just starting our official state testing and everything went dark,” Covington says. “We scrambled, ‘What is going on?’ They said, ‘Oh, we planned some maintenance and forgot to let you know. Don’t worry, it will be fixed in a couple of hours.’ We told them, ‘You can’t just do this—we are in state testing!’ They restarted it a few hours later, but by that time, it was too late and we had to cancel testing for the day. That meant having to contact the state and making arrangements for another test time, which was no small thing.”

For the fiber installation project and other efforts, Covington was recently recognized with the Innovative CTO Award at the Tech & Learning Regional Summit in Austin, part of the Innovative Leader Awards.

She shares how utilizing the eRate program allowed her district to take back ownership of its lifeline to connectivity for better reliability and cost savings.

Adding Fiber to The Digital Diet

(Image credit: Texas City ISD)

TCISD’s adopted lease-lit fiber campuses had already been disrupted at times due to unforeseen issues. In one case, a tree being cut in Dallas five hours away along the line shut down the entire area past the incident location.

“We had been trying to figure out a way to get this done,” Covington says. “We also had our original TCISD-owned fiber we wanted moved from overhead to underground, which is an expensive switch. We decided, let's go for an E-Rate project.”

Owning the fiber, controlling the maintenance timing, and being in control of issues that might arise to be able to efficiently address them outside of school hours was more than a matter of convenience, it was a matter of security.

“When we lost connectivity in the past due to outside forces, we suddenly had nothing,” Covington says. “It wasn’t just that we couldn’t go online for classwork, we were dead in the water. Our phones are IP phones. Our HVAC system, our cameras, our phone system, not only internally but for parents needing to get in touch with campus or their children, our badge access points—everything we have runs off our internet.”

An outside vendor’s whim of when to shut down for maintenance wasn’t the only challenge that made the project necessary. TCISD is located on the coastline, with some schools a mere 100 yards from the sea. Having overhead lines moved underground was critical to protect the fiber from hurricane winds, storms, and other environmental factors with potential damage along the Texas Coast.

“We are a heavy tech district,” says Covington. “Every student has a laptop, a Windows device. We have lots of access control, cameras, we have e-sports—you name it, we’ve got it. We are heavy on bandwidth and we need to make sure we have fast speed for everyone from students and teachers to our law enforcement and emergency management departments.”

E-Rate to the Rescue

(Image credit: Texas City ISD)

The FCC's E-Rate program aims to make telecommunications and information services more affordable for eligible schools and libraries with funding from the Universal Service Fund.

“We applied for it and got approved,” says Covington. “Owning the fiber for the six campuses as well as burying our overhead fibers was a $3 million dollar project. We paid about the equivalent of one year of the Comcast fiber rent and USAC through E-Rate covered the rest.”

The E-Rate program provides discounts from 20 to 90 percent, based on determinations of poverty level, rural status, and library designation. The funds are geared specifically toward telecommunications, Internet access, and internal connections.

“Owning the fiber infrastructure will not only improve our access, but eliminate the need for budget allocations for leasing fiber, resulting in long-term cost savings for the district,” Covington says.

The massive endeavor involved collaboration between the district and local government, as well as the Texas DoT and railroad commission, as installation requires digging and affects many entities. Overall, the E-Rate Fiber Project was the perfect strategic initiative aimed at enhancing the district's technological capabilities and ensuring a stable and efficient digital environment for all campuses.

“Owning our own fiber means for consistency, we are always up, always on,” Covington says. “In terms of bandwidth and speed, those campuses we took over didn't have quite the same speed that we had, so this provided some equity to bring them up to the same speed with the ability to expand.”

Reliability = Responsibility

(Image credit: Texas City ISD)

TCISD’s future-minded STEM Experience was designed to support the district's CTE pipeline by integrating coding and STEM activities early to prepare students for advanced technical and vocational training programs. The goal is to have every student learn to code by grade six.

“We start in Pre-K, teaching them how to program with color,” says Covington. “Purple means right, blue means left. They have little cars they can program by color. Then we move up to block coding, and on and on. Our area has a lot of petroleum refineries who are now looking for kids that can code because their machines are running off of coding. We're trying to prepare students to move into those fields.”

The STEM Experience includes robotics, makerspace, coding, and engineering design activities paving the way to future success. Schools have interactive walls and floors, and augmented VR tech in every campus. The district’s buses are equipped with WiFi so athletes can stay connected for studies on long rides to games. When hurricanes and storms hit, they drive those WiFi-enabled buses into neighborhoods without power or internet so students can stay on track.

With so many stakeholders relying on the ability to stay connected, finding a solution through the E-Rate Fiber Program was key for this Texas district to weather any storm.

“This will last for decades, that's the beauty of fiber,” says Covington. “We've set the next generation up for success. None of this would have been possible without my amazing team. These guys work so hard, You just can’t accomplish something of this level without such a cohesive group. We have a common vision. We always want to create a path for our students. That’s our job.”

Gina Covington (center) and her TCISD team. (Image credit: Texas City ISD)

3 Tips for Districts Considering Infrastructure Improvements

Plan far in advance. The partner you choose to do this is going to have to file all kinds of permitting documents with the state, Railroad Commission, DOT, etc. Don't expect it to happen within 12 months.
Use the E-Rate program. Other grant programs might work well in your state or region, but whichever way you go, just don't fund it all yourself. The money is out there!
Plan it to the granular level. Invite all the stakeholders to the table and really think it through. “It took us about a year of talking about it and mapping it out,” says Covington. “‘What bandwidth do we need? Do we need single mode? Do we need multi-mode? What speed are we looking for? How is this going to impact us?’”

Tools They Use

Classlink
Canvas
MagicSchool
ParentSquare
Promethean Interactive Displays
Sphero robots
Aruba Central
Lansweeper
Lanschool
Linewize
Microsoft Intune

Charting Your Path to Educational Leadership

Christine Weiser — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Aspiring to a leadership role in education can feel daunting, but it's a journey fueled by passion, purpose, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.

Anna Fitzsimmons, Coordinator of Digital Learning at Belton ISD in Texas, and recent winner of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Award, shares her advice for educators considering a move into a school district leadership position.

Fitzsimmons began her journey as an elementary school teacher and, with the help of allies in the district who championed her talent, found the courage to pursue a leadership role.

Embrace the "Renaissance"

One of the most important takeaways from successful leaders is the ability to see challenges as opportunities for growth.

“A pivotal turning point for my career in this role was during COVID,” says Fitzsimmons. “A lot of people felt like drowning during COVID, but I felt like it was my renaissance. I taught virtual classes in the morning and in-person classes in the afternoon. I realized that I had to shift how I taught the virtual class because you had to engage kids in a very different way. I brought some of those tidbits into my in-person class in the afternoon and I started realizing how well personalized and blended learning worked for all kids. This put me on a path to learn more about implementing personalized learning and rejuvenated me as a teacher.”

Fitzsimmons went on to get her masters at Texas Tech in personalized and blended learning, which was an important first step toward a leadership path and personal mission and vision.

Join the Conversation

Fitzsimmons credits allies Shad McGaha (Belton ISD’s CTO, at left) and Frank Murray (Belton ISD’s Director of Instructional Technology at right) with supporting her leadership career journey. (Image credit: Anna Fitzsimmons)

Leaders aren't made in isolation. They emerge from the collective work of their community. Fitzsimmons advises: “Get involved. Volunteer for committees, join professional learning communities, and actively participate in district-wide initiatives. This not only gives you a voice but also allows you to connect with other dedicated educators and administrators.”

Presenting, while it can feel scary, is also a powerful way to share your expertise and learn from others. As Fitzsimmons notes, "the truth is there's always somebody that will resonate from what you were saying."

By presenting, you not only learn what's working and what isn't, but you also expand your network and showcase your skills to those who might be looking for future leaders. She also emphasizes the importance of joining "anything and everything whether you're getting paid or not" because it helps you realize you're not alone and exposes you to different ways of solving problems.

Find Your People and Your Purpose

As part of her journey to district leadership, Fitzsimmons (center) began presenting at conferences. (Image credit: Anna Fitzsimmons)

Fitzsimmons stressed that the people you surround yourself with are crucial.

“Seek out mentors and colleagues who inspire you, challenge you, and support you on your professional journey,” she advises. “These mentors don't have to be in your field. What's most important is that they advocate for you and push you to grow.”

Equally important is staying grounded in your "why." The stress of “imposter syndrome”—the feeling that you're not good enough or don't deserve your position—is a common experience, even for the most successful leaders. When you feel this doubt, remember your purpose. For Fitzsimmons, "when I put myself out there, that's actually where I get the most rewarded because that's when people do reach out. At one recent presentation, for example, a teacher came up to me and said, 'Wow, what you said to me impacted my whole day.' When I have doubts, this kind of feedback is a reminder that people believe in me.”

By focusing on your passion—whether it's celebrating what your students are achieving or helping colleagues with new technology—you shift the focus away from your own fears and onto the collective good. This helps you move past the self-doubt and into a space of purpose-driven leadership.

Paying it Forward

Fitzsimmons (center) conducts professional development training regularly throughout the district. (Image credit: Anna Fitzsimmons)

Fitzsimmons has embraced her new role as Coordinator of Digital Learning by creating engaging professional development programs to support the teachers in her district. She highlights several successful programs that have created a "fun momentum" within her district, proving that investing in teachers’ growth directly benefits students and makes the entire educational ecosystem stronger.

Tech Tuesdays: This initiative is a series of short, fun videos showcasing how technology partners are used within the district. It’s an easy way to share what’s working and help teachers feel confident using new tools. The program also highlights effective partnerships. As Fitzsimmons explains, it’s about "showing how these partnerships work and also what we're doing with the tech products in the district."
Certifications: The district offers various certification programs, including Google certifications, which are accessible through a self-paced online format or an in-person summer session. Fitzsimmons believes these certifications are empowering because it provides teachers with valuable, practical skills that can be immediately applied in the classroom. The program has grown significantly, starting with just five participants and expanding to more than 80 in a recent summer session.
Blended Learning Certifications: This intensive 30-hour program has been a huge success. The district celebrates teachers' accomplishments with badges and public recognition from upper administration, which creates a buzz and encourages others to participate. "Those are just really fun initiatives that end up taking off like fire," Fitzsimmons says. The enthusiasm generated by these certifications has led teachers to become confident and proactive leaders themselves, with many starting their own PD on their campuses.

Fitzsimmons notes that these programs, while starting small, have been instrumental in creating a culture of organic professional growth. By empowering teachers and celebrating their successes, the district has been able to overcome budget limitations for mentorship or ambassador roles. The result is a self-fulfilling cycle of excitement and learning that ultimately helps teachers and, most importantly, impacts the students they serve.

“The journey to educational leadership is not a linear one,” says Fitzsimmons. “It's about taking risks, embracing discomfort, and staying connected to your purpose. By getting involved, building your network, and focusing on your core beliefs, you can chart a course that not only benefits your career but also uplifts the entire educational community.”

Tools They Use

Nearpod: This is a tool that Anna Fitzsimmons used during COVID-19 to create a virtual class. She states that it "really helped...me kind of...find my light again," and that it was instrumental in her realization of the effectiveness of blended learning.
Google: Fitzsimmons states that they offer certifications that are "very empowering" for teachers and that the district is a "workspace district" dedicated to their products and approach to education.
Google Meets: Fitzsimmons and her colleague use their video conferencing platform to meet with other districts to talk about things and learn from them.
Gemini: Fitzsimmons says this AI tool from Google is her "biggest baby right now," and is being used by teachers to make their jobs easier and help enhance learning.
Sam's Lab: A company that provides STEM-related products and services. Fitzsimmons mentions that they've had "fun with that" and that it is one of their partners.
Cybernut: This cybersecurity company was the first tool presented at the district’s "Tech Tuesdays" initiative. Fitzsimmons says it provides a fun gamified approach to cybersecurity.
Managed Methods: Fitzsimmons states this filtering solution is very good and has "definitely...saved some kids."
Renaissance: A company that offers educational solutions, including the Nearpod and Renaissance platforms. Fitzsimmons says, "The Nearpod Renaissance gives us the needed capacity for personalized learning."

How to Use Data Insight to Inform Professional Development Plans

Sascha Zuger — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

As the second largest district in the nation, it is no small feat to analyze and understand the needs of Los Angeles Unified School District’s broad spectrum of educators and students to best serve their unique educational requirements.

“During the pandemic, we were looking for ways to ensure value on the apps we purchased,” says David Kooper, Senior Director of Information Technology at Los Angeles Unified School District. “We wanted to make sure the apps were being implemented with fidelity and whether our internal divisions should continue to fund various apps based on how often they were being utilized in the best interest of the district.”

For this and other efforts, Kooper, Senior Director of Information Technology at LAUSD, was recently recognized with the Innovative Technology Director Award at the Tech & Learning Regional Summit in Austin, part of the Innovative Leader Awards.

Betting On Big Data

Part of the responsibility of finding new tech solutions is to determine the best bang for the budget buck. Validating the investment through evidence-based results is ideal.

“Budgets are made by decisions,” says Kooper. “While part of the budget involves fixed costs like staffing, the other side is discretionary spending. If you invest in one area that provides you with the data that you need, it's going to potentially save you money in another. It's one thing to buy a product, it's another entirely different thing to figure out at the school level and at the district level whether or not these apps are being utilized.”

Another issue in a district as large and broad as LAUSD is connecting disparate schools to collect usable information. Kooper broke down silos by creating a dashboard that could equip 400+ principals and district/school leaders with visibility into student device and app usage, paired with targeted professional learning to ensure leaders could act on the data. This could enable principals to retire ineffective tools, maximize investments, and deliver more consistent digital learning across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

Gaining access to a tool to determine true tech use value across a vast district using data demonstrated where cuts could be made without affecting the student or educator experience. For this, Kooper relied on insight provided by Lightspeed Systems, which proved invaluable.

“You just have to look at it from a wide lens to see what the impact is,” Kooper says. “What are you losing by not investing in this, versus the amount of money that you're spending. It makes sense for most districts. Districts also gain the ability to negotiate or renegotiate contracts using this usage data. I don't know how a school district could function without looking at the operational and structural impact within their data.”

For LAUSD, savings reaped through removing ineffective tools and smart guidance for future purchases more than compensated for investing in the tech.

How to Use Data Insight to Inform Professional Development Plans

Advice from Kooper to other districts looking to replicate LAUSD's success:

Look at the data. Analyze data at the app, school, and district level to decide what training needs to take place.

Track implementation of not just paid apps, but unpaid apps. Use insight from data as visibility of how often emerging technologies such as AI or engineering-type apps are being used at schools.

Ask questions. Are there barriers to the technology implementation? Is it due to a lack of training? Is it because of a lack of direction? Is some other factor limiting the exposure to a particular app or to a particular technology?

Extrapolate meaning from the data. Ask why would one school be utilizing an app or technology, whereas it is being underrepresented at another school. It gives insight that might lead to follow up and targeted PD at the school level.

The Right Tech Helps in Times of Need

Southern California faces added challenges due to extreme weather and natural disasters. When wildfires forced school closures at Eaton and Palisades, Kooper created school-site groups to track student engagement and access in real time.

“We measured usage data among the impacted students to figure out who was logging in and who potentially was using key apps we use in our school district for delivery of instruction,” he says. “It told the story of where people were and their ability to start accessing learning tools. It gave some insight in terms of students getting back to a sense of normalcy based on their ability to log in, access the curriculum and get the support they needed. It also gave us one additional tool to look at the impact that technology plays on instruction.”

By surfacing differences in device and application use across campuses, Kooper ensured equitable digital learning continued despite the disruption — demonstrating how innovation through data use can directly support students in moments of crisis.

Bigger Builds A Better Product

As the second largest district in the nation, LAUSD offers a broad and varied opportunity for focus groups. Kooper consistently drives K–12 innovation by piloting emerging technologies and building partnerships that shape the future of educational technology.

“We like to think we deal with partners, not just vendors,” he says. “Everything we do is at scale, with all the functionalities that make an implementation more challenging for a larger school district. Companies need to understand beforehand how their systems are going to be impacted by the number of users we have.”

That massive array of user experience is an asset. Kooper brings a collaborative approach — ensuring principals, teachers, and IT leaders are included in testing and feedback. This inclusive process has accelerated adoption, reduced resistance to change, and given districts confidence that new tools will translate to better learning experiences for students.

“We want people to be able to see working with LAUSD as an advantage,” he says. “They might have a canned product that works well for 60 or 70% of the people. We're going to help them create a product that could be used in ways they may not even be anticipating. The exposure is grander, with a lot of users, so we tend to see things a little bit earlier than other folks.”

Beyond technology pilots and roll-outs, Kooper’s programs in business intelligence, device management, application effectiveness, and network security have provided nationwide models for safe, scalable, and impactful edtech adoption. Care is always put into new additions to the program.

“We have to really think out of the box and think things through 100% before implementation to avoid rolling the dice on impact for any user's experience,” he says.

In 2025, Kooper participated in LAUSD’s first districtwide screen time analysis, equipping leaders with data that directly informed school board decisions and parent engagement. This combination of policy leadership, crisis response, and community trust-building highlights how Kooper’s work extends beyond classrooms to shape districtwide culture.

By sharing clear, transparent trends, Kooper strengthened trust between schools, families, and the community, while setting a precedent for evidence-based policy.

Procurement of Digital Solutions (PoDS)

PoDS is the system LAUSD uses to review and approve all digital tools, apps, and online services before they are used in classrooms or offices.

Why is PoDS important?

Protects student and staff information. Many apps collect personal data. PoDS ensures vendors handle this information safely and legally.
Keeps our network secure. One unsafe app could put an entire system at risk. PoDS prevents that.
Ensures quality and compliance. PoDS checks that tools meet District standards, align with teaching goals, and work within existing systems.
Applies to all products. Free, paid, instructional, or administrative. If it is digital, it goes through PoDS.

Tools They Use

Lightspeed Systems
Brain Pop
Discovery Education
Dreambox
EdPuzzle
IXL
Kami
Labster
Nearpod
Newsela
Reading Horizon
Renaissance
Rosetta Stone
Seesaw
Shmoop
SmartMusic
Soundtrap
ST Math
Zearn

Tech & Learning Announces the 2025 Winners of Its Best for Back to School Contest

TL Editors — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:34:46 +0000

Tech & Learning has announced the winners of their 2025 "Best Tools for Back to School" to help educators discover the most effective products and solutions for any learning environment.

Tech & Learning judges evaluated nominated products based on their versatility, value, and ability to solve specific problems to support innovative, effective teaching and learning.

"In an era where AI and new technologies are reshaping the classroom, and districts are focusing on sustainable, long-term investments, our readers rely on Tech & Learning to highlight the best products to support an equitable and effective learning environment," says Tech & Learning Content Director, Christine Weiser. "The winning products met our rigorous evaluation criteria to qualify for this prestigious list."

Congratulations to the following winners!

PRIMARY WINNERS

3P Learning, Reading Eggs

“This is a very good solution to make sure young readers are ready for reading expectations moving forward in grades 4 and up. The variety of science backed instructional methods and gamifications on some lessons makes this very attractive to educators.”

3P Learning, Mathletics

“Mathletics stands as a research-validated, globally-adopted math education platform that combines engaging gamified learning with rigorous academic standards, delivering measurable student achievement gains.”

AB Studios, AB Studios: Shaping the Future of Enrichment with Dynamic, Story-Driven EdTech

“The target audience for AB Studios is after school programs. It meets the challenge of providing quality enrichment resources and videos, without the instructor needing much preparation to deploy. From STEM to arts, this is robust enough to use every day or every now and then.”

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (model CPE794-1N-797A)

“This is a very good Chromebook with some upgraded features that give it more flexibility and power for the upper elementary grades.”

Acer Chromebook Spin 512 (Model R857TN-P5QA)

“These are very good and rugged devices. Improving on their ruggedness is a plus since Chrome Device Management timelines have been extended. This will allow these to hopefully meet the full service term and save districts time and money. I really like their repairability.”

Airia, BrainFreeze - The Complete AI Platform for K-12 Education

“BrainFreeze is the AI platform for those wanting more control over creating agents for teachers and students to use. It is highly customizable and made for education.”

Amira Learning, The Amira Reading Suite: Where Neuroscience Research and AI Meets Instructional Coherence

“The Amira Reading Suite is amazing! I believe it is one of the best uses of AI for teaching and learning reading in all of the market! I so wish this product was around when my kids were learning how to read, they would be geniuses by now!”

Amplify Education, Amplify Desmos Math

“The new Desmos math tool from Amplify is an amazing platform to help students concretize the abstract concepts of math! This tool not only uses a project-based approach to learning which solidifies complex math concepts, but it also provides many opportunities for learning these concepts in different ways. Added bonus is that many of the lessons that are available are available at no cost to any student!”

Apptegy, Apptegy School Communication Platform

“My teachers love how Apptegy Platform improves daily instruction and allows for classrooms to open their doors to showcase learning outside the four walls.”

AVer Information Inc., M11WB

“The AverMedia M11WB is a solid document camera that offers great optics and many features for great presentations. I particularly like that the M11WB features 4K resolution and 29X zoom to eliminate visibility problems, allowing every student to see fine details, whether it’s a science experiment or a piece of student art.”

AVID Products, WonderEars Early Learning Headset – Supporting Focus, Literacy, and Safer Listening

“WonderEars is a headset made for kids ages 4‑9, built to be comfortable, durable, and safe. It has a fixed ‘KidCom’ microphone so even quiet students can be heard, sound limiting to protect young ears, cushioned earcups, and rugged design to handle classroom wear‑and‑tear.”

BBC Studios, BBC Learning HUB

“BBC Learning Hub is a free, globally accessible platform that delivers engaging educational content for PreK–12 students and educators. With high-quality video clips from iconic BBC programs, differentiated reading materials, and ready-made lesson plans, it makes enriching, standards-aligned instruction both easy and exciting.”

Benchmark Education, StartUp BuildUp SpiralUp Phonics

“StartUp BuildUp SpiralUp Phonics delivers highly structured, research-aligned phonics instruction for K–2+ students through flexible, multimodal resources. Created with phonics expert Dr. Wiley Blevins, this Tier 2 program blends digital and print tools to support small group instruction, differentiated pacing, and targeted intervention. Its rich decodable texts, diagnostics, and alignment with the Science of Reading make it a powerful solution for addressing unfinished learning, supporting English learners, and enhancing reading fluency.”

Benchmark Education, Benchmark Phonics Intervention

“Benchmark Phonics Intervention provides a research driven solution to teaching phonics to students behind in reading, in comparison to their peers. Its strength lies in reliability, depth, and ease of classroom integration.”

Bookelicious-Bookmoji

“Bookelicious is a great resource for a library or media center to help students pick out a book. With an engaging quiz it can find a better book for a student to encourage more reading to take place.”

BrainPOP 3-8

“BrainPOP helps students solve problems projects based on many of the BrainPOP topics. For elementary level, this is a great intro tool for learning computer science. They gear these activities toward middle schoolers with engaging learning games, animated movies, and activities but it’s a good solution for K-5 as well.”

Brisk Teaching, Brisk Teaching

“Brisk Teaching is one of my favorite AI tools for teachers on the market today. Not only do they pay close attention to student and teacher data privacy as the process input with AI, but I love the fact that it already resides as an extension to your browser. This makes it a tool that teachers don't have to leave their workspace to go to another web platform in order to use this AI tool.”

Cignition, Inc., K-12 Math & ELA High Dosage Virtual Tutoring

“Cignition’s K-12 Math & ELA High Dosage Virtual Tutoring program offers a structured, research-backed model that supports student learning through consistent, targeted virtual sessions. With experienced educators leading 1:1 and small group instruction, it provides flexible, data-driven support that scales across districts while remaining personal and effective. The program’s strength lies in both its focus on conceptual understanding and its commitment to inclusive, culturally responsive practices that support a wide range of learners.”

ClassLink, ClassLink Suite

“The Classlink Suite of products for Application Authentication, Usage Analysis of Applications, DataGuard, and App Track to name a few, are some of the best tools on the market for Ed Tech Administrators and should be in every district CTO's toolbox! Not only is the Classlink Suite incredibly robust in function and features, the ClassLink vision to help schools all over the world is absolutely first rate!”

Clear Touch, Connect + FOBio

“Connect + FOBio by Clear Touch is a smart and practical solution for modern classrooms, making it easy for educators to log in, access personalized content, and start teaching instantly—no more waiting or fumbling with passwords. The optional FOBio device streamlines the process even further with a one-click login. Combined with centralized admin controls and seamless integration with other Clear Touch tools, this duo simplifies classroom tech while boosting security and efficiency in shared environments.”

Committee for Children, Second Step

“This product fills a needed gap in school curriculums. I am glad it covers both students and teachers in the learning. I also like the flexibility and tracking tools for teachers and administrators.”

Discovery Education, DreamBox Math by Discovery Education

“In my district. teachers rely on DreamBox Math to simplify complex tasks and keep lessons engaging. Students find the work enjoyable and game-based.”

Discovery Education, DreamBox Reading by Discovery Education

“Our district uses DreamBox Reading to build stronger primary education lessons that inspire growth. Teachers appreciate how it adapts to each child’s learning level, providing personalized practice that builds confidence and skill over time.”

Edmentum, EdOptions Academy for Primary Education

“This product is a wonderful option for districts wanting to develop a Blended Learning opportunity for students. Many districts, including my own, have used this platform as a positive alternative to Remote Learning needs and especially for students that are Hospital or medically homebound or may be forced to quarantine for safety reasons. Highly recommend.”

Edmentum, Exact Path for Primary Education

“ExactPath by Edmentum is a really nice tool for taking assessment scores and standards from annual and quarterly summative assessment companies and projecting a unique learning path for students to improve their areas of deficiencies. I especially like how many assessment companies Edmentum has partnered with to garner scores from for building learning paths.”

Footsteps2Brilliance, Inc., Footsteps2Brilliance Financial Literacy

“F2B Financial Literacy pairs interactive graphic novels and an AI-powered Writing Coach with real-world financial scenarios. If financial literacy in grades 4–8 is a priority, but literacy and/or math goals are limiting time in that space, this may be a solution that addresses both needs for your school.”

GoNoodle

“GoNoodle provides brain breaks, SEL-aligned activities, and curriculum-connected videos that boost engagement, improve behavior, and support emotional wellness. I love the fact that this platform keeps students engaged through movement, regulated, and ready to learn while also supporting teacher well-being! I wish this was around when I was in school!”

HoverCam, HoverCam Orbit Trio

“HoverCam Orbit Trio the only casting solution that lets you cast both your laptop screen and the wireless document camera feed simultaneously. It is device agnostic, as any device can cast, and its closed loop approach eliminates any network concerns.”

Inquisitive, Inquisitive PreK-5 Science

“Inquisitive brings a smart, streamlined approach to PreK–5 science instruction with open-and-go lessons built around real-world phenomena that get students genuinely curious. Designed to be both teacher- and student-friendly, it combines strong instructional design with inclusive supports like translations, multimodal content, and real-time feedback. At just $76 per teacher with free student access, it offers a rare mix of affordability, scalability, and high instructional value.”

IXL Learning, IXL

“IXL is comprehensive, with ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish/Spanish Language Arts. Recent additions, like the LevelUp Diagnostic for ELA and enhanced analytics, strengthen actionable, personalized learning.”

Kahoot!, Kahoot!+

“Kahoot has long set the standard for student engagement excellence for many years. This new, reinvented Kahoot+ is a game changer now that it has added the power of AI! Now, the same power that teachers have had for years with Kahoot creativity is now also in the hands of students to help them prepare for national placement tests and even next week's test with powerful AI tutoring tools!”

Kibeam Learning, Inc.

“This is a very innovative solution. I like how they package everything you need, including PD, with the product. The fact that it is a non-screen technology that can be used with paper books is great.”

Kiddom, Kiddom Suite

“Kiddom Suite represents a next-generation curriculum platform that successfully integrates AI-powered Learning Intelligence Technology with high-quality instructional materials.”

Learnetic, EdTool

“EdTool is a powerful AI assistant for educators that transforms PDFs, textbook photos, or prompts into interactive, WCAG-compliant lessons in minutes. It offers 50,000+ ready-made K–12 STEM and Special Ed resources, multilingual support, real-time analytics, and personalized learning paths. Designed to reduce workload and boost inclusivity, EdTool helps teachers spend less time prepping and more time engaging students.”

Learning.com, EasyTech AI Lessons

“Nice solution! AI education is becoming more needed and this fills a space to help educators deliver instruction to various age groups.”

Lightspeed Systems, Lightspeed Insight

“Lightspeed has a great solution that has even more granular usage data in the new version. This is a much needed tool in schools that can save time and money as well as help with compliance at many levels.”

MagicSchool AI, MagicSchool AI

“Magic School is a robust tool that provides a safe entry point for using AI in schools. Elementary teachers find it a great entry point for introducing AI into classrooms.”

MIND Education, Seeing is Believing: InsightMath Makes K-6 Math Click

“I like their approach to teaching math. The research-based approach that focuses on the way students learn helps direct teachers content delivery. They cover all learning styles and challenges.”

MIND Education, ST Math

“ST Math is a PreK–8 visual, game‑based math learning platform designed to build deep conceptual understanding. It uses puzzles, spatial‑temporal reasoning, and formative feedback to let students explore math visually before formal vocabulary or procedures. Teachers use dashboards to monitor progress, intervene, and let students work independently or in small groups. It’s especially strong for multilingual learners and students with learning differences.”

MobyMax Education, LLC, MobyMax

“My teachers have shared how MobyMax makes working with the younger learners easier to manage with all the data aspects, and shared that it helped them reach students in more meaningful ways.”

Otus

“Otus is an all-in-one platform that brings together assessment, progress monitoring, grading, and data visualization to give K–12 educators a centralized, actionable view of student growth. Designed for transparency and efficiency, Otus helps schools reduce tool sprawl, meet compliance, and save educators valuable time—making it easier to actually use data to drive instruction.”

OxEd & Assessment, Tel Ted Program

"The Tel Ted Program offers an assessment platform for 4-7 year-old students that often do not get enough attention during this important time in a child's long-term success. These assessments are absolutely crucial in understanding and addressing student's cognitive learning deficits or challenges. This research-based platform seeks to improve life outcomes for all children.”

Presence, Kanga by Presence

“Kanga by Presence delivers a specialized, clinician-designed teletherapy platform that uniquely addresses the complex needs of school-based special education services.”

Prodigy Education, Prodigy

“Prodigy is a free game‑based learning platform used with K–8 students for math and ELA. It combines adventures, quests, and interactive features to engage learners while following standards‑aligned content. Teachers can assign work, monitor student progress via dashboards, and customize practice to fit classroom goals.”

Readable English, Readable English

“Readable English simplifies the complexities of English decoding by overlaying intuitive pronunciation guides directly onto traditional text, enabling students—especially those with dyslexia, learning differences, or limited English proficiency—to read fluently and independently. It's a highly scalable solution that meets struggling readers where they are without requiring intensive teacher prep or intervention pullouts.”

Renaissance, Nearpod - AI Create

“Nearpod has always been a great teaching and learning tool. Now, with the leveraging of AI, it will really expedite the creation of high quality lessons saving teachers time without losing quality of instruction.”

Renaissance, Star Assessments - Star Biliteracy Report

“Star Assessments Biliteracy Report (Renaissance) is a bilingual assessment feature that combines data from Star Reading (English) and Star Lectura (Spanish) to help educators evaluate bilingual students’ reading progress using benchmarks that reflect bilingual rather than monolingual norms. This tool highlights strengths, identifies growth areas across both languages, and supports more equitable and informed instruction in dual‑language programs.”

Renaissance, Renaissance Next for Teachers

“Renaissance Next for Teachers is a teacher‑oriented dashboard that brings together assessment, practice, and instructional data (from tools like Star, Freckle, myON, etc.) into one place. It gives educators at‑a‑glance insights and recommends next steps for the whole class, small group, and individual instruction—making it easier to see where students are, where they need to go, and how to get them there.”

Renaissance, Flocabulary Español

“For schools looking to increase their Spanish language resources and are already using Flocabulary, Flocabulary Español is a great addition to support Spanish speakers and Spanish language learners.”

Riverside Insights, Cognitive Abilities Test

“CogAT is traditionally used for identifying Gifted and Talented students, but using this for all students helps to inform instructional strategies for all students.”

Sadlier Publishing, From Phonics to Reading

“From Phonics to Reading represents a high-quality, evidence-based phonics program that addresses the Science of Reading. Its competitive pricing makes it a value proposition for K-3 literacy instruction.”

Sadlier Publishing, Building Reading Success with Wiley Blevins

“Building Reading Success with Wiley Blevins represents a well-designed, evidence-based intervention program that addresses critical gaps in the K-5 reading intervention market by combining systematic Science of Reading principles with practical classroom implementation.”

Savvas Learning Company, Experience Science for Elementary

“Experience Science for Elementary offers a thoughtfully designed, NGSS-aligned curriculum that puts students at the center of learning through real-world phenomena and hands-on investigations. With flexible, station-based instruction and robust teacher support, it empowers educators to seamlessly integrate science into the busy elementary day while supporting all learners, including multilingual students. Its cross-curricular connections and adaptable resources make it a powerful tool for schools looking to make science both manageable and meaningful.”

SchoolStatus, SchoolStatus Attend | Primary

“The SchoolStatus Attend platform is focused on correcting and reducing the massive chronic absenteeism battle every year. SchoolStatus streamlines not only the communication process for messaging interventions but allows for less personnel to achieve the accounting of student attendance management. Not only does it offer robust interventions to tackle the behaviors that lead to chronic absenteeism, but it uses positive, proactive outreach processes to work with families to work together on the root causes and not just the symptoms.”

Science Interactive, Starlab

“Starlab is a great product that is very engaging to students. It's portable and easy to setup. The included learning platform makes this an interactive tool on a variety of topics.”

Seesaw Learning, Seesaw Learning

“Our district counts on Seesaw Learning to keep Primary Education moving forward. Our teachers count on it and it has been a very reliable resource.”

Share-A-Cart, Share-A-Cart for Google Classroom

“We need products like this to help teachers and students get the supplies they need to learn. This is a simple solution that helps get these lists in one place.”

SMART Technologies, The SMART Board® RX Interactive Display

“The SMART Board enhances elementary teaching and learning by turning lessons into participatory experiences that spark curiosity and creativity in our youngest learners. It provides tools that support diverse student needs, especially neurodivergent learners, by making learning more inclusive and interactive.”

Stride, Inc., K12 Zone

“This is a departure from traditional LMS's, with K12 Zone's clubs, field trips, customizable avatars, classroom spaces, and social hubs making it more appealing for a younger student user.”

Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI), TCI's Bring Science Alive! K-5 Programs

“TCI's Bring Science Alive! is a great curriculum solution that integrates literacy and math into its Next Generation Science Standards aligned lessons and labs.”

TEAMology, TEAMtalk by TEAMology

“TEAMtalk provides diverse characters that promote social and emotional foundational skills in a relatable way for children to understand the concepts and apply them in their daily life. I particularly like the real-time solutions and strategies to common stress and anxiety issues that happen throughout the day.”

Tech4Learning, Wixie

“Wixie has been used for a long time and they continue to add new features that help students and teachers alike. Although these tools aren't all that unique, the way they combined them and how they can be used within the program is excellent.”

Voyager Sopris Learning, REWARDS

“This is an interesting entry from the rest since it is mostly analog in its usage. But, that doesn't mean it's not a winner. This is a good solution that offers ongoing support and training for their users. Teachers have a good set of resources as well.”

SECONDARY WINNERS

Acer, TravelMate B5 14 (Model: TMB514-31-G2-P97S)

“This notebook may be the best classroom laptop for teachers to monitor battery life and internet connectivity with an LED on the lid that changes color to indicate internet connectivity and low battery.”

Amplify Education, Amplify ELA

“This new ELA product from Amplify is solid when it comes to helping students read and improving their reading skills. It is particularly good for middle school students who have been struggling in the past, to get them brought up to speed with their peers.”

Apptegy, Apptegy School Communication Platform

“Teachers like how the Apptegy Platform improves daily instruction and allows classrooms to open their doors to showcase learning outside the four walls. In our secondary schools, I see older students benefit greatly from the high level of communication it enables, helping them share their voice, connect with opportunities, and build stronger school-to-home partnerships.”

BenQ, BenQ SL04 PANTONE VALIDATED SIGNAGE

“Our district found that BenQ supports both teachers and students in high school by ensuring instruction is innovative, efficient, and aligned with modern learning goals. For older students with a wide range of interests, it offers engaging visuals and interactive opportunities that help capture attention and connect learning to their passions.”

BenQ, BenQ Board Essential RE04 Series

“For high school students, this tool captures attention through its innovative design and interactive features. The technology helps keep older learners engaged, sparks curiosity, and makes lessons feel more relevant to their world.”

Cellairis, Cellairis Cyber Pouch

“This is a homerun that balances the need to meet the ban requirements but also allows access in case of emergency. The simplicity of the solution along with the simple check in/out system deserves a place in the classroom.”

ClassLink, ClassLink Suite

Coursemojo

“Coursemojo represents a breakthrough in AI-powered education by uniquely combining curriculum-aligned teaching assistance with real-time student insights, delivering encouraging pilot results.”

CTL Chromebook NL73 Gen 2 Series

“The CTL Chromebook has supported our students with a robust device for learning and a stable tool to teach effectively.”

Curriculum Associates, i-Ready Pro: Honoring the unique needs of middle schoolers

“iReady Pro targets middle school students who are behind, but the platform allows them to catch up without feeling they are falling further behind. It is an adaptive academic program with reliable diagnostics and personalized instruction, particularly effective for districts seeking to close gaps in reading and math.”

Discovery Education, Discovery Education Experience

“Discovery Education is a resource my high school teachers value because it truly engages students and connects learning to the real world. From virtual field trips to ready-to-use lessons, it saves planning time while still offering rich, standards-aligned content.”

Edmentum, EdOptions Academy for Secondary Education

Edmentum, Courseware for Secondary Education

“This is a very good and well thought out solution. I really like the immersive, simulation-based training they offer. The added CTE training with job ready certifications is a nice addition that is much needed.”

Edmentum, Exact Path for Secondary Education

Everway, Unique Learning System (ULS)

“Unique Learning System (ULS) by EverwayUnique Learning System is a modified special‑education curriculum designed for students with moderate to severe disabilities (preschool through transition). It covers core subjects and is aligned with evidence‑based frameworks such as UDL (Universal Design for Learning), the Science of Reading, and scaffolded learning.”

Everway, Read&Write

“Read&Write empowers students in Secondary Education by creating interactive, accessible experiences that spark creativity and build confidence in learning.”

Hometown, Schoolfundr – Transforming School Fundraising to Enrich Education

“This is a nice solution – it can definitely improve fundraising. Schools need to know that they will get ‘most’ of the money raised, less the processing fees from Stripe. The personal information collection and data sharing policies look pretty good as well.”

iCEV, iCEV

“iCEV has been around for 40 years, and their innovations in CTE curriculum is well-suited for high schools seeking an all-in-one solution to meet diverse career pathway requirements.”

Incident IQ, iiQ Facilities

“Our district uses many iiQ tools. Facilities streamlines our work orders and communication, it helps us maintain safe, efficient, and well-managed learning environments.”

Instructure, Mastery

“Mastery is a teacher-centric assessment platform with a very large, vetted item bank and research-backed predictive benchmarks that give teachers and leaders timely, standards-aligned data to drive instruction.”

IXL Learning, Rosetta Stone for Schools

“This program supports non English speaking students as they learn english. Students can learn at their own pace in culturally responsive environments. Using the same tools and features as the original product, Lexia Learning, it sets students up for success.”

Jebbee, Jebbee

“Jebbee is a modern career exploration platform that uses video content and AI to help students grades 9‑12 discover careers, colleges, apprenticeships, and mentorships aligned with their interests and strengths. It includes tools like Virtual CareerDay, mentorship chats, and recommendation engines to make exploration relevant and engaging.”

Kira's AI Tutor

“Kira's AI Tutor is a robust platform for not only learning computer science principles, but also advanced coding techniques in artificial intelligence. This platform has so much to offer both at the high school and middle school level for students who want to investigate careers in IT!”

Learning.com, EasyTech AI Lessons

“This is a needed solution for students and educators. Proper instruction in AI is quickly becoming a necessary part of the curriculum. I think this product fills the need nicely.”

Level Data, Inc., Return On Instruction

“What makes this product stand out for me is its ability to track both digital and analog resources. Being able to compare the use and success of all learning resources is extremely important. Also, access to their in-house data people to help disaggregate the data is very helpful.”

Level Data, Inc., Brolly by Level Data

“This is a much needed solution that helps the very busy and over-extended CST members track compliance. This can help improve outcomes for the CST and most importantly the students.”

Level Data, Inc., Grow by Level Data

“This is a great tool for documenting and tracking professional growth. The use of a language is so important in any organization and can keep all stakeholders on the same page and focused on goals.”

Magic EdTech, MagicBox

“MagicBox is a robust AI-powered digital learning and publishing platform tailored for grades 6–12, enabling seamless content creation, delivery, and analytics via branded web and mobile apps. It supports personalized, offline-accessible learning, integrates with popular LMS/SIS systems, and uses AI to simplify lesson planning and student engagement—making it a powerful ally for both educators and content publishers.”

ManagedMethods Classroom Manager

“ManagedMethods Classroom Manager is a classroom‑management tool that gives teachers real‑time visibility and control over student activity on devices (especially Chromebooks), helps direct online access, and reduces distractions during lessons. It works via browser extension and is built with a security‑first mindset, making it a good fit for schools looking to balance tech use with student safety and instructional efficiency.”

NetSupport, classroom.cloud by NetSupport

“The NetSupport Classroom Cloud product is amazing when it comes to mobile device management at the classroom and teacher level. This system is also device agnostic and allows teachers to have full control over the content and use of district-owned students devices.”

Newsela, Formative

“Formative stands out as a comprehensive, innovative assessment and instruction tool that supports both teachers and administrators with real-time data and AI-powered features.”

Otus

“Otus offers a unified platform for K–12 assessment, grading, and data visualization, streamlining teacher workflows while improving student support and district-wide transparency. With AI-powered insights, standards-aligned tools, and integrations that reduce the need for multiple systems, Otus delivers a cost-effective, scalable solution that helps educators focus on growth instead of administration.”

ParentSquare Attendance Plus

“ParentSquare Attendance Plus is a K–12 attendance tool built into the ParentSquare platform that fights chronic absenteeism through equitable outreach, automated interventions, and real‑time data. It syncs with SIS systems to flag at‑risk students early, allows staff to log interventions and follow‑ups without switching tools, and sends multilingual, multi‑channel communications to families. The focus is on connection and prevention rather than just compliance.”

PBLWorks TEACH

“PBLWorks TEACH gives teachers ready‑to‑go, research‑based project units (middle school, grades 6‑8 right now) in core subjects, with step‑by‑step supports, resources, and embedded professional learning. The goal is to make high‑quality, Gold Standard PBL doable even for teachers new to it, and scalable across schools and districts.”

PFU America, Inc., ScanSnap iX2500 Helps Educators Work Smarter and More Efficiently

“I have personally used ScanSnap in my work in education and they are invaluable for archiving paperwork, photos, and a variety of other print items. The software saves these scans in a format that can easily be saved and viewed. Also, these devices are super portable and easy to use.”

PFU America, Inc., RICOH UHL3660 UST Projector Improving Student Engagement and Learning

“This is a solid projector with some very good features, including the high lumen count, its form factor, and the fact that it can be mounted by a single person. This is a solid ultra short throw projector. “

PowerSchool, Attendance Intervention: Turning Data into Daily Success

“Schools who are needing an attendance dashboard, rather than exporting from their SIS and creating their own, will find this tool valuable.”

Presence, Kanga by Presence

“Kanga by Presence delivers a specialized, clinician-designed teletherapy platform that uniquely addresses the complex needs of school-based special education services.”

Proximity Learning Inc. Virtual Education

“Proximity Learning delivers certified teachers and case managers into classrooms virtually. Their synchronous instruction model fills critical staffing gaps, especially in special education, by providing both live instruction and administrative support (case management, IEP compliance, etc.). The model makes quality instruction accessible even in underserved or rural districts without sacrificing compliance or classroom presence.”

Savvas Learning Company, Experience Science for Middle Grades

“Experience Science for Middle Grades empowers students to learn like scientists and engineers through hands-on instruction. The curriculum uses Next Generation Science Standards aligned in 14 modular units in Life, Physical, and Earth/Space Science.”

SchoolAI, SchoolAI

“School AI has quickly set itself up as one of the premier AI tools for both teachers and students. School AI was one of the first AI tools to sign a data privacy agreement with school districts ensuring that student data will always be protected and will not train their LLM's. School AI offers simple tools that work safely in schools and students love to use their historical and celebrity AI models for tutoring and studying!”

ScreenBeam 1000 EDU Gen 2, 1000 EDU G2

“This is a reliable and easy to setup and use product that has a place in any district classroom. It can save teachers, IT departments, and districts time and money with its easy installation. integration, and management features. The suite of alert and teaching tools is more than capable and easy to use for instruction and sharing.”

Share-A-Cart, Share-A-Cart for Google Classroom

“We need products like this to help teachers and students get the supplies they need to learn. This simple solution helps get these lists in one place.”

Singleton Foundation, Venture Valley Business Tycoon

“Venture Valley Business Tycoon platform uses experiential learning and exciting gameplay to foster financial literacy as students take on the role of startup founders in immersive, fast-paced business simulations. This experiential way of problem-solving provides real-world tasks that help students understand what it is like to be an entrepreneur while also fostering better understanding of design thinking.”

Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI), TCI's Middle and High Social Studies Programs

“TCI’s Middle & High Social Studies Programs are inquiry‑based curricula that put students in the driver’s seat by using primary sources, video, discussions, hands‑on activities, and interactive elements. They aim to shift social studies from memorization to critical thinking, civic awareness, and relevance to today’s world.”

The Commons Inc., The Commons App

“This is a good alternative solution to pouches. The app pauses access to distractions like social media, games, and scrolling, offering a technological approach to cell phone bans.”

Voyager Sopris Learning, TransMath

“TransMath is a research-driven math intervention program aimed at students in grades 5–10 who are significantly below grade level. Its structured, dual-topic design emphasizes mastery of foundational skills while building readiness for algebra. With age-appropriate content, multisensory tools, and visual models, TransMath offers a supportive, engaging experience for both teachers and students, focusing on conceptual understanding and long-term math success.”

Voyager Sopris Learning, LANGUAGE! Live

“LANGUAGE! Live is a comprehensive literacy intervention for struggling students in grades 5–12 that incorporates both online and teacher-guided instruction. I particularly liked the blended learning opportunities the online components provided students by allowing them to move at their own pace in authentic texts.”

YouScience, YouScience Brightpath

“YouScience Brightpath connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. Brightpath uses a series of brain games to help students discover their unique aptitudes and interests. This helps guide them toward the right path. This system is a great way to learn about ‘you’.”

HIGHER EDUCATION WINNERS

Anthology, Blackboard AI Conversation

“Blackboard AI is transforming how we can approach teaching and learning in 2025. By blending AI literacy with immersive, practice-based scenarios, it prepares students for the workforce while keeping them engaged in meaningful ways. Faculty can use the tool and gain deeper insights into student learning, and learners gain confidence navigating real-world challenges.”

AvePoint, MaivenPoint: Driving Stronger Educational Outcomes in the AI Era

“MaivenPoint's deep Microsoft integration and regulatory automation features provide advantages for institutions seeking comprehensive academic administration rather than just course delivery.”

AVer Information Inc., TR315

“This is a very nice upgrade to the older model. I like the tracking and interoperability features. This is a great solution for both lesson capture as well as online instruction.”

AVer Information Inc., PTZ211

“The PTZ211 is a feature-rich 12X HD AI PTZ camera designed to simplify high-quality video capture in classrooms and hybrid learning environments. Its smart automation—like SmartFrame and SmartShoot—removes the need for manual camera control. It offers professional-grade performance in an accessible, reliable package.”

BenQ, BenQ Board Essential RE04 Series

“Faculty have shared how the BenQ Board supports the wide variety of content and learners in higher education. It makes instruction easier to manage while also helping professors connect with students in more meaningful, interactive ways.”

BenQ, BenQ SL04 PANTONE VALIDATED SIGNAGE

“In higher ed, BenQ supports both teachers and students by displaying a wide range of interests. It offers engaging visuals and interactive opportunities that help capture attention and connect learning and needs to students' passions.”

ClassLink, ClassLink Suite

Copyleaks, Copyleaks AI Logic

“Not only does AI Logic have a 99.1% accuracy rate and a .2% false positive rate, it also can detect AI content in over 15 languages, AI-generated source code, and paraphrased AI content and AI text interspersed with human-written text.”

D2L, D2L Accessibility+

“D2L Accessibility can be a cornerstone for building stronger Higher Education programs that inspire growth. As an integrated accessibility solution within Brightspace, it helps institutions close the gap between compliance requirements and the learner experience.”

D2L, D2L Brightspace

“Brightspace is a reliable platform for creating engaging and personalized learning experiences. Educators appreciate its ease of use, accessibility-first design, and ability to adapt to different learning needs.”

Epson America, Epson EB-PU2116W 16,000 Lumen 3LCD Laser Projector with 4K Enhancement

“Epson’s EB‑PU2116W is a large‑venue laser projector aimed at higher education and other settings needing big, bright, high‑quality visuals. With a 20,000‑hour maintenance‑free laser light engine, sealed optics, dust resistance, and a suite of features for flexible installations, this model gives institutions powerful imaging with a design built for longevity and ease of use.”

FeedbackFruits, Learning Design Studio by FeedbackFruits

“Learning Design Studio (FeedbackFruits) helps teachers build flexible, customized learning experiences inside their LMS. With AI‑feedback/automated grading, real‑time analytics, and reusable templates, it reduces prep time, supports both in‑person and asynchronous learning, and keeps everything connected in one tool.”

FeedbackFruits, Learning Design System

“Learning Design System is a modular platform integrated into an LMS that lets teachers build personalized learning experiences. It supports mixed modalities (in‑person, asynchronous), real‑time analytics, AI feedback/automated grading, and flexible learning journeys across student levels.”

FeedbackFruits, Feedback and Assessment

“FeedbackFruits excels as a specialized peer assessment platform with strong technical execution and institutional support. This is an excellent option.”

Instructure, Canvas

“In higher education, our district sees Canvas as a cornerstone for strengthening programs by streamlining communication between professors and students. It provides a reliable platform for organizing coursework, managing the flow of multiple classes, and ensuring consistent learning experiences that support student growth.”

Kaplan, All Access License by Kaplan

“Kaplan's All Access License represents a breakthrough innovation in higher education support services by creating an entirely new pricing model. This allows a greater number of universities to provide their students with school-wide access to free, industry-leading test prep for graduate admissions exams, licensure, credentials and workforce readiness programs - all for one flat fee.”

Logitech, Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit

“This camera does a great job for what it was designed to do. I think that the low installation needs and switching between views makes it valuable. IT departments will also like the manageability of these devices. Teachers will appreciate the ease of use and feature set.”

Mars Challenge

The Mars Challenge platform gives students and teachers a realistic and authentic way to not only problem solve, but find better ways of doing science and research that become more purposeful and meaningful. I love the approach these challenges take that "if the problem can be solved on Mars with no atmosphere, no water, and no resources, then surely problems on earth can be more easily solved!" The Mars global platform is a wonderful opportunity for young innovators to prototype humanity’s survival on two planets at once!”

ScreenBeam, 1100P

“This product is reliable, easy to set up, and use that has a place in any higher ed classroom. It can save colleges time and money with its easy installation, integration, and management features.”

Shure, MXW neXt 2

“I found the neXt 2 Wireless Microphone System provided clear audio and supported both in-person and hybrid learning.”

SMART Technologies, The SMART Board Mini

“I found the SMART Board Mini empowering for students in Higher Education because it allowed the creation of interactive, accessible experiences that spark creativity and build confidence in learning.”

Turnitin, Turnitin Clarity

“This is an excellent solution that not only teaches students how to use AI in an ethical and productive way, but is also collaborative. The AI insights for the teachers gives them clear insights into the student's writing process as well as any issues that may need addressing.”

Vector Solutions, AlcoholEdu by Vector Solutions

“I like their approach. They include information not just for prevention, but for students that may not drink or are in recovery. This training seems well thought out and researched.”

ViewSonic Corp., ViewSonic LDS138-151 All-in-One Mobile Direct View LED Display

“The ViewSonic LDS138-151 is an impressive 138-inch all-in-one, mobile Direct View LED Display Solution. This Video-Wall display is nothing short of amazing and even folds up to transport it when combined with the wheelable cart.”

VitalSource, VitalSource’s Bookshelf CoachMe, The Industry-Leading AI Study Tool for Modern Learners

“Bookshelf CoachMe is an AI‑powered study‑coach feature built into VitalSource’s eText platform. The tool is free for students using qualifying eTexts, and it gathers data on usage and outcomes so educators can monitor engagement and identify students who might need extra support.”

Zoom Communications, Inc., Zoom Workplace for Education with AI Companion

“The staff at the college where I teach have shared how AI Workplace makes their jobs easier to manage while also helping them reach students in more meaningful ways.”

6 Tips to Innovate On A Budget

Sascha Zuger — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000

(Image credit: Michelle Chenevert)

In her time as Director of Technology at Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Michelle Chenevert has learned that opportunity sometimes arrives in unwelcome company.

“In some cases, disasters have driven what we've had to do,” Chenevert says. “Hurricane Katrina didn't affect Baton Rouge, but it affected nearby New Orleans. We had to open a night school for displaced students from New Orleans who lost their homes, but needed to finish school.”

Chenevert and her team worked overnight, adding computer accounts to make sure students could login and access the wifi so they could graduate, and gain some sense of normalcy.

“These experiences definitely said to us we have to be mobile and ready to pivot at any time, whether it's Covid, whether it’s a hurricane, whatever happens,” Chenevert says. “We need to be ready.”

For her work, Chenevert was recently recognized with the Innovative Director of Technology Award at the Pre-ISTE Summit in San Antonio, part of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards.

Chenevert shares how she uses creativity and clever planning to get the most tech bang for the buck, with six tips on innovating on a budget.

Disasters Offer Learning Opportunities

The aforementioned Katrina incident helped galvanize the school board, Chenevert says. “They got together and asked, ‘How are we backing up our files? All those people in New Orleans lost everything. What can we do better if something were to happen here?’”

Chenevert counted herself lucky they started asking questions then when she found herself in a dire situation a decade later.

“We had a flood in 2016–a storm just sat on top of Baton Rouge for days and days,” she says. “It was a slow-to-rise flood, but people still lost their homes. Our school sits in the middle of a neighborhood. We had four buildings flood and had to pivot really fast. We set up temporary classrooms all over campus. The fourth grade was on the visual performing arts stage, split in three classes by the show curtain and the backstage area.”

Fortunately, the nature of the flood gave Chenevert time to move computers on top of tables, so the main issue from rising water was the outlets.

“That fast pivot—we scrambled to provide network, provide wireless, set all these teachers up in temporary classrooms until the damage was cleaned up,” Chenevert says. “It just underlined the need to protect our equipment and our backups. We started a slow shift away from physical servers to the point of moving even our software to cloud backups.”

This move made Chenevert’s job easier in not having to update the physical server because the host company provides updates. And which positioned them well later when the pandemic hit.

“By that time I had moved my middle and upper teachers onto laptops with a plan to finish the lower school that summer,” Chenevert says. “The only desktops I still had on campus were two computer labs. However, everything was shut down March 13, 2020. Luckily, I had enough spare devices and iPads laying around for the lower school teachers to teach from home.”

(Image credit: Michelle Chenevert)

Keeping an Eye on the Bottom Line

(Image credit: Michelle Chenevert)

Pivoting also becomes an important skill in tight economic times, or when funding freezes interrupt a well-thought out plan.

“When you think of future forecasting and budgets, it’s all about how to move the needle on this campus and stay current with the times,” Chenevert says. “We have EEF, the Louisiana Educational Excellence Fund, that helps fund and replace my Promethean hardware in the classrooms every few years. We take advantage of Rate Category 1 and 2 to pay for our Internet and any special projects firewall that qualifies.”

Chenevert had relied on Title II and IV funding in the past, but that funding has been frozen.

“So we are pivoting and evaluating our software,” she says. “What are people still using? What are they not using? What can I fund from another budget, what can we live without it until we're unfrozen.”

One of the key solutions to stretched budgets is to maintain a strict schedule on the health and wellbeing of your tech to avoid surprises.

“It’s crucial to make sure devices and tech is kept up to date,” Chenevert says. “We manage our iPads through JAMF and our laptops through Intune. If we see that a teacher’s iPad hasn’t been updated through JAMF in 30 or 60 days, we start reaching out to that teacher. Most often, they just didn’t plug it in. But that also tells us they must not be using it.”

Monitoring usage helps start conversations.

“‘‘Are you using it, is it helpful? Do you need training in that device—is that why it’s sitting on the desk? If you're not using it, I can give this device to someone else who may have a need,’” says Chenevert. “We’re not just dishing out devices just to have them.”

Once the devices are in hands that need them, Chenevert keeps an eagle eye on her replacement schedule. If critical items suddenly reach “end of life” status, being unprepared leads to rush fees and costly purchases without time to vet for best deals.

“I’m always looking at my technology and what we need to update,” Chenevert says. “At one point I can see that none of our hardware is expiring because it still has warranty, but we have this money available, so what can we do?”

Because Chenevert was aware of funds available and the lull in her “needing replacement” schedule, she was able to invest into a decent security system.

“The cameras are so much better quality and the software works with AI searching,” she says. “I can search, ‘child in red shirt with backpack,’ and it instantly pulls all the kids in red shirts with backpacks. Quickly finding an incident on campus and archive footage can make a big impact in an emergency.”

Even with that win, Chenevert continues to look for upgrade opportunities.

“‘What's the replacement life cycle of this item?’” she asks. “You can often go to the vendor's website to get the answer. ‘End of life’ means end of life. You need to make plans to replace that tech in advance and keep track so you’re not falling out of date.”

(Image credit: Michelle Chenevert)

6 Tips to Innovate on a Budget

Chenevert offers advice to get more out of your tech budget.

1. Long Range Plan: Don’t Break, Fix

Make a plan for five years and understand it may change in three. “Things change fast,” she says. Make a replacement schedule to see at a glance when you have periods of heavier hits to your budget and when you have upcoming lulls that can accommodate upgrades or new programs.

2. Rightsize Your Devices and Software

Run access reports for your tech to discover unused devices or licenses that could be put to better use. Ask questions to provide training, if needed, to help educators make the most of tech.

3. Timing is Everything

Stay on top of expiring back-end hardware. “It’s not pretty,” Chenevert says. “No one cares that you changed out switches or an access point, but they do care that you are giving them internet that works.”

4. Train Yourself

Consider earning microcredentials for relevant software programs. Once you learn everything it can do, you can help teachers in the classroom in a targeted way without pricy PD or outside training sessions.

5. ‘End of Life’ Means End of Life

Don’t waste time and resources putting duct tape bandaids on devices that really need to be replaced or upgraded. Check vendor sites for how much life is left to avoid unexpected interruptions or expensive rush fees.

6. Attend Conferences

Stay up to date by attending conferences, talk with vendors, and participate in mini trainings. Many offer 20 minute sessions during which you can learn what is out there that your school could use. Attend sessions even for tech you already have as you can learn new features to make it work even better for your students.

Tools They Use

Aruba Cloud (to manage APs & Switches)
Fortinet (Firewall)
Verkada (Security Cameras)
Gage Cloud Voice (Phone System)
JAMF (iPad Management)
Microsoft Intune (Windows Device Management)
Managed Methods (Cybersecurity & Safety)
PowerSchool SIS
Canvas LMS
Seesaw
Clever
Adobe
Microsoft
Google
Discovery Education
BrainPop
EdPuzzle
Book Creator
Gimkit
IXL
Apple Classroom
Canva
Copilot
Gemini
Magic School
ClassVR

The ABC’s of Adding Key Partnerships to Your Program

Sascha Zuger — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Julianne Ross-Kleinmann of Ulster BOCES in New York is transforming its Model Schools and Distance Learning programs through a bold, collaborative vision. By forging strategic partnerships with edtech vendors, instructional supervisors, and regional agencies, she is building a more responsive and innovative infrastructure that supports personalized, equitable, and future-ready learning.

“My family was always active in church or volunteerism within our community, so I did the same thing,” says Ross-Kleinmann. “Whether it was Key Club, Kiwanis, or my sorority—I saw the value of partnering and networking with others. I actively started doing so in my classrooms and then continued as a staff developer and as an instructional tech.”

As a connector of people, ideas, and opportunity—as well as holding leadership roles with ISTE, statewide initiatives, and national platforms such as the AI Café podcast—this top supervisor of instruction services has inspired the most current thinking in instructional technology in educators across her region.

For this and other efforts, Ross-Kleinmann was recently recognized with the Innovative Chief Academic Officer Award at the Pre-ISTE Regional Leadership Summit in San Antonio as part of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards.

Ross-Kleinmann shares how she uses networking to enhance her district’s tech offerings, with three tips on how to add partnerships to any program.

Tech Talks

(Image credit: Dr. Julianne Ross-Kleinmann)

“I'm old school, but I love tech,” Ross-Kleinmann says. “I like to write. I have journals. I know cognitively I'm going to remember it better if I write it down because there is research in that brain work, but I also like tech. I'll come home and play games. I use tech to create and AI to brainstorm.”

Both elements have a place, and entry into true integration starts with education.

“If we're talking staff development, you cannot exclude technology,” she says. “So many people see tech as a separate entity, but what day are you not using technology in your work or your personal life? How can it not be included in the conversation?”

Sometimes, having the conversation is the perfect start to finding solutions and learning how to harness the power of emerging technologies to best help students. Errol St. Clair Smith, executive producer of Blindsided by AI, a documentary about the first year of generative AI in education, tapped Ross-Kleinmann to join his “AI Cafe” podcast.

“The group comes together for a ‘coffee talk,’ all coming from different perspectives—a middle school teacher, a university professor, an early childhood educator-tech coach, and an education researcher,” she says. “A topic is offered and we just talk about it. ‘Is it really cheating, is it going to replace us, what tools are you using?’ Just authentic unscripted conversations about AI.”

The group caps the meet-up by sharing AI tools they find most helpful and effective, offering concrete take-home value along with their insights. St. Clair Smith met Ross-Kleinmann in a media-focused event at ISTE, further underlining the pros of conference networking.

Making Valuable Connections

(Image credit: Dr. Julianne Ross-Kleinmann)

The current reality of an uncertain financial landscape has budget matters top of mind for many school leaders. Looking to strategic partnerships and getting creative with connections can help make the most of resources in tight times.

“If you feel like finance is an issue, partnerships can be virtual,” says Ross-Kleinmann. “We moved our Sustainability Future summit online so we can have presenters from all around the world. CLIC is a great space for online partners. Sometimes we just get stuck where we live and don't realize what's past the county line. Partnerships are so important to me, in part for trying to open a world of possibilities for students.”

Asking for support is part of the give-and-take of deeper networking relationships.

”I was fortunate to have training from the Columbia Challenge Grant,” she says. “When there was something I didn’t understand, I knew I could reach out to organizations like ISTE to ask questions. Broaden your scope for help, but partners don't necessarily have to be a vendor or someone with a financially-motivated interest in connecting. Partners are also district family members, or local businesses.”

It’s not necessary to focus too heavily on scaling up your circle or worry about the number of partnerships as these will grow organically.

“I was laughing with my husband. I said, ‘I don't always get a big audience. Do I do something to change that?’ He said no, just be your authentic self because when you do have an audience, it's people who really want to hear what you're saying,” Ross-Kleinmann says. “You usually end up becoming friends with that handful of people and connections form, even if you only see each other once a year. Now I can reach out to so many people either to share something really cool that's happening or say I'm happy to support you in something that you're doing or could you support me in something I'm doing? It quickly becomes an amazing connection of people.”

Being open and putting yourself in a place to meet new people. or connect in real life with those whose work you follow online, is key.

“Attending conferences just means making additional connections, learning something new, and then sharing that with others,” Ross-Kleinmann says. “You need to make sure that your students are well supported, but help them see past the horizon.”

(Image credit: Dr. Julianne Ross-Klienmann)

The ABC’s of Adding Key Partnerships to Your Program

A few suggestions from Ross-Kleinmann to forging partnerships.

Attend conferences with your team.

Connect with outside groups—such as Tech & Learning, Learning Forward, ISTE— and attend their conferences and take a team with you. “You are going to learn so many things,” she says. “If you can bring students to those conferences, even allow them to present, that is so eye-opening for them to learn what is out past their horizon.”

Bring information back.

Take the information you learn back not only to just your cabinet and your leadership team, but to the teachers and the building administrators. Don’t shy away from the idea of having partners come to the school, their motivations are not always financial. Some want to learn how to make their product better or how to help students.

Connect outside of your local organizations.

It’s great to belong to the AASA, but you should also step out of the box and consider a space with which you might not have direct ties. Go national so that students can see new options of where they can go and what they can do.

(Image credit: Dr. Julianne Ross-Kleinmann)

The Tools They Use

ChatGPT
SchoolAI
Inkwire (AI)
Canvas
Google Workplace
Microsoft
Zoom
Screencastify
iPad/Macbook Pro
Logitech Webcam

3 Ways Tech Managers Can Improve Busy Lives of Staff

Sascha Zuger — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Last summer, Victor DeMedeiros, Senior Technology Manager at New Bedford Public Schools in Massachusetts, set up and enrolled 3,200 new Chromebooks for the entire high school of approximately 3,000 students.

“During the swap-outs, it was clear how excited students were to get their hands on the new technology,” DeMedeiros said. “Many of them shared how much they were looking forward to using faster, more reliable devices for learning. It may seem like a simple equipment upgrade, but you could see the impact immediately—students were more engaged, more motivated, and genuinely energized by having modern tools to support their education.”

Innovation doesn’t have to mean over-the-top wizardry in the classroom to make a serious difference in the daily lives of students.

“Technology is not a magic solution, but when it’s aligned with purpose, equity, and support, it becomes a powerful catalyst for progress,” DeMedeiros says. “The work we do behind the scenes matters because it enables everything else in the school system to function better.”

DeMedeiros was recently recognized for his work with an Innovative Leader Award for Innovative Senior Technology Manager at the Tech & Learning New England Regional Leadership Summit.

DeMedeiros shares three ways technology managers can help the lives of busy educators and administrators, plus offers tips for those making edtech purchasing decisions.

Inspiring Tech-Supported Initiatives at Work

An ambitious five-part innovation initiative — including a network infrastructure overhaul, security enhancements, student device management, teacher-students classroom management, and parent-community engagement — was a blend of both long-overdue innovation and real-time necessity, says DeMedeiros.

“On one hand, the district was due for a systemic tech upgrade to meet the evolving demands of education,” he says. “The pace of change in digital learning, data systems, and infrastructure made it clear that staying status quo was no longer an option.”

In many school districts, technology departments traditionally operate in a constant state of triage, reacting to outages, fixing devices, and putting out daily fires.

“It often felt like working in an emergency room—high-pressure, reactive, and focused only on the next crisis,” DeMedeiros says. “While that kept us running in the short term, it wasn’t sustainable, and it kept us from becoming a truly strategic asset to the district.”

(Image credit: New Bedford Public Schools/Victor DeMedeiros)

With the support and vision of edtech influencer and Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning, Dr. Matthew X. Joseph (above left, with DeMedeiros), DeMedeiros began shifting toward what he calls an “operating room” approach—in which preparation, precision, and proactive planning are the standard.

“In this model, every tool has its place, every team member understands their role, and the focus is on long-term outcomes rather than simply surviving the next issue,” he says. “This change in mindset has been the real driver behind our tech-supported transformation.”

Part of this effort included improving outreach and inclusion within the local area. Engaged parents and communities create stronger, more supportive learning ecosystems. Tech can help smooth this path of connectivity.

“If communication systems are clunky or inconsistent, families feel disconnected and uninformed—especially in emergencies, school closures, or when interventions are needed,” DeMedeiros says. “A refined system ensures transparency, improves trust, and can directly impact student attendance, behavior, and performance by bringing families more meaningfully into the fold.”

3 Ways Tech Managers Can Improve Busy Lives of Staff

DeMedeiros offers this advice for tech managers who want to better empower their team.

Streamline Tools and Training – Too many platforms can overwhelm staff. Consolidating tools into integrated systems (such as using Google Workspace, ClassLink, or ParentSquare) helps reduce friction and makes day-to-day tasks simpler.
Provide Responsive Support – Whether it’s fast troubleshooting or proactive professional development, timely tech support keeps educators focused on teaching, not tech glitches.
Use Automation for Admin Tasks – Automating repetitive processes such as attendance reporting, communication alerts, or device check-ins, gives time back to staff for more impactful work.

Dollars and Sense

In an uncertain financial environment, balancing need versus want is a challenge when schools have tight budgets. Offering objective, factual analysis can help stakeholders see those funds responsibly put to work.

“Data analysis has been instrumental in helping us prioritize spending,” says DeMedeiros. “We use data to demonstrate ROI — whether in terms of improved attendance from communication platforms or reduced tech downtime due to preventative maintenance. It’s not just about cost, but value. We also take advantage of E-Rate, grants, and public-private partnerships to extend our budget as far as possible.”

Putting off enhancements in a perceived attempt to be fiscally frugal has downsides. Delaying infrastructure upgrades increases risk—both in terms of cybersecurity and operational inefficiency, warns DeMedeiros.

“Outdated systems can lead to data breaches, frequent downtime problems, or even safety issues if communication tools fail,” he says. “More than that, it sends a message to staff and students that we’re not investing in their success. Tech is foundational now, not optional.”

3 Considerations for Decision Makers when Choosing New Edtech

When it comes to making buying decisions, DeMedeiros says school leaders need to consider:

Scalability and Compatibility – Tech must scale across schools and integrate with existing infrastructure. Avoid silos; choose platforms that play well with others.
User Experience and Training Requirements – Even the most powerful tool is ineffective if it’s not user-friendly. Factor in the learning curve and the availability of training and vendor support.
Long-Term Sustainability – Always evaluate total cost of ownership. Consider licensing models, maintenance, and the vendor's roadmap for updates and support.

Tools They Use

Cisco
Verkada
Chromebooks
GoogleWorkspace
ClassLink
ParentSquare

5 Tips For Superintendents To Use Tech To Serve Your District

Sascha Zuger — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000

When it comes to implementing technology in a school district, communication is paramount. It’s especially critical to make sure that any decision around it is part of a conversation, not a monologue, says Bill Runey, Superintendent of Schools at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Schools in Massachusetts.

“Strategic communication isn't just about broadcasting—it's about building trust and driving engagement across all stakeholders,” Runey says. “These efforts foster pride, transparency, and collaboration—ensuring that our programs not only serve students but also reflect and uplift the values of the greater DR community.”

For his work within his district, Runey was recently recognized with an Innovative Leader Award for Innovative Superintendent at the Tech & Learning New England Regional Leadership Summit.

“Every interaction is a chance to listen, connect, and advocate for what’s best for students,” Runey says. “I can gather real-time insights from staff and observe how students engage with tech to choose tools and infrastructure which will truly support learning. Strong leadership is rooted in authentic relationships, and I strive to model that daily.”

Runey shares how he helped transform his district with passion and innovation, offering five tips for superintendents to use tech to serve their district

They Have Spirit, Yes They Do!

(Image credit: Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Schools/Bill Runey)

Unlike the stereotypical tucked-away superintendent, Runey shows up for his students, even if hidden beneath a falcon mascot costume. The prize for a recent district-wide contest to see which school could show the most “Green & Gold” pride was to host an assembly to paint Runey’s hair green and gold.

“Leadership also means being approachable, having a sense of humor, and celebrating what makes school memorable for kids,” says Runey. “Being deeply embedded in the community isn’t just a job requirement—it’s a key part of how I lead. Whether dressed as our falcon mascot, attending the Fireworks Festival, school concerts, or chatting with families at the local craft fair, I see these interactions as opportunities to gather feedback and understand the pulse of the district.”

This presence raises the spirits of students and staff, and also keeps Runey in touch with how best to serve his community using tech.

“Recent initiatives like our alumni data outreach via Google Forms and the digitization of yearbooks have not only helped us reconnect with graduates but also celebrate our shared history while reinforcing a sense of belonging,” he says. “We’re also using innovative tools—like our Apptegy-powered project website for the potential Dighton Elementary School project—to keep residents informed and engaged in shaping the future of our district alongside the MSBA.”

Runey believes bringing more voices to the table can perpetuate a positive narrative about the district to build long-term support for their mission.

For example: “One of the goals of our new adult continuing education program through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) department is to bring alumni and community members back into our schools to see firsthand the powerful, modern learning experiences happening across our buildings,” he says.

Visitors are impressed by grant-driven, cutting-edge technology additions to the CTE program.

“Our students are getting that relevant experience that will put them in a position to be more marketable to college and post-secondary programs,” Runey says. “But it also makes them very well-prepared to just go directly into the workforce if that's what they choose.”

Dighton-Rehoboth also embeds PD time into the district calendar, and offers DREAM Seminars to ensure it is not a top-down mandate but features events designed to empower staff by offering voice and choice in learning, opportunities to lead sessions, and to dive deep into topics. Administrators are equipped with a dashboard for real-time data analysis and OPTIC to strengthen instructional calibration.

Safety First

(Image credit: Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Schools/Bill Runey)

Establishing a strong sense of security for the school community allows space for the good work of learning to flourish.

“When I began as superintendent, 80% of our schools had no security camera coverage. Today, every one of our buildings is equipped with modern surveillance systems—an essential step in ensuring the safety of our students and staff,” Runey says. “This transformation not only deters potential threats but also gives families peace of mind, knowing that we are proactively safeguarding our learning environments.”

The district also uses a real-time communication platform that connects staff, school leaders, and first responders.

“Safety isn't just a checkbox for us—it’s a foundational promise,” Runey says. “CrisisGo allows us to coordinate emergency responses more effectively, whether it’s a drill or a real incident, and ensures that all stakeholders have access to accurate, timely information. This level of responsiveness builds trust with families and reinforces our commitment to student well-being.”

Another arm of that concept is making sure every student feels valued and heard.

“Equity must be intentional,” Runey says. “Access for students in special education though the use of tech is one of my top priorities. Through our DRiving Toward 2030 strategic plan, we empower learners by integrating tools such as Lexia, ST Math, and Wonders—platforms that offer adaptive features tailored to individual needs.”

The district also implemented speech-to-text software and interactive digital platforms that help students with disabilities engage more fully in the curriculum.

“I view technology as a powerful tool for equity—one that removes barriers, ignites engagement and confidence, and ensures all students have the resources they need to succeed, regardless of ability,” Runey says. “Backed by targeted grants and evidence-based practices, we are shaping a more inclusive future where technology isn’t just a resource, but a lifeline that empowers every student to thrive.”

(Image credit: Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Schools/Bill Runey)

5 Tips For Superintendents To Use Tech To Serve Your District

Runey shares advice that any superintendent can follow to get the most out of education technology.

Lead with Purpose - Avoid tech for tech’s sake, from infrastructure upgrades to instructional tools. Tech should support your district’s goals to empower educators, facilitate learning, and shape a future-ready community.
Cultivate a Culture of Empowered Learning - Invest in PD that not only trains staff on tools, but cultivates innovation and leadership. Runey’s district offers DREAM Seminars or embedded PD days to explore, share, and implement tech-enhanced instructional practices that foster engagement and success.
Advance Equity Through Strategic Investment - Prioritize adaptive and assistive technologies (such as ST Math, Lexia, or Wonders) that support differentiated learning. Use grants and strategic funding to close gaps in access, especially for special education students and underrepresented groups.
Leverage Data to Empower Smarter Decisions - Use technology to gather, visualize, and act on meaningful data—from attendance and engagement metrics to learning progress and fiscal dashboards. Encourage district and school leaders to analyze trends and ignite improvement efforts through responsive interventions, resource allocation, and transparent reporting.
Use Tech to Strengthen Transparent, Two-Way Communication - From mass notification tools to community apps and interactive websites, technology can empower families to engage with schools in real-time. Leverage platforms such as Apptegy or social media to tell your story, highlight student achievement, and provide clarity during times of uncertainty.

Tools They Use

Apptegy
TouchViews
iPad and Apple TV Combinations
z-Space VR laptops
OPTIC
Lexia
ST Math
Wonders
CNC Machine
CrisisGo

Innovative Leader Award

5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Library Media Specialist

Sascha Zuger — Fri, 30 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

“There's a very strong component of leadership being a library media specialist,” says Cathy Collins, Library Media Specialist at Sharon Public Schools in Massachusetts. “We pilot new technology and studies show student improvement in academic test scores and college admissions due to the role. We're just leaders by nature of what we do. And yet there's not always a lot of recognition for the field.”

Too often, library media specialists are underutilized and underappreciated. A misconception they are merely babysitters or simply play a role in the entertainment side of literacy leaves a lot of quality tech expertise and opportunity for student success on the table.

“We are trained to work with teachers across subject areas and grade levels, full classes or individual students. If you have a big project that involves research, we want to jump in. I want administrators to support the work we are doing. Whether you're a principal or a tech coach or department head, involve your library media specialist in your department meetings and curriculum planning, because they have a wealth of knowledge about not only research, but technology and how to best integrate it.”

Collins was recently recognized for her work with an Innovative Leader Award for Library Media Specialist Award at the Tech & Learning New England Regional Leadership Summit.

Collins shares how tech plays a role for Library Media Specialists, offering tips for administrators and educators to make the most of the role’s expertise to benefit their students.

Truth is the Treasure

Cathy Collins in her library (Image credit: Sharon Public Schools/Cathy Collins)

The current climate and flood of misinformation on social and in media makes becoming a good digital citizen more important than ever.

“I cover cybersecurity, online safety, and being a responsible user of technology integrating ISTE’s digital citizenship lessons, but take it a step beyond,” says Collins. “Right now, my students are creating a digital footprint map—a mind map of their most visited websites, favorite apps, and social media use. This helps them become more aware of their activity online.”

Once students have a handle on how they are interacting with media, Collins shifts to the quality of that media.

“I teach news and media literacy, using the News Literacy Project’s checkology Curriculum,” she says. “We cover things like free speech, the seven standards of journalism, and how to be smart in evaluating information. I teach them about algorithms and to be aware of things like filter bubbles and information pollution, as well as the importance of digital verification when doing research online.”

With political sensitivity on high alert, some of these areas can pose a tricky tightrope to walk for educators.

“It’s a bipartisan topic, it crosses political lines,” Collins says. “One of the lessons I do is all about understanding bias. We all carry biases. It’s simply about determining whether a piece of information that they’re looking at online is factual. Who’s the author? How do we determine how credible this is? What’s their experience level? Your Uncle Charlie might be your favorite uncle and he might know all there is to know about fishing. However, if he doesn’t know anything about physics and your question has to do with physics, then even though you love him, you need to go beyond Uncle Charlie.”

Collin’s debut book, Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI: A Cross Curricular Approach, will be published by ISTE in August. Aimed at educators and library media specialists, the cross-disciplinary approach offers resources to help students navigate today’s news and media landscape as expert chroniclers, curators, and content creators.

“Be a Sherlock Holmes or an Enola Holmes, be a Spock,” she says. “It’s black and white, take your own biases and emotions out of it and just look at the facts. It’s vitally important. Truth is the treasure. I tell them they are the treasure hunters and their critical thinking skills are their treasure map.”

Project-Based Pizazz

(Image credit: Sharon Public Schools/Cathy Collins)

“I'm a firm believer in project-based learning,” Collins says. “We do a lot of cross-curricular projects that involve research, creativity, and the use of technology in the creation process and the expression piece as well.”

Collins’ special projects include coding with poetry from Hour of Code and creating an ideal future sustainable home using 3D-design software through Ludenso Create. She also focuses on popular projects aimed at English language learners, such as a digital music creation with Soundation and drawing projects using Brush Ninja to create a meme, which allows students to communicate in a comfortable non-written form.

“They are still doing research, technology just allows them to get creative about how they're expressing their ideas, which is wonderful,” she says. “My annual session on how to use Sora to gain access to multiple different languages to read and hear their books in their own language as they're developing their English skills draws a full house.”

With much of the news and current events seeming dire and full of doom and gloom, Collins injects a dose of humor to ensure lessons resonate.

“I’ll have a little quiz on AI–there's hilarious things out there,” she says. “We look at images and I teach them the strategies of how to find the source and whether it's reliable or not. I’ll show a photo of the Pope in a puffer jacket, that's not real. So we learn things like reverse image searching to backtrack and find the original source of a photo. The Wayback Machine helps you check down a website where something came from originally. I remember when it was just a newspaper that was thrown on your porch. Now it's a lot harder with the internet, social media and speed with which the misinformation travels. So I let them play with the technology that the bad actors are using.”

AI offers the potential for an enormous effect on today’s world, yet Collins reminds students that it is just a tool, and one that can be used for good or bad.

“I will have students locate a historical photo and use Canva,” she says. “Students upload a historical photo. alter it and then we have a guessing game. What is different in this picture, which is real, which is not? It shows not tells, just how easy it is to use certain tools. Letting them use the tech is the best way I can think of to teach an awareness of what's going on right now in the world of AI.”

(Image credit: Sharon Public Schools/Cathy Collins)

5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Library Media Specialist

Collins shares what you can do to ensure your media specialists are contributing all they can to your school.

Prioritize Collaboration and Communication. Schedule regular meetings to discuss school needs. Involve librarians in curriculum planning and showcase the library's resources, services and tech to students.
Advocate for the Librarian's Role. Promote the librarian’s role in curriculum and tech integration, share access to professional resources such as relevant professional organizations and conferences, and promote teacher-librarian partnerships.
Allocate Resources and Support. Ensure adequate funding for materials, tech, collaboration time, and PD. Publicly acknowledge librarians’ contributions.
Professional Development and Growth. Provide opportunities for librarians to enhance skills and knowledge, support research and innovative practices, and offer librarian-to-librarian mentorship and coaching from pros.
Data-Driven Decision-Making. Use library data to inform resource allocation and measure the positive impact of library programs and services on student outcomes.

The Tools They Use

diffit.me
Canva
Brisk
MagicSchool AI
StretchAI
Safari Montage
Breakout EDU
Adobe Express
Brush Ninja
Soundation
Ludenso Create
Hour of Code
Checkology curriculum (News Literacy Project)
ISTE Digital Citizenship curriculum
Sora
National Geographic
Noodletools
Code.org

6 Steps to Mobile Makerspace Success

Sascha Zuger — Thu, 22 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Given ever-constricting budgets and the growing need for hands-on STEM experiences, getting the most out of makerspace investments is critical. So what better way to get more hands on a tool than having it available to more than one school?

Enter Maker Spaces Go Mobile.

“When we housed individual machines in schools, they operated in very much of a silo mentality due to the size of our district,” says Susie Simmons, Instructional Technology Coach at Bonny Eagle Schools in Maine. “Our vision with the mobile makerspace was to cut back on isolating components and increase our collaboration across the district. It empowered us to bring a larger number of pieces of equipment into a building at any given time when they need it, which helps make any projects move faster than if they were trying to accomplish it on one stationary machine.”

With the help of collaborator/partner and fellow instructional technology coach Stephen Avery, the program was thoroughly considered before launching.

“We really wanted to have kids interact with the technology and use it, rather than putting in the gatekeeper of an adult who is really the one using the tech and undermining the educational experience,” says Avery. “We worked it into not just CTE-style STEM courses, but for all students.”

Simmons was recently recognized with an Innovative Leader Award for Most Innovative Learning Spaces Award at the Tech & Learning New England Regional Leadership Summit.

Simmons and Avery discuss their impressive Maker Spaces Go Mobile project, offering six tips for districts wanting to connect such spaces with curriculum on a deeper level.

The Making of a Mobile Makerspace

(Image credit: Bonny Eagle Schools)

As mentioned, the main focus of the project was to provide students with hands-on, creative opportunities.

“3D printing was still a big piece of the goal,” says Avery. “It was known technology and something we’d been doing for a while. Three years ago, we were also fortunate to add a set of GlowForges, one in each of our middle and high school buildings. GlowForge, a laser cutter and engraver, is very quick technology by comparison to 3D printing. It has great applications for design thinking, prototyping, and problem solving.”

Being able to spread need across the use of multiple machines also has clear benefits.

“Back in the day, a project could take several weeks and a few overnight hours of 3D printing,” says Simmons. “With our new system, the same project can be done within the course of a school day. It’s been really gratifying to work with teachers used to the old methods and now we just show up with a mass supply of pieces of equipment to get things done.”

The “mobile” element of a mobile maker lab space proved interesting.

“We actually moved a laser around a couple of times,” says Avery. “That particular machine was quite heavy and very prone to damage. In search of a more mobile solution, we selected two different types of lasers from a company called xTool. One is a bed-style diode laser called the S1.”

The team also purchased a small, portable engraving unit called the F1, ideal for speedy, small projects with students.

“While we were shooting for the moon, we added a Cricut Venture system,” says Avery. “This large-scale, industrial-sized and output-ready Cricut machine is capable of doing vinyl and other thin substrate work, to be able to cut and design for staff and student use.”

The bonus was should one elementary school need a project completed, without a hands-on piece of tech physically in the room, they could send files and jobs to be printed and delivered as a type of a processing center.

Cutting Class is Encouraged

(Image credit: Bonny Eagle Schools)

One makerspace project featured students making physical currency in a social studies class to understand setting up their own little countries and the economy that goes with it. Other efforts have been more practical.

“One of my favorite projects was helping a student in special education with a physical limitation in art class,” says Avery. “The tech made a carving project to make linoleum stamps accessible, despite the student’s lack of physical control needed to manipulate the tools. We created digital designs and used the laser for the physical carving so that the student was able to fully participate. We continue to look for ways that we can support through meaningful opportunities to remove obstacles.”

The program has “earned its keep” further, making gifts for celebrations and staff presents, stencils for the facilities department, even manipulatives for a math class. It helps when it comes time for budget decision to justify expenses.

(Image credit: Bonny Eagle Schools)

“We’ve been doing laser work during reading challenges or family engagement nights,” says Simmons. “Students design their own keychain or bookmark. Because of the speed at which we're able to produce those items, the kids walk away with their creation in their hand, which is awesome.”

Simmons notes that there’s even a plan for a major waste issue districts struggle with—recycling 3D printer scraps.

“We ended up buying a wood chipper off Amazon of all things,” says Avery. “We used it to break down our failed models, our scrap, and then melt it into sheets that we can actually cut with the laser to make new products.”

Money Matters

(Image credit: Bonny Eagle Schools)

Like many districts, Bonny Eagle benefited from regional partnerships and grants.

“After receiving a grant from the Perloff Family Foundation in Maine, Bonny Eagle Schools expanded the existing 3D printing system across the district,” says Simmons, “The technology in those buildings was beginning to show its age. It no longer worked at the quality or speed we needed to support our programs.”

Located in Maine, the DoE Learning Through Technology Team at the state level offered a Teach with Tech grant. The duo decided to apply with the goal of supporting makerspace youth across K-12.

“We hoped to replace the aging 3D printing technology across the district and provide other methods of creation,” says Simmons. “Our larger vision was for the two of us currently on paper supporting grade 6 to 12 to support K to 12 instead.”

“We were very fortunate in our district to be able to have professionals support embedded professional development,” says Avery. “It's essentially a peer who can support-teach with the teachers. We created a train-the-trainer model and are actively brainstorming projects to avoid introducing technology as a toy. We want to identify it fits as part of the teaching strategy and instructional style to help further and deepen student learning. Those abilities are great for kids moving on into an engineering program, design thinking . . . but the creative problem-solving is really just a great overall life skill.”

6 Steps to Mobile Makerspace Success

Simmons and Avery share their tips for creating mobile makerspaces.

Make sure that you have people on staff invested in making it work. Find people on staff who can take the vision and make it happen, and support them doing so. It’s crucial.
Be the learner in the process. Without somebody to bounce ideas off and partner with, it’s a heavier lift and becomes really challenging.
FInd opportunities just to play, even if you don't have the technology yet. A lot of tools have free software with which you can experiment. The tech is often in libraries and community maker spaces. Be a student again and get some hands-on time to stretch your imagination.
Consider the infrastructure involved from a physical standpoint. If you are planning to do something such as this in a mobile setting, how are you going to transport it between schools? Bonny Eagle Schools has a district van and all of the equipment is on carts. Lean on your facilities department to move it safely.
Know that it's going to take some time. The duo is still working on building capacity within this district, so this program hasn’t been an overnight success. So be willing to be patient and don't expect it to show the fruits of your labor in year one. Trust the vision and support your staff in making it happen.
Don’t undersell the importance of collaboration. The coaches were begging for an opportunity to talk with colleagues and put their heads together in a room. Time is precious, but even an hour of time together to sit down and talk through ideas can be really invigorating and productive.

The Tools They Use

Heavy duty utility carts for moving the equipment
Bambu Lab A1 and A1 Mini 3D Printers
4-Color AMS Lite
Cricut Venture Makerspace Educators School Bundle
xTool F1 Portable Diode/Infrared Laser
xTool S1 Enclosed Diode Laser Cutter
TinkerCAD, AutoCAD
Physical materials such as air handling, storage totes, replacement parts, and consumable materials such as filament, vinyl, and wood.

Innovative Leader Award

3 Tips to Build A Sustainable Agritech Program

Sascha Zuger — Mon, 19 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Basing any STEM-based project on a solution for a real-life problem will help the lesson stick, and connecting it to a subject that affects everyone, such as food and farming, cultivates the learning even more.

“The STEM standards for elementary, middle, and high school lend itself to any type of agriculture initiative,” says Trina Reaves, Director of STEM and Innovation at Clayton County Public Schools in Georgia. “We started organically. A lot of the schools had gotten aeroponics towers and aquaponics systems, really trying to show children how they could grow in alternate spaces other than traditional farming. We were having students look at real-world problems, such as Clayton County being in a food desert, and how they could solve them.”

Reaves was recently recognized for the Best Overall Implementation of Technology Award at the Southeast Regional Leadership Summit as part of the Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards.

Reaves discusses her impressive agricultural technology initiative and shares three tips to plant a similar program in your district.

Growing Solutions With STEM

(Image credit: Clark County School District/Trina Reaves)

“As I moved to start the program, I went to Forest Park High School to see their gardens which had been growing for 10 years,” says Reaves. “They were having a salad bar for the teachers. They had a student who was cooking meals the teachers could buy! The day I visited, he was making pan-seared herb-encrusted salmon with a citrus sauce and asparagus. Wow, all of this was going on and nobody really talked about it.”

Forest Park High School had a FarmBot, or tech helper that, once coded, guides planting of seeds, watering intervals, and other key tasks for a successful crop.

“I went to an aeroponics farm in North Georgia,” says Reaves. “They showed us their farm and how this could work for our plans. They suggested a seed business. I had one school which already had a FarmBot with the space and the capability to sell seeds, so we decided to start an initiative at Forest Park High School in which they would produce seedlings to sell to the rest of the district. We call it Agritech Solutions.”

An Organic Way of Connecting the Dots

(Image credit: Clark County School District/Trina Reaves)

Reaves pulled in the greater community to serve as mentors, and then let students shine in all the ways that are helpful for a growing business.

“Our aquaponics labs were supported by the science department in collaboration with the Georgia Aquarium,” she says. “One of the teachers at Forest Park helped them build a system to grow tilapia throughout the year to harvest at the end. At Drew High School, they have a culinary CTE pathway with a teacher who uses several aeroponic towers for ingredients in her class.”

The program went beyond simply farming.

“We didn't want this just to be about agriculture, we wanted it to also touch other CTE pathways,” Reaves says. “We have a minority business who's helping us with logistics and distribution. We're training a group of students at the school who are going to run the business. Besides the ag element, we have marketing students creating campaigns to raise awareness. The computer science students are creating the platform so schools can take and fulfill their orders.”

By welcoming in students with a variety of talents, Reaves has built an ecosystem for industry knowledge to thrive.

“The goal is for this to simulate a real-world business,” she says. “Students get practical experience through promoting and securing sales. We want this to sustain the program, so the business students are creating a business plan. The goal was to use this one initiative to support many different pathways while we're also working on a real world problem that's a part of our community.”

Planting The Seeds and Watching Them Grow

(Image credit: Cobb County School District/Trina Reaves)

With one successful first launch, Reaves looked for ways to include additional schools. Each school designed a unique program–some instituted rain barrels, pollinator gardens, compost bins, beekeeping, and worm farms to support projects that include traditional farming, hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, and even a fruit orchard.

“We have an elementary school that just launched their program with the help of Georgia Tech,” Reaves says. “The university’s engineers came and helped us set up Oliver Elementary School's FarmBot.”

A FarmBot can do as little or as much as it is coded to accomplish.

“Some people will just use them to simply grow produce,” Reaves says. “You can program it to plant the seeds in the system. You can tell it when to water. It takes away some of the manual labor. But we're going to use it to start seedlings and sell them to schools in the district. They plant, they water, the kids then move the seedlings out to sell and just start a new system. We have to keep that rhythm going. If Brown Elementary School wants 20 plants, you’ve got to have a system that's just continually moving. The FarmBot makes that work easier.”

(Image credit: Cobb County School District/Trina Reaves)

Reaves’ ultimate goal is to raise production to the point at which seedlings can be sold to parents and the community, as an agri-bake sale concept. Of 37 schools, 22 have FarmBot systems.

“The seedlings can be used in traditional planting or in aquaponics or aeroponic towers,” she says. “When we went to the Northern Georgia farm, they shared that a certain number of towers break even when it comes to labor and costs. Seeds are what really grew their business. We're going to start selling to schools, but we are talking about having community farmers markets. That would be a first-touch point for parents to know they can buy seedlings, plants, or fully harvested crops from the students. However, we can also buy seeds if we're growing ourselves in the home.”

Besides offering students the full entrepreneurial experience, creating an opportunity to grow backyard produce addresses the county’s food desert issue.

“We're having a September Farm to Fork event in which we will have all the schools bring their first crop of the season, with a farmer's market for schools to show off their success and sell their yield while talking about the project with customers,” Reaves says. “It's going to be an informational event with vendors and classes about healthy living. The event’s location at Drew High School is right next to Southern Region Medical Center. The hospital staff will come talk about exercise, eating healthy, diabetes, and those issues permeating our community.

“I'm really excited about the opportunity here — it’s not just all about growing,” says Reaves. “You've got finance, you've got marketing, computer science and tech, there’s a whole business side of agriculture. Every time I turn around, there's an opportunity. I joined the National Women in Agriculture association in the Georgia chapter. So many are willing to come and support the schools. It’s really good to see more women and minorities, it’s very important for our kids to see underrepresented groups and to be exposed to as much as possible.”

(Image credit: Cobb County School District/Trina Reaves)

3 Tips to Build A Sustainable Agritech Program

Reaves offers advice to anyone interested in growing a similar program.

For any STEM initiative, you have to have buy-in at the school level. “I started with surveys and forums to make sure everybody saw the vision and was onboard. One of the things I've learned a long time ago as an administrator is I support you wherever you are. I can't force you to do something because when I force you, it doesn't play as well as when you let it build organically.”
You need support from outside. Reaves recommends building relationships in the industry to show that you’re trying to feed their workforce in the long term. “Whatever they can pour into the students while in K-12 matters. We’ve partnered with colleges with scholarship and internship opportunities we want to provide our students around the Southeast.
Grant writing and donation appeals are imperative. Schools budgets are not large, Reave acknowledges, so supporting programs also requires skills such as grant writing. “Create sustainability for the project,” she says. “I don’t want this to go away if I retire. Make sure relationships and supports are in place for the long term to ensure the project lives on beyond a specific district director or principal in charge.”

Tools they Use

Google Education Suite
Adobe Express
Canva
Prisms (VR)
Wonderworks
Lego Robotics
Tinkercad
3D Printers
Mimio Boards
Drones
Boxlight Labdisc
Aviation Simulators
Vex Robotics
Book Creator
Canvas LMS
Tower Gardens
Produce'd Hydroponics Growbox
FarmBot

Innovative Leader Award

3 Tips to Create Your Own Library Learning Commons

Sascha Zuger — Fri, 16 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Holly Frilot, Cobb County School District Supervisor of Library Media Education and Adjunct Instructor for University of West Georgia in Educational Technology and Foundations, created a Library Learning Commons certification, the first of its kind in the nation. Designed to support the transformational process of making media instructional programs and spaces into future-ready Library Learning Commons, Frilot’s Library Learning Commons Certification focuses on three tenets: services, resources, and intentional spaces.

“The purpose of certification is to provide guidelines and support for the Library Learning Commons transition, as well as honor schools for their commitment to providing students with an education rich in print and digital literacy,” says Frilot, who was recently recognized for Most Innovative Learning Spaces at Tech & Learning’s Southeast Regional Leadership Summit as part of our Innovative Leader Awards.

Frilot shares her motivation to create the certification as well as magical Library Learning Commons from existing media centers, and offers three tips for districts interested in transforming their own innovative learning spaces.

Creating Cool Learning Spaces Through Literal Sweat Equity

Frilot has spearheaded the transformation of more than 50 media centers into library learning commons, with 50 more in the works. These vibrant student-focused hubs of technology, literacy, creativity, and innovation include podcast booths, video studios, makerspace labs, and lots of access to power and wifi.

“I became a high school library media specialist when the school community was just starting to discuss transforming libraries,” Frilot says. “I was reading David Loerschter’s work and became intrigued by the student-focused participatory approach to school library programs. I loved working with teenagers and wanted to really engage them in our space.”

Frilot had a beautiful area with floor-to-ceiling windows in her existing media center that was a perfect place to experiment with this approach.

“I saved up some funds, got input from students, and went to IKEA to buy some student-friendly furniture,” she says. “I spent a very hot couple of days in the summer putting furniture together and the student response was awesome when they came back in the fall. It was a simple start, and of course IKEA furniture couldn’t hold up to 3,000+ students, but that was the start, and I’ve never looked back!”

Learn and Earn—These Spaces Are Certified Fresh!

Collaborative teaching and learning is at the heart of Frilot’s certification initiative, and informs the design of both the program and the space.

“Library media specialists take the lead on this transformative work, often spending years building a collaborative instructional program, positive reading culture, and a student-friendly space,” Frilot says. “The LLC Certification is awarded to the school, since it requires school-wide engagement to achieve the levels of instructional collaboration and positive reading culture required.”

In addition to the physical space redesign, Frilot worked cross-divisionally to support the CCSD Future-Ready Framework, a scope and sequence of digital literacy and future-ready skills. This framework supports the teaching and learning needed to enable student mastery of digital literacy skills as they grow into collaborators, producers, and innovators.

More Hands, More Wallets, More Impact

In an era of financial uncertainty and tightening budgets, some districts might be hesitant to embark on new programs. Engaging stakeholders with a concrete, clear plan in hand can pave the way for funding.

“Dream big and start small! Creating the vision helps stakeholders see what you’re trying to accomplish,” Frilot says. “When you get funding, get tables on wheels. It sounds simple, but it really helps move in the direction of a flexible space. Create student-friendly low-cost programming, lots of books displays, dynamic shelving, and have fun. Promote the joy of reading. Look at your media centers and make small changes that appeal to students.”

Consider local community businesses as potential partners in achieving a dream future-ready learning space.

”Business partners are opportunities for collaboration, idea generation, and real-world application,” she says. “These collaborations can also bring in funding, resources and innovation, while strengthening community ties and helping students see the world beyond school. Additionally, reach out to your public library and partner with them when possible.”

Equity matters. Offering a fun, exciting, vibrant space can make a serious difference for struggling students.

“I fundamentally believe that if students feel like they belong at school, they keep coming,” Frilot says. “For some kids that’s sports or theater, and for some it’s the library. The transformation of school libraries into student-focused collaborative hubs sends the message that all students belong. You can be a reader or not; you still belong here. We want you here. We’re designing this space, not only as a place for books and tech, but for you. If we keep students coming to school and engaging with other students and teachers, they’ll keep learning and growing.”

3 Tips to Create Your Own Library Learning Commons

Frilot shares three actionable tips to transform your media center, which also happen to describe the important work accomplished within the space.

1. Collaborate: “Library learning commons are all about creating a space for everyone, especially students, so it’s important to collaborate with stakeholders to define what the library learning commons should be for your district,” Frilot says. “Student input is often most overlooked! Teachers, leaders, students, and colleagues from districts experienced in this work should all be involved in these discussions.”

2. Learn: Learning can be a challenge for adults sometimes. “Slow down, listen, and ask good questions of students and colleagues who have gone before you in this work,” Frilot says. “See other library learning commons spaces either in-person or via virtual visits. Look with an eye not only for the way the library has been redesigned, but also the flow, the climate, and the way the library program shifts into a learning hub.”

3. Create: “I always recommend that planning teams, after collaborating and learning, dream big together,” Frilot says. “Create the comprehensive plan in both design and instructional shifts. Engage with a company that designs educational spaces. When the big plan is created first, even if funding or resources aren’t available yet, it facilitates a cohesive vision that engages stakeholders.”

Tools They Use

Future-Ready Librarians
MackinVia
Library PASS
Follett Software Project Connect
Nintendo
Nearpod
Microsoft Office 365

Innovative Leader Award

3 Tips to Create An Impactful Student Focus Group

Sascha Zuger — Fri, 09 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

“When you dream of something, you are really putting what your wants are into reality,” says Terri Webb, Manager of Instructional Technology at Georgia’s DeKalb County School District (DCSD).

So rather than guess at the needs and wants of students when it comes to the education technology they might learn with best, Webb and her team went directly to the source.

“Instead of the district pushing devices, the students created videos telling us what their dream device looks like, the different features within, how it should be used and carried,” she says. “All the things your parents would tell you, but you don't listen because you're listening to your friends who are much smarter than adults.”

The result was the Digital Dreamers program, which launched in 2018 when the district instituted their 1:1 initiative for middle to high schools (2:1 for elementary).

Webb, along with Instructional Technology Coordinator Natasha Lawyer, were recently recognized for their efforts with the Innovative Educational Technology Specialists Award at the Southeast Regional Leadership Summit as part of the Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards.

Webb and Lawyer discuss their impressive Digital Dreamers program and their other edtech efforts, plus offer three tips to create your own student focus group to inform tech choices that resonate.

Ambassadors Take Charge

(Image credit: Dekalb County School District/Terri Webb)

Enlisting student input has long been key in the district, including starting a student AI Cohort and a Hackathon focused on the school portal design.

“It was so impressive! We said, ‘Let's stop asking the leaders what they want, the students will empower us to give them what they need to have fun while learning,’” says Webb. “Accessibility features, AI, cybersecurity—they even spoke about empathy between one another in the classroom. They wanted us to recognize that not all students can afford Apple devices and flashy tools.”

Insight from students refocused the team to help students with the tools they had.

“We saw students teach one another what a certain tool is, the purpose of the tool, and how we maintain a safe digital playground,” says Webb. “These students in turn became our ambassadors.”

Then a surprising thing happened. The ambassadors decided they didn’t really need much school leadership.

“We were trying to start a club to help students fix the Chromebooks. The students said, ‘We don't need to fix the Chromebooks, we need to teach the teachers how to use the Chromebooks,’” says Webb. “It was really cool—‘In Ms. So-and-so's class, we have to show her how to share her screen or a document.’ They shared what we need to know to support them.”

Tech for Littles

(Image credit: DeKalb County School District)

Reaching students when they’re young helps start their tech journey in a positive manner.

“We built Magical Moments with Microsoft—a virtual summer program that allows second-to-eighth grade students to play with tech,” says Webb. “They use Microsoft to build apps and games. We wanted to expand and give the ‘littles’ a taste so we chose Digital Game Design, Robotics, Video Production, Multimedia Apps and Graphic Design categories. We asked the schools to try it out, hoping for 30 students. We got over 300 applications. We now have pre-K students podcasting, first graders building video games—creating serious projects and presenting their work to judges.”

Holding tech-celebratory events can lead to big things in the district and beyond.

“Our Tech Competition is a wonderful opportunity for students (grades 3-12) to have their own voice and choice in sharing their knowledge,” says Lawyer, who co-directs the event. “They showcase their tech skills from the classroom, gaining real world experience of presenting in front of a judge to show how they have transformed over this school year.”

“When I led the Tech Competition, we were excited to get 200 students to register,” says Webb. “Natasha looked at the data to see which areas of the district we were missing and personally went into the schools to explain the event. To expand it to over a thousand students in three years is phenomenal.”

“Equity was a big component,” says Lawyer. “We saw disparity with some schools who weren't being represented, so we targeted that group to say, ‘Hey, you deserve to be a part of this as well!’ We knew they were doing the work. When you hear ‘tech competition,’ it can seem so abstract or complex you feel like your students can't do it. Once we really got in the trenches, it opened teachers’ eyes.”

The district enlists digital learning team liaisons and volunteer teacher sponsors. Interested students visit a sponsor who works between the school and parent to make sure they get the work done through an appointment system or in computer labs with a dedicated teacher.

“It’s amazing to still get teachers passionate about teaching and learning without putting a dollar amount to it, because they care so much about the students,” says Webb. “Busy principals are overwhelmed, so we approach them with a ‘wow moment’ in their building. They get excited, ‘Oh! my school is doing this?’ They then support us even more.”

At Techpalooza, the district brings in vendor partners to share what’s new with students and community stakeholders.

“We feature interactive presentations, with new tech students can touch and feel to really get their curiosity going,” says Lawyer. “Inviting the community fosters conversation with parents. grandparents, cousins, siblings—everyone comes to support their students.”

Pipeline to Profession

(Image credit: DeKalb County School District/Terri Webb)

Engaging a larger audience can result in unexpected benefits.

“One ninth grader has been a Tech Competition first-place winner for three or four years,” says Webb. “He emailed me with a business plan. He recreated an app we use for our event visitors in a way that the students can log in and be notified when it's their time to present. He knew he couldn’t get paid for the tech, so he negotiated to have his own professional table as a featured person at Techpalooza. He presented to vendors and leaders, sharing his resume and LinkedIn information.

”The kid is a businessman at ninth grade, a professional before he can even drive! After the Techpalooza, vendors and tech companies were begging to come in and support our students saying, ‘How can I create a scholarship for this kid?’ They want to nurture and prepare him for possibly working with their company. That’s what I call ‘pipeline to profession.’”

Webb says it all stems from open communication and listening to students.

“When you go to a restaurant or shop in your community, you know that that's a student that came from your school,” she says. ‘I’m always talking to everybody, ‘What school did you go to? What did you learn? What do we need to do next?’ And they tell us.”

3 Tips to Create An Impactful Student Focus Group

Webb and Lawyer share their advice for how to use students to support students.

Embrace the personality of the student. Allow them to just talk. Listen to the frustrations, listen to the excitement, listen to everything. Then validate their feelings and concerns by showing interest and feedback on at least one piece of what they're saying, so they understand you support them and that their thoughts matter.
Be open minded. Sometimes students can surprise you with the depth of their knowledge and observations in the classroom regarding tech that works and when it could work if handled better by teachers. Let them give you advice and then navigate that advice with the students.
Offer space and opportunity to share. Give students the opportunity to talk to leaders and decision-makers. A lot of times people making tech choices don’t have the opportunity to sit in front of students. Creating a student advisory committee space where kids can speak—about the tech, the devices, what they would like to see in the classroom—can change the game. We can learn from them.

The Tools They Use

Microsoft
Ignite U
Chromebooks

Innovative Leader Award

5 Tips To Launching A Cyber Champions Program

Sascha Zuger — Thu, 08 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

When Dr. Shanique Worthey launched her Cyber Champions program, she had no idea just how many students would jump at the chance to participate in the digital citizenship program.

“As we began collaborating last summer for the Cyber Champions, we expected a group of 25 or so,” says Worthey, Manager of Security Awareness and Engagement for Georgia’s DeKalb County School District, which serves 92,066 students across 137 schools. “Instead, we had about 100 students immediately apply to be a part of this initiative to virtually meet monthly to talk about different topics such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and being a good digital citizen.”

For her efforts, Worthey was recently recognized as Innovative Educational Technology Specialist at the Southeast Regional Leadership Summit as part of the Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards.

Worthey discusses her impressive Cyber Champions program and shares five tips to launch a similar digital citizenship program in your district.

A Winning Gameplan for Cyber Champions

(Image credit: Dr. Shanique Worthey)

Worthey launched Cyber Champions with Eric Logan, Director of Information Security, but its immediate success made the duo realize they would need reinforcements to achieve their goal.

”The numbers were definitely overwhelming,” Worthey says, adding she was thrilled when a dozen teachers volunteered their time to help. “We recruited teachers to help us facilitate virtual meetings and run small breakout rooms to dive deep into the lesson shared in the monthly meeting. We’re hoping to pay them in a future cohort, but we're not there yet. So at the moment we are relying on their enthusiasm and willingness to participate in such an initiative.”

With such a wide age range, one common digital topic was presented each time with breakout rooms providing space to scale participation by grade level.

“When I first started out, I was tweaking plans from Microsoft and Common Sense Media about AI and cybersecurity,” Worthey says. “I created a template for the teachers to align to the grade level of their group of four to six students. I wanted to celebrate, not micromanage our volunteers, so I gave them the autonomy to use their expertise in their respective fields to help students understand.”

Building Leaders—The Domino Effect

(Image credit: Dr. Shanique Worthey)

Empowering and growing leaders extended beyond the volunteer teachers. Student participants not only put in the time to learn the technology-based lessons, they actively teach others in their school community what they learn.

“They're definitely our ambassadors,” says Worthey. “They're our champions for cybersecurity and AI. They act as a liaison between us and the other students. After the monthly meeting, students are required to create their own presentation based on the information they learned with us and share it with their classmates. That’s why we call them our Cyber Champions.”

Strength in numbers proves true at DeKalb. Worthey’s team reaches out not only to peers and classmates, but shares lessons with parents, teachers, the local community and beyond.

“Some of the students may get selected to present at the PTA or during their school’s morning announcements. Some participate in monthly tech cafes for the community, where they get to present to parents and visitors,” says Worthey. “Many Cyber Champions compete in our tech fair competition, placing in their respective categories. They are highlighted outside of the school community—one was even a participant in the student panel for Tech & Learning.”

Keeping the monthly message relatable and easy to digest helps kids pass the information on to others, a proven technique for ensuring lessons land and are remembered.

“We talk about topics like privacy and reading privacy statements,” says Worthey. “We talk about using artificial intelligence—who's behind those chatbots? Ask teachers if now is an appropriate time to use AI and use it as a brainstorming partner, not for answers. We theme it to what is happening for the kids to make it relevant, so over the holidays we discussed how to shop safely online.”

Worthey promotes the continuation and expansion of the program by using the champions’ own words.

“As part of our closeout ceremony, I asked our students to create a 30-60 second video to help recruit other students,” she says. “I'm definitely enjoying watching their videos, to learn their feedback and what their thoughts are on the program.”

(Image credit: Dr. Shanique Worthey)

5 Tips to Launching Cyber Champions in your District

Worthey and Logan share tips on developing a successful Cyber Champions program to boost digital citizenship and understanding.

1. Offer Opportunities to Hone Soft Skills

Soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and presenting in front of an audience creates opportunities for students to shine and really be leaders in the field. By working on those soft skills, students will be more comfortable when looking for jobs, interviewing for college, presenting at competitions, and giving classroom reports.

2. Build Model Students

Breaking information into smaller, digestible pieces helps students easily share lessons with peers in the classroom. “When we discuss using AI in an ethical and responsible way, students can model proper behavior when using the tech and show others how to be a good digital citizen,” says Worthey.

3. Bring in Subject Matter Experts

Worthey has reached out to the local FBI office and shared with them about the Cyber Champions program, explaining that they were looking for ways to partner with the FBI to bring strategies for online security awareness to the table to share with the students.

4. Create Career Pathway Awareness

“A lot of our vendors, such as Microsoft, Google, Fortnite, and others have a lot of opportunities for training students interested in careers in cyber security and IT,” says Worthey. “It's a level of experience and knowledge that they have access to through Cyber Champions, so once they go to college or into the workforce, they are already a step ahead.”

5. Offer Volunteers a Choice of Recognition

“I created a form asking teacher-volunteers how they’d like to be rewarded for their time,” says Worthey. “Some like personal recognition — a mention at year-end celebration, some wanted items boasting the Cyber Champions logo, some preferred a district-wide news flash, while others would like a gift card.”

The Tools They Use

Microsoft Teams
Canva
Common Sense Media
Fortnight
Google

Innovative Leader Award

4 Tips to Find Balance with Ambitious Tech Programs

Sascha Zuger — Tue, 06 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

A big element of growing a solid tech program is to create the buzz of excitement that draws in other learners. With 49,740 students across 87 learning sites, Atlantic Public Schools (APS) excels at finding ways to let students show off their hard work and talents.

“We just wrapped up our 13th Annual Technology and Innovation Competition, formerly known as Tech Fair,” says Dr. Natasha Rachell, who was recently recognized with the Innovative Director of Instructional Technology Award at the Southeast Regional Leadership Summit, part of the Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards. “This allows our students, Grade 3-12, to showcase the amazing technology and innovation projects that they've been working on throughout the year.”

Rachell shares her other impressive programs, tech partnerships, and four key pieces of advice for educators trying to juggle tech and learning in style.

Let Students Shine

(Image credit: Dr. Natasha Rachell)

Knowing that APS esports at the high school level was already up and running through the Georgia High School Association, Rachell created her own Pathway Program Initiative to prepare students to enter that arena feeling strong, confident, and experienced.

“It's viewed just like football or basketball,” she says. “We saw the need to make sure that our students were prepared for that level, so we established an elementary and middle school pathway program. We've been able to partner with Elite Gaming Live to bring this to life for them. We've seen great success including drops in discipline and increases in attendance.”

Creative minds also find a home for exploring their gifts through tech at APS, as the district prepares to roll out their Second Annual Student Film Festival in May.

“Students are able to use tech to create film projects that are in the process of being judged as we speak,” says Rachell. “We’ll have a red carpet-style event to announce the winners. It was so popular we have actually doubled our numbers from last year.”

There’s No “I” in Tech

(Image credit: Dr. Natasha Rachell)

Partnerships with tech companies not only provide necessary hardware and software, but invaluable resources crucial during these times of financial uncertainty and budget constraints.

“We have partnered with Verizon to bring Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS) labs to almost all of our middle schools,” says Rachell. “That VILS partnership built amazing STEM labs where students can work, collaborate, create, innovate together. Sphero Balls, 3D printers, Glowforge machines, Oculus headsets—anything and everything you could imagine are in these labs, including a lab mentor. Those labs are $450,000 each and 100% grant funded.”

Other exciting partnerships include Canva, Magic School, Grow with Google Career Certificates for highschoolers considering entrepreneurship, ClassLink, My Backpack, Minecraft Level UP program, and Brisk, among others.

“We're a charter district, so we believe in flexibility and autonomy,” says Rachell. “Our principals and teachers have access to whatever they want. Data drives tough budget decisions, but also helps tell a compelling story for grants. We’ve seen a lot of success building partnerships and relationships with vendors and our ed tech friends to bring awesomeness to our students. My mom always said ‘if you don't ask, you don't get.’ We always ask and then we hope. At the end of the day, everything we do is for students and their futures.”

4 Tips to Find Balance with Ambitious Tech Programs

1. Tie everything to an instructional outcome. “Nothing we do is just for the sake of doing it,” says Rachell. “When people hear ‘esports,’ they think kids are just gaming all day or playing Minecraft. Our esports Pathway Program students are engaging in STEM career exploration. Before they even lay hands on a controller, they are going through a curriculum of content exploration to learn about game design, video production, game production—behind the scenes opportunities for their future. Our mission at Atlanta Public Schools is preparing our students for college, career and life.”
2. Create a “Principal 360 Report.” The Department of Instructional Technology, the Atlanta Virtual Academy, and the media services department all contribute to a monthly report for principals to see at a glance the support that the division has provided to their teachers, media specialists, administrators, and students or administrators in their school. These impact reports are used for programs lacking hard data to show what Rachell’s team hopes to accomplish.
3. Empower and delegate. “I am always delegating and empowering my team to come up with great ideas, to implement the concept, to devise plans for the rollout,” says Rachell. “It's definitely a team effort. This helps to build their capacity and helps make them experts, too. Everyone owns a piece— we're all invested because we all want to see it work and don't want to see it fail.”
4. Capture data to tell the story. Rachell’s team has been extremely diligent in capturing data, whether it's quantitative or qualitative to tell the story of their work. “Our edtech specialists operate on a request and feedback system,” she says. “Teachers are able to request their services, they're able to offer feedback which tells the story of what is happening in the schools. If a principal ever says, ‘What is such and such doing in my school?’ We have that data to lean on to measure the impact.”

(Image credit: Dr. Natasha Rachell)

The Tools They Use:

Classlink
Canva
Formative
Securly
Grow with Google Career Certificates
Google for Education
Microsoft for Education
Minecraft for Education
Apple Education
Verizon Innovative Learning Schools
zSpace
Book Creator
Common Sense Media
MagicSchool AI
Ciena Solutions Challenge
Kick Up
Paper
Adobe
Brisk
Remind

Innovative Leader Award

Best of Show at ISTELive 2025 Deadline Extended To June 27

TL Editors — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:58:58 +0000

The deadline for nominations for Tech & Learning's Best of Show awards at ISTELive 2025 has been extended to June 27, 2025.

The awards celebrate the products, and businesses behind each one, that are transforming education in schools around the world. Our panel of judges will award the products and solutions to exhibitors at ISTELive 2025 who show the greatest promise to the industry, according to the U.S.'s most tech-savvy and knowledgeable educators.

Benefits of entering:

All nominees will be invited to a special Tech & Learning reception on the penultimate day of ISTE. Winners will be formally announced at the Tech & Learning reception, to take place on July 1. Crystal glass trophies will be available for winners to capture their success at the event, individual trophies will be sent directly to winners after the show.
Tech & Learning's fully licensed "Best of Show" awards badge to use on promotional materials, in addition to a suite of pre-made winner's assets including social posts and a press release.
All winners of the awards will be featured in a special digital issue distributed to the Tech & Learning audience and reaching 72,000 school district decision makers.
Winners are announced in a press release on techlearning.com during the show. Further promotion will continue after ISTELive 25 through other Tech & Learning subscriber-facing channels.

Why should you nominate your product?

Nominating a product is easy. No shipping of products or setting up guest user accounts. Just complete a simple form that includes your product's name, image, and a brief description.
Winning a Best of Show award signifies that your product has, or will have, an incredible impact on teaching and learning experiences. Our judges are looking for the best of the best in edtech innovation.
Winners of the Best of Show award will be featured in Tech & Learning’s digital magazine, reaching industry professionals who will see your product showcased in a special section of educator-endorsed products.

FAQ

What are the ISTE Best of Show Awards?
The program recognizes products exhibited at ISTELive 25 which are believed to be changing the way we educate around the world. Winners are selected by panels of professional users and editors based on product descriptions provided in the nomination form, as well as on judges' inspection at the show.

Who can enter?
Any organization who is exhibiting at ISTELive 25 can nominate their products for a Best of Show Award. If your company has developed a new innovative product or service, or updated an existing product, entering the Best of Show Awards is a great way to stand out!

When are entries due?
The deadline is 11:59 PST on June 27, 2025. We reserve the right to consider late applicants as circumstances dictate.

How much does it cost to enter?
Single entry: $625.00 per entry
2-4 entries: $595.00 per entry
5+ entries: $525.00 per entry

What are the entry categories?
The categories are broken down into Primary (Tools for K-6 grade education), Secondary (7-12), and Higher Education. You may enter the same product into multiple categories.

May I enter more than one product?
Yes, there is no limit to the number of products you may nominate. Each requires a nomination form and entry fee(s).

How are the products evaluated?
All entries are reviewed by a panel of judges and editors - chosen in advance by the editors of our publications - who will review nominations and choose the winners on a points score against a range of criteria. Judges use a combination of on-site inspection and the online nomination information to build their scores.

What do I get if I win?
Winners of Tech & Learning's Best of Show at ISTELive 25 will receive an award certificate, the award seal graphic to be used in digital promotions, and a feature in the digital edition of Tech & Learning.

Winning a Best of Show award is a great accomplishment for any organization, and the benefits go far beyond just an announcement at the conference. For more information, Contact Beckie Sirs, beckie.sirs@futurenet.com

Tech & Learning Announces Winners of Best of 2024

TL Editors — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2024 celebrate educational technology from the last 12 months that has excelled in supporting teachers, students, and education professionals in the classroom, for professional development, or general management of education resources and learning. Nominated products are divided into three categories: Primary, Secondary, or Higher Education.

Tech & Learning's panel of expert judges scored each nominated product on ease of use, value, versatility, and utility. Those products that score highly across the criteria were named winners.

“We saw an explosion of innovation in educational technology in 2024, and these nominated products represent the best of the best,” says Christine Weiser, content director for Tech & Learning. “Our judges were impressed with the breadth of these winning products that empower deeper learning, personalized experiences, and student engagement. Congratulations to the winners!”

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE: BEST OF 2024

Higher Education

Anthology, Blackboard by Anthology
AVer Information Inc. USA, TR315
BenQ, ideaCam S1 Pro, BenQ Board RP04
Bloomberg, Bloomberg for Education
Cisco, Cisco Networking Academy
ClassLink
Copyleaks, AI Detector
Crestron Electronics, Inc., Crestron 1 Beyond i-Series Cameras
D2L, D2L Lumi
Gale, part of Cengage Group, Gale Digital Scholar Lab, Gale Literature Resource Center
Instructure, Canvas LMS
IXL Learning, Rosetta Stone
Realms IP.TV, EduxGen.AI
Samsung Electronics America, WAD, Smart Monitor M80D, 27” ViewFinity S8
Science Interactive Group, Science Interactive
Sharp Information and Imaging Company of America, X171 Laser Projector
Turnitin, Turnitin’s AI Writing Detection Feature + Product Portfolio
WIN Learning, Academic Skills Courseware, My Work Ready
Zoom Communications, Inc., Zoom Workplace for Education

Primary Education

95 Percent Group, 95 Literacy Intervention System
Acer, Chromebook Plus 514
Age of Learning, My Reading Academy Español, My Math Academy, My Reading Academy
Amplify Education, Amplify Desmos Math
AVer Information, U50+ USB FlexArm Document Camera, M15W Mechanical Arm Wireless Document Camera, AmpliWave Lite
Benchmark Education Company, Benchmark Universe
BenQ, BenQ Board RP04, ideaCam S1 Pro
Capstone, The PebbleGo Suite
Cignition, Cignition K-12 Math & ELA High Dosage Virtual Tutoring
ClassLink
Clear Digital, The Müv
Clear Touch Interactive, Inc., The NEXT Hub
CTL, CTL Chromebook NL73 Series
Curriculum Associates, i-Ready
D2L, D2L Lumi
Defined, Defined Learning
Discovery Education, DreamBox Math, Mystery Writing, Experience
Edmentum, Exact Path
eGlass, eGlass Lightboard
FEV Tutor, FEV Tutor
HoverCam, HoverCam Orbit Wireless USB Document Camera
Inletech, ArtMath
Inquisitive, Inquisitive K-5 Science
Instructure, Mastery Connect
IXL Learning, IXL
JLab, JLab JBuddies Pop 2 in 1 Wireless + Wired Kids Headphones, JLab JBuddies ANC - Noise Canceling 2 in 1 Wireless + Wired Kids Headphones
Kibeam Learning, Inc., Kibeam Reading Wand
Kibeam.com, Kibeam
Learning Genie, Inc., Learning Genie, Inc.
LG Electronics USA, LG CreateBoard
Magic EdTech, MagicBox
Makina Editorial, MakeMake Digital Library en Español
MAXCases, MAXCases Shield Extreme-X2 Case with 3.5mm Adapter and Tamper-Resistant Design, MAXCases Extreme Headsets/Headphones
MobyMax, MobyMax
Otus
Pikmykid, School Messaging
Pitsco Education, LUMA
Pixton Comics Inc., Pixton
Pocketalk, Pocketalk S2 Plus
Presence, Presence Therapy Platform
Read Naturally, Inc., Read Live
Reading Horizons, Reading Horizons Discovery Product Suite
Sadlier, Building Reading Success with Wiley Blevins
Samsung Electronics America, WAD
SchoolStatus, SchoolStatus Attend
Seesaw Learning, Seesaw Instruction & Insights
Share-A-Cart, Share-A-Cart+
Sirius Education Solutions, Sirius Online
SMART Technologies, Lumio
Sphero, Inc., Sphero BOLT+
Teachers’ Curriculum Institute (TCI), Bring Science Alive! and Social Studies Alive! K-5 programs
TeachTown, enCORE
TechTerra Educaton, STEM in a Box
TouchMath, Wittly by Classworks, TouchMath
Vivi, Vivi Video and Text Announcements
Wonder Workshop, Make Wonder
Xello Inc, Xello

Secondary Education

Acer America, TravelMate P4 Spin 14, Acer Premier Service Programs
Ativion, StudentKeeper Powered by ContentKeeper
BenQ, BenQ Board RP04, ideaCam S1 Pro
Bloomberg for Education, Bloomberg Finance Lab
ClassLink
Compro Technologies, Engage / comproDLS
D2L, D2L Lumi
Defined, Defined Careers
Discovery Education, Career Connect, STEM Careers Coalition
Edmentum, EdOptions Academy, Edmentum Courseware, Exact Path, Edmentum Virtual Tutoring
Everway (Formerly Texthelp), uPar, Read&Write, Equatio
ExploreLearning, Gizmos
Follett Software, Destiny Library Manager, Destiny Resource Manager, Destiny Fundraising Manager
Gale, part of Cengage Group, Gale In Context: For Educators
Hiveclass, HiveclassPE
HoverCam, HoverCam Orbit Wireless USB Document Camera
Incident IQ, iiQ Resources
Instructure, Canvas LMS, Mastery Connect
IXL Learning, Rosetta Stone, Vocabulary.com, Wyzant, IXL
Lightspeed Systems, Lightspeed Insight
MAXCases, MAXCases Shield Extreme-X2 Case with 3.5mm Adapter and Tamper-Resistant Design
Medal of Honor Character Development Program, Path to Honor
Mynd.ai Promethean, Inc., Explain Everything Advanced
National Renewable Energy Laboratory and IKM 3D, Renewable Energy Discovery (REDi) Island
NetSupport, classroom.cloud
NoRedInk Co., NoRedInk
Otus
ParentSquare, Smart Sites
Pikmykid, School Messaging
Presence, Presence Therapy Platform
Proximity Learning Inc., Live Virtual K-12 Education
PSNI, LLC., SNAP Health Center
Read Naturally, Inc., Read Live
Reading Horizons, Reading Horizons Elevate®
Realms IP.TV, EduxGen.AI
Samsung Electronics America, WAD
Savvas Learning Company, Savvas CTE
Scholar Education
Senturo LLC, Senturo Unified Mobile IT Asset Protection
Sergeant Laboratories, AristotleK12
Share-A-Cart, Share-A-Cart+
Sirius Education Solutions, Sirius Online
SmartPass, SmartPass Pro
Sooth Inc., Sooth.fyi
Study.com, Praxis Core Test Prep
TeachTown, enCORE
Tutor.com, High-Dosage Tutoring
UL Research Institutes, Xplorlabs
Vernier Science Education, KidWind Wind Experiment Kits
Vivi, Vivi Wireless Screen Mirroring and Share Camera
Xello
YouScience, YouScience Brightpath

Tech & Learning Launches “Best of 2025” Contest

TL Editors — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:00:20 +0000

The Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2025 celebrates educational technology from the last 12 months that has excelled and shone in supporting teachers, students, and education professionals in the classroom, for professional development or general management of education resources and learning.

This contest targets products designed for district implementation that focus on large-scale efficiency, data management, and strategic goal achievement across a school or district.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER NOW

Qualifying products include those that have been launched, relaunched, or saw a significant upgrade or version introduced in 2025 that have helped schools improve teaching and learning. Whether the product is for those in Primary, Secondary or Higher Education, these awards provide a great opportunity for forward-thinking edtech companies to gain exposure to Tech & Learning's audience of 73k decision makers.

"What I appreciate most about the Tech & Learning awards is the curated list of dependable tools for educators,” writes one of our judges. “As a judge, it's a great way to stay updated on what's new and impactful. For readers, it serves as a trusted resource for making buying decisions."

Best of Year: Judging Criteria

Tech & Learning's panel of educators and judges will evaluate each entry using the information submitted in the registration forms, including product descriptions, images, and case studies. The panel will score each product against a set of criteria. The products that score the highest across all the criteria will be named as winners in this year's Best of Year Awards

Here are some tips from our judges submitting the most successful nominations:

System Integration & Interoperability: Explain how the product is easy to install and integrate into complex school system ecosystems (e.g., SIS, LMS, data warehouses) and operates effectively with existing enterprise products.
Student Outcomes & Strategic Impact: Demonstrate how the product helps the district improve and measure student outcomes (e.g., equity, college readiness) and enhance school or district efficiency for the year. Provide evidence (case studies, research) or large-scale, positive impact.
Data Privacy & Governance: Specifically address how your tool supports robust student data privacy and security beyond basic compliance, reflecting the heightened concerns of a district-wide implementation.
Usage & Measurement: Explain how your product helps the district measure product usage and effectiveness (e.g., reporting features, adoption tracking, impact dashboards) to determine its own ROI.
Value (ROI for System): Address the larger scale of implementation: How does this product empower all educators and enhance overall school/district efficiency (e.g., cost savings on administrative tasks, reduction in data silos, better resource allocation)?

All winners receive a “winner's package.” This includes a fully licensed winners badge for in-house promotion, a designed social post, press release, and template winners email.
Winning products will be showcased in a special edition of Tech & Learning distributed to our readership, which is built of education professionals, district leaders, and school administrators.
A Tech & Learning Award of Excellence: Best of 2024 is a highly recognized accolade provided to only the best in EdTech, based on evaluation by a panel of education experts.

How It Works

“When evaluating entries, I like to see clear evidence of how the product/solution has improved student outcomes, empowered educators, and enhanced school or district efficiency for the year," writes a Tech & Learning Judge.

The entry deadline is 11:59 PM ET January 9, 2026.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER NOW

Connecting Teachers Globally to Enhance Teaching Everywhere

Michael Millington — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Inclusion is a big topic when it comes to education. Inclusion when referencing educators, however, might not be as strongly discussed as it should be.

A virtual classroom for teachers around the world to work together to create something more for their students was a difficult project to undertake, but in the right hands, it was not only made possible, but also made to flourish. Fortunately, Jacqueline Gardy was the right person for the task.

Gardy is Global Program Officer at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Office of English Language Programs. She was recently honored by Tech & Learning during a recent Regional Leadership Summit with an Innovative Leader Award for Best Example of Virtual Learning.

Content for Comics in the Classroom

The concept for this collaborative pilot project involved gathering multiple teachers from around the world to help develop curriculum for use in the classroom. It just so happened that this curriculum was focused on using comics. Gardy explains how the idea started to come together.

“My supervisor gave me the greenlight to set up a pilot virtual exchange program with a limited budget,” she says. “I worked with five consultants, who helped me develop the curriculum and launch it. We used a combination of Google Docs, a Google YouTube channel, and Slack (free version). We made an Adobe Spark page as a homepage. So we did everything with a low budget in mind. We decided we wanted 40 teachers from all over the world to work with us synchronously online to develop content for comics in the classroom.”

Providing this new type of curriculum to teachers from all over the world helps to diversify their educational outlook and their teaching methods. Using comics as a tool for teaching is a novel approach to education, and the visual aspect also helps when connecting with teachers of varying backgrounds.

Since the pilot,16 other virtual exchanges have been developed with the administration aid under the English Access Scholarship cooperative agreement with FHI-360 and delivered by a variety of nonprofits and universities. The topics have been on Climate Action (with World Learning and Take Action Global), Global Perspectives in the Classroom (Azusa Pacific University), Global Citizenship in the English Language Classroom (UMASS Lowell), Business and Entrepreneurship in the English Language Classroom (Georgetown University), Differentiation for the Contemporary English Classroom (United Planet), Building Blocks for Service Learning (World Learning), Civil Communication with a focus on Computer-Mediated Instruction (Azusa Pacific University), Developing Digital Citizenship (Azusa Pacific University and iEARN-USA), New Literacies and 21st Century Skills in the English Language Classroom (iEARN-USA), Embedding Life and Career Skills in the English Language Classroom (World Learning), Future-Forward Teaching in the English Language Classroom (Take Action Global), and Power Skills in the English Language Classroom (UMASS Lowell).

How to Keep Teachers Engaged and Connected

Creating the program with everyday tools helped to keep the project within a recognizable scope, regardless of who was using the program, Gardy says. But a main obstacle was keeping teachers involved in the program given their locations and accessibility. Having the program come to fruition during the beginning of the pandemic was coincidental, but it also helped when teachers were switching to an online format en masse.

“Our launch date [for the program] was March 15, 2020, and that was right when the pandemic started, right as everything shut down,” Gardy says. “It just happened to be a blessing in disguise because suddenly teachers are no longer doing their full time teaching. They had a lot of time to learn tech skills and interact with people.”

Connecting at the beginning of the pandemic also led to teachers around the world realizing how similar their COVID experiences were, leading to a ready-built rapport that served as the foundation for expanding the program.

“It ended up being a conversation group once a week where we would all talk about our COVID experiences, while we were experiencing it all over the world,” Gardy says. “What was striking was how similar all of our experiences were even though you wouldn’t think any of us would have anything in common. That laid the groundwork for more virtual exchanges.”

This project led to a foundational understanding between teachers, no matter where they were located on the map. Their experiences during the pandemic and in teaching were similar if not exactly the same.

Putting It All Together

Operating an online program in a synchronous manner comes with its own challenges, such as catering to teachers living in different time zones and countries. But Gardy says that having teachers in different parts of the world makes for a more diverse grouping.

“There are usually 40 teachers per exchange, and then we divide them out by four facilitators,” she says. “So the pods were 10 teachers per facilitator. We usually set the pods up using timeline groups along the latitudinal lines to create participant diversity, with no more than three hours apart.”

Once the groups are made, a combination of synchronous and asynchronous interactions helps the teacher pods enhance their knowledge on particular topics.

“We introduce all the information at the beginning of the week, and then we have lots of different interactions that are either synchronous or asynchronous, either in discussion boards or in Zoom calls,” Gardy says. “Then we have these reflect and apply sections where they reflect on what they’ve learned and try to apply it in their classrooms immediately and/or to their final lesson plan. They have to attend 70% of the synchronous events. If they can’t attend the synchronous events, they can watch the recording and fill out an exit ticket to show they have participated.”

Gardy’s efforts demonstrate a method of global citizenship that helps educators reach out and collaborate with teachers across the globe. This endeavor makes education more accessible to teachers everywhere while empowering them to make education more accessible to their students as well.

Keeping Student and Teacher Data Safe and Secure

Michael Millington — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Data security is a big concern with the amount of technology being introduced to schools in recent years. Knowing how to keep information safe and secure is important, but how can that happen with so many advances in technology being made on a regular basis?

Christine Jones, Coordinator of Educational Technology for the Palmdale School District in California and recent winner of a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award for Best Implementation of Data Privacy during the Denver Regional Leadership Summit, discusses the ways she has upgraded data safety practices in her school and how educators can keep student and teacher data safe from outside threats.

Data Threats Are Not New

When it comes to protecting students’ data in and out of school, the threats they are exposed to are not a new occurrence. Breaches in security have been happening for years.

“Our district, back in 2016-2017, had a ransomware attack. That was shortly after I joined the district and it was not a pretty sight,” says Jones. “It was a moment where we realized that our security had been set up for physical events very well. We had offsite [areas] where our records were being kept. There were multiple locations in anticipation of fire, earthquakes, and that kind of thing. But we hadn’t done an excellent job of thinking about a digital attack or event.”

On the heels of this event, Jones and the district made a concerted effort to improve cybersecurity efforts.

The Influx of Apps and the Need for Data Privacy Agreements

Previously, computer security was a simple addition of one or two programs to thwart outside interference. Many programs that were used on computers were known to be safe. However, with the ever-growing influx of programs, data is increasingly at risk.

“The risk is higher because everything is installed digitally or comes from the internet, and you’re loading everything up into the cloud,” Jones says. “The bigger issue started happening when a lot of these apps started requiring accounts. You had to have an account to participate or to play. It took a little time to understand what was happening, how that data was being transferred to the application and how it might be used. And that’s when I started carefully reading their policies and their agreements and wondering [what’s happening with our data?]”

Many people tend to sign up for a service or give our information without a second thought. This kind of behavior can put their data at serious risk. But there are some regulations in place meant to safeguard that information.

“In California, we became aware of the NDPA, the National Data Privacy Agreement, and so we started to take a closer look at that and at the same time CITE, California IT and Education, started to lead the charge for how carefully we look at the programs we’re adopting,” says Jones.

As a result, Jones has developed a curated list of “Approved” resources that can be found on the district website that helps to guide staff to digital resources that have been reviewed and have been deemed “high quality.” To receive this designation the resources must have current data privacy agreements (DPAs) in place with the district, have appropriate fully ad-free content for students, and are not connected to social media, blogs, or any other type of social sharing.

The list is updated monthly as DPAs are updated. New resources may be added and current resources may be removed if any fail to adhere to district guidelines.

Implementing Security Measures at the Cost of Convenience

Keeping student information safe is critical, and to do so means making access to devices more challenging.

“We just implemented multifactor authentication this past school year, and we did get some pushback,” says Jones. “So we gave them multiple ways to authenticate. One was through YubiKey. The positives with this method is that you’re the only person with access to the USB device. The negative was that the physical device could be left at home or misplaced. Using MFA, teachers could authenticate with their devices. I’d say that 90% of our staff choose to do it through their phone or their iPad because they found it simpler.”

Even though it might take a little while longer to log into an account or access some sensitive information, having MFA implemented can be the difference between keeping your data safe, and leaving your data wide open for a breach.

Tools Jones Uses

Classlink
YubiKey

Tech & Learning Announces Best for Back to School 2025 Contest: Deadline Extended to September 11

TL Editors — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 18:14:30 +0000

About

As schools get ready for the 2025-26 school year, Tech & Learning announces the opening of their annual “The Best Tools for Back to School” to help our readers find the most impressive products and solutions that will support their work in any learning environment.

For this year's contest, Tech & Learning is seeking nominations for products that offer schools versatility, value, and solutions to specific problems to support innovative, effective teaching and learning. From security solutions to LMSs to hardware and software, this award will recognize both new and legacy technology that support effective teaching and learning practices in the new school year.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Find out more about the awards here

Why Enter?

Winning an AOE for The Best Tools for Back to School is more than just a pat on the back from Tech & Learning's editors. It's a fantastic way to showcase your products and their contributions to education:

Nominee and Winner logos will be distributed for use on product marketing and collateral.
Winning products will be showcased in a special edition of Tech & Learning distributed to 70,000 district leaders and school administrators.
An Award of Excellence represents the highest approval rating -- based on evaluation by actual educators using education technology every day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: The Best Tools for Back to School?

The Awards of Excellence are a legacy award program recognizing innovation in the edtech industry. Tech & Learning magazine’s new Awards of Excellence program, “The Best Tools for Back to School,” is a way to celebrate the most impressive products and solutions that support the work of teachers, students, and parents as they prepare for the new 2025-26 school year.

Who Can Enter?

Any company that has a product that supports innovative, effective teaching and learning (it can be a new or legacy product).

Why Should I Enter?

When Are Entries Due?

All entries are due by September 11, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.

How Much Does It Cost To Enter?

Single Entry: $625
2-4 Entries: $595
5+ Entries: $525

What are the categories?.

Primary (K-6)

Enter any product that supports innovative, effective teaching and learning for elementary students, teachers or parents.

Secondary (6-12)

Enter any product that supports innovative, effective teaching and learning for secondary students, teachers or parents.

Higher Ed (college and beyond)

Enter any product that supports innovative, effective teaching and learning for higher education students or teachers.

May I Enter More Than One Product?

Yes. There is no limit to the number of products you may nominate. Each requires a nomination form and entry fee(s).

How Are Nominees Evaluated?

Entries will be passed through a panel of Tech & Learning advisors. Evaluation criteria includes:

Ease of use
Value
Versatility/Product integrates with existing systems
Product solves a problem

When Will Winners Be Announced?

Winners will be announced in September 2025 and featured in a special issue of Tech & Learning.

What If I Have More Questions?

If you have any questions about nominations please contact Beckie Sirs at beckie.sirs@futurenet.com.

Learn more about the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence Best for Back to School contest here.

Gamifying Cybersecurity Training

Sascha Zuger — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Cybersecurity is no game, unless you visit the district of Tech & Learning Innovative Leadership Award winner Eva Mendoza.

Chief Information Technology Officer at San Antonio ISD, serving 45,000 students in 70 schools, Mendoza is known for creative attempts to teach cybersecurity, such as her popular “Phish Market” poster and PSA-video contest with winner’s artwork appearing as the lock screen on the district’s chromebooks and school monitors. She also offers a PD version of a popular television game show.

“It’s standard ‘Family Feud’ with a cybersecurity theme,” says Mendoza, who was honored for her efforts during a Tech & Learning regional leadership summit. “We follow the basic rules of the game, where a hundred people are surveyed and participant teams guess the most common responses. We just happen to have a hundred people on our IT staff, so it worked out great.”

Surveys are created with simple Google docs or Microsoft forms, free options that any district budget can handle.

“We send out a survey, asking questions such as, ‘What is the most commonly used password?’” Mendoza says. “Then we take the game around to different targeted departments because of the data they handle, and get some volunteers to make up two teams. We usually try to gamify anything within HR and finance. It’s just really engaging when you add in competition.”

Mendoza finds this style of engagement helps important info sink in, both for participating game contestants and the audience.

“So we might say, ‘We asked one hundred people, what are the most commonly used passwords? And the responses come — ‘1234’ or ‘pet’s name,’ ‘year of birth,’ all of these things that people do, but are super easy to guess or find,” she says. “There will be some funny responses and then ‘Survey says— ‘ and the results can be eye-opening. We want to hit them with that real-world shock. ‘Oh, wow — we all do that or know someone who does.’”

Some of the answers are entertaining, such as during the real show, which keeps the audience attentive rather than the dynamic of zoning out, too often seen in PD sessions. Mendoza then has the principal or a tech director give a short one liner of actual information, enough to drive home the lesson without ruining the fun and engagement of the activity.

“We created it within PowerPoint, using the graphics and theme song. It took a little bit of tweaking, but now that it's established, we can take it around to our different departments to take part in the game,” she says. “I personally think cybersecurity's super cool and fun, but you know, not all my colleagues across the district may feel that way. Sometimes people think it's a little intimidating or they think ‘It isn’t part of my work.’ Cyber safety is a shared responsibility. We all play a part in it and we want them to learn and understand the important role they play in cybersecurity.”

Gamification Isn’t Just For Students

Most school districts in Texas are required to have cybersecurity training approved by the state.

“These were often formal, traditional, sometimes boring videos that we were required to watch,” says Mendoza. “If you can reach beyond that traditional training, however, you can make a serious impact.”

It doesn’t matter how secure and advanced your system is if it is made vulnerable by those using it. This can be a real problem when human error leads to leaks of sensitive student data such as social security numbers, grades, health matters, personal phone numbers and addresses, and other family information.

“With cybersecurity, the No. 1 way people hack into systems is to hack the person, not the technology,” says Mendoza. “They go after those without cyber awareness, capitalizing on human error and carelessness. We need to ensure educators and staff realize the threats that are out there and that they are one of the most important parts of the strategy to keep our environment safe for our students.”

This sort of fun exploration of cybersecurity can even be a unique way to engage students in assemblies, cheering on teacher teams while learning.

“Hackers don't care if a target is a six-year-old, it is just an account to get in,” says Mendoza. “Kids need to learn just as much as our staff. Our students are growing up in a digital age from day one. Even if you're itty bitty, you have a digital footprint, and you need to learn to stay safe and how to protect your data. We did a little lesson with all K through 12. Some of the feedback we got from the teachers were stories of ‘My Roblox account was hacked and they took all my points.’ They are in their own world, but that could be so much bigger if they're not taught early and are ready for the future.”

Tips When Creating Your Own Cybersecurity Training Games

Create real-life activities. Mendoza says, “We did a tabletop exercise to take staff through a full-day scenario of what it’s like when you go through a ransomware attack. For example, 9:13 a.m., teachers complaining ‘I can’t log in or get to my email.’ How are you going to get through the day without no system? What happens if somebody picks up their kid early, what happens at dismissal? Now extrapolate that into a system down for three to five days. It was meant to be an exercise for staff, but it turned into a great resource for us to document and make a plan of everything schools would need from us and the central office to get by. Suddenly, it comes full circle and we have staff saying, ‘I couldn't make that connection, that my clicking a phishing link could lead to the whole district being down for five days.’ We were able to make it real for them.

Share the why. “A lot of the time we have processes for the vetting process on technology or digital tools,” says Mendoza. “Sometimes applications or softwares are denied. Educators see something on social media, a blog or a seemingly helpful app, and don't really understand why— ‘It’s free! I don't see why!’ It comes down to data privacy and protection. We have to read all the terms and conditions. At the end of the day, the ‘No’ is for the students and for our staff so we can be into a good digital environment.

Focus on the people. “Having the people part of your strategy is so important,” says Mendoza. “You have your processes, you have your technology, all your cybersecurity systems and solutions. But you need that people piece to make sure that your cybersecurity posture is strong.”

Tech & Learning Announces Winners of Best of Show at ISTE 2024

TL Editors — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0000

ISTELive24 was another energetic and inspiring conference, held in Denver this year with hundreds of sessions and exhibitors enjoying the learning and networking.

The exhibit hall showcased hundreds of new products and services, and our Tech & Learning judges reviewed the nominated products on the show floor to choose the winners for this year’s Tech & Learning's Best of Show awards at ISTELive 24 awards. The evaluation criteria included: ease of use, value, uniqueness in the market, and proof that the product helped make teachers' lives easier and supported student achievement.

“Although AI was the most talked-about topic at this year’s ISTE conference, we were impressed by the array of nominated products that continued to support the nuts and bolts of teaching and learning and meaningfully integrated emerging tech,” says Christine Weiser, content director for Tech & Learning. “Our judges chose the products that they believed best supported innovation in the classroom and district. Congratulations to our winners!”

Winners of Best of Show at ISTE 2024

Acer Chromebook Plus 514, Acer TravelMate P4 Spin 14
AGParts Education, EmpowerED360
Avantis Education, Enhanced ClassVR Portal
AVer Information, M15W Wireless Document Camera, U50+ USB FlexArm Document Camera
AVID Products, WonderEars, AVIGA
Boxlight, Unity, Robo E4/E4 Pro 3D Printer, Clevertouch Impact Lux, Clevertouch Impact Max, MimioWall, MimioPro4, Xploris, DS Series
Breakout EDU, Breakout+
Brisk Teaching
ClassLink, ClassLink Suite, ClassLink DataGuard
Clear Touch, NEXT Hub, Evo Roll Series, Evo Tall Series
ClickView, ClickView
Copyleaks AI Content Detector
CricutCricut, Autopress, Easy Press 3, Cricut Explore 3, Cricut Maker 3, Cricut Venture, Cricut Joy, Cricut Joy Xtra
Curriculum Associates, i-Ready
CyberNut, Cybersecurity Awareness Training for Faculty, Staff, & Students
Edge•U Badges
Edmentum, Exact Path, Edmentum Courseware, EdOptions Academy, Apex Learning Tutorials
ExploreLearning, Gizmos and STEM Cases
IPEVO, IPEVO P2V Ultra
IXL Learning, IXL
Kami
KinderLab Robotics, Thinking with KIBO: Introducing Artificial Intelligence in Early Grades
Lightspeed Systems, Lightspeed Digital Insight
Linewize, Linewize Monitor, Linewize Classwize, Linewize School Manager, Linewize Pulse
LocknCharge, FUYL Tower Pro Smart Lockers
Logitech, Zone Learn
Mackin, MackinVision, MackiknVIA
MAXCases, MAXCases Explorer 5 Work-In Case, MAXCases Extreme Shell-F3
MIND Education, ST Math
Mynd.ai's Promethean, ActivPanel LX with Google EDLA-certified OPS-A computing module, Promethean, Inc.Explain Everything Advanced
NetSupport, classroom.cloud
Otus
OverDrive Sora
Pocketalk Ventana
Prodigy Education, Prodigy Math
Renaissance, FastBridge, Accelerated Reader, eduCLIMBER, Star Assessments, Lalilo, Nearpod, DnA, Freckle, myON, Flocabulary, Renaissance Fundamentals/SAEBRS
Robotical, Marty the Robot
ScreenBeam Inc., ScreenBeam EDU Gen 2, Orchestrate by ScreenBeam
Seesaw Learning Experience Platform
Sergeant Laboratories, AristotleK12
SMART Technologies, Lumio
Swank Motion Pictures/Swank K-12 Streaming, Swank K-12 Streaming
Tools for Schools, Inc., Book Creator
ViewSonic Corp, ViewSonic ClassSwift Software
Vivacity Tech, PBCEmpower+ Warranty, PBCStudent Repair Academy, PBC36-Unit Smart Charging Cart, PBCGuardian Backpack, PBCGuardian Work-In Case with Pouch, PBCDream
Vivi
Wonder Workshop, Make Wonder
Zoobean, Inc., Beanstack
zSpace, Career Readiness Solution Powered by Career Coach AI

Preparing the Blueprint for Student Interactivity

Michael Millington — Fri, 03 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000

When the media center at Sebastian River High School in Vero Beach, Florida, needed renovation, Kerri Wall went much further than a new coat of paint.

Wall is the Senior Instructional Technology Administrator for Sebastian River High School and she created a high-tech, state-of-the-art learning environment that puts students first. For her efforts, she was honored by Tech & Learning during a recent Regional Leadership Summit with an Innovative Leader Award for the Most Innovative Learning Spaces.

The media center upgrade grew from the idea of creating a central hub for students to explore their educational possibilities. The furniture in the media center is mobile, able to be rearranged to suit the needs of the students when necessary. The center houses 3D printers, a coffee shop (students can eat food in the space), and accommodating chairs and tables.

Student Input Made All the Difference

Input from the students was critical to Wall’s efforts.

“Some of the things they wanted to be able to be in there before and after school–they wanted to be able to eat in there, they wanted their computers. And they wanted to see other groups. They wanted it to be like a hub,” Walls says. “And so we took those points, then we paired them with our renderings to show them, ‘These are the things you want. And these are things we’re going to make happen.’ Then we paired it with the final images and they were able to see exactly what [they] asked for.”

Having input from the students was a major selling point for the useability of the media center. With ideas implemented from student suggestions, students then felt as though they directly impacted their school. “Once you have that input, they’re committed, they’re with you 100%,” she says.

Students even came up with some innovative ideas themselves.

For example, CTE classes can now be seen from the media center, giving students a first-hand look at potential options for their professional futures. This stemmed from the students wanting to have an almost open-air concept for the space.

The renovated media center represents more than just a fancy space for students to work, says Wall. It represents dedication toward the impact students can have regarding their educational and professional futures.

The Blueprint for Student Advancement and Engagement

Seeing the success of the space, the input from the student body, and the support from educational leadership coming together to create something innovative, other schools can use this media center as a blueprint for their own renovation projects.

“Leadership and support is important. I would say you have that kind of perfect recipe,” says Wall. “I have friends in other districts that are already branching out and trying some things because it’s like, ‘Really, we really can do it.’ You don’t feel like you know much about furniture, but, you’d be surprised what a couple phone calls can start to get happening.”

Wall made a concerted effort to create a comfortable space for students to explore educational options and make decisions on their futures. She was empowered by the overwhelming support she received from her leadership group as well as the student input that helped mold the space into the ideal environment for learning and growth.

Now that the media center is fully functional, more students have felt empowered to make it their own, using it for varying purposes.

Wall had a simple purpose for creating this space: give students the tools they need to succeed. With this media center, students can thrive in their educational endeavors and other schools have a blueprint for ways to engage students in their educational futures.

Building Equity Through Next Generation Science Standards

Ray Bendici — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 09:00:09 +0000

When Maryland adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in 2013, STEM leaders in Prince George's County Public Schools, home to more than 130,000 diverse students, knew it would take a comprehensive effort to make sure that all learners were included.

“I think the whole notion of equity and access from day one should start from pre-K, not middle school, not high school, but pre-K and go through college,” says Dr. Godfrey Rangasammy, K-12 Science Supervisor for the district. Rangasammy and Jessica Leedy, PGCPS high school literacy coach, were recently honored for their work by Tech & Learning with an Innovative Leader Award during the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia Regional Leadership Summit.

Godfrey Rangasammy, K-12 Science Supervisor Prince George's County Public Schools, and Jessica Leedy, PGCPS high school literacy coach (Image credit: Future)

Consequently, the district has undergone a decade-long effort to address STEM equity across all grades – pre-K-5, middle, and high school – with Rangasammy spearheading the effort. The focus has been on equitable access to exemplary teachers, science/STEM curriculum programming, and instructional best practices. In addition to making sure content is NGSS-aligned, an additional emphasis has been put on student achievement and career and college readiness.

Building Equity Through NGSS: Being Intentional

Rangasammy points to research that shows Black and Brown preschoolers are marginalized. “When I look at whatever behavior of Black and Brown students, be it suspension rates in middle school, high school, and even in society – it all starts in pre-K,” he says.

Thus, pre-K is the ideal time to start all students down the STEM path. “The excitement is there, especially in the early grades. We get the kids excited and asking questions and talking about science or writing about science. You know, the ‘light bulb going on’ moments.”

The PGCPS STEM equity effort originally started with an internal assessment, and then has focused on improving engagement with new NGSS-aligned textbooks and course materials, phenomena-based learning, hands-on activities, and creating opportunities to connect with those working in STEM fields.

“You really have to bring in the experts in science in the city, so the students can see people of the same race, ethnicity, and so forth, in the district,” says Rangasammy.

Collaboration is also key, says Rangasammy, both with his staff and teachers, as is building capacity. Acknowledging that many teachers may have only had a few basic science courses in their own education, addressing gaps in curriculum and pedagogy through external audits and connecting with experts is critical. Getting everyone involved and invested needs to happen.

“In my office, I keep telling my folks, ‘Change is a concept. Go with it. It's gonna be here and you're here when you leave, it's still gonna be here,’” he says.

And, of course, involving the community is also essential. Since initially there was no science taught until second grade, Rangasammy pushed to start STEM Fridays during summer school that feature fun hands-on activities such as coding and robotics, as well as sending home hands-on manipulatives. “The kids loved it, so the parents loved it,” says Rangasammy. “Also, the focus there was 40% ELD. So that's the marginalized population, and trying to support bringing them up to a level where they could compete with all kids.”

The tools used for PGCPS STEMM/CS Initiatives. Find a complete list here. (Image credit: Godfrey Rangasammy)

‘No Price on Curiosity’

The district has also embraced phenomena-based learning, and is connecting it to real-world situations, such as studying the nearby Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. For a hands-on learning example, ninth-grade students grow live mussels in tanks in their classrooms, checking and analyzing data on pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen turbidity, and other factors.

The district also encourages participation in its annual science fair, which is in its 76th year now, making it one of the oldest in the nation. They recruit STEM organizations to be involved and provide scholarships. “We’ve had winners who happened to be Black and Brown kids, so we know we can make a difference,” Rangasammy says. “We can challenge the status quo and we can change it but we have to be consistent. So it takes a lot of work. The vision is okay, but you have got to put in the work. Plus, the right people have to be in the right place to want to do the heavy lifting.”

Ultimately, Rangasammy says that NGSS focuses on supporting marginalized populations and meeting kids where they are, from pre-K through 12.

“There's no price on curiosity,” says Rangasammy. “That crosses all socioeconomic groups, right?”

Creating A Comprehensive Cybersecurity Plan For Schools

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 09:00:55 +0000

Shad McGaha, Chief Technology Office for Belton ISD in Texas, has a simple principle that guides the work that he and his technology staff do in the district.

“Anything affecting education in our classrooms takes top priority,” he says. This mantra served as McGaha’s north star as he implemented a district-wide cybersecurity plan that includes regular staff training and more secure storage solutions. For this and other efforts, McGaha was recently honored with an Innovative CTO Award as part of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards during the Regional Leadership Summit in Baltimore.

McGaha was drawn to education due to a longtime love of working with kids. “From my early days as a camp counselor to volunteering at Sunday school, I found joy in helping young minds grow,” he says. “During college, I landed a job at the afterschool program in my local YMCA, where I continued to learn and contribute. While I knew teaching wasn’t my calling, I discovered another passion: technology. Computers, networks, and electronics fascinated me. So, I pursued a degree in Business Computer Information Systems. After graduating, my first role was as a desktop technician at a local school. Over time, I climbed the ladder.”

He adds, “What brings me the greatest fulfillment is knowing that our daily work directly impacts the teachers and students in our district.”

Below McGaha shares the strategies that have made Belton ISD’s district-wide cybersecurity plan so successful.

Building a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Plan for Schools: Phishing Awareness Campaigns and Staff Training

(Image credit: Shad McGaha)

One of McGaha's first initiatives focused on threat identification. “We implemented regular phishing awareness campaigns to educate all staff members about recognizing and avoiding phishing attempts,” McGaha says. “Additionally, comprehensive training sessions were conducted to enhance their cybersecurity awareness.”

Rather than being one and done, these efforts are ongoing. “We prioritize continuous education and training by conducting workshops, webinars, and awareness campaigns for staff, students, and parents,” he says. “Robust password policies encourage strong, unique passwords and multifactor authentication. Regularly applying security patches keeps our systems up-to-date.”

Staffing Study, Incident Response Plan, and More

Early in the process, McGaha conducted a thorough staffing study to assess the adequacy of the current network staff. “This analysis helped identify any gaps or areas for improvement in our cybersecurity team,” he says.

He then collaborated with that team to develop a detailed incident response plan that outlines clear procedures for handling security incidents promptly and effectively. He also looked beyond the district for additional support.

“We engaged a consultant who worked closely with us to create a comprehensive cybersecurity plan. This plan addresses risk management, threat mitigation, and proactive measures,” McGaha says.

Secure Data Storage

McGaha and his team recognized the need to replace outdated backup hardware and software. “As part of our upgrade, we invested in Dell hardware, known for its reliability and performance,” he says. “Our choice for backup software fell on Rubrik, a robust solution that offers efficient data protection and management. Rubrik not only streamlines backups but also provides seamless integration with cloud storage.”

This integrated approach adds an extra layer of protection. “By combining these upgrades, we’ve significantly bolstered our storage system’s security, ensuring data integrity and availability,” he says.

Data Privacy Agreement Standardization

Data privacy is increasingly important given how many learning apps are used. McGaha’s cybersecurity plan recognizes this.

“We established a standard data privacy agreement for all software used within our district. This ensures that privacy and data protection are prioritized consistently across applications and platforms,” he says.

In addition, the district established a software vetting committee responsible for examining any new software proposed for use within the district. “This process ensures that only secure and reliable tools are adopted,” McGaha says.

More On This Vetting Process for New Tools

The process of vetting new technology is comprehensive. “First, we conduct a needs assessment to understand specific educational goals and challenges,” McGaha says. “Next, we meticulously research and evaluate potential solutions, considering factors like functionality, ease of use, and support. Security and data privacy are top priorities, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.”

Once a tool passes through this phase, the district pilots the technology with features, gathering feedback on usability and impact. “Finally, we carefully weigh the costs and benefits, assessing the technology’s long-term viability,” McGaha says. “Establishing a feedback loop ensures continuous improvement, enhancing teaching and learning experiences.”

Best Practices for Launching a Digital Curriculum at Scale

Sascha Zuger — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 10:00:41 +0000

Creating and launching a digital curriculum is a significant undertaking at any level. Multiply that effort by a massive student base with a broad spectrum of learners, and finding new strategies to bring that implementation to scale are a must.

Kara Thorstenson, Director of Digital Learning and Libraries for Chicago Public Schools, discusses the district’s impressive feat of launching a digital curriculum. For her part in that effort, she was recognized by Tech & Learning with an Innovative Leader Award during the Midwest Regional Leadership Summit.

Launching A Digital Curriculum: The Bigger the District, the Bigger the Challenges

(Image credit: Kara Thorstenson)

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the fourth largest school district in the U.S, with more than 323,000 students, spread across 634 schools, encompassing 24.7% English language learners and 16.1% diverse learners. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the district did not have a formal districtwide 1-to-1 device plan. The shift to remote learning required a rush to distribute tech to cover students, with 1-to-1 remaining the CPS norm since. But a shift to digital learning required more than tablets-in-hand, and that change started from the top down.

“Delivering professional learning at scale has been a huge challenge for a district of our size,” says Thorstenson. “We started off with an enormous amount of edtech/curriculum vendor-developed and delivered professional learning, with a gradual handover to our internal teams (exclusively by SY25). Moving into a virtual environment during COVID-19 allowed us to think more flexibly and creatively, offering high-quality PL to more educators than ever.”

The next hurdle was to walk back a history of school-by-school autonomy to ensure everyone was on the same page.

“After decades of decentralized purchasing for curriculum and no district- or state-mandated curricula, schools and individual teachers were teaching with learning materials with a lot of variability in terms of quality and standards-alignment,” says Thorstenson.

A visionary board and proactive senior leadership ensured funding for the ambitious project was covered. Finding the right curricula for CPS, however, was key.

“Evaluating the state of home-grown and purchased (out of the box) curricula adopted by other large districts, we discovered most resources did not directly address the needs of urban students of color, and were not relevant to the lived experiences of CPS students,” says Thorstenson. “Modifying and adapting licensed content to meet the district’s definition of high-quality curriculum ensured resources for teachers and students were designed with Universal Design for Learning principles in mind, including built-in support for English language and diverse learners.”

Why Go Digital?

Considering the immensity of the task, one wonders why push for full digital while still recovering from pandemic-era challenges?

“Prior to developing our curriculum, district leaders traveled around the country to learn from other large districts to hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls that they had encountered in tackling similar projects,” says Thorstenson. “We learned that districts who had purchased countless textbooks or ‘published’ their own content in print were then bound to disseminate those materials into perpetuity. Development of physical materials also significantly slowed the process.”

At the time, CPS learned that approximately 50% of district teachers had no material available to them in the subject that they taught. This created both an opportunity and a sense of urgency to develop and deliver Skyline, its unique self-developed curriculum, to schools.

“Because Skyline was developed digitally, we were able to distribute it universally needing only sufficient bandwidth and appropriate content licenses,” she says. “We can continually update it to accommodate changes big and small, from the name of Chicago’s mayor to editing entire units if a different text is selected or a new state mandated learning topic is required.”

3 Key Steps When Launching a Digital Curriculum

Do Your Research. Talk to similar districts and attend conferences to interact with curricular products, both print and digital.
Relationships Are Key. Custom development of curricular content and digital resources require solid connections with external partners.
Choose Wisely. Ask the stakeholders what they need. Test scores and data tell a story, but that story is incomplete without ensuring the needs of teachers and students are put at the forefront of any priority project.

The Buy-In Roadshow

Launching any big project requires all stakeholders to be on board.

“Our Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Digital Learning traveled around the district presenting the project to principals and our 17 network chiefs to gather input,” Thorstenson says. “We leveraged a huge group of teachers called the Curriculum Collaborative to review curriculum against a rubric and make suggestions for edits then used by vendor partners developing the curriculum.”

The district established a clear expectation that schools needed to demonstrate quality (defined by Ed Reports) in all content areas. Skyline was not mandatory, but being pre-approved and developed specifically for CPS on the central district budget’s dime offered a bonus of being a “free” option tailored to local students.

“We are really proud to be doing curriculum development in partnership with local Chicago museums and other cultural institutions,” Thorstenson says. “We provided schools with thousands of picture books, novels, science kits, and more to ensure that students are engaged in hands-on learning while learning from a digital curriculum. We have worked hard to ensure Skyline is holistic and lots of learning takes place away from screens/computers, even as materials are accessible digitally.”

Digital Readiness Guides and Other Roll Out Strategies

Digital readiness guides function as a checklist to ensure schools have the appropriate infrastructure, devices, and peripherals to ensure a successful implementation of a digital curriculum.

“We did not have to be 100% ready in order to leverage the Skyline learning materials,” says Thorstenson. “Digital readiness guidance acts as a roadmap in order to best budget and plan for establishing the best possible environment for digital learning over the course of years/budget cycles.”

The CPS Office of Teaching & Learning increased staff, hiring grade level-specific professional learning specialists to train teachers in Skyline. External partners helped develop the structures necessary to scale up for district-wide delivery.

“For the technical platforms, we leveraged asynchronous professional learning and microcredentials to award digital badges to teachers, school leaders and district staff who complete the appropriate technical professional learning modules,” says Thorstenson. “These are continually updated so that they keep up with new development and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the recommended workflows for planning, teaching, and delivering and scoring assessments.”

PRODUCT SHOWCASE: Lincoln Content Bank Provides More Than 110K Learning Resources for Grades EK-12

Lincoln Learning — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:29:00 +0000

Tech & Learning's judges: “This is a comprehensive resource for educators. The fact that it is secured in the AWS Cloud and is compatible with any SIS system is invaluable.”

The Lincoln Content Bank, powered by Amazon Web Services, is a highly secure LMS add-on tool that gives educators access to discover and add enterprise-level curriculum content into their courses. The tool, which recently was recognized as one of Tech & Learning’s Best of 2023 in both the primary and secondary divisions, contains nearly 110,000 Early Kindergarten through 12th-grade vetted learning objects from the accredited Lincoln Empowered curriculum.

The Lincoln Content Bank supports educators and fuels learning experiences at any grade level by providing an affordable repository of learning objects, which are autonomous blocks of educational content aligned to specific learning objectives meeting specific national and/or state standards. Content is presented via multiple modalities, such as asynchronous instructional text, videos, games, or other online and offline activities, allowing educators to supplement learning in a variety of styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) to meet the needs of all learners.

The tool integrates with any LTI 1.3 capable LMS and is currently fully supported in popular LMSs such as Instructure Canvas, Schoology, and Agilix Buzz. It also offers perceptive and rapid search capabilities, relative search results, intuitive tooling, customizable material for full classes or individual students, streamlined access to learning objects, and cross-curricular learning opportunities.

Designed by teachers for teachers, the possibilities for using the Lincoln Content Bank are only limited by an educator's imagination. Content can be utilized within a traditional classroom with whole group instruction through the administration of activities, presentation of videos, or discussion of instructional material. Examples include a flipped-classroom approach to lesson content or additional resources for homework activities.

With its extensive selection of carefully curated materials, the Lincoln Content Bank simplifies lesson preparation, creating more space for educators to direct their energy toward shaping a more engaging and tailored learning journey for their students. It is an invaluable tool in helping educators close the gap in student understanding, aligning resources with educational accommodations, and promoting standards mastery.

Go here to find out more about the Lincoln Content Bank

She Wrote A Book About AI in Education. Here’s How AI Helped

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 10:00:27 +0000

Educator and edtech expert Alana Winnick never considered herself much of a writer. Even so, she was able to write The Generative Age: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education at warp speed. This was thanks to, well, AI.

Winnick is more comfortable speaking than writing, so she used an AI-powered voice-to-speech transcription tool on Google Docs to capture her words. “I dictated it on the page, I took that, I ran it through an AI to remove my filler words and make me sound more professional,” says Winnick, Educational Technology Director at the Pocantico Hills Central School District in New York. “Then I would go back and edit it.”

Winnick received the Innovative Tech Director Award, one of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards, during the recent Northeast Regional Leadership Summit in New Jersey. She was honored for her work promoting effective and responsible AI use in the classroom as well as her larger efforts to use edtech to promote innovation in education.

AI and Saving Teacher’s Time

Alana Winnick used AI to generate this headshot of herself. (Image credit: Alana Winnick)

Throughout her career, Winnick says it has been a challenge to get teacher buy-in when it comes to various edtech tools. That changed for a time during the pandemic, except when things returned to normal, many teachers drifted away from technology again. That has not been the case with AI.

“This was actually the easiest buy-in I've ever gotten, because I'm like, ‘This is going save you time,’” she says.

For example, she has shared a fill-in-the-blanks AI prompt that teachers can use to create AI-assisted units in minutes, complete with lesson plans and detailed activities appropriate for various grade levels. Of course, teacher expertise is still needed to fine-tune these lesson plans and correct mistakes AI might make.

While this process is often called “curation” Winnick calls it DJing. “You might run the same thing through multiple AI, and be like, ‘Oh, I like that, I like that, and I like that,’” she says. “You're picking and choosing your own beats and making your own mixtape.”

As a bonus, when educators are incorporating AI with students, using the DJ analogy is also more fun than the term curation.

AI Tips For Students

When using AI in an educational setting, student safety and being aware of bias are paramount. “I think that every user, students and teachers, need to understand bias and misinformation in AI before they can use it for good,” Winnick says. “They need to know that we're detectives. We need to analyze everything that the AI is outputting to make sure that there is no bias, there's no misinformation.”

Once this solid digital literacy/AI literacy foundation in place, there are many potential uses for AI. For example, Winnick likes to help students improve their writing skills by having them write prompts for AI art. When the prompt does not turn out the way they want it to, they realize instantly that they need to be more clear in their descriptions. It’s a form of instant writing feedback that also inherently inspires students, Winnick says.

Building An AI-Supportive Culture and More

While there are many concerns around cheating and AI, Winnick says educators can bypass many of these by focusing on the process over the final product. By assessing that process and being a part of it, educators can help students use AI to effectively enhance their projects and not just spit out answers to essay questions.

Winnick says effectively bringing AI into the classroom in your school is about far more than AI technology on its own. Administrators should empower teachers, and teachers should empower students to share their expertise and guide classroom experience, Winnick says.

Ultimately, she says you want to build “a culture with your teachers, that allows them to not be afraid to try new things.”

6 Ways to Boost Student Agency

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 10:00:26 +0000

Boosting student agency is at the heart of Dr. Krista Herrera’s focus as an educator.

“I really believe it's our job to help prepare students to advocate for themselves and to be able to solve the problems of our communities,” says the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at Santa Maria Joint Union High School District in California. “I'm a high school administrator. So our students are going to take over the roles of running our community in the next 10 to 20 years.”

Herrera recently received the Innovative Thought Leader Award during Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Summit at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. Recognized for her dedication to supporting student agency, she shares tips for doing just that.

1. Boosting Student Agency by Fostering Student Voice and Choice

(Image credit: Courtesy of Dr. Krista Herrera)

Teaching students to find their passion and use their voice is an important part of an educator’s role, Herrera says.

“We have been given this gift over the last couple of decades, where we don't have to hold the information anymore,” she says. Instead, students have access to more information than they can possibly process at their fingertips, and the role of an educator becomes helping students harness the power of that.

“It's really given us the opportunity to allow them to explore and develop their own voice and their own passions,” she says. “And then really teaching them how to use those tools that are available to them, and those resources that are available to them to meet their needs.”

2. Creating An Inclusive Space

Before you can foster student voice and choice, you have to create a sense of belonging for students. “Step one, before you change all of your teaching practice, is to make sure that you have a really safe space where we encourage students to collaborate,” Herrera says. “We create a space where they're comfortable expressing their opinions and their ideas without judgment, but also a space where they're able to hear opposing views and ideas without passing judgment as well.”

3. Honor Different Types of Success

Success doesn’t always look the same and too often educators in the school environment can forget that.

“School was easy for me because like, I'm a natural student, I'm pretty compliant, I want to please the people around me, I can learn the game pretty quickly,” Herrera says. “I learned the ‘studenting’ game really was easy for me. But there were people around me who were much brighter than me, and probably could have solved much more important problems. But because they weren't ‘studenting’ correctly, they weren't playing the game of school, they never got to see themselves in this kind of successful, confident place.”

Helping these types of students achieve success is critical, Herrera says. “Building students' success and allowing students to see success in their abilities and share their talents is really important in this space.”

4. Provide Mentorship

One strategy for helping students feel supported enough to succeed while pursuing their passions is to offer mentorship. Having an adult at the school you can go to outside of class for help with personal issues or life skills, such as crafting an email, can be so helpful to students, Herrera says.

As students demonstrate learning in different ways, helping connect students with community mentors can also be helpful. “If I was going to try to make some kind of change around fire safety, I might have an additional mentor who was a local fireman, who I was able to kind of talk to about their specific content knowledge,” Herrera says.

In addition to helping with a specific project, these types of mentorships can encourage students to start networking with community professionals.

5. Don’t Sacrifice Rigor for Choice

A mistake Herrera frequently sees when educators try to implement more student choice is that they confuse choice with abandoning curriculum requirements. For instance, she’ll sometimes see instructors offer multiple pathways to success but not all those pathways are rigorous enough.

“Some of these choice boards would have two really good, rigorous options, and then six that were like not even related to what they were supposed to be doing,” she says. “We are still a standards-based education system. You have to teach those standards, [but] the way you get there can be very different.”

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Let Students Struggle

Not all struggle is bad, but it's easy for well-meaning instructors to forget that when watching students try and fail to grasp material at first.

“Struggle is really productive in their learning cycle,” she says. “So if we take away all of that struggle, we've really taken away the whole learning experience.”

Instead of giving away the answers, she suggests educators ask the students if they need more time, more language, or more information. If they need more time, let them work on it longer, if they need more language, explain the question in a different way, and if they need more information, provide them with new resources by perhaps suggesting reading a passage in the textbook or talking with another student about the problem.

“That's a big struggle teachers have,” she says. “We want to help students be successful so badly, we actually pull the learning experience away from them by bailing them out too early.”

Using Tech & Data to Empower Teachers

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 10:00:15 +0000

Mary Jane Warden majored in business in college but made an early career change to education after volunteering as a tutor in Chicago and meeting a student named Ramon.

“Ramon was a first grader and I was really sparked by the challenge of helping Ramon learn how to read,” she says. “That just opened my eyes into the things that I wanted to spend my time doing.”

Today she is the Chief Technology Officer for the Community Consolidated School District 15 in Illinois and recently won the Innovative CTO award, one of Tech & Learning's Innovative Leader Awards, at the recent Midwest Regional Live Summit. She speaks with us about her evolution as a technology-focused educator, woman in edtech, and the potential of data to transform education.

Technology Sparking Creativity

Mary Jane Warden recently won the Innovative CTO award, one of Tech & Learning's Innovative Leader Awards. (Image credit: Mary Jane Warden)

After being inspired by meeting and tutoring Ramon, Warden obtained her master's in teaching and started teaching in Chicago Public Schools as a seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher. This was in the early days of classroom internet and Warden became fascinated with the potential of technology. She applied for a grant to bring internet to the school she taught at and used the new technology to foster student creativity.

“I had my students build websites around mythology and connected science to that,” she says. “It was a really fun project and that set me into a whole path of supporting schools getting online, and helping teachers to see how to integrate technology into what they were doing. And then as technology continued to evolve, so did I as an educator and technology manager.”

A Space for Women in Edtech

While Warden encountered discrimination and sexism during her career as a woman in edtech, she also encountered supportive mentors and opportunities. “Education is a unique space for women to enter into the tech field,” she says.

In the past, young women have been taught that girls are bad at science and math, and while that perception is changing overall, Warden believes the change is happening more rapidly in edtech. “In education, I've seen women being able to have entry points,” she says. “I'm finding that in education, those kinds of opportunities, and intersections happen more often than not.”

However, that doesn't mean there are no barriers or obstacles for women in edtech to overcome. Warden says one of the highlights of her career has been modeling female success in tech, all while not “shying away from the boys’ clubs.”

The Potential for Data Use

Warden is excited about the future of technology to help students in many areas including the potential of data to better inform teacher and district leader decisions. But she acknowledges it’s easy to get lost in mountains of data. “Many teachers are not spreadsheet users,” she says. So district leaders should provide data in an easily accessible format and encourage teachers to use data in small ways that can have a significant impact.

For example, In her previous district, she had teachers compare their MAP scores to local assessment benchmarks and drill down into areas in which their students were struggling. She says it was an easy way to help teachers use data to figure out what they would teach next and why certain students were not performing. Teachers can then expand their use of data as time goes on.

“I think small steps are always good steps,” she says.

3 Tips For Teaching With Robots

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:00:09 +0000

Robots are a great teaching tool but sometimes they need a human touch, says Sandi Castro, the Career and Technical Education Coordinator Del Valle ISD in Texas.

Castro was honored with the Innovative CTE & STEM Director, one of Tech & Learning's Innovative Leader Awards, at the recent Regional Live Summit in New Jersey. She was recognized in part for her teaching with robots pedagogy.

Here are some of Castro’s top tips for teaching with robots.

1. Teaching With Robots: Make Sure Robots Are Developmentally Appropriate

Sandi Castro recently shared tips for teaching with robots with Tech & Learning. (Image credit: Courtesy of Sandi Castro)

Castro majored in early childhood education after becoming fascinated with the developing mind while spending time babysitting her young nephew. Consequently, making sure all teaching tools are developmentally appropriate is near and dear to her heart. Too often school districts don’t pay attention to grade level and their students’ cognitive skills when they deploy robots to classrooms, she says.

“Just giving this teacher this robot because it looks like it would be good for kindergarten or pre-K, but not really looking at how the robot works, and if the kids would be ready for something like that. That's, to me, the biggest mistake that we all make,” Castro says.

2. Get Creative With Robot Curriculum

While many robotics kits advertise accompanying curriculum, Castro says these don’t often pass the bar of what she would consider a true curriculum.

“Some robot curriculum comes in, it's just solutions to task. It's just a task card with a solution,” she says. “That doesn't really give anybody the opportunity to think outside the box, right? So in a time when there's so much standardized testing, all these high stakes assessments that require a right and wrong answer, we're losing the creativity.”

To avoid this, Castro designs her own curricula that emphasizes student voice and choice. For example, in one recent English-themed robotics lesson, she had students use the robots to drive to specific words in a vocabulary exercise. Because students were encouraged to be active as part of the lesson, they ended up expanding its scope. “I only wanted them to drive the robot to each word, but they recorded their voices and the robot would actually read the sentence as it drove to the different spots,” she says.

3. Learn From Students

Castro says one of the best parts of teaching with robotics is how students do the unexpected with the tools and will get more from one than most teachers.

“I just had to know the basics,” she says. “How to turn it on and off, and basic troubleshooting. I’d show them how to use it appropriately and safely, and then just let it go and they taught me so much more. I didn't know our robot could do all the things that it could do, but they figured it out.”

This ties to her overall philosophy that teachers should be lifelong learners. “As an educator, we're supposed to be constantly growing and learning,” she says. “Every year is different, but I could use lessons that I've learned working with these students or these adults, and apply it here because I have all of this experience, and I've learned from all of the things I've done. It’s so important to be reflective.”

Trends To Watch Beyond AI and Other Tips From A Retiring Edtech Leader

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 10:00:52 +0000

Frank Pileiro’s career in educational technology began in the classroom.

“I started as a classroom teacher helping with technology integration and eventually managed our district website and email server,” says Pileiro, who is retiring from his longtime position as Supervisor of Technology and Data for the Linwood Board of Education in New Jersey.

After being drawn deeper and deeper into the tech side of teaching, Pileiro went back to school and received his Master’s in Instructional Technology from Stockton University. Ultimately, he worked his way up the ranks and became a recognized edtech leader. Pileiro recently was honored with the Innovative EdTech Leader Award, one of Tech & Learning's innovative leadership awards, during a regional live summit in New Jersey.

Pileiro discusses how the roles of educational technology leaders have evolved over time, how districts might best recruit new edtech leadership talent, and recent trends in technology that don’t involve the letters “a” and “i” in close proximity.

The Evolving Role of Edtech Directors

Being a school technology director has gotten much more complex over time, Frank Pileiro says. (Image credit: Courtesy of Frank Pileiro)

Being an edtech director today is a very different position than it was in the past, with tremendous changes especially coming in the last few years. “There is a lot more technology and online programming in the classroom,” Pileiro says. “You need to wear more hats than in the past. You are not just a technology person, but need to have a knowledge of cybersecurity, data privacy, technology integration, as well as the soft skills of empathy and patience.”

But that’s not all it takes to successfully navigate the increasingly complex position. “You also need to build a set of resources and a network of people you can rely on for help,” Pileiro says. “It’s a very dynamic role.”

Recruiting Advice for Edtech Leadership

If a district is looking to fill a position similar to his, Pileiro recommends drawing talent from the education sector before looking to industry.

“The first place I would look would be other school districts,” he says. “Many have great young talent as well as early career talent. I firmly believe having someone with experience working in a school district would be beneficial.”

Trends Beyond AI

For the last year, education headlines have been dominated by two letters: AI. Obviously, as important as the rise of generative AI has been, it’s not the only new development in edtech.

“I’m seeing the move to the cloud being very big, both in the classroom and in the enterprise,” he says.

Another trend is data that drives not only decisions but helps identify network and cybersecurity issues. "Data literacy is extremely important,” he adds.

Ongoing Challenges in Edtech

During his career in edtech leadership, Pileiro’s biggest challenges have been trying to balance competing priorities and managing a variety of roles and responsibilities. “To overcome these obstacles I tried to be as organized as possible, set controls and expectations as well as continually update my knowledge to be as up-to-date as possible,” he says.

Those in the field today face a similar set of competing priorities as well as new complications.

“An ever-present challenge is vetting and selecting the right solutions for your district. Whether it be infrastructure or edtech, finding the right solution is important,” Pileiro says. “As school technology leaders we need to continually learn and make wise decisions because we have the responsibility to spend our stakeholders money wisely.”

4 Tips For New Edtech Professionals

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:00:09 +0000

Sandra Paul became an educator thanks to a happy accident. She was a computer technology major at the University of the Virgin Islands and was asked to assist professors in the education department switch from Macs to PCs. After Paul helped these educators learn about their new computers, the dean of the education department was impressed with her abilities as an educator.

“She told me, ‘You'd make a very good teacher,’” Paul recalls.

Paul decided to combine her passion for technology and her new passion for education and pursue a career in edtech. She has worked in the field since the early 1990s and is currently the Director of Technology for Township of Union Public Schools in New Jersey. She recently was honored with the Innovative Tech Director Award at Tech & Learning's Innovative Leader Awards during a Regional Leadership Summit in New Jersey.

As a woman of color in a white male-dominated field, Paul has had to overcome obstacles because of racism and sexism in addition to the standard challenges faced by technology directors, including limited funding for technology access for all. She's also had to conquer the many issues all school IT departments face, such as cybersecurity threats.

Paul offers advice for those starting their careers in edtech.

1. Tips for New Edtech Professionals: Find a Mentor

(Image credit: Courtesy of Sandra Paul)

Paul advises those entering the edtech profession to look for someone who they believe will provide mentorship.

Paul never had a mentor herself, but feels connecting with one early in her career would have made things easier. “There was many a tough time that I've had to deal with a difficult technology issue, and I had to deal with it on my own,” she says. Not being able to call someone on the phone and brainstorm technical solutions can be overwhelming. Finding someone who can be relied upon to provide guidance and counsel is invaluable.

2. Get Involved With Professional Organizations

“Joining organizations is very helpful,” says Paul, who has been a member of ISTE and other education professional organizations since the 1990s. These give her access to presentations, white papers, discussions, videos, and best practices for handling the myriad situations and challenges modern edtech leaders face.

“All those things add a lot to your plate, but also encourages you and gives you some guidance on how to move forward,” she says. “Any new person who wants to get into this field – they should not handle it by themselves. It's a little bit more overwhelming than it was when I was just connecting printers or fixing PCs.”

3. Get Creative To Get Funding

Funding, or a lack thereof, is something every edtech leader will likely have to deal with during their career. “Because of financial constraints, you're not able to impact as many kids as you wish you could,” Paul says.

To overcome this in her own career, Paul says she had to look beyond the district’s budget by asking, “'Is there alternative financing that I can look at?' For example, grants or donations or that type of thing.”

Getting creative in this way can help bring more access to technology to more students, even when school budgets are tight, which, let’s face it, is pretty much always.

4. Model Success for Students

If you are a woman or minority working in education IT, your success can help encourage students to follow your path, and potentially even let them know that there is a future for them in a lucrative STEM field.

Paul has not lost sight of that in her career and it is one of the things that has motivated her through difficult periods. “I'm not giving up because I see that it's important for female students and minority students to see me as a model of working in the field of IT,” she says.

Meet the 2022-23 Winners of Tech & Learning's Innovative Leader Awards

TL Editors — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:00:44 +0000

As part of our Regional Live Summits, Tech & Learning recognizes exceptional district administrators in select regions around the country through our Innovative Leaders Awards. We’re seeking district leaders who are reimagining and reinventing education by developing and launching unique and forward-thinking programs, policies, and best practices that have shown to have a positive impact and are also replicable at other districts.

Please join us in celebrating the winners - and learn how you can nominate yourself or a colleague for the 2023-24 Innovative Leader Awards here.

2022-23 TECH & LEARNING INNOVATIVE LEADER AWARD WINNERS

NOMINATE A COLLEAGUE OR YOURSELF

Do you know an innovative school district leader who you would like to nominate for the Tech & Learning's Innovative Leader Awards, or would you like to nominate yourself for this award? Find our upcoming dates and locations for these awards here.

Each selected finalist will be invited to join us at the relevant Regional Leadership Summit where the winners of each category will be announced.

All finalists receive:

An exclusive invitation to attend the Tech & Learning Summit in their region including the awards ceremony, all sessions, discussions and networking
Two-night free hotel stay (close to the Summit venue)
Recognition in Tech & Learning magazine (reaching 80,000 readers) and on the Tech & Learning website (reaching 150,000 monthly visitors)
A Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award Seal that can be added to all district websites
PLUS winners and finalists will receive an exclusive invitation to Tech & Learning's Innovative Leader Summit, taking place on December 8 outside of New York City!

Plus winners receive:

An exclusive interview and profile in Tech & Learning magazine (reaching 80,000 readers) and on the Tech & Learning website (reaching 150,000 monthly visitors)
A Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award Winner Seal that can be added to all district websites

Nominate yourself or another district leader here

To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here

7 Tips For Scaling Professional Development At A Statewide Level

Ian Peterkin — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:00:48 +0000

Matt Winters is an educator first and foremost, having taught in higher education and K-12. He currently is a senior technology trainer for Utah Education Network, which supports an entire state of 700-800,000 students, by no means a small population to serve.

Winters, who was recently honored with an Innovative Leader Award for Best Example of Professional Development, offers advice for other state education leaders looking to improve professional development at every level across their states and school districts.

1. Scaling PD at a Statewide Level: Be a curator of opportunities for teachers

If someone is a PD provider, Winters says they should think of themselves as curators.

“Be active and seek out opportunities for teachers,” he says, also suggesting creating lists and determining ways to provide teachers with information about a variety of grants and upcoming events. “This helps them choose what’s important for them.”

2. Enlist the help of teachers themselves

Winters encourages others to not think of professional development as a top-down model. Buy-in happens in a more meaningful way when teachers are more engaged in the process, particularly when selecting the topics on which to focus and the learning process.

“I want teachers who are finding their own professional development,” he says. “In the best-case scenario, the things that they need to learn, that they've identified, are exciting for them.”

3. Be attentive to the needs of teachers

Winters supports teachers in the classroom by going to districts across Utah and learning about their needs and what kinds of resources are necessary for them to be successful. He says the right mindset has to be in place to make sure teachers flourish.

“Be climate control, not command-and-control,” he says. “Let's ask the teachers what they need. Let's provide the money so that they can get there.”

4. Give teachers as many options as possible

Winters stresses the importance of being flexible with PD. Teachers need to have a number of options to incorporate it into their busy schedules, and that means also providing opportunities for recursive learning that they can go and view on their own time.

“If they're doing it live, they have to have some choices as to when and where they go,” he says.

He tailors PD opportunities to suit each department. “When I do sessions for schools, I use a Google site and I create one for every PD that I do,” he says, which makes it convenient for educators. “They can go back and review it as many times as they want.”

5. Be forward-looking

Good professional development is not limited to the current needs of teachers and should anticipate future needs. Winters says that too often there is a mindset of putting out little fires and trying to address every single issue.

“Let's think about what are the underlying problems and things that in the future will help solve those issues appropriately,” he says. “Let's plan for the next big thing that comes down the pipeline in education.”

6. Learn from others

Do not just think about professional learning in terms of your specific district. Be proactive and go out to learn from others.

“Break down the silos between you and the rest of the state or the rest of the district or the rest of the world, and then learn from others and support others,” says Winters. By doing so, you may help save yourself time and effort by not having to come up with solutions that others might have already created. Embrace the synergy that comes from sharing best practices, which benefits everyone involved.

7. Be willing to assist teachers with technology in their classroom

Thanks to Utah’s digital teaching and learning grant and personalized competency learning grant, it has become a technology-rich state, says Winters. Consequently, much of his time and focus is spent on how to help teachers best utilize technology they have at their disposal.

For example, Winters strives to make sure that teachers use technology in interesting ways that match their curricular goals, their content area goals, and their standards. He says, “That's something we can't overlook as PD developers, especially in technology now, is making the connections from the technology over to what the teachers actually teach in their classrooms.”

Measuring Technology’s Impact on Student Achievement

Sascha Zuger — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 09:00:33 +0000

Technology has undoubtedly created major waves in the world of K-12 education, but how can schools objectively measure the effect in terms of achievement?

“It is important to note that edtech is not a magic wand,” says Mike Daugherty, Director of Technology & Innovation for Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools in Ohio. “It will not automatically improve student achievement.”

Recently recognized as an Innovative Tech Director at the Tech & Learning’s Philadelphia Regional Leadership Summit, Daugherty shares how to measure technology’s impact on achievement.

Challenges Lead to Wins

(Image credit: Mike Daugherty)

The increase of 1:1 programs has opened doors for educators to streamline their schedules and add engaging and creative content into lesson plans, as well as individualize learning.

“Many districts had some level of 1:1 computing implemented prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it dramatically increased the number of districts offering a device to every student,” says Daugherty. “This has given students unprecedented access to information, which has helped to close the homework gap and expand the classroom outside of the four walls of the school building.”

Edtech has broken down accessibility walls and helped overcome inequality due to geographical and socio-economic obstacles, but measuring the success students are achieving is a crucial component in earning buy-in and getting all stakeholders’ endorsement in trying out new and unfamiliar technology.

“Educators are often overwhelmed by the amount of work required to be successful,” says Daugherty. “Learning a new tool takes a significant time investment, which teachers often do not have. To ensure that the effort is worth it, teachers need to see data showing student growth and classroom stories of success. Measuring success, both quantitatively and qualitatively, is critical to adopting new technologies in a district.”

AI and the Challenge of Measuring Student Success

Generative artificial intelligence (GIA) can generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content and answer questions in an informative way.

“Students will soon be able to use GIA to complete their homework, write essays and even create their own works of art,” says Daugherty. “But how will we create assessments that cannot be easily completed by GIA? How will we ensure that students are using GIA for the right purposes and not simply plagiarizing content?”

Pedagogy needs to evolve along with technology. “We need to teach students how to write prompts that generate the response they are looking for, how to fact-check that response, and how to cite the portions of the response they use so we can ensure that they are using this powerful tool to enhance their learning, not to cheat,” he says.

Daugherty believes the key to ensure a positive outcome of this exciting and revolutionizing tech is to address the challenges that GIA poses early on and ensure it’s being used in productive and innovative ways.

The Correlation Between Tech and Achievement

Achievement can be measured in many ways, in hard data and test scores, but also via soft data improvements in student experience.

“In order to be effective, edtech must be used in a way that is aligned with the specific needs of the students and the goals of the school,” says Daugherty. “For example, edtech can be used to provide personalized learning experiences by using adaptive learning software that adjusts the difficulty of the material based on the student's individual progress.”

Focusing on practical skills is also important. “When we first rolled out Chromebooks to students in our district, we asked ourselves ‘What skills will our students need when they graduate Chagrin Falls?’” he says. “This led to the creation of our ‘Great Techspectations.’ The Great Techspectations were soft skills such as communication, creativity, problem solving, and presentation.”

3 Ways to Measure the Impact of Edtech

Measuring achievement isn’t just about pats on the back. Defining success and analyzing what really works helps districts choose how and where to spend their tech budget for the biggest impact.

Self-efficacy - Use surveys and one-on-one conversations to hear how students perceive the tools and how they believe those tools help their learning.
Collaboration - Use group projects and peer reviews to determine how well students are working together when using various edtech applications.
Engagement - Observe how engaged students are in their learning when using different edtech tools.

“The bottom line is that edtech can be a valuable tool for improving student learning,” says Daugherty. “However, it is important to use it wisely and to complement other evidence-based practices.”

The Role of the Tech DIrector

Edtech can be used to automate grading, create lesson plans, and communicate with parents. This can free up teachers so that they can focus on more important tasks, such as providing individual instruction and collaborating with colleagues. Tech directors play a crucial role in being proactive to seek new programs or hardware.

“The students of today have grown up with technology,” says Daugherty. “They are used to using smartphones, social media, and other digital tools to learn and communicate. As a result, educators need to use technology in the classroom to keep students engaged and motivated. For example, they can use technology to create interactive lessons, personalize instruction, create collaboration opportunities, and provide access to resources. By using technology in these ways, educators can help students to learn more effectively and efficiently.”

To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here.

6 Tools for Blended Learning

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 09:01:58 +0000

The best blended learning tools will depend on each district and school’s situation as well as their LMS integrations, says Sherri Powell, an education specialist with the publishing and digital learning department of the Region 4 Education Service Center (ESC) in Texas.

But with that caveat firmly in place, Powell does have some favorite sites and platforms in general for blended learning that could be a good fit for specific districts and situations. And she speaks from a wealth of experience. Region 4 serves 80-plus school districts and charters and some 1.2 million students, and Powell’s department recently receive a blended learning grant from the Charles Butt Foundation. Powell was also recently honored with the Best Implementation of Digital Curriculum during the Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit in Philadelphia.

Here are some of her favorite tools for blended learning.

Nearpod

Nearpod is a digital learning platform that features interactive lessons, assessment tools, and gamified learning activities. As such, it is a perfect tool for blended learning.

“They have tons of publishers and lessons already ready-made,” Powell says. The tool also has been building its video features. “Nearpod has an edit video feature where they can watch videos, pause, post questions, things like that.”

Edpuzzle

If video editing is the focus of your blended learning efforts, Edpuzzle is a must-use and offers teachers robust abilities to add questions, comments, and interactions with videos.

“Edpuzzle is based around watching videos, pausing, checking on understanding, things like that,” Powell says. These features lend themselves well to blended learning as embedded video questions allow students to be active and engaged while learning from video.

Flip (Formerly Flipgrid)

One of Powell’s favorite tools for blended learning is Flip, a free Microsoft app that facilitates teachers as they create online groups for students to gather in and share their ideas in short videos, texts, and/or audio messages.

Tech & Learning’s review of Flip praised its ability “To help with group discussions but in a way that doesn't leave any student on the spot.”

Wakelet

Powell recommends this digital portfolio tool that is designed to make it easy for students to share work they have done in various media all in one place, digitally. This is good both for blended learning and more traditional modes of instruction.

Tech & Learning’s review of Wakelet notes, “If you think of a media feed on something such as Pinterest, that's a little what Wakelet feels like -- a recognizable platform for students that can make sharing a mix of digital content easy.”

Bulb

“Bulb is a portfolio digital tool. I think it’s a good tool for students to track their learning and to archive from the beginning through the end of the year things they’re working on,” Powell says.

Though designed for use beyond education, Bulb also offers many templates specifically designed for education, and therefore is perfect for blended learning and other education applications.

Seesaw

An interactive learning tool designed for pre-K through 5th grade, Seesaw is the perfect tool to introduce younger students to blended learning, Powell says.

“It’s for that younger generation of students our pre-k through 5 grade but I see it more so in pre-k to maybe the second grade,” she says. “The beauty behind Seesaw is the parents have access so they can help their littles at home.”

She Pretended to Be a Teacher as a Kid, Now She’s Helping Educators Incorporate Blended Learning

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 09:01:58 +0000

The first sign of Sherri Powell’s passion for education came in the form of a childhood game.

“Back in Mississippi, we went outside and played. These kids today, they don’t go outside and play,” says Powell. “I was either playing house or momma or something like that, or playing school. I enjoyed playing school and being a little fake teacher, so to speak. I ended up looking forward to the summers when I would help teachers pack up their classrooms. They would throw a lot of stuff away, whether it was worksheets or other materials.”

Powell would gather up these discarded worksheets and tools of the teaching trade. She would then take it all back home, where she would conduct a pretend class on the porch with the neighborhood kids.

Today, Powell has her master's and bachelor's in education, and has been an educator for more than 20 years. She is still helping others succeed through the power of play and exploration as an education specialist with the publishing and digital learning department of the Region 4 Education Service Center (ESC) in Texas.

She recently helped her department receive a blended learning grant from the Charles Butt Foundation. As part of that process, Powell has offered training and other resources to the 80-plus school districts and charters that serve some 1.2 million students in Region 4.

Due to these and other efforts to support the effective use of technology in education, she was honored with Best Implementation of Digital Curriculum at the recent Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit in Philadelphia.

Blended Learning Best Practices

(Image credit: Sherri Powell)

To fulfill the mission of the grant and to support blended teaching efforts in Texas, Powell is hosting professional development for blended learning across Region 4 in Texas.

“So far I probably rolled out about 22 or so different blended learning sessions,” she says. “These sessions range anywhere from one hour to six hours, whether it's face-to-face or hybrid or just plain virtual. In the future, we're actually going to start working on a blended learning speaker series.”

At these PDs, Powell focuses on eight aspects of blended learning:

Designing the Blended Student Experience
Assessment and Data-Driven Instruction
Discovery-Driven Planning
Personalized Instruction
Relationships
Student Agency
Designing for Rigor
Designing for Reading Instruction

Embracing Technology By Being Open and Flexible

While sharing new practices, Powell has learned that when it comes to blended learning, one size does not fit all. “We know that every district is different, every charter school is different,” she says. Some schools still don’t have equitable access to technology, and different districts and schools have different access to tech tools. Embracing and working with these differences is important, Powell says.

Some of the tools Powell recommends for blended learning include Nearpod, Edpuzzle, Flip, Wakelet, Bulb, and for younger students she recommends Seesaw. She also believes educators who are reluctant to embrace a new edtech tool because of their own fears can learn a thing or two from their students – just like Powell as a child, many students are eager to teach.

“Trust me, tell your students to do it, they will figure it out and they will come back and teach you,” she says. “I encourage our educators to step out of the box and meet kids where they are because these kids are surpassing us and how we learned back in the day.”

To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here.

Tech & Learning Announces Winners of Best of Show at ISTE 2023

TL Editors — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:30:07 +0000

ISTELive23 was back in full swing in Philadelphia this year with hundreds of sessions and exhibitors enjoying the learning and networking – despite the rainy weather.

The exhibit hall was energetic and robust, showcasing hundreds of new products and services. The Tech & Learning judges culled the show floor to review the many nominated products for this year’s Tech & Learning's Best of Show Awards at ISTELive 23 awards. The evaluation criteria included: ease of use, value, uniqueness in the market, and proof that the product helped make teachers' lives easier and supported student achievement.

“We received an impressive array of nominations for this year’s awards,” says Christine Weiser, content director for Tech & Learning. “Our judges chose the products that they believed best supported innovation in the classroom and district. Congratulations to our winners!”

Best of Show at ISTE 2023

Acer America
TravelMate Vero TMV15-51-57PP
Acer Student Repair eLearning Program

Avantis Education, exhibiting as ClassVR
The Eduverse

AVer
A30 All-in-One Camera

AVID Products
AVID AE36 USB-C Headset

Beanstack
Beanstack

BenQ
BenQ Board with InstaShare 2 Software

Boxlight
Mimio DS
MimioWall

BrainPOP
BrainPOP Science
BrainPOP

Canva
Canva for Education

Capstone
PebbleGo

ClassIn
ClassIn

ClassLink, Inc.
ClassLink Enterprise Suite
DataGuard

Clear Digital
Clear Digital Sho Content Software
Clear Digital Evo Roll Pro

Clear Touch
Clear Touch 6000A+ Interactive Panel

Clever
Clever MFA+

Clevertouch by Boxlight
CleverLive
IMPACT Lux
LYNX

CTL
CTL Chromebox CBx3
CTL Chromebook NL72CT-L

Edmentum
EdOptions Academy
Exact Path
Courseware
Apex Learning Tutorials

Ellipsis Education
Ellipsis Education

Epson
Epson PowerLite 810E Extreme Short Throw with 4K Enhancement

Forward Edge
Edge•U Badges

Forward Education
Climate Action Kit

Gale, part of Cengage Group
Gale In Context: Literature

GoGuardian / Giant Steps
Giant Steps

GoReact
GoReact

HoverCam
HoverCam Orbit

Ideamapper Inc
Ideamapper

Identity Automation
Authentication

Impero Software
Impero Wellbeing

Instructure
Canvas Credentials
Mastery
Canvas LMS

IPEVO Inc.
IPEVO VOCAL
IPEVO TOTEM 360

JAR Systems
Elevate Air

LEGO® Education
LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential

LG Business Solutions
CreateBoard™ (model TR3DK)

Lightspeed Systems
Lightspeed Digital Insight and Digital Equity Module

Linewize
Linewize Monitor
Linewize Pulse

Lumens Integration Inc.
VC-TR40

MAXCases
Extreme Shell-F Slide Case for Chromebooks and Laptops
Shield Extreme-X2-H with Hand Strap for iPad 10

McGraw Hill
McGraw Hill AR

MIND Education
ST Math

Nearpod
Nearpod
Flocabulary
Nearpod Math Program

NetSupport
NetSupport DNA

NoRedInk Co.
NoRedInk

NUITEQ
NUITEQ Snowflake AI Assistant

Otus
Otus

OverDrive Education
Sora, the student reading app

Ozobot
MetaBot

Pocketalk
Pocketalk

Promethean, Inc.
ActivPanel 9 Premium with ActivSync

Reading Horizons
Reading Horizons Discovery

Renaissance
Freckle
Accelerated Reader
eduCLIMBER
Lalilo
Star Phonics
Star Assessments

Robotical
Marty the Robot

Samsung Electronics America
Samsung Interactive Display

ScreenPal
ScreenPal

SMART
SMART Board GX Series
Lumio

Teq
iBlocks

Turnitin
AI writing detection feature
Gradescope by Turnitin

ViewSonic Corp.
ViewSonic LDS135-151 All-in-One Direct View LED Display Solution Kit
UNIVERSE by ViewSonic

Vivacity Tech PBC
36-Unit Smart Charging Cart
Student Repair Academy (SRA)
Guardian Backpack
Guardian 11" Work-In Case

Vivi
Vivi

Tips for Tech-Savvy Professional Development

Ian Peterkin — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 10:00:53 +0000

Mike Arsenault is a self-professed “techie” who shares his passion and enthusiasm for professional development with educators in his district and others. He’s worked for 17 years in the Yarmouth Schools district, seven of those as Director of Instructional Technology. He was honored with the Best Example of Professional Development during the recent Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit in Massachusetts.

He shares best practices and strategies for tech-savvy professional development.

The Best PD Is Built On Collaboration

A lot of the focus for Arsenault’s team is collaboration. The work he does is possible thanks to the support he gets from the technological integrators with whom he works. “Their role is really about supporting teachers with integrating technology into their classrooms,” he says. “So, it's kind of like a coach who supports them and does professional development.”

Arsenault’s district serves more than 1,700 students, all of whom are part of Maine’s one-to-one device initiative, which makes technological integrators’ jobs that much more important. He says that his team tries to find ways to bring in the technology to model the types of things they want to see in classrooms.

Empower Teachers

A key to the success Arsenault has had with PD is the way his district empowers teachers. The teachers plan their faculty meetings and lead the PD efforts. However, Arsenault’s team plays a crucial role. “Tech integrators are part of the building leadership teams. So as these faculty meetings are getting planned, the integrators are involved with that,” he says.

Incentives are provided for teachers to utilize technology in instruction. Each summer, teachers take courses that will help them throughout the upcoming school year. “The summer courses that they take are not just for innovation and implementing something new in the fall,” he says. “They also get credit toward tenure and promotion and getting salary increases.”

Work With Industry Partners

Arsenault’s district is fortunate enough to have relationships with companies such as Canva, Kami, HP Aruba, Apogee, and a host of other organizations that offer software and platforms for educators.

The training provided by solution providers is not limited to teachers as the technology integrators themselves receive training from a variety of industry professionals. “I've been connecting our integrators’ group with a number of our vendor partners this year to do some training-the-trainer sessions,” Arsenault says. These sessions and similar ones help Arsenault’s team identify better ways to utilize tech in classrooms.

Arsenault also hosts “lunch and learn” events during which his team spends half days, or full ones, working with companies in edtech.

Arsenault does not limit the benefits of his work to his district. He is open and sharing with his colleagues throughout the state of Maine. This isn’t just the right thing to do, it can also benefit Arsenault’s district.

For example, when it seemed as if budgetary constraints would make it impossible to get a coveted keynote speaker for a conference, Arsenault got creative. He asked his superintendent if he could open up the event to other districts. One took them up on their offer, and it was mutually beneficial for teachers to share what they were doing in their classrooms with their colleagues, which extended the PD being offered.

“Sharing is what we do,” Arsenault says, adding that there is no competition when it comes to educating children. “Everything is for the betterment of students.”

Sustaining 1-2-1 Programs By Selling School Devices

erik.ofgang@futurenet.com (Erik Ofgang) — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 09:02:19 +0000

The Auburn School Department in Maine is able to fund a sustainable 1-2-1 program thanks in part to a simple-sounding but rarely implemented strategy: they resell student and staff devices before any become worthless.

“The model that schools have had since I've been in education, which is a long time, is use them until they are useless for anything but perhaps a boat anchor,” says Peter Robinson, Technology Director at Auburn School Department.

Older devices will need to be replaced eventually, so selling a few years before the technology is totally outdated can help school districts fund replacement items, Robinson says. In recent years, Robinson has led this process in his district and for these and other efforts, he was honored with the Best Overall Implementation of Technology at a recent Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit in Massachusetts.

Robinson is a native of Cheltenham in the United Kingdom. He first came to Maine as a camp counselor but met his wife while in the U.S. and decided to stay. He fell in love with teaching after working as a substitute teacher, and ultimately combined his love of technology with his love of teaching.

He shares tips for districts on maintaining sustainable 1-2-1 technology programs by reselling devices.

Resell Your Devices While There Is Still Value

(Image credit: Peter Robinson)

The Auburn School Department tries to resell devices after three to four years of use. “That’s kind of the sweet spot,” Robinson says. “Sometimes it goes a bit longer because it’s just the way of things.”

Auburn uses primarily Apple devices, which tend to have better resale value than some other products, Robinson says. But used laptops from other brands can still draw decent prices.

Currently, Auburn is looking to sell district-owned iPads that are more than four years old and have been issued to fifth graders. The price he is expecting is about $87 per device. The resale price of devices varies dramatically based upon age and condition, but oftentimes reselling those three to four-year-old devices will provide 20-25 percent of the cost of new devices.

“Obviously, if you sold them sooner you get more,” Robinson says, but since there’s always an additional cost to buying new devices, finding the sweet spot can be a challenge.

Work With The Right Company

A key to a successful buy-back program is finding the right vendor with which to work.

Auburn had a bad experience after a vendor hired by the state gave the district an estimate of what it could pay per device and then ended up claiming the devices were not of the quality they anticipated. That hasn’t happened with Auburn’s new vendor Second Life Mac.

“I spent a lot of time vetting a bunch of different companies and Second Life is the one that was willing to fly somebody out here and actually do a walkthrough with me and look at our devices and say, ‘Yep, I think this is what we've got, and we’ll guarantee you X amount of money.’ They've come through every single time. They've always given us either what they said they'd give us or more.”

To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here.

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