Welcome to the August Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include new digital curricula, an AI-powered smart pen, an air quality sensor, and much more.

Audiotool | 3.O

A step toward eliminating the bottlenecks musicians face when collaborating with one another, Audiotool 3.0 will bring Audiotool’s cross-platform music production ecosystem to any device, with native mobile versions coming soon. It will see the launch of NEXUS, a new open-source SDK that allows anyone to build their own instruments, plugins, and AI-connected music creation tools.

BandLab | BandLab For Education 2.0

Built to run on Chromebooks and other devices, BandLab for Education 2.0 is available free for eligible Title I schools and at a flat $2.50 per student per year for all others. The platform adapts BandLab Studio for education with teacher-managed classrooms, student assignments, and district privacy features. Students can record and create songs, tune vocals with AutoPitch, use an extensive library of samples through BandLab Sounds, and more.

Chief | Tempo Flat Panel In-Wall Single-Box Mount System

The Chief Tempo Flat Panel In-Wall Single-Box Mount System is designed for commercial and higher education environments, and supports small to medium displays in landscape or portrait orientation. It is engineered to streamline installation, support multi-phase installation workflows, and provide easy access to AV components for fast, efficient service. It combines mount hardware, in-wall device storage, and service access capability into a single integrated system that aligns with how commercial construction projects actually run.

ClassDojo | New Schoolwide Tools for School Leaders

ClassDojo's new capabilities help principals and school leaders communicate with families, strengthen school-home connections, and manage all staff outreach from a single platform. New capabilities include multichannel announcements (spanning email, text, voice, and mobile app), built-in Canva newsletter creation, one-click social media posting, schoolwide engagement dashboards, and new tools for middle and high school staff to communicate directly with students.

CyberNut | Neptune Navigate Digital Citizenship Platform

CyberNut has acquired the Neptune Navigate Digital Citizenship platform, adding an established student curriculum to its K-12 safety offering The company already delivers student safety and digital citizenship education alongside its staff-facing phishing simulation, security awareness training, and threat reporting. Neptune Navigate adds an additional deep, purpose-built curriculum. For districts, the result is a deeper, more comprehensive approach to online safety.

Daktronics | LiveWrx

LiveWrx is a fan engagement platform designed for high schools to create interactive experiences at live sporting events using video boards. It enables schools to run live polls, interactive games and fan challenges on their Daktronics displays while fans participate in real time using their smartphones. The platform is designed to increase crowd involvement, enhance school spirit and create new opportunities for sponsorship‑driven revenue during games.

Discovery Education | Social Studies Essentials

Social Studies Essentials is a new K–5 supplemental program designed to help teachers bring C3-aligned, inquiry-based social studies instruction into busy classrooms. The program was built to make rigorous social studies learning easier to implement with ready-to-use lessons, embedded literacy supports, primary sources, and teacher-friendly planning tools.

Epson | SureColor T3770E Education Edition

The SureColor T3770E Education Edition is designed to support schools looking to replace older equipment and confidently implement high-quality in-house poster printing. To ensure educators have everything they need to start printing on day one, the bundle includes the SureColor T3770E 24-inch wide-format graphics printer, easy-to-use Epson Print Automate software, 24” matte and glossy paper rolls, starter inks, plus an additional set of 110 mL ink cartridges, and a maintenance box, enough supplies to last well into the school year.

Extron | BT 100 AT D

This easy-to-use wall panel allows a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to be used as the communication device in a conferencing system. It also supports stereo audio playback from a range of Bluetooth-enabled devices. Flexible control for device pairing, volume, and media playback is available using the front panel buttons, RS-232 or the Dante network connection. The BT 100 AT D interfaces with any Dante‑equipped audio processor, such as an Extron DMP Plus Series AT Model, over a standard local area network.

Flowtica | Scribe

The Flowtica Scribe is an AI-powered smart pen that combines handwriting, voice recording, and AI to help students stay engaged during lectures instead of worrying about capturing every word themselves. It records both handwritten notes and audio simultaneously, allowing students to instantly revisit important moments, highlight key sections, and generate AI-powered summaries after class.

Just Right Reader | Knowledge and Language Building Library

Just Right Reader's Knowledge and Language Building Library is for pre-kindergarten students. The collection of 60 fiction and nonfiction books—available in both English and Spanish—are designed to develop students’ oral language, vocabulary, and background knowledge as they start their reading journey. The topic-based sets cover the themes of all about me, animals, building things, colors, community helpers, habitats, nutrition, plants, seasons, and transportation.

McGraw Hill | ALEKS Expansion

McGraw Hill welcomes additions to its AI-powered ALEKS portfolio of learning solutions: ALEKS Adventure for Grades 4–5 and ALEKS for Calculus II. These new offerings extend the reach of ALEKS and provide adaptive technology and actionable data help educators identify knowledge gaps and guide students to the skills they are ready to learn next.

Pimloc | Secure File Sharing

Secure File Sharing is a new capability in the Secure Redact platform that lets school districts and other organizations deliver redacted video, audio and documents directly to requestors through a secure, expiring link, accelerating delivery without the file ever being downloaded, re-uploaded, or emailed as an attachment.

PowerSchool | Schoology & NotebookLM integration

Gemini LTI users can now add Schoology course content directly as sources within NotebookLM. This allows educators and students to create AI‑powered study guides, summaries, audio overviews, videos, infographics, slide decks, and more, all grounded in materials already available in their Schoology courses.

SMART Technologies | Lumio WCAG 2.2 Accessibility Updates

Accessibility enhancements have been added to Lumio, the cloud-based teaching and learning platform, bringing the core student experience into alignment with WCAG 2.2, the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility. The update helps ensure that students who use assistive technologies can participate more fully and independently in classroom learning, engaging with lessons, activities and collaborative experiences alongside their peers.

Vernier Science Education | Go Direct Air Quality Sensor

The Go Direct Air Quality Sensor helps students investigate real‑world questions about the quality of the air we breathe with measurable evidence—right where they live and learn. Designed for high school and college use, this durable sensor supports indoor and outdoor monitoring so students can track pollutants over time, analyze spatial patterns, and connect air quality to human and ecological health.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Welcome to the July Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings, many of which are being showcased at ISTELive in Orlando, include financial literacy games, a remote presentation device, and a promising iOS app that turns students' notes into flashcards, quizzes, and games.

ASUS Education | Chromebox 6a, USB AI Accelerator

ASUS debuted the ASUS Chromebox 6a, its flagship ChromeOS compact desktop and the UGen300 USB AI Accelerator at ISTE+ASCD 2026.

Equipped with 14th Gen Intel Core 7 processors, the Chromebox 6a features Zero-Touch Enrollment, Google Admin console and the Titan C security chip. The ASUS UGen300 USB AI Accelerator is a USB edge AI accelerator for both classic and generative AI, delivering powerful, low-power local AI inference at the edge. Equipped with over 100 pre-trained models for rapid deployment, the UGen300 transforms standard devices into AI-ready tools.

Avantis Education | EduverseSTEM

Avantis Education, a provider of virtual and augmented (VR/AR) technology for schools, will give educators an exclusive first look at EduverseSTEM, its new immersive STEM solution at the ISTELive 26 conference June 28-July 1, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. The complete solution will be available to schools in time for the new academic year. EduverseSTEM, is a complete, immersive STEM ecosystem that combines ClassVR Xcelerate headsets, curriculum- aligned STEM content, classroom management tools and a Gold Standard Project-Based Learning Framework into one ready-to-teach solution for middle and high school classrooms.

BandLab For Education | 2 .0

BandLab for Education 2.0 music creation platform for schools is built to support the way music is taught and made today. Available at $2.50 per student per year, with free access for eligible Title I schools in the US and comparable support in other markets, 2.0 is designed to put professional music creation within reach of any classroom.

Cambium Learning Group | ExploreK12

ExploreLearning | Learning A‑Z today announced it is rebranding as ExploreK12, marking the next phase of its evolution as a unified organization serving educators across literacy, math, and science. Beginning with the 2026–27 school year, ExploreK12 is introducing a set of back‑to‑school enhancements for literacy, math and science, including strengthened assessments, expanded content, and new instructional supports that help educators monitor student progress and provide targeted support.

ClassDojo | Websites

ClassDojo Websites is a new school and district website platform designed specifically for K–12 systems. The platform automatically keeps school and district websites up to date by connecting directly to ClassDojo—the platform already used by millions of families and educators. ClassDojo Websites brings website management and district communications into one connected platform, reducing manual work while ensuring families always see accurate, consistent information. Post once, and it shows up everywhere. No double-posting, no stale pages, and no extra work for staff.

Coolmath Games | Financial Literacy hub

The new Financial Literacy hub is designed to replace abstract classroom explanations with games that require decision making in simulated financial situations. Users are dropped into scenarios where every choice has consequences. In games such as Investor Tower, players learn what it actually means to make money work for them, building an understanding of investing through progression and risk based decisions.

Coursera | Ollie

Ollie is an AI-powered microlearning app that delivers short lessons drawn from content by leading partners including AWS, Duke University, and Microsoft. Available to Coursera Plus subscribers, Ollie brings Coursera's university and industry content into a new learning experience featuring interactive practice and conversational AI support. Key features include: Short-form lessons; instant practice exercises; conversational AI support; and Flow Mode and Explore Mode for hands-free listening and topic discovery..

CTL | OPS All-in-One Desktop Computer with ChromeOS

Ideal for education, this solution leverages the power of ChromeOS for its built-in and proactive security and easy IT management via the Google Admin console. An AIO with ChromeOS enables IT directors to deploy the power of ChromeOS to desktops. You can create a singular, cohesive ecosystem that streamlines policies and configurations across all Chromebooks and AIO desktops with ChromeOS.

Dimensions | Citation Check

Citation Check is an API-based editorial tool that automatically detects self-citation in manuscript submissions, evaluates each instance, and returns a risk rating to support editors' decision-making before papers reach peer review. The tool is the latest addition to Digital Science's research integrity portfolio, alongside Dimensions Author Check – designed to help the research community uphold integrity and trust in the scholarly record.

Edlio | Edlio Agents

Edlio Agents are agentic workflows built into the Edlio CMS. Specialists with a defined area of expertise and the skills to handle complex tasks. These complete multi-step processes without needing to be micromanaged, so schools can get more done in less time within the same Edlio platform they are already using. Edlio Agents will be launching through the Edlio platform during the 2026-27 school year, starting this fall.

ELEGOO | Centauri Carbon 2 Combo

Elegoo’s Centauri Carbon 2 Combo is the best versatile/well-rounded option on a budget. It caters to beginners with its accessible price point (ranging from $449-489) and simplified user experience while also satisfying 3D printing vets because it doesn’t sacrifice speed, performance or hardware for its cheaper price tag. It’s fast at printing multi-colored items, stable while withstanding high temperatures, and has smart automations to make printing easy.

Epson | LE-C1 Series

The LE-C1 Series, powered by chip-on-board (COB) technology, is Epson's first all-in-one dvLED line. Offering high brightness of 600 nits and excellent high contrast performance, even in the brightest of spaces, the new LE-C1 Series includes the LE-C1135 135-inch and the LE-C1162 162-inch Full HD 1080p models, plus the LE-C14K135 135-inch 4K model for ultra-fine detail and comfortable close-range viewing.

Extron | DTP3 T 322 D

The DTP3 T 322 D is a two-input wall plate transmitter that sends USB-C and HDMI video, USB data, embedded audio, power, and control up to 330 feet (100 meters) over a shielded CAT 6A cable. It can provide up to 100 watts of USB-C power delivery to charge the connected device when used with the Extron UPI 100 Power Inserter.

iClever | QuietShield Q950 Kids ANC Headphones

The QuietShield Q950 Kids ANC Headphones have received the TÜV Hearing Care Protection Certification as well as the 2026 Red Dot Design Award for its child-centered design. Key features include an 80dBA safe-volume limit as per WHO recommendation, Hybrid ANC (up to 35dB noise reduction), Transparency Mode, Wear Detection, Bluetooth Audio Sharing, and up to 60 hours of battery life.

Logitech | Spotlight 2

The Spotlight 2 Advanced Presentation Remote supports: Natural teaching by helping educators move freely through any learning environment, without being tethered to a podium, desk, or screen; human connections as advanced digital highlighting, spotlighting, annotation and magnifying, and a physical laser pointer support presence and more direct interaction with students; and simplicity with purpose through haptic feedback.

Luxor Workspaces | CellGuard Phone Pouch

The CellGuard Phone Pouch is a signal-blocking storage solution designed to help schools enforce phone policies while keeping student devices secure and in their possession. The pouch is constructed from reinforced fabric designed for daily use and features a hook-and-loop closure that produces a loud, audible sound when opened, allowing teachers to quickly identify when a pouch has been accessed during instruction. A lockable D-ring allows schools or students to secure the pouch when needed.

Magewell | Director Plus

Director Plus is a broadcast-grade, all-in-one portable 4K production and presentation system for end-to-end live video workflows. Users can connect live AV feeds and media assets from a range of devices, networks, and third-party software platforms. With production features including telestration and instant replay, creators can produce visually engaging content for enterprise communications, education, podcasts and more.

NoteFren | NoteFren

NoteFren is an iOS study app that turns a student's own notes (handwriting, PDFs, audio) into flashcards, quizzes, and games in ~10 seconds, built around active recall rather than AI summaries. NoteFren uses scientifically proven methods including spaced repetition (SM-2 algorithm), active recall, and the Feynman method. These techniques are backed by decades of research showing 2-3x better retention compared to traditional study methods.

Philips | Signage 7000 Series

The Philips Signage 7000 Series is designed with a depth of 30mm for the 65” model and 28.5mm on all others, 60 per cent less deep than its closest Philips Signage counterpart – the Philips Signage 4050Q. The 43”, 50” and 55” models are 10 per cent lighter than their 4050Q size equivalents, and the 65” model weighs 20% less than its 4050Q comparison.

Photon Education | Classwise Student Engagement System

Classwise, a student response system from Photon Education made its official U.S. debut at ISTELive 26, June 28-July 30 in Orlando, Florida. Classwise combines formative assessments, game-based learning, and data-driven instruction in a single platform, providing with a larage library of lessons, educational quizzes and teaching resources, plus a classroom set of Classpad handheld controllers. Students engage in learning in a screen-free way, using the Classpads to answer questions and respond to prompts

Smart | MultiStylus and SoundLift

MultiStylus and SoundLift are two new classroom accessories designed to extend the SMART Board experience by supporting collaboration, accessibility and engagement in learning environments. The MultiStylus puts full board control in their hand wherever they are in the room — switch pen modes, advance slides, or activate the air mouse to control the board without walking back to it. SoundLift routes the teachers voice through the SMART Board's integrated speakers, so no separate amplifiers, mixers, or cabling is required.

Telycam | Explore 100, Explore 300 and Explore 500

Building on the hallmarks of the Explore family, these new models deliver outstanding image quality, precise focus, and smooth mechanical movement across a wide range of production scenarios. Ideal for sports broadcasts, corporate events, educational applications, and live production environments, the new launches reinforce Telycam's commitment to empowering professional productions with high-performance, reliable, and versatile PTZ cameras.

Vivi | Live Captions and Device Alerts

Live Captions is a new feature that converts speech into real-time captions and translations across classroom displays. It provides students with translations in their native language with just a single click. Vivi Device Alerts has been upgraded to extend emergency notifications to Windows, macOS devices, and Webapp. The feature includes location-based targeting, mandatory acknowledgment tracking, and a complete audit trail to support compliance reporting.

• Edtech Show & Tell

ispring Free is a specific version of the larger ispring ecosystem that's designed to help make courses, and lesson creation, a simple process. Crucially, this offers a way to help teachers make digital interactive lessons using their own skills.

The idea here is to work as an add-in with Microsoft PowerPoint so that educators can build slides into lessons easily. This means using a platform that may already be familiar, only now with the option to add questions and more before outputting to an LMS for use.

The powerful free version lets you get going with lesson making right away, but you also have some other paid features including AI-driven tools to enhance the offering even further.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about ispring Free, primarily, with those extra paid tools mentioned later on so you know what else is available too.

What is ispring?

ispring is an elearning creation tool that works directly within Microsoft PowerPoint. This adds extra teaching and publishing features right there within a tool that many educators already know how to use.

Teachers can create lessons using standard slides, then enhance those with quizzes, embedded video, audio, YouTube clips, web objects, and interactive elements. Once finished, the presentation can be exported as HTML5 content or packaged as a SCORM course for use within an LMS.

You can also use PowerPoint animations, transitions, triggers, and layouts as these are preserved during conversion. Consequently, existing classroom presentations can often be repurposed rather than rebuilt from scratch.

The free version includes three quiz types: multiple choice, multiple response, and short answer. These are enough for many classroom assessments and knowledge checks, plus you can pay for the more premium features if needed.

How does ispring work?

ispring Free appears as an additional tab inside PowerPoint. Teachers build lessons as they normally would, then use ispring’s tools to add interactive and assessment elements.

To publish, educators can export lessons as SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004 packages for upload into LMS platforms, or simply create HTML5 lessons that can be shared via links or websites.

Courses are responsive, so these automatically adapt for phones, tablets, and desktop devices without extra work. That's very useful for homework, remote learning, or flipped classroom teaching so students can then access content on different devices.

Teachers can track learner progress when using an LMS. Quiz scores, completion rates, and learner participation data can all be monitored through these systems.

This is built to be quick and easy to pick-up and use. So while there are limitations in terms of complexity, for a lesson building tool that works with ease, this does the job well.

What are the best ispring features?

ispring is integrated into PowerPoint, which is one of the main appeals here for ease of uptake and simplicity of creation. No training is going to be needed here in most cases.

SCORM publishing is another major appeal. Lots of other free tools struggle with LMS compatibility, but ispring Free supports SCORM 1.2 and 2004 output, allowing courses to work with platforms such as Moodle and Blackboard.

Courses automatically resize for different screens, which helps students access lessons on phones or tablets -- something that's rare to find in free tools such as this.

Quiz creation is simple but effective, with built-in knowledge checks that can include timers, shuffled answers, and feedback. In addition, there's support for embedding web objects and multimedia directly into lessons, helping otherwise less engaging slide decks feel more interactive and enthralling.

The biggest limitation is depth. The paid ispring Suite adds far more advanced interactions, branching scenarios, drag-and-drop tasks, AI tools, narration features, and richer quiz options.

How much does ispring cost?

ispring Free is just that, without any cost to use. It has no limits on time or slides, and does not include forced branding.

It's worth noting that the free version is very much intended as a gateway into the paid ecosystem. Those who want advanced quiz types, video creation tools, AI features, role-play simulations, or content libraries will need to upgrade to ispring Suite.

Individual accounts for the full suite start in the hundreds but for education institutions there are bespoke prices available on request.

ispring best tips and tricks

Reuse old presentations
Convert existing PowerPoint lessons into interactive online resources rather than rebuilding content from scratch.

Add quick knowledge checks
Use the built-in quizzes after key slides to reinforce understanding and keep learners engaged.

Publish for mobile learning
Export lessons as responsive HTML5 content so students can revise on phones and tablets.

Welcome to the June Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include online tutoring, HD/4K projectors, payment collection solution, ad-free streaming educational platform and more.

Ace Scholarships | EmpowerEd by ACE Scholarships

EmpowerEd by ACE Scholarships is the only white-label, end-to-end scholarship management technology built by a national SGO. The platform handles the administrative complexity behind the scenes, including application processing, eligibility, awards, donor tracking, secure compliance, and reporting. With scholarships and contributions managed in one place, partners have a clear, real-time view of scholarship and donor operations.

Acer | Swift Spin 14 AI

The premium Swift Spin 14 AI convertible is a military-grade 360-degree powerhouse delivering an industry-leading 80 TOPS of AI performance and up to 23 hours of battery life. Alongside this premium ultraportable, Acer makes history as the first PC maker to introduce a laptop powered by the all-new Snapdragon C processor, bringing affordable, efficient, everyday computing to the mainstream market.

ClassDojo | Dojo Tutor expansion

ClassDojo is expanding access to its private, online Dojo Tutor, which connects students with more than 2,500 certified and vetted teachers for one-on-one tutoring tailored to individual learning needs. The focus is on helping students make meaningful academic progress as tutors begin by understanding where each student is, identifying gaps, and building a plan to move them forward.

Cobalt | blueCORE Multi-Function Standalone Signal Processing

The new Cobalt blueCORE family of fully featured standalone signal processors is designed to bridge SDI and ST 2110/IPMX environments with exceptional versatility. blueCORE combines the audio and video processing functions required for live production and AV signal management into a single 1RU device. The self-contained architecture makes deployment fast and simple: power up the unit, connect signals, and it is ready to operate with or without a computer.

Common Sense Media | Youth AI Safety Institute

The Common Sense Media Youth AI Safety Institute is an independent research and testing organization dedicated to ensuring the AI that children use is safe and developmentally appropriate. The Institute will establish safety standards, build open-source evaluations that AI developers can run against their models, independently test AI products, and publish the results to provide transparency and accountability.

Epson | PowerLite and BrightLink projectors

Epson now has 10 new PowerLite and BrightLink projectors, offering Full HD and 4K Enhancement, across standard throw, ultra short throw and portable options. Built on Epson’s proprietary 3-chip 3LCD technology, the new lineup delivers higher resolution and brightness with larger image sizes, enhanced connectivity, intuitive software, updated controls, and improved casting to simplify installation and maintenance while enabling collaboration and larger-than-life visuals.

Extron | XTP II 8K Fiber Series

Extron's new XTP II 8K Fiber Series takes performance to the next level with industry-leading capabilities for XTP Systems. Four new products are now available: XTP II FT 402 8K – Fiber optic transmitters for HDMI and DisplayPort; XTP II FR 401 8K – Fiber optic receivers with local HDMI input; XTP II CP 4i F 8K – Input boards with assignable XTP Fiber or HDMI inputs; and XTP II CP 4o SF 8K – Output boards with scaled fiber and local, unscaled HDMI outputs. These new boards leverage the 50 Gbps backplane of XTP II CrossPoint Series matrix switchers to deliver the highest level of performance and reliability in the industry.

iCEV | Certification Readiness Tool

The Certification Readiness Tool allows educators to view readiness indicators for students enrolled in aligned coursework for certifications that are tested for on the iCEV Platform. Teachers can view student reports to understand performance, identify skill gaps, and take action before students sit for exams. The tool analyzes patterns from previously successful test-takers alongside current student data to provide meaningful readiness insights.

Lightspeed | Redcat and Topcat updates

The Redcat and Topcat systems now feature updated designs that simplify classroom use. Additionally, the company’s wireless Media Connector now pairs directly with Bluetooth devices, enabling wireless audio streaming from phones and tablets, making it easier to integrate classroom multimedia audio sources. The Redcat all-in-one speaker system is ready for use right out of the box, while the Topcat’s all-in-one integrated design and wireless audio capabilities make installation simple.

Parentsquare | Cashless Guide playbook

ParentSquare's Cashless Guide playbook for K12 leaders offers best practices and strategies to help districts reduce cash handling, simplify payment collection, and improve family response. Many districts are looking for ways to streamline payment collection for school activities, from field trips to extracurricular fees. This new guide provides a step-by-step framework to help districts transition to online payments without disrupting existing workflows.

PlayKids Learning

PlayKids Learning is an ad-free streaming educational platform for young children, bringing together favorites like Paw Patrol, CoComelon, Numberblocks and Alphablocks alongside interactive games and learning content designed around skill development. COPPA-compliant, and kidSAFE-certified, the platform combines 250+ hours of children’s TV with 150+ games and activities focused on communication, creativity, emotional learning and problem-solving, while also encouraging offline activities like drawing, dancing and singing.

TeacherForge

TeacherForge is an AI-powered material generator for language teachers. It produces structured, print-ready worksheets across grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing tasks, listening sets with audio, and multi-domain exams, all with answer keys. Teachers configure CEFR level, topics, and exercise types. Teachers choose specific exercise types per section, adjust difficulty per CEFR level, and get professionally formatted output ready for the classroom, not raw AI text to clean up.

Turnitin | Google Classroom Add-On

Turnitin's new integration with Google Workspace for Education brings Turnitin Feedback Studio features directly into Google Classroom. The new integration helps educators incorporate AI responsibly into written assessments, while building students' AI literacy, critical thinking, and writing skills. Educators gain visibility into students’ writing process, and students learn to use AI thoughtfully, ethically, and transparently.

Zedbud | Unified Platform

Zedbud now offers a unified learning and communication platform designed for K–12 schools. Zedbud brings learning, communication, collaboration, and family engagement into a single FERPA-compliant environment. Key highlights include: communication embedded directly within assignments and learning materials; real-time translation in 50+ languages; district-level oversight and role-based controls; integrations with tools such as Google Classroom and Google Drive; and support for family engagement from pre-K through graduation.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Edcafe AI is a rare tool in the world of AI as it, unlike many others out there, is specifically designed to support classes through the entire teaching cycle.

Built for educators, this AI tool works to offer support across the full teaching process, from lesson planning to assessments -- all in one easy-to-access platform.

The idea here is to offer a more time-efficient way to work, without jumping around between tools. From building a lesson from scratch -- differentiating for mixed abilities -- to tracking student progress, this tool should streamline that process for ease.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about Edcafe AI for use in your class.

What is Edcafe AI?

Edcafe AI is a digital AI-powered assistant for teachers to help across planning, teaching, and assessing lessons. By combining multiple tools, this offers a single platform for teachers to create, organize, deliver, and evaluate learning.

This allows teachers to plan curriculum-aligned lessons and then create classroom-ready learning materials. Assigning these to students, and assessing as well as tracking progress, is also built into the platform.

That all should mean teachers only need to open this one tool to get everything done, saving on time and effort -- so they can focus on more valuable teacher-student time.

How does Edcafe AI work?

Edcafe AI combines the power of artificial intelligence with the materials already being used by teachers. Current and sourced materials can be uploaded for use, all being enhanced to work with the AI ecosystem.

What that actually looks like is a teacher uploads a document, slides, or curriculum content. The AI then generates lessons, quizzes, or activities that can be shared using links or QR codes. Students can then work with these materials as teachers track engagement and performance in real time.

Usefully, there are feedback loops that allow teachers to see how students are responding, so as to refine future lessons based on student ability.

Since students don't need accounts, this is all super simple to setup and share so students can begin working with the materials right away.

What are the best Edcafe AI features?

Edcafe AI uses artificial intelligence to make the creation of materials fast and easy from full lesson plans, slides, and quizzes to reading activities.

Chatbots can also be created, with custom inputs, which are then able to assist students as they work through topics. They then can get personalized feedback and help as they work, without it costing teachers on time.

Those quizzes that can be generated are also able to be auto-graded, saving even more teacher time. This can be a quick way to assess student ability with any learning gaps easy to identify and work on improving.

Since Google Drive can be used with this system, it makes for an easy way not only to access and enhance current materials, but to generate and share more across the school.

Everything is end-to-end here, so teachers can work in one platform to get everything done. This is not only helpful for saving on time, but can also be far less mentally straining.

How much does Edcafe AI cost?

Edcafe AI offers a tiered pricing model, including a free option. The plans break down like this:

Free plan: Limited AI generations and core tools.

Pro plan: From around $7.99/month (annual billing) with expanded features.

Premium plan: From around $14.99/month with unlimited usage and school-level tools.

Custom options are also available for schools and districts, including onboarding and integration support.

Edcafe AI best tips and tricks

Start with your own materials
Upload existing lesson content to get more accurate, curriculum-aligned outputs.

Use chatbots for differentiation
Set up different chatbots for varying ability levels or topics to personalize support.

Generate then refine
Treat AI outputs as a starting point and tweak for tone, accuracy, and class context.

ClassPoint is one of those tools designed to perfectly blend other software that teachers, until now, have been using separately. The idea being that this can save time and effort with one do-it-all solution.

The combination here is of the ever-helpful slides-based tools, such as PowerPoint, with quiz-style apps that allow for more measurable engagement.

This does plenty more though, thanks to AI and the ability to gamify learning, all while offering real-time feedback to educators.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about ClassPoint to see if it could save you time and enhance your instruction.

What is ClassPoint?

ClassPoint is a digital tool that combines slide-based teaching with interactive assessment options to offer a more dynamic class experience.

This integrates directly with Microsoft PowerPoint so teachers can use current tools and slides to make it all more interactive.

The app offers quizzes and polls that allow educators to measure student answers, live. This also helps teachers to turn slides into interactive whiteboards, with slide annotation live as the class works through materials.

To be clear, this works within PowerPoint, so existing class materials can be reused rather than doing everything from scratch.

How does ClassPoint work?

ClassPoint works as a PowerPoint add-on, so you can get this installed and then work on your slide decks directly.

Teachers can work with the interactive elements right there from within the slides. Students are sent a join code that allows them to interact using their own devices. Everyone can be working on the main whiteboard screen, with interactions sent live from their devices.

So while teachers are presenting as normal, students are able to respond with answers to quizzes, annotation drawing, or even uploads from their devices. The results of all this can be shown immediately on screen at the front of class.

Also integrated is an AI quiz generator. This scans the slides you're using and automatically offers questions that will work with that presentation. That can mean a huge saving on preparation time for teachers as well as the ability to get into a quiz on any slide section, even if previously unplanned.

What are the best ClassPoint features?

ClassPoint is all real-time so feedback from students is live, allowing teachers to adapt their teaching -- stopping longer on a topic or moving on -- as the lesson progresses.

That AI quiz generator is a really big value as saves time, offering more spontaneity and the ability to adjust these to suit different ability levels.

Teachers can gamify everything as there is the option to award stars, track progress, and even display leaderboards to help with motivation and participation.

Thanks for the ability to annotate directly, this allows any PowerPoint slide to become an interactive whiteboard canvas. This is for teachers, live, but also for students that want to add text, images, audio, video, drawings and more.

Usefully, for teachers, this can help with tracking of participation, with built-in reporting tools.

How much does ClassPoint cost?

ClassPoint offers a tiered pricing model that includes a free plan. The levels break down into:

Free (Basic): Limited features, small class sizes, and capped quizzes.

Pro: Around $8/month (billed annually), unlocks larger classes, unlimited questions, and more advanced tools.

Premium: Custom pricing for schools, with features such as unlimited AI credits and deeper analytics.

The free tier is functional enough for trying it out, but most of the more powerful features, especially AI and analytics, sit behind the paid plans.

ClassPoint best tips and tricks

Turn slides into instant quizzes
Add interactive questions directly into your PowerPoint to check understanding without switching tools.

Use live responses to guide teaching
Adjust your lesson in real time based on how students answer polls and quizzes.

Gamify participation with points
Reward correct answers and engagement to motivate quieter students to get involved.

ClickView is a video-learning platform that's been designed specifically to work in education class scenarios. That means this is a safe, classroom-appropriate resource that's loaded up with educators in mind.

Unlike the mine-field that can be YouTube, this is filled with curriculum-aligned content that is well-organized so teachers can find and use what they need with ease -- saving on time and effort.

Thanks to the vetted and curated content, along with interactive tools, this can be used as a powerful way to deepen or introduce learning in class and beyond.

This guide aims to lay out all you could need to know about ClickView as a potential tool for your class.

What is ClickView?

ClickView is all about video, specifically school-based video viewing. This education-focused video platform offers access to thousands of curriculum-aligned, curated videos that cover a range of subjects and topics.

Since this is built for education specifically, the content is all age-appropriate, curriculum-linked, and vetted for classroom use.

Usefully, it's all well-organized too. Teachers can browse by subject, topic, or learning level to get to video content that relevant and high-quality -- ultimately saving on search time. Plus, it's possible to add interactive, assessment elements to make this even more engaging.

Students can access this via a single sign-on, class code, or school credentials -- all meaning access through a secure and school-friendly system.

How does ClickView work?

ClickView is made to work as a tool that teachers can use to make their planning easier, more rich, and ultimately, faster -- while still giving students the most engaging experience.

Teachers start by logging in to their school account. They can then immediately search by topic, subject, or keyword as needed. Filters help to narrow results with results focused on level, content type, and topic.

When the video has been picked, it can be played in class, shared with students directly, embedded into lesson plans, or assigned for independent study at another time.

Teachers can give student access via a class code, or students can get in using their own login, depending on how the school is setup. This can mean in-class use but also at-home learning, if a hybrid model is being used with this setup.

Usefully, teachers can also add interactive layers to follow after the video has been watched. These include questions, annotations, and interactive timeline elements. All that should make for a more active learning experience that sticks.

What are the best ClickView features?

ClickView has thousands of videos that are all curriculum-aligned, so teachers can search by specific topic to quickly find ideal materials without the need to vet it themselves.

The interactivity of videos is a big draw here as it allows teachers to tailor the follow-up experience. That can lead to a more engaged viewer, knowing they need to answer questions after.

The search functionality is a big draw here as it allows for direct keyword searches but also a browse function. This can help stimulate lesson planning by browsing what's available, or offer direct results to save on time.

Since students can access these videos via a shared code, or school login, it makes for easy access across devices. Sharing these for in-class or at-home use is just as easy either way.

Analytics tools allow teachers to see how students have engaged with the videos and interactive elements. This should be useful in guiding help for students, adapting lesson plans, and generally tailoring support.

Teachers can even upload their own videos and resources to help build the customized library available across the school or class.

How much does ClickView cost?

ClickView pricing is not publicly listed and is typically offered via a school or district subscription model.

Costs vary depending on school size, region, feature access, and licensing requirements.

Schools usually need to request a quote or demo to get specific pricing details.

ClickView best tips and tricks

Use clips instead of full videos
Short segments keep attention high and allow for more targeted discussion.

Add questions directly into videos
Embedding quizzes help check understanding in real time without extra worksheets.

Flip the classroom
Assign videos as homework so lesson time can focus on discussion and application.

Welcome to the May 2026 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

May's edtech roundup features several AI-powered offerings, from Google's AI Educator Series to a multi-touch interactive display to edtech monitoring and more. AV standouts include an interactive 3D AV planner, a USB extender and a media hub for managing networks in real time.

BenQ | Pro RP05 Interactive Display

The RP05 is BenQ's most advanced AI-ready interactive display, featuring a dedicated 10 TOPS Neural Processing Unit. Powered by Android 15 and Google EDLA certification, the display offers secure access to Google Workspace and the Play Store. Key features include AI-assisted whiteboarding, automated transcription, and a 50-point multi-touch interface. Additionally, ClassroomCare technology provides germ-resistant surfaces and Eyesafe 3.0 certification.

Extron | UCS 910 Series

The UCS 910 Series of twisted pair USB 5Gbps extenders send USB data signals from peripheral devices to a host computer up to 330 ft over a CAT 6A cable. Compatible with USB 3 and previous standards, 910 Series extenders support data rates up to USB 5Gbps. The UCS T 911 features a USB-C host connection and can be powered from the receiver or locally. The UCS R 912 receiver features a two-port USB hub with USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting remote peripherals.

GoGuardian | Discover

GoGuardian Discover gives district technology leaders a unified, trusted view of their entire edtech ecosystem. It addresses three critical needs for district administrators: automated compliance and risk management; AI-powered identification of cost savings; and clear, actionable insights across the entire district. GoGuardian is offering free use of Discover for up to 60 days through July 31 for new and existing customers.

Google | AI Educator Series

Google has teamed up with ISTE+ASCD to create the Google AI Educator Series (GES)—a free, ISTE standards-aligned program designed to help use tools such as Gemini and NotebookLM. In just 15 minutes for K-12 and 45 minutes for Higher Ed, learn a classroom-ready Gemini use case and earn a badge to demonstrate your new skill.

Kiloview | AVX24-4 Media HUB

The AVX24-4 MediaHub enables operators to visualize, control, and trust their networks in real time. It provides full visibility of network topology and device status, intelligent diagnostics, and media routing with prioritized NDI streams and synchronization. AVX24-4 features broadcast-grade hardware design, built-in redundancy, and optimized cooling architecture.

Learning.com | K-8 AI Literacy Curriculum

Learning.com is making a free AI literacy experience available now: 18 lessons across grades K-8, open to educators, students, families, and district leaders. Districts using EasyTech can begin foundational AI awareness instruction immediately, with professional learning embedded to support students and teachers learning AI together. The full AI Literacy curriculum is available to schools and districts through EasyTech, Learning.com's digital literacy platform.

LearningSpring| LearningSpring

LearningSpring is an end-to-end school choice management platform. Co-founded by Cecilia Retelle Zywicki and Alex Paul, the company aims to empower families to discover and access their best-fit learning options by providing the critical infrastructure required to turn complex school choice laws into functional, auditable programs for states, and transparent programs for schools and families.

Lexia | Science of Reading Classroom

Science of Reading Classroom by Lexia provides aligned literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading, including LETRS-aligned explicit instruction embedded into daily student activities; flexible, modular learning paths that target skills; real-time insights and integrated assessment data; professional learning, including LETRS Coaching and LETRS Connect, alongside core ELA instruction; and systemwide visibility that helps monitor progress and inform decisions.

McGraw Hill | AI within McGraw Hill Connect

The new AI capabilities within McGraw Hill Connect, the digital learning and course management solution for higher education, offers extended personalized support for students, featuring Learning Coach; tailored reading experiences, including a translation tool; and AI literacy modules to help students learn how to apply GenAI thoughtfully and effectively.

Pleneo | Planner

Built on standards from AVIXA, Pleneo Planner allows users to enter room dimensions and generate a fully designed space. The system automatically places microphones, cameras, loudspeakers and processing based on optimal coverage, sightlines and performance. The result is an interactive 3D environment. Users can visualize microphone pickup zones, speaker coverage and camera fields of view and even step into the camera perspective to see what participants will see.

ProjX360 | AI Assistant

The ProjX360 AI Assistant is integrated into the platform, giving users immediate access to answers, guidance, and best practices directly within their workflow. Whether users need help navigating features, understanding processes, or finding information quickly, the AI Assistant acts as a real-time support resource—eliminating delays and reducing dependency on traditional support channels.

swXtch.io | swXtch.ai and the swXtch AI Router

swXtch.ai and the swXtch AI Router combine to bring AI into live media production through a chat-driven interface. The AI Router acts as a virtual broadcast engineer by translating operator intent into production-ready AI pipelines without requiring AI or networking expertise. The platform integrates with Microsoft Fabric and NVIDIA AI infrastructure to connect enterprise data and real-time AI inference directly into live workflows.

Typing Agent | Blizzard Type Essentials

Blizzard Type Essentials is a significant evolution of its core typing platform for students grades 3-12. The update preserves the standards-aligned curriculum teachers rely on while introducing a modernized interface, rebuilt Chromebook performance, and a new adaptive learning engine called SummitPath. Current Typing Agent schools and districts have free Beta access through the official summer release.

Vivacity | V Guide

V Guide provides schools with expert, consultative support that helps districts confidently navigate, secure, and optimize Google Workspace and ChromeOS environments without adding pressure to already stretched IT teams. It assists with all aspects of Google environment management, support for configurations, long-term strategy, deployments,audits, and training.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Dotstorming is a digital point of centralization for a class to help get everyone contributing as a team.

While real-world voting and brainstorming can leave out the quiet voices, this tool works to help everyone have a say. It's equal parts digital sticky notes and voting system, all working live in the room.

This is a simple tool at its heart, offering voting to the class, but in a way that's powerful in its potential output. With the option to span in class use and hybrid learning models, this is a helpful way to keep the class focused as a group.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about how Dotstorming could work for your class.

What is Dotstorming?

Dotstorming is a digital tool that is browser-based for easy access across the class and devices available. This works as a brainstorming and decision-making system that lets the group share ideas and vote in real time.

Use text, images, videos, and PDFs, as the virtual board system allows for a range of materials to be shared in the class for discussion purposes.

This, used in conjunction with the "dot voting" system, allows the students to participate in group decisions instantly. Teachers can then cut the debate and noise when trying to get directly to a group consensus, or gauge of class opinions on a matter.

Easy organization of these "boards," by popularity, allow for further streamlining of this process for use in class with minimal teacher effort.

How does Dotstorming work?

Dotstorming offers teachers a space to create boards that can then be shared with students via a link. Since there is no login needed, or special devices thanks to browser access, this can be used across student devices easily.

Students are then able to add their own ideas in a post-style system using text, images, and videos. They can see the contributions of others and vote on preferred ideas using their limited number of votes to pick and choose.

For teachers, there is the chance to manage the number of votes each student has before letting them take part. Control over chat and commenting is also available, with the option to disable. Finally, teachers can also lock submissions ready to move onto voting as the only option, for simplicity.

Once voting is all done, the results can be stored and used as part of future discussions or lesson planning. All that helps this become a useful formative assessment tool as well as prioritization pointer.

What are the best Dotstorming features?

Dotstorming works in real-time so group collaboration, at speed, is possible without getting lost in debate or counting of votes. That can result in high-energy and inclusive lessons while keeping everyone involved in voting.

The rich media support makes this a powerful tool to use across a range of subjects. That means using images, videos, text, and PDFs to help teachers bring in ideas but also to allow students a way to freely express themselves.

The sticky note-style layout on the board makes for a very visually engaging way to share information. It strikes the balance between digital and analogue that feels easy to use while still staying efficient and organized.

The fact students can join in with a simple link and their name, without account creation being necessary, is a hugely powerful part of how easy and effective Dotstorming is for use in classes, even for the first time. It also supports student data privacy.

How much does Dotstorming cost?

Dotstorming works on a freemium model. That means you have two levels:

Free: Limited boards and topics, but fully functional for basic classroom use.

Paid plans: Offer expanded usage and additional features (pricing varies).

For many teachers, the free tier is enough to run effective sessions, especially if boards are reused.

Dotstorming best tips and tricks

Start with a focused prompt
Clear, specific questions lead to better quality ideas and more meaningful voting.

Limit the number of votes
Restricting votes forces students to prioritize rather than select everything.

Use it for checks
Have students post what they don’t understand, then vote to surface key gaps.

Flint is an AI tool designed to offer personalized learning, and teaching, to students and educators in a very effective way.

Unlike many of the ever-appearing new AI tools out there, this is designed from the ground up as a way to make learning better. That's where this stands out. Rather than acting as a generic chatbot, it is designed specifically for classroom use, with guardrails, analytics, and structured activities that aim to keep teachers in control.

This is about extending teaching by giving each student something closer to one-to-one support, while still aligning with curriculum goals. Offering AI tutoring, assignment creation, and classroom analytics, this is built to make life easier all round.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about how Flint could work in your class.

What is Flint?

Flint is an AI-powered learning platform built specifically for K–12 schools, designed to support personalized instruction across subjects including math, science, English, and languages.

Two key parts are available here: one in the AI teaching assistant, to help create lessons, activities, and feedback. But there is also the AI tutor part, called Sparky, which helps students by adapting explanations and supporting individual needs.

Centered around class workflows, these tools help teachers make AI-driven assignments, upload curriculum materials, and define how much help the AI is allowed to give, ranging from gentle guidance to more direct support.

Usefully, this can be deployed across schools, with admin oversight and LMS integrations, as well as helpful analytics and engagement tracking, all as part of the package.

How does Flint work?

Flint lets teachers create or upload content using items such as worksheets, rubrics, lessons, or external resources as needed. Using that as a foundation, the AI is then able to generate interactive learning activities to be completed.

Students can then interact through the sessions, asking questions, working through problems, or getting writing feedback as they go. This is great for projects, in which structured support can help them work at scale without the need for lots of teacher-based scaffolding along the way -- potentially helping build confidence, too.

The system uses large language models with tools such as web search, code-based calculations, and translation to improve accuracy and flexibility.

Teachers keep control throughout, since they can design and implement guardrails. This includes preventing the AI from giving direct answers or requiring it to guide students through reasoning instead, for example.

Admins and teachers can also view interaction histories, allowing for transparency and safeguarding, with automatic flagging of inappropriate content.

What are the best Flint features?

Flint is all about that AI tutoring for students to feel supported and engaged with at their level -- helping high achievers progress at their pace while anyone struggling can be supported to grow comfortably.

The ability to implement guardrails is a huge positive for educators. They can define how the AI behaves, ensuring it supports learning without simply giving answers.

The use of content already available, such as teacher materials currently in use, is a really powerful way that this extends teaching and learning without going from scratch. It can also help sticking to current lesson plans and standards easily.

Feedback is powerful here with real-time looks at student performance and engagement. This is individual but also with a general overview across the class.

When it comes to assignments, this AI can help with deadlines, time limits, and follow-up activities. At the same time it supports multimodal learning tools with text-to-speech, speech-to-text, image processing, and even graphing and code support for STEM subjects.

All that, plus it integrates with LMS and SIS, such as Google Classroom, to make integration and deployment an easy part of the process also.

How much does Flint cost?

Flint offers a free tier for up to 80 users, making it accessible for individual teachers or small pilots.

Paid plans are structured by school size, starting at around: $3,000/year for smaller deployments. This scales to custom pricing for larger institutions.

Paid tiers add features including LMS/SIS integration, advanced analytics, and dedicated support.

Flint best tips and tricks

Start with one class
Pilot the platform with a single group to refine how you want the AI to behave before scaling.

Set clear guardrails early
Define whether the AI should guide, hint, or explain, to shape student learning habits from the start.

Upload your own materials
Ground the AI in your curriculum to improve relevance and reduces generic responses.

Buzzmath is, as the name suggests, creating a real buzz around the subject of math for young students. The idea is to bridge that gap between students who thrive on problem-solving, naturally, and those that struggle to grasp the sometimes abstract ideas.

By offering live feedback and gamified math interactions, Buzzmath works to help bring all students into a fun and engaging digital environment for learning.

Aimed at students from ages 6 to 16, this inclusive learning platform offers curriculum-aligned content that's made fun through the gamified process. They are allowed to explore at their pace, crucially, so they can feel in control while also giving teachers useful insights into their learning.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about how Buzzmath could work for your class.

What is Buzzmath?

Buzzmath is a digital math practice platform that offers gamified tasks as a way to help students gain mastery in math.

The platform offers more than 14,000 math-based questions for students to tackle. This is very much useful as a tool to complement teaching, rather than to teach directly. Educators can assign activities, for example, as a way to reinforce learning after something new has been taught.

While teachers can tailor learning to individuals or groups, in either case there is storytelling and gamification involved with missions, rewards, and challenges to keep students motivated.

Teachers can use this to have students practice curriculum-aligned skills and see progress to then better tailor future sessions as needed.

Since Buzzmath is web-based, it should be easy to access across devices and internet connections -- both in school and at home.

How does Buzzmath work?

Buzzmath can be used freely, by students exploring the activities at their own pace. Or it can be utilized to assign tasks to students or groups specifically.

Students answer questions and are immediately given feedback with answers marked as correct or incorrect. In the latter case, guidance can be triggered to help them grow through productive failure.

Students can retry questions as needed and access hints or examples to help them progress. Teachers are then able to monitor progress using a detailed reporting dashboard. This can help to spot learning gaps from data such as time spent on task, attempts made, and overall accuracy.

Accessibility features include audio narration and visual glossaries to help students with varied learning needs get the most out of this service.

What are the best Buzzmath features?

While there are a huge selection of questions on the platform, thanks to dynamic variables, students are able to practice without the problem of repetition fatigue holding them back.

The real-time feedback and ability to retry allows students to feel supported while working at their own pace. This also equates to direct support that allows for independent working without teacher time being required. That should also lead to deeper levels of learning rather than surface-level answering.

Since teachers are able to personalize learning to suit individuals or groups, this can work as a very specific tailored learning support system.

Educators have access to a powerful dashboard that allows them to monitor student progress. Data such as time spent on tasks, attempts made, completion rates, and concept-level performance, can all help teachers define future learning requirements.

The gamification of everything -- with stars, badges, and missions -- can really help to keep students engaged and come back for more practice, naturally.

How much does Buzzmath cost?

Buzzmath varies in pricing based on usage. A limited 30-day free trial is available for teachers who want to give this a go before committing to any particular plan. The plans break down like this:

Schools and districts: Typically licensed per student, with pricing starting around $1 per student annually (minimum spend applies).

Families: Around $20 per month or $120 per year for home use.

Custom quotes are often required for institutional use, particularly outside the US.

Buzzmath best tips and tricks

Start with diagnostic assignments
Use early tasks to identify gaps before tailoring future work.

Use retries as learning moments
Encourage students to reflect on mistakes rather than rush through answers.

Assign differentiated pathways
Target individuals or groups with specific activities to support mixed-ability classes.

NASA Space Place is a digital resource that's built to help educators bring space and earth science into the classroom in an exciting way.

Also, crucially, it combines the rich resources of NASA is a way that offers depth but simple access for teachers. The fact this has been up and running since 1998 is clearly reflected in how well it has been refined and tailored to suit children over the years. The result: a powerful tool for the upper-elementary-aged students.

This free resource blends scientific accuracy with playful, engaging layouts, making complex concepts feel intuitive rather than intimidating.

The curriculum-friendly resources cover science topics from climate and the solar system to space tech and more. For a STEM-focused offering that comes from a credible source, this is a really wonderful option to have.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about how NASA Space Place could work for your class.

What is NASA Space Place?

NASA Space Place is an education platform that offers a free way to teach upper-elementary students through inspiration and engagement -- all provided by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Science-specific areas covered include the solar system, Earth sciences, the Sun, and the universe, plus broader science and technology topics. Topics vary in depth and complexity to suit different student abilities, going from black holes to climate change.

Usefully, this is all set up as an engaging exploratory environment, rather than just a static set of tools. That means there is reading, there is watching, but there is also doing. Students can read about a topic, then play a game on what's been learned, followed by a hands-on activity in class or at home.

Educators have a dedicated section with materials such as printables, resources, and guidance across English and Spanish.

How does NASA Space Place work?

NASA Space Place is browser-based, so it can be accessed from most devices and internet connections. Everything is arranged into helpful categories that allow teachers and students to navigate by topic or activity type, for example.

So a student might browse a subject such as Earth then filter into articles, games, and hands-on activities -- ideal as it can be suited to how that particular student prefers to learn.

Articles break down scientific concepts into simple, digestible explanations, often supported by visuals or animations. Games reinforce learning through interaction. While DIY activities encourage practical application, such as building simple models or conducting experiments at home or in class.

Teachers have a few ways to take advantage of the platform. They can use it as a lesson starter, a supplementary resource, or even a flipped learning tool through which students explore topics independently before class discussion.

The material is aligned with real NASA missions and scientific research, so it also offers a level of authenticity that can deepen student engagement.

Plus, it can all be scaled. It's aimed at younger learners but the clarity can be helpful to older students who need to work on foundations.

What are the best NASA Space Place features?

NASA Space Place takes often complex scientific ideas and makes each one easily accessible and digestible -- but, crucially, without oversimplifying anything. This is thanks to those different formats available that can suit varying learner styles.

The games, which offer an interactive way to learn, are a powerful feature. Students can explore satellite tracking or planetary motion in a hands-on way, turning abstract ideas into something tangible. Then, the short videos and animations help visual learners grasp topics such as eclipses or space weather.

For teachers, the hands-on activities can be very useful with crafts and experiments offering experiential learning that can reinforce theoretical knowledge.

A wide range of subjects are covered here, from climate change and Earth systems to deep space exploration. The platform connects classroom learning to real-world science and ongoing NASA missions.

Educators can access the resources, such as printables and guidance, as a way to enhance teaching and make using this platform even more valuable and time-rich.

It's also worth mentioning that the bright visuals, simple language, and general sense of curiosity-driven exploration can all help to maintain student engagement.

How much does NASA Space Place cost?

NASA Space Place is completely free to use. No subscriptions, paywalls, or premium tiers to navigate. Everything on the platform is openly accessible to students, teachers, and parents.

In addition, there are no hidden requirements in terms of hardware or software. Because the platform runs in a web browser, it works across most devices, including desktops, laptops, and tablets. This flexibility makes it suitable for classroom use, remote learning, and homework alike.

NASA Space Place best tips and tricks

Hook with play
Start lessons with a quick game or animation to spark curiosity and ease students into complex space concepts.

Guide exploration
Set focused tasks that have students navigate specific sections of the site to build independent research skills.

Make it hands-on
Use the DIY activities as the core of lessons to turn abstract science into practical, memorable learning experiences.

Welcome to the April edition of Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include AI-ready business laptops, new digital books based on popular video characters, a comprehensive data management solution, plus much more.

Acer | TravelMate P4 & P2 Copilot+ PCs

The Acer TravelMate P4 14 AI, TravelMate P4 Spin 14 AI, TravelMate P2 16 AI, and TravelMate P2 14 AI business laptops offer AI-ready performance; connected productivity with Wi‑Fi 7, Thunderbolt 4, and Acer smart videoconferencing tools; and Intel vPro options to simplify fleet management and deliver enterprise-grade security.

Brain Pop & Digital Promise | AI Literacy Framework

BrainPOP, in partnership with Digital Promise, offers a new AI Literacy framework — a research-backed approach designed to help K-12 educators confidently teach and navigate AI in the classroom, at a time when demand for trusted, vetted content is rapidly outpacing supply. This framework combines Digital Promise’s research expertise with BrainPOP’s classroom-ready platform to deliver scalable, equitable AI literacy support for districts nationwide.

Bundl

Bundl Kits are all-in-one technology packages designed to transform any room into a high-performance, connected experience. Each kit includes curated devices, touchscreens, accessories, cables, and setup instructions—all selected from the same trusted brands powering enterprise boardrooms, military and government agencies, hospitals, and studios. Whether for working, meeting, gaming, streaming, or relaxing, Bundl Kits make it possible to achieve results that once required custom installers and thousands of dollars in labor, now simplified into a guided DIY experience.

ClassDojo | Payments

Launching in late 2026, ClassDojo Payments enables schools to collect field trip fees, manage fundraisers, process technology fees, and accept payments. Powered by Pay Theory’s payment facilitation infrastructure, ClassDojo Payments eliminates the friction of offline payment collections and third-party portals while ensuring every family can participate—including through cash-to-digital acceptance at thousands of retail locations nationwide.

Discovery Education | Connected Ecosystem

The Discovery Education Connected Ecosystem is a unified K-12 framework that embeds AI, instructional resources, adaptive learning, and professional readiness directly into the daily flow of teaching. Grounded in 20+ years of teaching and learning, it integrates AI into everyday teaching—bringing together curriculum, adaptive learning, and tools like assessment creation and real-time insights—alongside AI literacy resources and professional learning to help districts move toward more cohesive, instruction-centered use.

Edlio | Edlio Chatbot

The new Edlio Chatbot is a native AI-powered assistant built directly into the Edlio CMS. Unlike bolt-on third-party tools, it lives in the same dashboard schools already use to manage their website, mobile app, mass communications, and payments, delivering instant, intent-aware answers in a family's language, 24/7, without adding a single task to a staff member's plate.

Edthena | AI Coach By Edthena On-Demand Coaching

AI Coach by Edthena now offers on-demand coaching for instructional coaches and teacher mentors. Available within the platform at no additional cost, this new module provides coaches with the opportunity to reflect on their coaching conversations and engage in flexible, self-paced professional learning just like their teachers do. The new AI Coach module, which was co-designed with expert coaches and leaders, mirrors the same reflective coaching cycle used by teachers.

Epic | Expanded Library

Epic announces a new deal with Nickelodeon that will help turn screen time into story time. Epic will add new books and reading experiences inspired by some of Nickelodeon’s most popular franchises, including SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Dora, Rugrats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Shimmer and Shine, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rusty Rivets and Blaze and the Monster Machines.

Extron| DTP3 CrossPoint 42 USB

The Extron DTP3 CrossPoint 42 USB is a compact 4x2 matrix switcher that supports 10 Gbps data at the local USB-C host port and four-port hub, plus host switching and USB 2 data extension. It features USB-C and HDMI inputs, HDMI outputs, plus a DTP3 output for extending video, audio, data, and control signals up to 330 feet (100 meters) over a shielded CAT 6A cable.

IPC | One Connect One Link

One Link delivers unparalleled electro‑acoustical echo cancellation and ultra‑loudspeakers and supports Point to Points, Party Lines, Fixed Groups, and IFBs. The keypanel offers unprecedented power, ease of deployment, and industry leading affordability. With smart button technology, users gain the flexibility and convenience of a software-based intercom system while still enjoying the tactile experience many operators prefer. Channels can be accessed through the touchscreen interface or through four programmable physical smart buttons.

Magewell | Pro Convert IP to AIO 4K

Pro Convert IP to AIO 4K builds on the features of the recently released Pro Convert IP to HDMI, with 4K decoding at 60FPS and output via both HDMI 2.0 and 12G-SDI with support for HDR10 and HLG. The new device supports a wide range of IP and streaming technologies, while an integrated multi-viewer displays up to four HD IP input streams in preset dual or quad layouts.

McGraw Hill & Renaissance | New Partnership

McGraw Hill and Renaissance have launched a new collaboration to enhance data-driven, personalized learning experiences and improve learning outcomes. Launching nationwide for back-to-school 2026, the collaboration enables the connection of data between Renaissance Star Assessments and McGraw Hill’s math and literacy curricula. Providing McGraw Hill curriculum insights within Renaissance Intelligence—Renaissance’s new unified data and insights system—strengthens educators’ abilities to connect assessment, instruction, and practice more meaningfully at scale.

Pearson | Foundations of AI for PK-12 Educators

Foundations of AI for PK-12 Educators is a self-paced online course now available to help teachers use AI confidently and responsibly. The program provides classroom-focused guidance to support learning, build AI literacy, and uphold academic integrity. It builds on Pearson’s research, “Assessment Evolved: Redefining Formative Assessment in a Generative AI Era,” which encourages educators to move beyond simply detecting AI misuse.

Photon Education & Midwich | New Partnership

Photon Education has signed an exclusive agreement with edtech distributor Midwich to bring Photo Education’s two flagship product lines, Classwise and the Photon Robot, to U.S. schools. The Photon Robot is an interactive robot that combines social competencies such as teamwork and communication with technical/STEAM skills, while Classwise helps teachers gamify lessons by enabling live quizzes, real-time feedback, and data-driven assessment.

Red Rover | Records

Built for K-12 HR administrators, Records is the newest solution available within Red Rover’s K-12 HCM platform, which is designed to help HR and administrators attract, retain, and develop the best educator talent. Records is available today and collaborates with Red Rover's existing solutions, including Absence Management, Time Tracking, Hiring, and Professional Development Management to streamline administrative processes and support the entire employee journey.

Summit K12 | Summit 360

Summit 360 is a comprehensive platform that collects, stores, and securely manages data across every stage of the English Learner journey - from identification through reclassification. Together with Summit K12’s Accelerated English Language Development platform Connect to Literacy, Summit 360 creates a solution that integrates accountability, assessment, and instruction.

Xthings | X Tower

X Tower is an autonomous, solar-powered security tower designed for rapid deployment in environments where traditional wired systems are impractical or cost-prohibitive. It is built to address common physical security challenges, including limited infrastructure, long installation timelines, and gaps in coverage across large, distributed, or remote sites. The system is designed to provide continuous monitoring, real-time detection, and immediate response capabilities in a self-contained platform that can be deployed without trenching, wiring, or dependence on grid power.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Pathwright was created as a modern learning management system, LMS, that could work in education on all levels.

Spawned from an idea back in 2010, this was what co-creators Paul and Mark came up with as a far more usable solution. The space then was cluttered, wordy, and chaotic. Their design-focused solution birthed the far more user-friendly Pathwright.

Built over a decade alongside creative educators, the goal was to offer a personal learning experience for others. At time of publishing, this system has helped more than 2 million learners who have completed 80+ million steps on these learning paths.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about how Pathwright could work for your class.

What is Pathwright?

Pathwright is an online learning platform that's design-led -- it offers a way to make instruction easy for teachers and engaging for students.

This course-building platform lets educators create what the company calls learning paths, which guide students through lessons, activities, and discussions.

Teachers can design courses as needed with details such as deadlines, milestones, peer interaction, mentorship, and more, all included.

As such, this can work for schools delivering courses as well as individual educators selling online courses, for example. Not only can educators create courses but this also allows them to take advantage of student management features, monetization options, and more.

This digital classroom, professional development hub, and school learning platform is a versatile tool built for a wide array of uses.

How does Pathwright work?

Pathwright is primarily an online course creation and learning management platform. Teachers can be guided through the process of creating their own pathways, using video content, written lessons, assignments or projects, discussion prompts, plus quizzes and assessments.

This works with self-paced learning but also with cohort based programs. The latter sees students move as groups though the courses, which can be run with defined start and end dates, releasing lessons over time and encouraging students to progress together.

This model allows teachers to lead discussions, provide feedback, and create a more classroom-like experience online. Teachers can then track progress to see completion rates, areas of struggle, and discussion activity.

What are the best Pathwright features?

Pathwright offers a broad selection of tools that can be tailored to work across subject and topic ranges, inside and outside of school.

The way this works is that by using paths, it allows students to stay focused with a clarity from seeing what's coming next across the sequence of the course ahead.

The cohort-based learning is a helpful way to release lessons over time, allowing students to work through the tasks together, interacting with one another along the way.

That interaction moves into the community with an ability to post comments on lessons, join in discussions, and ask questions -- much like being in a physical world lesson.

The system allows for mentors. This can work with teaching assistants or other students, as a way to oversee groups of learners with support throughout.

For those selling in courses, this also offers a built-in payment system and the ability to integrate other apps, such as Stripe, as needed.

How much does Pathwright cost?

Pathwright uses a tiered pricing model designed for educators, small teams, and larger organizations. A free trial or free account option is available that allows educators to start building courses before committing to a paid plan.

Starter Plan: Around $99 per month for up to 1,000 members and one administrator.

Essentials Plan: Around $199 per month with more staff accounts, custom domains, and additional course features.

Complete Plan: Around $499 per month with unlimited cohorts and advanced capabilities.

Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing starting around $1,499 per month for large organizations requiring integrations, APIs, and advanced management tools.

Pathwright best tips and tricks

Start with a clear learning path
Outline the sequence of lessons and learning objectives so students move logically through the material.

Use cohorts for engagement
Run courses with start and end dates rather than leaving it fully self-paced. Cohorts encourage discussion, accountability, and higher completion rates.

Mix content types
Combine videos, text, and assignments to keep lessons engaging. Short interactive activities can help reinforce learning better than long lectures.

ChatDOC is an AI-powered tool designed to let users “chat” with various documents they upload. I recently wrote about research examining how college students use ChatDOC and similar AI tools to engage with assigned texts. This research found both positives and negatives to the technology, so I decided to check out ChatDOC myself.

After using it with a variety of research documents, I ultimately found it a useful tool for searching within a document for specific items and for doing something such as quickly summarizing a research paper. Though it was also easy to see how certain students could become over-reliant on it and just ask ChatDOC questions about an assigned reading rather than actually read the assigned text.

Despite this potential drawback, I think ChatDOC can be a useful tool for both students and teachers, in specific instances.

What Is ChatDOC?

ChatDOC is an AI designed to help users interact with PDFs of various types, be it research papers, short stories, or chapters from larger works. Users upload a PDF and then have the opportunity to “chat” with that document, that is speak with a chatbot that bases its answers off of the uploaded text.

ChatDOC can perform tasks such as provide a short summary, search for specific terms, explain the overall theme if it’s a work of literature, or unpack the science in a research paper.

Other similar tools are out there, but ChatDOC is definitely one of the better PDF readers I’ve used. Its free version is quick and easy-to-use, and delivers on its promise of providing an AI that can discuss a given document with users and even quiz them on it.

What My Experience With ChatDOC Was Like?

I found the web version of the tool user-friendly and appreciated ChatDOC’s laser focus on performing one task: reading texts. This is not an AI for everything you might use AI for, but it’s good at what it does in terms of helping with research.

I uploaded a fairly dense essay, “On the Failure of Oracles" by Plutarch, from which I was looking for specific information. ChatDOC summarized some of the key arguments and searched for the sections for which I was looking.

Additionally, I uploaded a famous paper on quantum mechanics by Albert Einstein and others, in which he pointed out unexplained aspects of quantum mechanics. ChatDOC summarized the key arguments and answered questions I had about physics terminology.

On the whole, ChatDOC was helpful despite some limitations. It wasn’t ever inaccurate in its explanations, but it also wasn’t always entirely correct or helpful in its summaries, which tended toward repeated abstract-like statements.

On the plus side, ChatDOC always provided citations for its statements, and when you click on these citations, it takes you to the relevant text and even highlights it. I love this feature, as it's an example of what I think AI is most useful for: helping humans find relevant bits of information.

ChatDOC could also quickly generate good short answer, multiple-choice, or essay questions based upon documents you upload to it. I could see this helping teachers get started with assessment work based upon a reading, and it could also be a way for students to test their knowledge and understanding of a work, though paradoxically, any student putting in that level of work on their own to understand a reading probably doesn't really need a tool such as this.

What Does ChatDOC cost?

The free version lets you upload 5 files per day and a total of 10 per month, as well as ask 20 questions per day and no more than 100 per month. It has a 300-page limit to the documents you can upload as well as other limitations.

The Pro account costs $8.99 per month and is free of most of these limitations.

The free version is pretty restrictive, and I found that I quickly met my daily and monthly limits. It’s unfortunate that there is no intermediate tier between the free version and Pro version, which has a fairly steep monthly fee.

Would I Use ChatDOC?

Yes. It’s a useful tool and I would encourage educators to take a look at it, specifically if they are personally conducting research often.

I have mixed feelings when it comes to using it with students. As mentioned, in a small study researchers found that students would often read this type of summary rather than the text itself if given the option. This is obviously less than ideal, but if this feature could somehow be avoided, I could still imagine certain students would find it comforting to have this specific text-type tutor with challenging texts.

So, as with many AI tools, if used the right way, it could potentially be helpful, though there is a real potential for abuse. That said, many students are regularly using other AI tools that are less effective overall than ChatDOC. At least this tool is constantly citing and referring to what is hopefully a high-quality text and potentially getting students to engage with it in new ways.

In this two-part virtual interactive “playground” webinar series from Tech & Learning, attendees had the opportunity to explore innovative edtech products and ask questions during a live Q&A. Hosted by Christine Weiser, Tech & Learning’s brand content manager, each event featured 15-minute live demonstrations.

Watch Part 1: Primary Education On Demand

Watch Part 2: Secondary Education On Demand

PRIMARY EDUCATION

Reading Eggs

Reading Eggs is a comprehensive, research-backed digital literacy program designed for primary education. Allison Ireland, Director of Product for Reading Eggs, described it as a "huge solution with four programs in one."

Key feature include:

• Fast Phonics: Teaches phonics using decodable readers and supports emerging/early readers, English language learners, and students with knowledge gaps.
• Reading Eggs (Flagship): Focuses on fluency, interactive lessons, and explicit instruction to build early reading skills, including addressing unusual words and sounds not covered by standard phonics rules.
• Reading Express: Centers on comprehension, vocabulary, and skills such as main idea, cause and effect, and inferences. This area has been revamped to focus on comprehension and concept retention over time.
• The Library: A large collection with more than 4,000 leveled ebooks (decodable, fiction, nonfiction) across various topics, which includes quizzes and a "read to me" option for lower-level Lexile books.

The program aligns with the five pillars of the science of reading, bringing together phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension in an evidence-based way. It offers flexible usage for teachers, including station rotation, whole-class lessons, or assigned homework, and is designed to work on both browsers and dedicated tablet apps. The company is actively working on accessibility, including adding high-contrast options and large text.

“The goal here is to make sure students are retaining the skills that we're teaching them, that they're learning in an engaging way, and that teachers can then see on the teacher reporting side just where students might need a little bit more help and utilize lesson resources we have specifically for each of these lessons aligned to standards,” said Ireland, who lead the demonstration. “I really love how this program works in a way that helps teachers in the classroom, helps students working individually, helps those that are ready for harder things and not quite so ready for harder things.”

Lincoln AI

Lincoln AI, from Lincoln Learning Solutions, is a curriculum-driven large language model developed in partnership with Creatium, built on the existing Lincoln Empowered curriculum. It is intentionally designed as an educational tool to guide student inquiry rather than provide direct answers.

“Lincoln AI is guiding the student through that learning experience," said Charlie Thayer, Chief Academic Officer for Lincoln Learning Solutions, who led the demonstration featuring Linc, the AI learning coach. “It is supporting them anytime, anywhere. It's always available.”

Key features include:

• Curriculum-Driven Model: It is built off of the company's decade-long curriculum development, ensuring content is educationally sound and age-appropriate.
• Homework Helper: This feature allows students to upload a worksheet (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies) or notes. It guides them through solving problems and understanding concepts without directly providing the final answer, and it's available 24/7.
• Flexible Communication: Students can interact with the tool by typing or texting.
• Safety and Support: It is founded on Amazon Bedrock guardrails, creating a "walled garden" to ensure a protected network environment. The accompanying teacher dashboard provides valuable analytics at the student and class level, and the system includes a security feature that sends "red alerts" to stakeholders for safety concerns.

“This is age appropriate based on the enrollment of the student,” said Dr. Rachel Book, Chief Business Development Officer for Lincoln. “If I enroll my student as the second graders that I'm used to working with, it will automatically go up or down to meet their Lexile level, to meet their level of mastery. So if you have students who are struggling a little bit, it's gonna go down and it's gonna help them to move up. And the other way around, if they're excelling, it's gonna help to increase their vocabulary and talk them through.”

vGuide by Vivacity

vGuide is a new managed service vertical from Vivacity, a six-time winner of Tech and Learning’s Awards of Excellence, focused on supporting Google environments, especially for K-12 leaders, admins, and teachers. The service is framed as a partnership to help districts manage and optimize their Google experience, particularly with Chromebooks and Chrome OS.

It is designed to address the fact that the Google ecosystem is constantly evolving (noting more than 300 changes in the Google Admin Console in the last few years), and aims to provide a clear road map to help users get to a more secure, controlled, and informed environment, said Kendal Shomura, Google Partner Services Leader for Vivacity, who demonstrated the platform.

The service is built on four core pillars:

• Migration Support: Assisting districts moving from Windows or macOS to Chrome OS, including data migration and change management support to help teachers transition comfortably to Chromebooks.
• Confidence in Google Management: Helping teams, especially those inheriting complex environments, understand and manage their Google settings.
• Environment Health Audits: Conducting comprehensive audits of the Google for Education domain and Chrome OS management settings to ensure a secure and controlled environment.
• Ongoing Optimization Support and Training: Providing continued support and training for teams to optimize their Google environment over time.

“We realized there's another aspect to Chromebooks and Chrome integration in schools,” said Shomura. “It's a lot more about how do we provide support for the people that are providing support, and how do we provide support for the teachers that are frontline in the classroom, and they have never used a Chromebook, but now they're being asked to troubleshoot a Chromebook. So we're trying to figure out ways that we can address the system as a whole rather than in pieces. That's where vGuide really comes into play.”

SECONDARY EDUCATION

Lincoln AI

Lincoln AI is a curriculum-driven learning assistant built specifically for K-12 students to provide a secure, guided, and personalized educational experience.

“For students, Lincoln AI, it becomes an anytime, anywhere, 24 hours per day, seven days a week coach that is right there on the screen with them at any time that they'd like to use it,” said Dr. Rachel Book, Chief Business Development Officer for Lincoln. “It acts like a personal study partner, guiding inquiries, supporting understanding, and helping every student move forward with confidence. So while it's also reducing a workload for teachers, it's enabling a true personalized learning experience at scale.”

Key features include:

• Curriculum-Driven LLM: A proprietary Large Language Model trained exclusively on Lincoln Learning's content and aligned with all state and national standards, resulting in a reported 99.7% rate of "no hallucinations" (inaccurate or fabricated information).
• Safety and Guardrails: Built with Amazon Bedrock guardrails, it provides an enterprise-level secure environment for students. It will not write essays or give direct answers, instead redirecting students to guide them through the problem-solving process.
• Interaction: Students can communicate via voice or text.
• Homework Helper: Allows students to upload worksheets (supports free-form and handwritten info) and receive coaching on specific questions, such as geography problems.
• Teacher Dashboard: Provides an overview of student activity, including average usage, trending topics, and email/dashboard alerts for "urgent attention" if negative or abusive language is detected in a student's chat.

“It is not going to work like other regular AI models,” said Charlie Thayer, Chief Academic Officer for Lincoln Learning Solutions, who provided a demonstration featuring Linc, the platform’s AI learning coach. “What you're seeing here is kind of a safety net with our guardrails that are in place that we are consistently fine tuning to ensure that.”

Gardyn for Schools

Gardyn for Schools provides a hands-on, year-round learning experience through an AI-controlled, indoor hydroponics system for classrooms.

The system uses artificial intelligence to control all lighting and automated watering, earning it the nickname "the easy button for hydroponics," said Brad Peters, Chief Education Officer for Gardyn.

Key features include:

• Automated Monitoring: Fixed cameras and sensors take pictures every half hour to analyze the plants, providing feedback and necessary instructions (e.g., if leaves are browning) through an app.
• Compact Design: The standard unit is five feet tall, only takes up two square feet of space, and is on wheels for easy movement between classes or locations. A smaller, four-foot tall version is also available.
• Low Maintenance: The water tank needs to be refilled and the plant food changed only once every 30 days. It also features a two-week "vacation mode" for self-operation.
• Engagement: The system holds 30 plants at a time and is recommended for assigning a plant to a student to encourage ownership and pride in their growth.
• Educational Adaptability: It is suitable for all grade levels (K-higher ed) and covers subjects including STEM, health, nutrition, science, agriculture, and culinary arts.
• Cost: The most popular educator package is around $1,600 and includes accessories and a nursery/baby incubator unit for starting new plants.

“Have you ever bought a houseplant and killed it? Because I've done the same thing,” said Peters, who provided the demonstration in front of live vegetable plants that he’s grown with the system, even going so far as to break off a leaf and eat. “Our motto is no green thumb required.”

Pikmykid

Pikmykid is a safety and dismissal platform focused on transforming daily and emergency operations through streamlined front-office security.

“Right there in the front office from the beginning of the day to the end, Pikmykid has you covered,” said Eric Sala, Senior Customer Value Executive for Pikmykid, who led the demonstration.

Key features include:

• Visitor Management Kiosk: Uses an Apple iPad kiosk and a Brother label printer to manage all visitors.
• Automatic Background Check: Visitors scan the back of their driver's license to automatically run a check against the national sex offender registry.
• Real-Time Alerts: If a visitor is flagged (for background check, custody dispute, or a positive reason like a VIP), a notification can be sent instantly via text, email, or app push to the safety or admin team.
• Official Badges: The system prints a badge for visitors with their photo, name, reason for the visit, date/time, and a QR code for check-out.
• Quick Check-In: Parents can opt for a quick badge/QR code for faster check-in on subsequent visits while still running a background check.
• SIS Integration: The system integrates with major Student Information Systems (SISs) to automatically recognize parents and capture potential custody considerations.
• Staff and Student Sign-In: It includes a feature for staff sign-in/sign-out (which can serve as a clock-in/out function) and can be used for students who are late to school, tracking tardies and notifying parents.
• Web Dashboard: A central web dashboard allows administrators to see who is on campus in real-time, view visitation history, manually check people in, and run or schedule reports on visitor logs (e.g., all volunteers in the last 90 days).

“Sometimes schools might think, ‘If we're gonna be pivoting toward this, it seems a little much, especially for parents,’ said Sala. “But we've actually found the opposite. Usually, parents when they come to the school and they see this for the first time, they're actually pleased, and say, ‘Hey. the school is doing something here to level up their security.”

Knoword is a gamified platform that's built to help students progress in building vocabulary. The idea here is to make things so fun that students want to come back for more.

This learning-while-playing setup is designed to work across age and ability levels so that it's widely accessible to help all students, and educators, when it comes to vocabulary building.

The platform is already widely used and can be applied across subjects to allow for an uptake, which works school-wide, rather than specifically for English learning, for example.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about Knoword to see how this could work for your class.

What is Knoword?

Knoword is a web-based game so it's easily accessible across a wide range of devices and internet connections. It uses game-based learning to help develop vocabulary expansion. This is done with immersive word games and customizable activities.

The most basic offering here is vocabulary practice being turned into interactive challenges. This blends learning with gameplay to keep students engaged, and even eager for more.

Thousands of community-made packs to pick from are available. These range from academic-specific vocabulary to trivia packs. You also have the option to build custom packs, or edit pre-existing ones, to get the perfectly tuned result for a certain subject or unit, for example.

That all makes this useful both for self-guided learning as well as in-classroom use and even remote assignments.

How does Knoword work?

Knoword comprises thousands of word packs that are interactive sets of definitions and answers. These are broken down into several play modes to allow students and educators to pick the format, which includes multiple choice, typing mode, or pairs/recognition matching.

Educators can pick from a selection of pre-created packs in subject-specific areas, make their own from scratch, or duplicate and edit packs as needed. Helpful parameters are available, including setting time limits, answer strictness and more, to help teachers build ideally suited sessions. Then, once completed, educators can track student progress using detailed analytics.

The system also uses AI as a way to help generate text clues from lists to help automate pack creations -- saving time for teachers.

Students can get playing right away without the need to create individual accounts, making it an easy option to introduce into the class.

What are the best Knoword features?

Knoword offers a great selection of packs that can be aligned to subjects or topics. Crucially, these are adaptive and allow students to go at their pace so as to grow but at a rate that feels fun, comfortable, and engaging.

The immediate feedback and multiple play modes make this a stand-alone tool for students to work with on their time, but also with teacher assistance and interaction as wanted.

The AI-powered Magic Import feature is a helpful way to generate clues with ease. This allows educators to convert lists of terms into engaging gameplay in minutes.

Assignments offer a way to provide structured options to guide learners through material, while giving educators insights such as trends in accuracy and areas needing reinforcement.

Offline materials are also available, including printable worksheets. Any pack can be turned into customizable worksheets or physical flashcards, ideal for off-screen practice or differentiated learning.

The various game modes help to make this varied and fun while staying engaging over longer period of use. The different gameplay formats -- typing, multiple choice, match pairs -- appeal to varied learning styles, from visual to recall practice.

How much does Knoword cost?

Knoword operates on a freemium model. But there are tiers for more.

Basic (Free): Create up to five packs, generate content with AI, assign activities, track basic student progress, integrate with Google Classroom, and download worksheets.

Pro ($9.99/month): Allows unlimited packs and assignments, creates image and audio clues, and removes branded watermarks on cards.

Team Plan (~$80/year): Designed for schools or departments to manage multiple educator accounts.

Knoword best tips and tricks

Kick off with curated packs
Before creating your own, explore the community library. Thousands of packs across subjects are already available -- and bookmarking makes future reuse easy.

Use assignments strategically
Assignments let you control the learning environment: time limits, modes, and even answer strictness (capitalization, punctuation). Tailor these to your learners’ proficiency.

Blend digital and printable exercises
Export packs as worksheets for class use or homework -- great for reinforcing vocabulary with written practice.

Google’s VEO video-generating AI tool is now available through Gemini for Pro subscribers. I recently began experimenting with the tool and exploring potential teaching opportunities.

Overall, it’s a wild new science fiction-level technology with some fun, if gimmicky, teaching potential I could see using in the classroom.

More importantly, however, I think being aware of what this type of video-generating technology can do and discussing this with students is critical. This new generation of AI has massive potential for misinformation and will likely have implications for the entertainment industry and the future job market, and it's our job to help prepare students for all this as best we can.

How To Use VEO Through Gemini

For users with Gemini Pro, which costs $19.99 per month, accessing VEO is simple. You can just ask Gemini to “make a video” or click on the “create video” tool, which puts you in video mode and gives you more control.

Just remember, the Gemini Pro tier only permits you three video prompts per day.

You can also upload photos that VEO can use to add action etc., which is both very cool and very scary. I made a short video of myself shoveling snow using a headshot, and it looks pretty legit if a little artificial.

Prompting the creation of a video isn't as forgiving as a text-based chat with a chatbot. My first few prompts were nonspecific and resulted in poor-quality videos.

That said, I quickly learned where I went wrong and didn’t have a long learning curve. The secret, I found, is to provide as many specifics as possible. This was much more enjoyable than my experience with OpenAI’s Sora early last year. Using Sora was a consistently frustrating experience, at least for someone who was new to the world of AI video prompt writing.

VEO, on the other hand, doesn’t always do what you want but generally creates something interesting that is at least roughly based upon what you prompted.

Teaching With VEO

I enjoyed experimenting with having VEO recreate moments from history. I asked it to create a scene about the New York City Fire of 1776. The first attempt went very poorly. For some reason, Gemini/VEO had a dragon start the fire, but this tool isn’t exactly claiming to be an accurate purveyor of history.

Once I got more specific and asked it get rid of the dragon and show a person saving a child, it created a better video (see below).

This isn’t a fantastic work of visual art by any means, but it was interesting to watch and more fun then it should have been to "create." It has some subtle inaccuracies, and I could envision an exercise asking students to spot these. For instance, there are no wooden buildings even though wooden structures were common in New York City at that time.

I also tried to get it to create a realistic video of an electron traveling through a cloud chamber in the style of a vintage early 1900s science show. Separately I asked it to create this in as realistic a way as possible. Both of VEO’s attempts left something to be desired in terms of accuracy, but that can also be a useful teaching tool.

Here is one of those videos:

Using Gemini and VEO can also provide good examples of the importance of word choice.

Teaching with this AI could also be an interesting classroom activity for a creative writing class. I could see a situation in which students write short stories and then select three from which to generate videos.

Broader Implications of This Technology

Beyond these admittedly somewhat frivolous direct teaching applications, this is a serious and potentially game-changing technology that I’m taking note of and reminding my students to keep an eye on.

I truly don’t think Hollywood or society will turn to AI-generated movies any time soon, but there will be fewer people working in special effects, and those jobs will look very different and will probably involve a lot of AI prompting and fine-tuning. This raises questions about equity, copyright, and all-around fairness, all of which are important to discuss as a class.

Even more pressingly, creating these videos myself has already given me a better ability to discern the tell-tale signs of AI generation. This can help students learn digital literacy and how to spot misinformation and deep fakes -- skills that are becoming increasingly important.

Bottom Line: Would I Teach With VEO?

Yes, I would teach with VEO, but with some caveats.

I wouldn’t give students direct access or encourage them to use it, but I would share videos I generated with my class as a way to illustrate the technology’s strengths and weaknesses, and potentially as a subject matter tie-in, if and when appropriate.

Groovelit is a classroom platform created to help encourage writing through gamified guidance that works alongside teachers.

The idea here is to tap into the creativity in every student that might otherwise go underused in the face of literacy challenges. By gamifying the writing experience, and adding direct feedback, this can help to draw every student into the world of writing.

Creative prompts are used to help get started while a scoring system can work to progress students along toward mastery. This can be used to improve writing skills and fluency in a way that allows this to benefit students across a range of subjects, from ELA and social studies to science.

This guide aims to explain all you need to know about how Groovelit could work in your class.

What is Groovelit?

Groovelit is a gamified creative writing platform aimed at use by students from fourth to tenth grade. Through guidance and gamification, this works to ignite the creative spark in all students while empowering them by helping to learn how to use that effectively as a writer.

Groovelit prompts a student to produce written response -- be it narrative, persuasive, or vocabulary-rich -- within a short, structured time frame.

The system uses AI to evaluate submissions against criteria such as grammar, relevance, vocabulary usage, and adherence to the prompt. Points are awarded in ways that feel immediate and game-like rather than punitive.

This idea should help writing to feel less like work and more like play. Competition and natural reinforcement also help to shift student perspectives toward writing to be sought more readily, by choice.

How does Groovelit work?

Groovelit works a little like a quiz game, yet students don't select answers, instead they write answers. A teacher can pick a genre such as narrative or argumentative, for example, before setting prompts and aligning to curricular goals. Then they can send a link to students to begin.

Students work with a countdown timer, responding directly from within a browser window. They are assessed, live, by the AI, which uses criteria such as vocabulary, grammar, and engagement levels to provide feedback to students as they go.

Once the timed round is complete, the results are shown right away with scores. Teachers can later assess aggregated data, or spotlight certain areas to celebrate success.

This cycle continues with quick writing, instant feedback, and visible achievement, motivating students to progress further and faster toward mastery.

What are the best Groovelit features?

Groovelit gamifies learning but in a way that stays fresh thanks to a selection of game modes. These include narrative storytelling, argumentative responses, vocabulary connections, and root-based word games.

Teachers can also tailor the experience to suit needs, including adapting pacing, content focus, and student readiness.

The AI scoring works well as a way to offer immediate feedback and guidance that's tailored to suit the student where they are in their learning. This can help sustain focus and reinforce teaching moments.

For teachers, the formative data analysis options help offer actionable insights. The system offers growth areas, word-choice creativity, and standout sentences that exemplify strong writing.

The platform supports English language learners (ELLs), with customizable prompts and difficulty adjustment that should make this helpful for a wide range of language abilities.

How much does Groovelit cost?

Groovelit is free to sign up for and to use. Teachers can sign up from a school account, or it's possible to sign in with third-parties such as Google, for example.

This has no ads or tracking, and remains free to use for as long as needed.

Groovelit best tips and tricks

Alignment
Align prompts directly to your current unit of study so students see the activity as meaningful reinforcement rather than a standalone game.

Learnings
Review the formative data after each session to identify patterns in grammar, vocabulary, or comprehension that may need reteaching.

Wins
Spotlight strong student responses (anonymously if preferred) to model effective writing and build classroom confidence.

I recently wrote an article about the gamified STEM teaching and learning platform Brilliant. While Brilliant is indeed a top performer, it's not the only math "game" in town. I decided to round up a selection of similar online math platforms to help teachers find the perfect match for their students.

For this review, I focused on math or STEM platforms that provide a robust set of online practice tools and manipulatives. Platforms that relied primarily on printed materials were excluded, as I wanted to focus on the learning and engagement benefits of digital manipulatives.

These exceptional math learning tools are fully free or modestly priced, and aimed at engaging learners of all levels with their interactive tools, gamified features, graphics and sound effects. Simply put, they make learning and doing math fun. And because teachers have the ability to individually assign lessons, each platform serves as a personalized learning tool for every student.

Best Online Math Platforms for Education

BEST FOR K-8 MATH CURRICULA

ZEARN

Zearn, a nonprofit platform designed by teachers, provides more than 1,000 research-backed K-8 digital math lessons, and has earned the highest designation (Strong) rating from Evidence for ESSA. Individual teachers can sign up for a full suite of content at no charge, while schools and districts can pay for premium features. A teacher's account includes all Zearn math instructional materials, for up to 35 students and one teacher.

Unique among the platforms featured, Zearn provides brief video introductions that demonstrate how to solve problems in upcoming lessons. In addition to the interactive video lessons, it also provides fluency practice activities and mastery-based quizzes.

Zearn is also distinguished by its level of reporting. Using the four types of reports— Pace, Progress, Tower Alerts, and Sprint Alerts—teachers can easily monitor student progress and pace of lesson completion. Importantly, the two "Alerts" allow teachers to identify students who are struggling with content and fluency.

BEST FOR TARGETED SKILLS PRACTICE

Struggly

Struggly is a preK-8 gamified math supplement that emphasizes the value of persisting through mistakes. Instead of a sad buzzer sound with an error message, kids are congratulated for their mistakes. By acknowledging that mistakes are foundational to learning and brain growth, Struggly takes some of the pressure off both high-achieving and low-achieving students.

Consistent with Struggly's teaching philosophy, no instructions are provided for its engaging exercises. Instead, high-quality animations, pop-ups, and sound effects guide students on where to click on each page. Users can click on "hints" to get help if needed.

Struggly makes it easy for teachers to try its interactive tasks before assigning any. Currently, there are 68 separate tasks available, searchable by Common Core State Standards or topic. Although 68 is relatively few, each task includes a number of levels, so a single task can serve as deep practice across multiple grades. Struggly aims to release one to three new tasks per month.

Although Struggly is a modestly-priced paid platform, it offers a generous 60-day free trial—with no credit card required—to determine if it will be a fit for your classroom.

I Know It

I Know It shines as an easy-to-use K-5 interactive math practice site. Its clean, uncluttered interface offers intuitive navigation for teachers and students alike.

To find lessons, simply select Math from the top menu, then click on your desired grade from K-5, also on the top menu. Teachers can easily try each lesson simply by clicking on it, and also directly assign any lesson from within it. Creating classes and adding students is similarly frictionless.

While it's a fully interactive platform, I Know It's lessons aren't gamified at the same level as other platforms featured here. However, its amusing robot mascot does provide encouragement via sound effects and comic reactions to answers, right or wrong. Hints and encouragement are offered along the way as kids work through their problem sets.

Annual memberships, costing a modest $150, include up to 25 students, while the 30-day free trial (no credit cared required) will allow educators to fully experience the platform's tools and benefits.

BEST DYNAMIC TOOLS AND VIRTUAL MANIPULATIVES

GeoGebra

A fully free interactive math platform for grades 4-12, GeoGebra focuses on dynamic tools that help students visualize and understand concepts in algebra, geometry, numeracy, statistics, and more.

GeoGebra boasts an impressive library of more than one million math learning resources, including lessons, exercises, digital books, and interactives, contributed by the GeoGebra Content Team, as well as GeoGebra’s global community. Users can create and upload their own resources incorporating applets, text, video, images, PDFs, notes, questions, and more.

GeoGebra's intuitive website is easy to navigate and use. It's ideal for exploration, demonstration and formative assessments. Given the platform's extensive scope, educators should familiarize themselves with the interactives and curate relevant resources prior to classroom implementation. Fortunately, GeoGebra offers strong guidance via its Help pages and YouTube channel.

Although an account is not required for either students or teachers, teachers will need to create one in order to fully utilize this versatile and engaging platform.

Polypad

The fully free award-winning Polypad is a digital math playground that uses multimedia interactive tools, sound, and music to teach geometry, algebra, probability, and statistics to middle and high school students. Requiring no login or installation, Polypad runs on all devices and browsers, and provides an extensive set of pre-designed puzzles, activities, and lesson plans.

Available in English and Spanish, Polypad allows users to add co-teachers to their classes and offers detailed student progress reports. The recently added Snapshot Tool makes it easy for educators to select and sequence student work for class discussion.

Polypad also distinguishes itself with logic-based games, such as chess and dominoes, as well as interactive music tools that let users explore and compose music digitally. Open to teachers and students, the Polypad Art and Music Contest is an excellent opportunity to showcase creativity and skill in using the Polypad tools. These unique features of Polypad qualify it as not only a top-notch STEM tool, but also a first-rate STEAM tool.

BEST FOR ENRICHMENT

Brilliant

Brilliant features super snappy graphics and sound effects that mimic those of your students' favorite video games.

But Brilliant is much more than amusing characters, badges, points, and sound effects. In fact, it offers a huge variety of grade 3-12 STEM lessons in math, computer science, science, and data. Each lesson contains multiple levels, progressing from simpler to more complex, allowing students to build mastery and confidence as they work.

Ideal for highly motivated and advanced students, Brilliant allows users to jump ahead in lessons, preventing boredom for quick learners and encouraging them to explore STEM topics on their own.

Premium Brilliant is 100% free for qualified educators and their students.

Welcome to the March 2026 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include an interactive display with a built-in 4K camera to promote collaboration, a full screen emergency notification system, an integration that supports easy creation of visual posts for parent notices, and much more.

Appotronics | MK Pro Series and S Series

ThAppotronics MK Pro Series and S Series projectors now both include High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology. The MK Pro Series is designed for immersive scenes, delivering sharp visuals at 4K UHD with over 12 percent red light ratio. Available in 2K & 4K resolution, the S Series projectors offer a brightness range from 11,000-15,000 lumens, deep contrast, and dynamic color gamut adjustment, all in the the most compact design in its category.

ClassDojo and Canva | New Partnership

ClassDojo has announced a new partnership with Canva Education, featuring an integration that supports easy creation of visual posts to share more engaging stories with families. With the new integration, district communications leaders, principals, and teachers can create content in Canva and instantly share it on ClassDojo, without managing multiple tools or workflows.

Digital PromiseCenter for Learner Pathway Innovations

The Center for Learner Pathway Innovations (CLPI) is designed to help schools, communities, and education ecosystems co-create learner-centered pathways that support postsecondary success, workforce opportunity, and economic mobility. CLPI combines Digital Promise's co-research and co-design methods work in supporting more than 350 school districts and partners, and expertise in career-connected learning and credentials.

Extron |EDID 121

TThe EDID 121 is a next-generation EDID emulator for 8K, 5K, and 21:9 ultra-widescreen displays. This problem-solving device features EDID Minder Plus technology to provide enhanced 512-byte EDID emulation for supporting additional memory blocks needed to convey advanced display capabilities via EDID and DisplayID structures. Users can choose from several pre-stored EDID profiles or capture and save EDID from a connected display.

ISTE+ASCD & Google | AI Literacy Training

ISTE+ASCD have partnered with Google to make high-quality AI literacy training available to six million K-12 teachers and higher education faculty across the United States. Through this partnership, Google will design and deliver an educator-centered AI literacy program grounded in pedagogy, ethics, and critical thinking, with ISTE+ASCD supporting both the design and delivery of the training. The training will include hands-on exploration of AI tools, including Google’s Gemini models and NotebookLM, while emphasizing broader concepts such as responsible use, instructional alignment, bias awareness, and student agency.

Kajeet | Connected Communities

Kajeet Connected Communities is a new digital equity program designed to help schools deliver affordable, managed internet access. The program offers community-ready 4G and 5G connectivity with rates as low as $8.50 per line per month as well as discounted hotspots and routers designed to keep connectivity initiatives sustainable. The program is intended to support K–12 and higher education student learning beyond the classroom.

Magewell | Pro Convert IP to HDMI

The Pro Convert IP to HDMI is a small, standalone decoder that converts up to four IP streams into a single HDR 10-compatible, QHD (2560x1440) HDMI output. Decoded input streams can be displayed in preset single, dual, or quad layouts. The device can decode one input stream up to 2560x1440 at 60 frames per second in single-view mode, or up to four 1080p60 streams in multi-view mode.

Pixalate | Know Your Developer

Know Your Developer (KYD) is a free, public, and continuously updated database to help parents, schools, and child safety advocates identify privacy and safety risks among mobile app developers from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. KYD evaluates 356,095 ad-funded mobile app developers, including 86,028 operating at least one child-directed app, for online child safety, privacy compliance, and advertising fraud risk.

Renaissance | Renaissance Intelligence

Renaissance Intelligence is part of the Education Intelligence System, a model of integrated learning technology designed to transform personalization, simplify teacher workflows, and accelerate learning at scale. Renaissance Intelligence replaces layers of apps and platforms with one connected workflow—enabling adaptive, research‑guided AI to deliver teacher-ready guidance, actionable groupings, and aligned recommendations.

Samsung | WAFX-P Interactive Display

The WAFX-P is a premium Interactive Display for education and enterprise environments, offering a new set of built-in features and the Samsung AI Assistant to enhance communication and collaboration. The WAFX-P introduces a built-in 4K camera that makes it easy to connect with other classrooms, remote participants or virtual guest speakers. Integrated microphones and dual 20-watt speakers ensure clear communication during discussions and presentations.

Severtson Screens | In-Ceiling Cable Drop Series

The new In-Ceiling Cable Drop Series of electric motorized projection screens (model SCDT) is available in multiple projection surfaces and sizes to meet the needs of small and large venues. The new SCDT can be operated by the included wireless handheld RF remote control or the RS-232 control enabling advanced control of all screen functions. The motor provides smooth operation, extended durability, and reliable performance.

Teradek | RF-X Auto Switcher

The RF-X Auto Switcher is engineered to provide smarter redundancy, stronger signal, and superior quality, allowing technical directors, ACs, DITs, and video engineers to replace complex manual failover solutions with a single device. It features intelligent auto-switching across up to six Bolt or Ranger receivers; automatically selection of the strongest available video signal; and a single, uninterrupted 12G-SDI output with zero delay.

Vivi| Device Alerts

Device Alerts is a new emergency notification system that delivers full-screen, acknowledged alerts to every staff desktop and laptop on campus. By ensuring that every staff member is reached instantly, regardless of their location, Device Alerts closes critical gaps in emergency communication and response. Device Alerts integrates with Vivi's existing school safety solutions and works alongside the company's network of safety integration partners.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Artsonia is the solution to the problem of storing and showcasing artwork in a digital age. This free do-it-all platform was created as a place for students to store and display their artwork in a digital portfolio.

This is one of the world's largest online galleries for student artwork, built to operate as part of the school ecosystem. At time of publishing, this is used by tens of thousands of students with more than 100 million pieces of artwork being hosted.

So while this allows students to collate their work, it's also a place for teachers to manage and showcase class work with easy uploading and sharing options. They can even make money from it to fund future art classes, too.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about Artsonia and how it could work for your class.

What is Artsonia?

Artsonia is a digital art storage and sharing space that is designed specifically for K-12 environments with a focus on safety, privacy and compliance -- with support for both COPPA and FERPA requirements.

This free online-based platform is a permanent and searchable archive of student work. Students can choose to share with approved viewers and are able to collate their efforts right through their school lives.

While this is primarily created for use by students and teachers, it's also possible for parents and family members to create accounts and follow students' progress -- as well as leave supportive comments.

A class portal makes submitting work for teachers to moderate a simple process that should help reduce administrative workload. Many more features are available, including social and lesson supportive, but more on those below.

How does Artsonia work?

Artsonia is easy to setup for a teacher account, which can be done by registering the school. Class rosters are then established and artwork can be published immediately using the website or dedicated apps.

Students or teachers can use a smartphone camera to photograph the artwork for direct upload to the platform. Students are then able to submit their work using a class portal. Teachers can then moderate before publishing.

Approved work appears in the student personal online gallery, which family can access through secured logins. Parents get notifications when new artwork is published so they can comment and encourage student progress.

Artsonia is COPPA and FERPA compliant, includes moderation tools, and allows teachers to manage permissions and visibility, so it's suitable for a wide range of school contexts and age groups.

What are the best Artsonia features?

Artsonia is for teachers, students, and family. Features such as the ability for families to order keepsakes of the work -- mugs, prints, magnets, jewelry, etc. -- help add to the richness of this platform. Schools can even earn 20% on the sales of these offerings.

But on a more class-practical level, this is a really helpful way for students to collate all their work, across the years, for future self-reflection and assessments.

The class portal lets students submit artwork independently, significantly reducing teacher workload while encouraging learner autonomy and reflective thinking.

Teachers approve all submissions before publishing, maintaining quality and safeguarding standards. Parents can then view the gallery, strengthening school-home relationships and student motivation.

COPPA and FERPA compliance, along with moderation workflows, mean that student data and imagery are handled responsibly. This makes Artsonia suitable for large-scale use in schools.

How much does Artsonia cost?

Artsonia is free for teachers, students, and families to use. No subscription fees are required to create student portfolios, upload artwork, manage classrooms, or invite parents to engage.

Revenue is generated through the optional sale of custom keepsake products featuring student artwork. When families buy items such as mugs, prints, magnets, or jewelry, Artsonia returns 20% of the purchase price directly to the school’s art program.

Artsonia best tips and tricks

Use student uploading early
Introduce the class portal from the outset to empower students to take ownership of documenting their work and reduce teacher admin time.

Create consistent photography stations
A simple backdrop or light box setup can significantly improve image quality and presentation, making digital galleries more visually impactful.

Encourage reflective writing
Ask students to add titles and short artist statements to help develop metacognition, creative thinking, and literacy skills alongside visual art.

Most Likely Machine is the teaching solution to a very real and modern gap in learning, around how algorithms work and the ethical ramifications.

As algorithms become more prevalent in more areas of our lives, it becomes ever more important to understand these key decision-making automations.

Critical to the learning here is how these systems can lead to bias and the importance of ethical design when writing algorithms. This is especially so in the age of AI when the complexities coming from a single coding decision can reach very far indeed.

Artefact, the design firm behind Most Likely Machine, has built this free multi award-winning learning service as a fun and gamified way to help 10-14-year-olds understand just how algorithms work. This should help them see more clearly in an age of automated feeds and decision-making search results.

This guide aims to explain all you need to know about Most Likely Machine in your class.

What is Most Likely Machine?

Most Likely Machine is a free teaching tool designed to help educate 10-14 year-olds about algorithms. This is not only about how these are made and used, but also the effects that these can have in our daily lives. That should help empower young people to make more balanced decisions in the future.

Using a game-style environment, students are able to build their own algorithms to observe consequences and reflect on the social impact of automated decision-making.

So while some tools focus on algorithm-writing specifically, this is more about conceptual understanding -- how data is weighted, how choices shape outcomes, and why no algorithm is ever truly neutral.

The Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award and the Core77 Interaction Award have both been given to this tool. The project has been piloted in real classrooms with strong engagement from both teachers and students.

How does Most Likely Machine work?

Most Likely Machine is browser-based, so it's super easy to access from nearly any device -- allowing you to work on this as a class or individually.

Initially, you're introduced to the idea of a class designing awards using algorithms, what these are, and why these exist. Then it's down to the students to work on creating algorithm-based choices and seeing how outcomes are affected.

Students meet a host of characters based on famous historical figures, including Albert Einstein and Rosa Parks. These are presented as classmates competing for awards such as “Most Likely to Go to a Top University,” “Most Likely to Go Viral,” and “Biggest Troublemaker.” By choosing which traits matter most and weighting those characteristics, students construct algorithms that automatically select winners.

Students select traits such as intelligence, popularity, creativity, or leadership, and assign weightings that determine how much influence each factor holds.

As a result, students can see directly how personal assumptions, social stereotypes, and data selection choices influence outcomes.

The setup aligns well with computing, digital citizenship, and PSHE curricula, while also linking naturally to discussions around ethics, media literacy, and social responsibility.

What are the best Most Likely Machine features?

Most Likely Machine is very fun and friendly in its story-led design. That makes it engaging for students while still teaching how algorithms are built, tested, and refined. Only in the context of a reality, which helps them understand outcomes.

Otherwise abstract computational ideas suddenly become a tangible and fun experience.

The bias reflection section is particularly helpful as this focuses on social assumptions influencing technical decisions.

Real-world case studies are also used as a way to offer examples that students can critique, covering areas they may feel passionate about, including unfair grading systems, harmful social media, and racial bias in law enforcement tech.

How much does Most Likely Machine cost?

Most Likely Machine is totally free to use and is widely accessible via a browser. As such, this can be used across schools, subjects, and by teachers of varying technical abilities, with ease.

No subscriptions, licensing fees, or premium upgrades are required for classroom use.

Most Likely Machine best tips and tricks

Use it as a discussion starter
Run the activity first, then allocate dedicated time for group discussion. The richest learning often emerges from debating why certain results appeared and what that reveals about bias.

Connect it to real-world technologies
Link student reflections to everyday systems they encounter, TikTok recommendations, YouTube feeds, Spotify playlists, or school assessment software, to deepen relevance.

Pair it with ethics-based writing tasks
Ask students to write short reflections or debates on whether algorithms should be trusted in sensitive decisions like policing, hiring, or university admissions.

KQED Teach is a free media literacy platform that's designed to help empower students, via teacher training, in an age of media overload.

The idea is to help prepare young people for a world of misinformation, generative AI, and student voices. While students can learn on the fly, this tool aims to help educators guide students to be more confident in the media world.

This is a free professional development platform from KQED, the public media organization behind PBS and NPR. The idea is to teach educators by doing -- creating their own media -- before using those skills to help teach students similarly.

Thanks to a blend of pedagogical frameworks and applied creativity, this is a really unique and powerful offering to help bring media literacy into classrooms more effectively.

What is KQED Teach?

KQED Teach is primarily a free professional development platform, aimed at teachers. The idea is that by teaching them how to be more media literate, they will pass on that learning, understanding, and mastery to students.

KQED Teach works across K-12 subjects and grade levels. The point is to help teachers to integrate digital media creation, analysis, and civic dialogue into classroom learning. This is done using a library of ever-growing self-paced online courses and live workshops. The courses include topics such as video storytelling, audio production, fact-checking, misinformation, infographic design, and the ethical use of generative AI.

A focus is on both reading and writing media across the courses. Thus, educators can learn critical analysis including examining bias, credibility, and persuasive techniques. They can also develop media creation skills across the likes of podcasts, graphics, and interactive content, too.

Teachers can attain certificates for professional recognition having completed these courses. Many courses allow participants to earn graduate-level credits through university partnerships.

How does KQED Teach work?

KQED Teach is a very practical platform built on creating, sharing, reflecting, and applying. All that should mean teachers are creating in a way that allows them to experience the challenges that their students could be facing.

The courses themselves usually offer a combination of short instructional videos, guided activities, peer discussion, and classroom-ready planning tasks. The courses should leave teachers with tangible skills, not just knowledge.

Teachers might analyze real-world news examples, design media-based lesson plans, produce short videos or podcasts, or experiment with AI-powered tools under structured guidance.

KQED Teach also uses collaborative learning via community sharing. Participants can exchange ideas, showcase their projects, and discuss classroom strategies with other educators, fostering professional dialogue around best practices.

This peer-based approach is highly valuable in emerging areas such as generative AI literacy, in which classroom norms and ethical frameworks are quickly evolving.

KQED provides structured district and school-wide training programs.

What are the best KQED Teach features?

KQED Teach comprises several tools that include hands-on media creation, misinformation and media literacy, generative AI professional development, youth media challenges, and certification.

For media creation, teachers are guided through producing videos, podcasts, infographics, and interactive graphics, allowing teachers to build genuine creative confidence before implementing similar projects with students.

For misinformation and media literacy, courses explore how students can evaluate sources, detect misinformation, and understand algorithmic influence. All of which are deal right now as generative AI tools increase the scale and sophistication of synthetic content online.

On that subject, there is a section focused on AI bias, ethical AI use, and teaching students how to critically analyze AI-generated media.

Plenty of classroom ready content is also available, including lesson plans, student media challenges, and youth publishing platforms that allow learners to share work with authentic audiences.

Finally, there are those certificates, through which educators can gain graduate-level credits, supporting both career development and institutional professional learning requirements.

How much does KQED Teach cost?

KQED Teach is totally free. That makes this ideal for schools and districts looking to expand in this area while keeping budgets safe.

That also applies to educators who want to earn credits and certifications without spending money for the privilege.

KQED Teach best tips and tricks

Start with a single media project
Begin with a short, contained media task such as a short video explanation or podcast reflection to build confidence and classroom routines.

Integrate media across subjects
Science teachers can use infographics for data storytelling, while humanities teachers can explore audio documentaries or student journalism.

Use AI modules as discussion starters
Generative AI courses are especially effective when framed as ethical and critical thinking discussions, helping students understand bias, reliability, and responsible use.

Welcome to the February 2026 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include new Chromebooks, AI supports, switchers, and more.

Acer | Acer Chromebook Spin 311 and Acer Chromebook 311

The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 and Acer Chromebook 311 are Acer's first two education Chromebooks powered by the MediaTek Kompanio 540 processor. Packaged in durable designs that can handle challenging school environments, the new Chromebooks provide up to 15 hours of battery life, have fast-charging capabilities and deliver a reduced total cost of ownership.

Avantis | EduverseTHRIVE

EduverseTHRIVE is a purpose-built wellbeing and inclusion solution that combines a dedicated set of VR headsets with immersive, educator-led virtual experiences designed to support sensory regulation, emotional readiness, and inclusive learning in mainstream classrooms. Designed to support students with differing sensory needs, emotional states, and energy levels. EduverseTHRIVE gives educators practical inclusive tools to help learners regulate, refocus, and return to learning.

Brisk | Curriculum Intelligence

Brisk's Curriculum Intelligence enables districts to implement AI that is aligned to their curriculum and instructional priorities. Teachers can generate libraries of district-approved lessons and supplemental materials, avoiding starting from scratch. The system produces activities, assessments, and practice sets grounded in the curriculum districts have already invested in, while also providing guidance on standards alignment and pacing.

ClassDojo For Districts | The 2026 District Communications Playbook: What Every K–12 Leader Needs to Know

The 2026 District Communications Playbook: What Every K–12 Leader Needs to Know is a new resource designed to help district leaders modernize communication, strengthen family trust, and improve alignment across schools. The new playbook was created to address the reality of changing communication demands on school leaders, drawing on insights from districts nationwide to provide a clear, systemwide approach to communication that supports families, educators, and students alike.

Creston | AutoMeasure

AutoMeasure is an AI-powered configuration feature designed to simplify and accelerate the deployment of Automate VX multi-camera systems. Integrated directly into the Intelligent Video Room Designer tool, AutoMeasure uses advanced computer vision and spatial intelligence to automatically detect and calculate placement of cameras and microphones, ensuring every system is aligned and optimized for a high-quality collaboration experience. AutoMeasure brings automation and AI into AV configuration, reducing the manual measurement step of deploying Automate VX to 15 minutes.

Discovery Education & IBM | IBM Skills Build

Discovery Education has partnered with IBM SkillsBuild to provide free, credentialed professional development in AI, cybersecurity, and digital literacy for U.S. high school educators. The initiative offers self-paced courses, industry-recognized credentials, and classroom-ready resources designed for grades 9–12. The collaboration responds to new research showing that only about half of teachers feel optimistic about using AI in the classroom, largely due to limited guidance and training.

Epson | PowerLite 810E

This newly designed extreme short throw display produces an 80-inch display from as close as one inch away and up to 160-inches from 14 inches away – up to 2.5 times larger than a 75-inch flat panel display. Fully loaded with enterprise wireless connectivity and dual speakers, this lamp-free laser solution displays impactful and colorful images with 3-chip 3LCD technology and 5,000 lumens of color and white brightness, ensuring readability in ambient light environments.

Extron | DXP 42 HD 8K

The DXP 42 HD 8K is a compact 4x2 HDMI matrix switcher designed for professional AV environments. Supporting resolutions up to 8K/60 and ultra-wide 5K at data rates up to 40.1 Gbps, this switcher is ideal for applications such as Microsoft Teams Front Row systems. The DXP 42 HD 8K is HDCP 2.3-compliant and features Extron-exclusive technologies including EDID Minder Plus, which manages advanced display features, and SpeedSwitch for fast input switching.

iCEV | Custom Assessments

The enhanced Custom Assessments experience is designed to make assessment creation more intuitive, flexible, and reliable for educators. Informed directly by educator feedback, the update streamlines workflows, reduces complexity, and strengthens alignment between instruction and assessment without disrupting existing work. The enhanced experience unifies Legacy and Beta Custom Assessments into a single, consistent workflow, creating a more predictable and scalable approach to assessment creation across CTE courses.

Imagine Learning & AI For Education | Beyond the AI Inflection Point

Beyond the AI Inflection Point is a collaborative effort from Imagine Learning and the nonprofit AI for Education, as well as a consortium of 20 experts and student voices, that aims to gives K-12 leaders an actionable framework for thoughtful AI implementation. The initiative explores three plausible futures for K–12 education and is designed to equip education leaders with the clarity and tools to shape a future that best serves students.

Linewize | Text Analysis

Text Analysis scans webpage content as it loads, allowing schools to automatically block proxies, unapproved games, and explicit content even when these appear on new, obscure, or typically trusted platforms such as Google Sites, GitHub, Wikipedia, and major news and search sites. Text Analysis addresses some of the most common challenges facing K-12 IT teams, including: Stopping proxy and VPN workarounds on new or uncategorized domains; blocking unapproved games embedded within otherwise trusted platforms; and preventing access to shared documents that list proxy or gaming sites.

OnWord Stories | AI-Powered Reading Platform

OnWord Stories has launched a comprehensive AI-powered reading platform that reimagines how students experience literacy learning. To build essential comprehension and fluency skills, the personalized learning materials offer K–5 students access to high-interest stories tailored to their unique interests and reading levels. The OnWord Stories platform brings the joy of reading into classrooms by enabling students to generate personalized stories in minutes by following a series of prompts tailored to their interests and reading level. Teachers can create and assign stories, track progress, and integrate classroom vocabulary lists to support differentiated learning.

Otus & Discovery Education | AI-Powered Instructional Recommendations

Otus is expanding its strategic partnership with Discovery Education to deliver AI-powered instructional recommendations directly within educators’ daily workflows. The expanded integration helps educators move from insight to instruction by connecting Otus’ secure, unified student profile, spanning academic and non-academic data, to Discovery Education’s standards-aligned instructional resources. Powered by Otus AI, the experience aligns real-time student needs with targeted instructional support, enabling timely, informed decisions without disrupting teaching and learning.

PPDS | Philips Signage 5000 Series (D-Line)

The new AI ready Philips Signage 5000 Series (D-Line) is an evolution of the Philips Signage 4650 (D-Line), having been remodelled and reimagined using the latest breakthroughs in advanced UHD visual technology, energy efficiency, and processing power for unbeatable quality and performance. Taking versatility, 24/7 reliability, and usability to unprecedented levels and to even wider applications in educational spaces, the portrait or landscape mountable Philips Signage 5000 Series is available now across an extended range of screen sizes to suit, including 32”, 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 86” and 98”.

Symetrix | Cognio

Cognio is a software-driven Audio, Video, and Control (AVC) ecosystem designed to dramatically simplify system design, accelerate deployment, and deliver more flexible, scalable AV experiences. By seamlessly connecting its modernized software application with a distributed approach to smart devices, Cognio unifies design, configuration, commissioning, control, and ongoing operation into unified, streamlined workflows in which a single device can power multiple spaces, or multiple devices can support a single space, allowing systems to scale naturally across rooms, buildings, or entire campuses.

Wiingy | CoTutor

CoTutor is built to work alongside tutors, not replace them. Every learning experience on Wiingy continues to be led by expert human tutors. CoTutor simply ensures that what happens during a session does not fade once the call ends. Research shows that without reinforcement, learners forget up to 70% of new information within 24 hours. CoTutor directly addresses this challenge by transforming each tutoring session into personalized study materials that help retain and reinforce knowledge.

• Edtech Show & Tell

DocsTeach goes beyond teaching history and helps students to learn how to become discerning scholars with genuinely useful analytical skills.

The idea here is to offer a host of primary sources so that students can learn how to search and analyze that material in real-time. In that process students get to become historians, carrying out research to feel immersed in the excitement of uncovering the past.

This online platform is hosted by the National Archives Foundation to give educators these original materials. It is backed by tools to help get the most out of that, including a slew of learning activities.

This guides aims to lay out all you need to know about how DocsTeach could work for your class.

What is DocsTeach?

DocsTeach is an online primary sources teaching platform developed by the U.S. National Archives to bring archival documents into classrooms in interactive ways.

The original materials consist of letters, speeches, photographs, maps, posters, and videos. A suite of tools and activities are also available, designed to help teachers guide students to get the most out of all those sources.

The platform offers more than 13,000 primary source documents and hundreds of activities ready to use, plus a host of customizable teaching tools. From George Washington's draft of the Constitution to Richard Nixon's resignation letter, this is crammed full of excitingly powerful documents.

Everything is freely and globally accessible to help teachers explore as well as create and customize document-based activities for student needs.

How does DocsTeach work?

DocsTeach is both a resource library with original documents as well as a teaching creation suite with pre-made and customizable tools.

Teachers can create a free account to log in so that it's possible to explore, save, and organize documents and activities.

Start out by browsing the archives to find primary sources that are relevant to what's being taught. Helpfully, search is filtered by era, skill, or topic, as needed.

Then you can use the interactive tools to create personalized lessons comprising selected documents, activities, and instructions.

Finally, teachers can assign or share these activities with students using common tools such as Google Classroom or dedicated LMS systems.

Students can access everything directly using the website so it can be worked on using a mobile device, tablet, or laptop, as is available.

What are the best DocsTeach features?

DocsTeach has some great pre-made activities that can make turning a primary source into a lesson a simple process. These include Compare & Contrast, Mapping History, Weighing the Evidence, and Interpreting Data, to name a few.

Crucially, teachers can customize these to suit their specific needs for a lesson. Or start an entirely new one from scratch and save it for later -- editable if that is needed for another type of subject, for example.

The documents themselves are something to get excited about as there are not only thousands available but some rarely seen originals.

Since everything is free and openly accessible, it all can be easily accessed, reused, modified, and shared without copyright limitations.

The fact everything can be distributed using classroom codes or URLs makes it very easy for teachers to share and for students to complete and submit responses.

How much does DocsTeach cost?

DocsTeach is totally free. It has no ads or tracking. While you can use it without giving any details, by signing up for an account you can access more features.

A login allows teachers to save custom activities, organize primary sources for reuse, and share assignments with students.

DocsTeach best tips and tricks

Start with ready-made activities
Explore the existing library in which hundreds of activities are already aligned with historical thinking skills and curriculum topics.

Customize for context
Take advantage of the creative tools to tailor instructions or groupings to your students’ reading levels and interests.

Sequence activities
Use Finding a Sequence or Making Connections tools to build multi-lesson units that scaffold understanding and deepen inquiry skills.

The best of BETT 2026 is all here. Well, technically it was all laid out at London's ExCel Centre, as it has been every year since it started in 1985. But the best of that show is right here in this article, which has been created after walking the show floor, meeting the exhibitors, and exploring the less well-known brands and tools that give us a glimpse at the future of tech in education.

The event featured appearances from the usual big names such as Google, Microsoft, and Asus, but this year stand-out new names include WhimsyLabs, Routine Roo, and Faheem, among others.

Here are my very best picks from what I saw on the BETT 2026 show floor, featuring the technology to propel education forward in a way that makes teaching better than ever.

While this is our best bits from the show floor, be sure to check out the Bett Awards for the final decisions on the very best to come out of BETT 2026.

Best of BETT 2026: WhimsyLabs

WhimsyLabs stood out at BETT 2026, despite being hidden away, as the passion of its creators, and excitement of anyone giving it a try, made this a show gem. Having been secretly under production for sometime, the VR science teaching software finally made its BETT debut.

This platform scales to fit devices -- so a classroom with ChromeOS could access this on a relatively low-powered computer and will still get a fully interactive VR experience. And that's the point here as this is a near like-for-like physical world experiment platform, only purely digital.

This scales from schools to college with simple pre-made experiments right up to complex original creations. Educators can tweak details to a super fine level, even adding in impurities in the case of chemistry, for example. The end result is a chance for students to carry out experiments, with real hand movements and object interactions, as if in the physical world.

This has been used in universities as a helpful way to teach lab process to students so, when they get access to the physical labs, they're experienced and prepared to get the most out of the time they have. It's like a digital practice space for chemistry, biology, and physics experiments.

Best of BETT 2026: Routine Roo

Routine Roo is a charming and hugely exciting tool designed specifically to help parents, or teachers, and young ones. The idea for this app, due to launch in March, is to help empower young children to perform their routines with more enjoyment and -- for parents and teachers -- with far less resistance.

So, at home that can mean working on bedtimes that otherwise take hours and can be draining, by agreeing with the little ones on the process, so they can be awarded as they complete each stage. From setting up teddies and reading a certain number of stories, to brushing teeth -- it can all be included. This uses a visualized cartoon version of the child to make it even more inclusive and engaging for the children.

Routine Roo is digital, with an app, but also offers physical boards that are magnetized to help children see and lay out their routines as part of the empowering planning process.

Best of BETT 2026: Faheem

Faheem is one of the more interesting AI education tools appearing at BETT 2026 because it moves beyond static AI tutor chatbots into something closer to an agentic learning companion.

Rather than simply responding to prompts, Faheem is designed to proactively guide learners, adapt explanations based on mastery, and shift approach depending on a student’s intent or difficulty level.

Faheem stands out because it learns rather than having the usual novelty AI features. The platform positions itself as inquiry-led, encouraging students to explore concepts through questioning and adaptive pathways rather than linear instruction. For teachers, this suggests potential use as a differentiated support tool rather than a replacement for instruction.

This is Egypt-backed and -based right now but can easily scale internationally, with plans to do just that. Keep your eye on this one.

Best of BETT 2026: Agibot

Agibot was a stand-out at BETT 2026 thanks to its free moving robots that could be spotted wandering the halls of the show -- and getting lots of attention. This should also be the case in a classroom where these robot have huge potential for engaging students.

Agibot offers schools a tactile way to explore AI, automation, and human-machine interaction. Its robots are designed to move, see, and respond in human-like ways, making abstract concepts around robotics and AI far more concrete for students.

The robots can be used to support STEM teaching, coding, problem-solving, and discussion around how AI systems work in the real world. For teachers, this opens up new opportunities for hands-on demonstrations and cross-curricular learning, particularly in computing and engineering.

Best of BETT 2026: Intel AI PCs for Education

Intel AI PCs for Education are being shouted about this year at BETT 2026 as these have really come into the mainstream, bringing real-world AI use to the class.

AI in education often relies on cloud-based tools, but Intel’s presence at BETT 2026 highlights a growing shift toward on-device AI processing. Intel is showcasing AI-capable PCs designed for classroom use, focusing on performance, security, and responsible AI deployment.

For teachers, the key takeaway isn’t raw processing power, but what it enables -- faster AI tools, reduced latency, better data privacy, and offline or limited-connectivity use cases. Intel’s Skills for Innovation program also ties hardware directly into teacher training and curriculum development. From Asus and Lenovo to HP, lots of big brand PC manufacturers are getting on-board in this shift to onboard AI.

The ASUS Chromebook CL14 CL15 series stood out as a way to get that level of AI support while keeping prices reasonable without sacrificing on features.

Best of BETT 2026: BBC Bitesize Learning Hub

BBC Bitesize Learning Hub is the BBC’s classroom-friendly extension of its long-running Bitesize brand, designed to support teachers with high-quality, curriculum-aligned resources. It’s built to make lesson planning easier and learning more engaging, with a focus on accessible content that feels familiar and trustworthy.

The hub brings together videos, interactive activities, and teaching materials across a range of subjects. The idea is to help teachers add depth to lessons without having to build everything from scratch. It’s especially useful for quick explanations, revision support, and reinforcement of key concepts in a way to which students actually respond.

For educators, the real value is the BBC’s editorial rigor with content that is well-produced, clear and classroom-ready.

Best of BETT 2026: Muud

Muud (pronounced "mood") is a wellbeing platform designed for children, but also for schools, as a way to monitor moods. It provides teachers with tools to check in on student mood, track wellbeing trends, and respond with appropriate support.

The platform is built around simple, regular check-ins that help educators spot patterns early, and gives students a safe space to reflect on how they’re feeling.

For teachers, Muud offers a way to build wellbeing into the day without adding extra workload. It is especially suited for schools that want to add a more proactive, whole-school approach to mental health.

Best of BETT 2026: Promethean

Promethean is one of the most recognizable names in classroom technology, best known for its interactive whiteboards and touch displays. Here at BETT it stands out thanks to a focus on teacher-led learning.

That means fewer features than some but to the advantage of educators that get a reliable platform that supports their teaching style.

Teachers can build activities, annotate live, and involve the whole class without needing a tech specialist to run the show. It’s the kind of setup that keeps lessons moving and students engaged -- especially in busy, mixed-ability classrooms.

Best of BETT 2026: FocusSpring

FocusSpring is a South Korean-based software solution that's used in schools widely as a way to help inform educators on student mental and educational wellbeing. Started by a concerned father, due to high suicide rates in the youth of Korea, this is about preventing problems by offering useful data on how students are doing.

Crucially, this gets all that by collecting what students are doing, live, rather than them having to do anything. A combination of eye tracking, keystroke detection, voice sensing, stylus use, and more -- all from current hardware -- allow for key metrics to be monitored by educators and parents.

The outputs include learning behaviors such as attention and emotional engagement, self-regulation, stress, and more. While this is used to monitor students supportively, it's also being used as a way to help teachers train, seeing what works and what doesn't -- live -- using the data to help. Plans to launch this in the U.S. are already underway.

Best of BETT 2026: Pasco

Pasco is a hands-on science and engineering offering that brings real-world experimentation into classrooms. Rather than relying on simulations, Pasco’s equipment, from sensors to lab kits, lets students collect real data, test hypotheses, and see science in action.

What makes it particularly useful for teachers is how easily it fits into existing lessons. The tools are designed to be durable, straightforward, and curriculum-friendly, so teachers can run practical experiments without needing a specialist lab. Data is captured cleanly and instantly, to help students move from observation to analysis simply.

When STEM learning is increasingly becoming digital, Pasco stands out by keeping experiments tactile and authentic. It’s the kind of tech that supports deeper scientific thinking and real investigation. At BETT it’s a reminder that technology can enhance learning just as much through physical, hands-on tools, as through screens.

Check out the full list of USA EdTech tools at BETT 2026 here.

Boclips is the world's largest library of education-specific video content, according to the company. This is essentially a school-safe version of YouTube, designed specifically for teaching.

At a time when video learning is becoming more powerful, more useful, and more in-demand than ever, Boclips is the natural answer to the question of how to make sure videos are school-friendly.

The result is a single place with a huge range of videos that are made from more than 650 trusted content creators. It features ad-free, safe, and non-distracting video alternatives to YouTube.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about Boclips and how it could serve your class needs.

What is Boclips?

Boclips is a curated, education-specific, video platform. Hosting around 1.8 million educational videos, this aggregated collection is ideal for schools.

The 650+ trusted content providers include SciShow, PBS, CrashCourse, Bloomberg, TED, and others. The key here is that this content is available without the adverts or distracting linked video suggestions that may cause students to go off topic, such as when using other systems.

Teachers can quickly find and share videos that students are able to access and view, distraction free. These are all curated and aligned for class use, making it a safe and risk-free video teaching tool that's ideal for schools.

How does Boclips work?

Boclips is a stand-alone library of video clips that can be accessed by teachers and shared easily.

Crucially, all these videos are organized with educators in mind. Consequently, it's possible to search using categories such as age, subject, pedagogy, and even standards such as Common Core or Next Generation Science Standards.

Using filters and tags, it's possible to find the relevant videos fast that are educationally relevant.

Teachers are then able to share using links, embedding in an LMS such as Google Classroom, or by curating playlists for units or projects.

Students then only see the video that was sent to them by the teacher, so no linking distractions or ads getting in the way.

What are the best Boclips features?

Boclips has around 1.8 million curated videos available to be used and viewed by teachers and students. Since all the content creators are vetted, everything in the library is education appropriate.

The fact everything is ad-free and there are no other linked videos means that students can use videos while staying focused solely on the task at hand. That makes this ideal for a wide range of ages and abilities.

Teachers can filter results not just by topic but by curriculum standards, pedagogical use case, age level, and language proficiency level. All that results in an efficient process for educators and the end result should be the most relevant materials, quickly.

Playlists are a helpful way to build materials around a subject area. These can work collaboratively allowing teachers to work together but also for students to do so, perhaps as part of a group project.

Integrations with tools such as WeVideo and BenQ Boards make this even more accessible, and the company is continuing to expand and integrate in this way, making it easier to access.

How much does Boclips cost?

Boclips offers free trials to educators but then there are fees.

Since this uses institutional licensing, pricing is offered on a bespoke basis to suit use cases.

This generally includes unlimited teacher access, admin dashboards, usage analytics, professional development and support, plus integration assistance and custom solutions.

Boclips best tips and tricks

Start with subject collections
Use Boclips’ curated subject collections when short on planning time. These pre-built collections make it quick to find relevant videos for common topics.

Map videos to curriculum standards
Filter and search by specific curriculum standards so video content aligns directly with learning objectives, rather than just being engaging.

Clip segments for focused learning
Use the segmenting tools to share only the key portions of a video that match your lesson aim. This keeps students focused and saves instructional time.

FETC 2026 returned to Orlando this January, and the conference didn’t disappoint. New York EdTech Director Alana Winnick and her students opened the conference with an inspiring keynote, setting a student-centered tone that resonated through every session and across the Expo floor.

Below is a snapshot of the innovations on display, featuring advancements in AI and VR, personalized curricula, EDLA-certified interactive displays, and more. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

BenQ | RP05 Interactive Display

The new AI-ready RP05 Interactive Display joins the RP04, delivering smarter and faster performance and intuitive tools to support interactive teaching. The EDLA-certified RP Series makes it easy to build dynamic lessons with responsive touch, whiteboarding, multi-window views, and app integration.

Luxor CellGuard | Cell Phone Storage Cabinet

The Luxor CellGuard Cell Phone Storage Cabinet is engineered to meet the rigorous demands of modern classrooms. Constructed from powder-coated steel, it includes 32 foam, numbered slots to securely cradle devices. Designed with a locking steel door and a clear acrylic window, CellGuard offers full visibility for easy monitoring and a Kensington lock receptacle for enhanced security.

ClassDojo For Districts | New Expanded Features

ClassDojo for Districts offers new capabilities that give K–12 leaders greater visibility and insight across schools—without changing how teachers and families already use the platform. These updates strengthen districtwide coordination and communication while keeping teacher-family relationships at the heart of ClassDojo. The expanded platform introduces powerful district-level capabilities in three core areas—visibility, communication, and insights—with even more features and enhancements rolling out in the months ahead.

ClassVR | ClassVR Xcelerate and EduverseCTE

ClassVR Xcelerate and EduverseCTE are virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR) solutions for high school, higher ed, and career and technical education (CTE) programs. The ClassVR Xcelerate headset provides a full range of spatial movement through six-degrees-of-freedom head and controller tracking. An innovative 90° flip visor enables seamless transitions between immersive learning and real-world collaboration. The headset comes with EduverseCTE, ClassVR’s library of curriculum-aligned VR/AR content that helps students develop both soft skills, and technical abilities. Through realistic simulations, students can practice teamwork, communication, and interview techniques and explore high-demand fields such as healthcare, construction, hospitality, and skilled trades.

CTL | CTL Chromebook Care Course

The CTL Chromebook Care Course for students is a comprehensive, Career and Technical Education (CTE)-focused program designed to train middle and high school students to become CTL-certified Chromebook repair technicians. The course, offered free to CTL customers and focusing on CTL-manufactured devices, addresses growing demands for skilled IT professionals while promoting technology sustainability within school districts. The CTL Chromebook Care Course is tailored for students in grades 8–12, establishing a structured, student technical support team.

Day of AI | AI Trivia Time

AI Trivia Time is a regular classroom game designed to turn AI literacy into a habit students enjoy and teachers can naturally fit into their day. AI Trivia Time is a brain break with a purpose. Whether used as a warm-up, an exit ticket, a mini-lesson, or a fun Friday ritual, teachers and students can dive into a regular series of short, five-question, AI-themed quizzes designed to spark discussion and reflection on what responsible AI use looks like in practice. The game works across grade levels, subjects, and schedules.

Discovery Education | K-5 Science Techbook & K–5 Social Studies Essentials

Science Techbook and Social Studies Essentials blend research-backed pedagogy with cutting-edge technology and are complemented by updates across AI-driven personalization, career-connected learning, and more. Science Techbook builds skills while delivering three‑dimensional, phenomena‑driven lessons that capture student interest and reinforce scientific and cross-disciplinary learning. Social Studies Essentials is an inquiry-based supplemental solution grounded in the C3 Framework, making it easy for teachers to deliver impactful lessons in history, civics, geography, and economics.

ExtronNAV E 222 USB-C and HDMI switching encoder

Adding USB-C input capability and input switching to the NAV Pro AV over IP Series platform, this new Encoder provides options to create high-performance streaming systems. Input switching modes are configurable as auto or manual. The encoder can power a USB-C device with up to 100 watts using the optional UPI 100 Power Inserter. The NAV E 222 supports the AES67 audio over IP standard, facilitating integration with Extron DMP Plus DSPs or other IP-enabled audio components.

Imagine Learning | StudySync 2027 Edition

The 2027 edition of StudySync features a restructured middle school sequence built around deeper knowledge-building themes as well as stronger fluency, vocabulary, and sentence composition scaffolds grounded in the science of reading. Educators seeking comprehensive, standards-aligned solutions can now pair StudySync (6–12) with Dragonfly (K–5).

Ingenuity Works | All The Right Type

All The Right Type prepares students for a world where keyboard skills are crucial. The online typing platform is self-paced and requires minimal teacher instruction time, making it easy to integrate into any classroom or homeschool setting. With engaging lessons and interactive challenges, students build speed and accuracy at their own pace.

LG | CreateBoard TR3DQ

Building on the success of LG’s TR3DK generation of CreateBoard solutions, the TR3DQ display, available immediately in 55-, 65-, 75- and 86-inch models, is engineered to enhance classroom engagement, collaboration and instructional flexibility. As the newest addition to LG’s expanding CreateBoard lineup – designed to support schools across a wide range of needs and budgets – the TR3DQ delivers meaningful improvements in processing speed, touch and writing responsiveness, audio clarity and ecosystem integration to support modern K-12 and higher-education environments.

Logitech | MX Ink

MX Ink is the first Mixed Reality (MR) stylus specifically designed for Meta Quest. A precision tool with a familiar pen-like feel, MX Ink allows users to navigate, annotate and create freely across 2D spaces like papers, desks, or whiteboards, as well as immersive 3D environments. The pressure-sensitive tip of MX Ink enables natural writing and gaming motions, merging the tactile sensation of a physical tool with the limitless possibilities of the virtual creative space.

McGraw Hill | Summit! and Soar!

McGraw Hill's new core ELA curriculum for 6th through 12th grades includes Summit! for grades 6-8 and Soar! for grades 9-12. Built on the previously announced Emerge! for K-5, these establish a comprehensive research-based literacy program. Both use data-driven personalization to help educators tailor instruction throughout the learning journey.

OWC | 8TB Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 SSD

The new 8TB OWC Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 SSD delivers unparalleled speed, versatility, and portability for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Its features/benefits include: more than 6000MB/s, making it up to 2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4; offers the most speed possible from Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4 machines; easily handles daily data needs for pro-level creative projects while matching internal storage performance; works with Macs, PCs, iPad Pros, Chromebooks, and Surface devices; bus-powered with built-in Thunderbolt cable; fanless, heat-dissipating aluminum design that is crushproof, dustproof, and waterproof IP67 rated.

PBLWorks | PBL Teach project units for middle and high school

PBLWorks has added new Gold Standard Project Based Learning (PBL) units for high school and elementary school grades. The new TEACH units for elementary and high school include projects such as “Pitch Perfect” for fourth and fifth grade social studies in which students become entrepreneurs, creating business ideas that solve real problems in their communities. “Family Financials” is a 9th and 10th grade math project in which students model savings and investment plans for community members using linear and exponential functions. Each project includes lessons with clear outlines and in-depth, step-by-step instructions and resources to help even novice teachers execute the projects with ease.

SchoolAI | AI Isn't Replacing Thinking

To understand how teachers are actually using AI in their instruction, this study examined more than 23,000 SchoolAI Spaces created during the 2024–25 school year across ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. In SchoolAI Spaces, teachers, not the AI, design the learning experience. They supply the description and prompts that guide how Dot, the AI assistant, engages with students. This makes Spaces a unique window into how educators are choosing to integrate AI into real instructional practice.

SCIVR | Immersive Learning Platform

SCIVR showcased their virtual reality all-in-one immersive platform for Middle & High School STEM and Career Technical Education programs. SCIVR's Immersive Learning Platform includes interactive simulations for science, math, CTE, social studies, all offered in multiple languages. SCIVR works with Meta Quest or Pico VR headsets and offers hardware-agnostic Web-based devices all under one site license, allowing unlimited users and devices.

Smore and School Status | Human Connection in the Age of AI: A Guide to K–12 Communications

Human Connection in the Age of AI, a free ebook, provides strategies for implementing communication practices that build community, including: Steps to support district, school, and classroom-level communication; examples for newsletters that bring families into school life; strategies for embedding dialogue into messages; and insights on using AI to support accessibility and translation without losing the human voice.

Socrait

Socrait was named the winner of FETC's Pitchfest 2.0, the innovative gamified startup competition that put voting power directly into the hands of K-12 educators and technology leaders attending the Future of Education Technology Conference. Final results were determined using a 50% audience vote / 50% judge score model. When normalized and equally weighted, Socrait achieved the highest overall combined score, outperforming all other finalists. Socrait demonstrated the best overall balance of audience appeal and expert evaluation, ranking second with both audience voters and the judge panel.

Studient | Motivention

Motivention by Studient utilizes the AIM Blueprint to help students in the bottom quartile accelerate their progress and build confidence. The motivation science framework helps design an individualized path for growth, integrating motivation science to rebuild students’ sense of belief, effort and momentum through structured recognition, peer connection and personal purpose.

Telycam | Mix One

Mix One is an all-in-one video production solution designed to expand and elevate the Telycam PTZ ecosystem. Purpose-built for PTZ-centric workflows, Mix One combines an encoder, decoder, monitor, video switcher, and PTZ controller within a single, compact unit – giving creators a powerful yet intuitive tool for live streaming, podcasting, and professional content production. Built on industry standards and modern AV-over-IP architecture, Mix One offers an elegant, scalable alternative to traditional hardware-heavy production setups.

ViewSonic

At this year's FETC conference, ViewSonic spotlighted the ViewSonic education software suite: a complete ecosystem that brings together myViewBoard for interactive lessons, AirSync for versatile wireless screensharing, and ClassSwift for instant, on-the-fly assessment. Together, these tools create a seamless platform for teaching, collaboration, and engagement, helping educators save time, personalize learning, and keep students actively engaged.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Flat for Education is a cloud-based solution to music teaching in a digital world. As such, this combines all you could need to teach music in a way that transcends the page and even any one device.

The idea here is to offer a teaching system that works for educators and students across and range of instruments and musical styles, while remaining accessible from any device.

This music theory and composition space serves to let students and teachers create, edit, share feedback, and engage on musical work all in one place.

Designed for classroom use, this makes for easy class management, music assignment generation, progress tracking, and more. This guide lays it all out so you can see how Flat could be of note in your class.

What is Flat for Education?

Flat for Education is beyond your basic notation editor as this goes way further to encompass music education support across a range of systems.

This offers notation, composition, collaboration, and assessment tools all in one place. That allows students and teachers to create, edit, and share musical scores, complete assignments, receive feedback, and engage with classmates in real time.

Beyond that, this also allows for schools and districts to manage classes, generate music assignments, track progress, and integrate with popular learning management systems such as Google Classroom, Canvas, and Microsoft Teams.

So while this is a music theory and composition workspace, it's also a lot more.

How does Flat for Education work?

Flat for Education is web-based so it can be used across devices without the need to install any software. Everything runs within the browser so it can be accessed from a laptop, tablet, or phone with ease.

Students can start working on making music using a notation editor, which supports more than 100 instruments. This offers instant playback, and tools to customize notational symbols and layouts.

Students immediately hear what they write, to deepen their understanding of pitch, rhythm, harmony, and musical structure.

Teachers can set assignments, with auto-grading worksheets and collaborative shared writing project options. After students have worked on an assignment, or co-edited in real-time, it can be easily shared and assessed easily thanks to LMS integration options.

What are the best Flat for Education features?

Flat for Education works across a wide range of users, from beginners to more advanced musicians, from writing melodies to creating full scores. Notes, rests, articulations, and dynamics are all easy to place and edit.

The ability to collaborate is a big part of the appeal here. Student groups can co-compose in real time, with teachers observing live edits and offering feedback. This can help to foster teamwork and mimic real-world creative workflows.

Integration with LMS options allow teachers to sync student rosters and share assignments directly within Google Classroom, Canvas, Microsoft Teams, and more.

Tasks are varied with options that include composition tasks and performance assignments with video and audio uploads, plus auto-graded theory worksheets that are ideal for assessing fundamentals.

Real-time feedback is helpful as teachers can comment on scores and rate submissions, and provide formative feedback live.

How much does Flat for Education cost?

Flat for Education offers a 30-day free trial, after which a paid plan is required.

Quotes are generally on a per institution basis so the price per user per year will vary depending on the needs. But there is a minimum of 50 users required for one of these plans.

Flat for Education best tips and tricks

Embed music theory
Use auto-graded worksheets to reinforce fundamentals such as intervals, key signatures, and rhythms. These can quickly check comprehension and free up class time for deeper discussion.

Use shared writing
Assign students into small groups to co-compose original pieces. Shared writing turns composition into an interactive teamwork experience.

Blend performance and notation
Have students not only compose but also perform their pieces by uploading audio or video recordings of themselves playing the scores.

TeenToks is named similarly to that very famous social media app for a reason -- this is aimed at teens and tweens. Only in this instance, the main focus is on supporting mental health.

This iOS-specific app is designed as a mental wellness app that works in the form of a video platform. Thus, young people can engage socially, using pre-vetted videos, as a way to learn about mental health.

From topics such as anxiety and body image to confidence and friendships, there is lots to learn on this platform. Launched by edtech company GoZen!, this is a purpose-built app with young people's safety and health in mind.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about TeenToks.

What is TeenToks?

TeenToks is an iOS app that uses videos in a social media style to help educate and support teens and tweens with their mental health.

The idea is that peers can be highly influential, which can be especially useful when applied positively. Everything is research-based in mental health science and uses authentic teen-created content.

However, in this case, that content is vetted first, so everything is safe and can be viewed and shared in a healthy and helpful way.

The app is filled with free and premium content, with more than 40 free videos and meditations, plus hundreds of premium videos and challenges.

How does TeenToks work?

TeenToks is a video-sharing and -viewing platform at its core. This works using bite-sized and relatable video content created by and for teens.

These teens, called "Tokkers," are trained and supported by GoZen! to create short lessons that break down research-backed mental health strategies into real-world scenarios and practical tips.

Guided meditations are also available, along with wellness challenges and social features, all baked into the system.

Parents can create multiple profiles under one account, allowing them to apply age filters for shared use across the family.

Teens can search by category, if they want, allowing them to explore a range of topics that include:

• Anxiety and stress
• Body image
• Confidence and self worth
• Friendships and belonging
• Motivation and goal setting
• School and grades
• Sleep
• Social anxiety
• Thoughts and feelings

What are the best TeenToks features?

TeenToks offers only peer-created and teen-focused content, making it not only safe but also highly relevant and engaging.

Each video and challenge is grounded in well-being science, helping teens learn coping strategies for areas ranging from school stress to self-esteem.

Usefully, the inclusion of guided meditations and wellness streaks encourages regular engagement and positive habit formation. This can be a key component for long-term emotional wellness, says the company.

Unlike most social media, TeenToks restricts posts with a focus on curated educational videos. This decreases exposure to harmful content but also limits interactivity.

How much does TeenToks cost?

TeenToks is free to download and use with a selection of free videos, meditations, and introductory content included.

Premium access unlocks the full library of more than 450 videos, extended wellness challenges, and weekly content updates. This requires a paid subscription with a 7-day free trial option.

Monthly subscriptions start at $9.99 per month and go up to $12.99 per month, based on location and plan.

TeenToks best tips and tricks

Supplement SEL
Integrate TeenToks videos into SEL lessons, using specific clips as discussion prompts on challenging issues.

Assign reflective activities
Pair a TeenToks video with reflective journaling or group discussions. Ask students to apply takeaways to their own lives.

Try peer-led projects
Have students create their own TeenToks-style videos as class projects.

Welcome to the January 2026 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include an AI-powered math coach, Copilot+ ready laptop computers, a high-capacity portable charging station and much more.

All Learners Network | AI Math Coach

AI Math Coach is a planning, assessment, and instructional support tool for teachers and anyone involved in teaching PreK-5 math. The tool serves as an instructional coach, answering questions about curriculum, improving lesson plans, and supporting students. Built on All Learners Network's research-based approach to mathematics instruction, the tool provides personalized, on-demand support that builds both content knowledge and pedagogical expertise.

CTL | CTL Student Chromebook Repair Course

The CTL Chromebook Care Course is a Career and Technical Education (CTE)-focused program designed to train middle and high school students to become CTL-certified Chromebook repair technicians. The course, offered free to CTL customers and focusing on CTL-manufactured devices, addresses growing demands for skilled IT professionals while promoting technology sustainability within school districts.

Discovery Ed and Dell Technologies| Tech Career Circuit

The Tech Career Circuit is a one-stop hub offering complementary learning resources to prepare students in grades 6-12 for success in the IT industry. Using Tech Career Circuit’s hands-on learning opportunities and digital literacy resources, students can develop the essential workforce skills required in the IT industry. The Tech Career Circuit resources are standards-aligned, making integration in any classroom environment simple.

Dynabook |Tecra Models

Dynabook just released AMD Ryzen-powered laptops to the US market. These new 14- and 16-inch Ryzen-powered powerhouses are Copilot+ ready and equipped with Windows Secured-Core PC features. They’re built for modern business and education use, with up to 8 cores, integrated Radeon graphics, optional NPUs for local AI tasks (like smarter conferencing and Copilot workflows), 16:10 displays, Wi-Fi 7, and Dynabook’s signature durability and security.

Extron | 4K USB-C Collaboration Switcher

The UCS 504 makes it easy to integrate AV sources and USB cameras for Teams and Zoom meetings into conference spaces no matter where the AV equipment is located. The 4K collaboration switching transmitter and scaling receiver kit combines AV and USB switching with twisted pair signal extension and supports switching up to six USB room devices, with one that supports rates up to USB 10Gbps, and five that support rates up to High Speed (USB 2) while providing power.

The Learning Agency | Educational AI Leaderboard

The Educational AI Leaderboard is a centralized place to compare major LLMs on education-specific benchmark tasks. It evaluates automated essay scoring and math-misconception detection, using private test sets to ensure real generalization. The leaderboard includes performance and cost data, making it easier for edtech developers and practitioners to identify which models are both accurate and practical for school settings.

Luxor Workspaces | LuxPower Charging Tower

The LuxPower Charging Tower is a high-capacity, lightweight, portable power solution for education. Now with 8 AC outlets and 8 USB/USB-C ports, the affordable LuxPower Charging Tower enables simultaneous charging of up to 16 devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other essential electronics. It features a powder-coated steel frame with rugged construction and a padded polyester top that protects devices while serving as a convenient resting platform for tablets and phones.

Other World Computing | Fully Certified 2-Meter Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) Cable

The fully certified 2-meter Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) cable for Macs and PCs is engineered with signal amplification, precision shielding, and end-to-end signal integrity. It features: Up to 80 Gb/s bi-directional data performance; up to 120 Gb/s video stream performance for multi-display, high-bandwidth workflows; up to 240W power delivery; up to three 8K displays supported; and is fully compatible with Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, and USB-C devices.

PPDS | Philips Stretch 3150

The ultra wide Philips Stretch 3150 broadens the imagination for creative installations in space limited environments where brightness, quality and reliability are paramount. Harnessing the latest breakthroughs in screen technology and compact design, the all new Philips Stretch 3150 has been crafted to widen the possibilities for installations, from cafeterias to classrooms, featuring a stunning 37”, 32:9, 1920x540 resolution display.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Equatio is an arguably revolutionary technological tool that brings math and science into the digital age.

For years there has been a lag as the typing of equations has been awkward and graph sharing inconsistent, leaving the jump to digital less well-covered for science over arts.

Equatio changes that by offering a more inclusive and optimal way of working with math and science equations digitally.

Developed by TextHelp, this tool lets users type naturally, handwrite on a touchscreen, or even speak equations aloud, in order to enter these digitally.

For teachers this is a great way to lessen the workload for assessments, worksheets, and more. And it offers consistency across devices.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about how Equatio could work in your class.

What is Equatio?

Equatio is an equation editor that allows math and science work to be created, edited, and shared digitally with ease.

One of the main selling points of this tool is that it offers a level playing field for all students by providing the tools they need to access equations though different methods.

These access points include handwriting math, speaking it, or visualizing it by converting from existing worksheets.

From students with special educational needs to EAL students, this platform aims to give independence to everyone who wants to engage with STEM learning. It even works in exam situations to ensure everyone can get access as they need.

This tools helps students and teachers communicate digitally through the use of formulas, graphs, equations, and visual explanations.

That works across a host of platforms and devices including Windows, macOS, Chrome, iOS, and online environments.

How does Equatio work?

Equatio works both as a stand alone app and a toolbar that can run overlaying other tools such as Google Docs, Word, Chrome browsers, and more.

This allows you to input in various ways that include typing, handwriting, speech, screenshot import, LaTeX input, or selection from symbol palettes.

Usefully, there is a predictive math engine that allows you to type naturally and it will help complete the rest to save time, if possible. For example, typing “sqrt” produces a radical symbol, and typing “2^3” automatically converts into an exponent.

This reduces the need for multistep formatting and allows students to focus on mathematical thinking rather than notation mechanics.

This applies to handwriting and speech inputs as well, as the system does the conversion for the user to make it as easy and quick as possible.

Teachers can setup multi-step problems, interactive tasks, or diagrams within the Mathspace digital STEM workspace environment. This lets students annotate, draw, rearrange, and show working clearly.

What are the best Equatio features?

Equatio features a really helpful Screenshot Reader tool that acts as a way to bridge the physical and digital worlds.

This allows teachers to capture images of printed worksheets, textbook pages, exam questions, or online graphics to have these converted into a digital example. The system will extract the mathematical notation and leave that available in an editable form.

The Mathspace, a virtual whiteboard of sorts, is ideal for problem-solving, modeling, or showing work. Teachers can create interactive worksheets, scaffold steps, or build manipulatives that students can rearrange.

Desmos graphing is fully supported so functions can be plotted, manipulated, and embedded into assignments. Students can quickly test ideas, explore behavior, and analyze relationships.

Equatio goes beyond algebra for math. Chemistry formulas, atomic structures, physics notation, and scientific operators are all supported, making it a full STEM tool.

The tool has a host of accessibility functions. Equatio supports learners with dysgraphia, processing difficulties, motor impairments, and more. It also integrates exam-access features for approved candidates.

How much does Equatio cost?

Equatio is available through a combination of individual subscriptions, institutional licenses, and pilots. While pricing can vary by region and deployment, the broad structure is:

A 30-day free trial for individuals, or a 90-day pilot for schools and districts wanting to test the tool with multiple users, is available.

The Individual license options, starting at $170/year, offer paid annual plans for single users.

The School or district licensing options off site-wide deployments with volume-based pricing, central management tools, and broad access for staff and students.

Pricing for a K-12 Group is $17/student/year, or for a K-12 District is $2.05/student/year.

Equatio best tips and tricks

Use Mathspace for modelling
Build worked examples in which each layer appears gradually. This helps students follow reasoning rather than just seeing final answers.

Create reusable templates
Set up equation frameworks, graphing tasks, unit-conversion grids, or chemistry balancing worksheets once, then duplicate each year.

Combine handwriting and typing
Encourage students to start by handwriting intuitively, then convert to typed notation to check for accuracy. It builds muscle memory and symbolic fluency together.

Wayfinder is a tool that is designed for use in schools but with a focus on the world outside of that space. The idea being to offer some guidance to young people on how to manage themselves and how to live -- preparing them for the future.

The goal here is to give students durable skills that help them thrive well after graduation time. From self-awareness and adaptability to collaboration and empathy, all the skills learned here can be truly valuable.

This is a useful option for teachers looking to go beyond conventional SEL offerings. This is more like a bridge between academic programs and real-world experience. Everything is research-grounded, designed for education, and made to work across grade levels.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about Wayfinder to see if it could work in your class.

What is Wayfinder?

Wayfinder is an offering that aims to build foundational skills for young people, to help them achieve lifelong success.

This is a research-backed and educator-designed curriculum that is made to fit into a teacher's setup already. As such, this offers a selection of tools that can be used from primary school to college, in class or alongside counseling, as needed.

Aimed primarily at K-12, this tries to help build confidence, adaptability, and a sense of purpose -- essentially ensuring students don't lose their way in life.

This means helping kids think about decision-making, interpersonal communication, self-awareness, purposeful leadership, and social-emotional development.

Wayfinder can be used across a range of platforms including advisory classes, electives, academic integration, extracurriculars, and even in support and intervention contexts, such as counseling or multi‑tier support systems (MTSS).

How does Wayfinder work?

Wayfinder is built for flexibility with an ability to slot into a variety of school structures. But it also uses structured assessments, called Waypoints, as a way to measure student growth and monitor core skill competencies over time.

Schools and districts can use this during advisory periods, electives or specialist classes, regular academic classes, or even extracurricular and morning‑meeting time. That should make it a good fit within a wide range of school constraints and approaches.

Wayfinder does offer specific targeted interventions, focusing on areas such as chronic absenteeism, bullying prevention, executive functioning, digital citizenship, and restorative practices.

Specific assessment options are available to track growth in core competencies over time -- skills such as self‑awareness, agency, collaboration, empathy, adaptability, and purpose. All with real-time data analysis to help educators identify strengths and areas that need more support.

Modules extend to career and college focus, plus professional learning and staff support.

What are the best Wayfinder features?

Wayfinder is a dedicated way to focus on learning beyond the academic core content, in a manner that actively helps students prepare not only for the future but specifically their future.

The fact that this is super flexible and embeddable makes for a far easier choice for educators and institutions, when it comes to adding this to the list of tools that can fit into the system as it currently works. The ability to use this across grade levels and class types also helps with uptake ease.

The data-driven focus helps measure progress over time -- something that can be hard to find in traditional SEL programs. This can really help with effective targeted interventions.

By using a focused and measurable approach, Wayfinder can be utilized as a way to help with ongoing issues for schools such as absenteeism, behavior, and disengagement. Something that can be applied on a class, school, or district-wide scale.

For older students, the modules on career preparation, financial skills, and life pathways directly address the gap many schools struggle to fill. This can bridge academic learning with real-world preparedness.

How much does Wayfinder cost?

Wayfinder does not share its pricing publicly. Instead it simply says that pricing follows a "contact us" style approach in which you schedule a demo and work it out from there.

While that's not very transparent, it does also mean there could be a level of adaptability to suit the needs of the buyer. The cost likely depends on a variety of factors including number of students, which grade levels are covered, extent of use, and support or training requirements.

Wayfinder best tips and tricks

Alignment
Use Wayfinder in advisory periods, morning meetings or elective slots to avoid overburdening timetables. Because it's designed to slot into multiple formats you can tailor its deployment to your school schedule.

Tracking
Deliver Waypoints assessments at regular intervals to monitor class‑level or school‑level trends. Use formative assessments in between to catch dips or emerging issues, and adapt your interventions accordingly.

Target
If you have students struggling with attendance, behavior, social or emotional issues or disengagement -- the MTSS or counseling use‑case of Wayfinder may help. Use the platform’s flexibility to tailor interventions rather than applying a one size fits all approach.

The most affordable Chromebooks for schools can help create a digital environment for growth and learning, without a steep cost.

A Chromebook represents a way to provide an array of digital tools to educators and students while remaining accessible and easy to use.

This guide aims to lay out some of the best options from the most affordable Chromebooks out there -- specifically designed to help you find the right model to suit your exact needs.

Since Chromebooks do most of the data crunching and storage in the cloud, the devices are light and can last a full day on a charge. That also means the prices can be kept low without scrimping on performance.

Chromebooks began as a Google push and, as such, are ideal for use with Google Classroom. For a more general overview of everything on the software platform you may want to check out our Google Classroom guide.

Chromebooks run on Chrome OS, so students and teachers can access work from other devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops -- all from any location with an internet connection.

From always-connected LTE Chromebooks to WiFi-powered devices, these can all run the many Google apps out there and offer a lot of bang for you buck. Read on to find the best option to suit your needs.

Most Affordable Chromebooks for Schools

1. Acer Chromebook Plus 514: Best Chromebook Overall

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 has a fantastic balance of features that make it top of this list while staying affordable. The performance, portability, and price are all just right to make this an ideal choice for classes nationwide.

Powered by Intel’s 8-core i3-N305 processor with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 128GB SSD, it handles heavy tab loads, Google Workspace apps, and long video calls with ease.

The 14-inch Full HD IPS touchscreen offers sharp clarity for research, lesson planning, or classroom presentations, while its compact and lightweight form keep it genuinely portable. With around 10 hours of battery life, it comfortably gets through a full school day.

Teachers should enjoy the smooth multitasking and reliable WiFi 6E connection during live lessons, and students could benefit from the extra local storage and Plus-series AI tools for writing and productivity.

Durable, well-priced, and strong across categories, this is the Chromebook that fits almost every need without blowing the budget.

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: Best Budget Convertible

Lenovo’s Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is one of the best-value convertibles available in the U.S. today, giving schools a versatile device for both creative and academic use.

Its 14-inch 2K touchscreen rotates into tablet, tent, or stand modes, making it ideal for note-taking, demonstrating concepts, or running touch-based educational apps. An impressive display resolution and quality for the price.

With an Intel i3-1315U processor, 8GB RAM, and 128GB storage, it handles demanding browser-based work smoothly, and its AI-enhanced Plus features help with writing support and media tasks.

It's flexible yet stays robust, weighing in at 3.48 lbs., which suits daily classroom movement. Battery life typically exceeds 10 hours, supporting full-day use without charging.

Teachers may appreciate its adaptability for interactive lessons, while students get a capable, comfortable device for multimedia assignments, reading, or working in creative modes. All that and it still has one of the most attainable prices for a modern 2-in-1.

3. Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE: Best for Power Tasks (and Gaming)

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE offers performance levels rarely seen in the affordable Chromebook space, making it the top pick for power users and cloud-gaming classrooms.

Its standout 16-inch 2560×1600 display with a 120Hz refresh rate is capable of offering exceptionally smooth visuals. That makes this ideal for graphics-heavy tasks, STEM simulations, or GeForce NOW cloud gaming sessions.

This is all backed by the Intel Core 5-120U, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD for enough power to run large workloads, Linux applications, and multitasking without slowdown. Despite the bigger screen, it remains manageable in size and weight at 3.8 lbs. Battery life approaches 10 hours in real-world testing, which is impressive for such a large and bright panel.

Students drawn to creative work such as coding, editing or designing, will find plenty of support here. Teachers can benefit from the expansive display for planning and presenting. It’s the closest thing to a premium workstation Chromebook without the premium price tag.

4. Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Best for Portability & Battery Life

Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is the model to choose when portability and all-day stamina matter most, while still delivering responsive performance.

Built around the efficient MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 and paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, it should be smooth for multitasking and can quickly handle AI-powered Plus features.

The 14-inch 120Hz touchscreen brings excellent responsiveness, great for sketching, annotating documents, or navigating coursework. Its convertible design adds real classroom flexibility, and Gorilla Glass protection on the hinge and display help it endure daily wear.

The Spin 514 feels light at 3.31 lbs., with compact dimensions, making it ideal for moving between rooms or carrying in a student backpack. Long battery life supports full-day learning without needing a charger. Teachers should appreciate the versatility for instruction, while students gain a fast, durable device optimized for mobility and continuous study.

5. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus: Best Budget Workhorse

The IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus is an great choice for schools seeking strong performance at a very accessible price point.

The Intel i3-N305 processor, 8GB RAM, and a generous 256GB of storage mean it comfortably handles the everyday demands of student workloads and browser-based teaching environments.

The 14-inch Full HD display offers clear, comfortable viewing for reading, video learning, and productivity. It’s lightweight enough for daily student carrying but still feels sturdy and well-built. Battery life reaches around 11 hours, helping both teachers and students get through full timetables without worrying about sockets.

It’s also capable of running Steam Beta and Linux apps, giving technically curious students more room to explore. Consistently discounted in the U.S. and offering higher-spec internals than older budget Chromebooks, this model is a practical, reliable all-rounder for large deployments.

Welcome to the December 2025 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include a toolkit for teaching kids about AI, a platform that provides high-quality substitute teachers, a campus-wide safety solution, and much more.

Cook Center for Human Connection | Staff Guidance
Staff Guidance offers every school employee on-demand access to personalized insights and mentorship from trusted professionals, providing real-time support for stress management, burnout prevention, and professional growth. The platform’s unique blend of AI-powered expertise and human care was created to make staff feel heard and ready to meet the challenges of modern education.

Day of AI and Common Sense Media | Talking to Kids About AI Toolkit

The Talking to Kids About AI Toolkit explores topics such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, misinformation, and maintaining human connection in a digital world. The video and toolkit translate AI concepts into age-appropriate information to help families use AI safely and responsibly. It includes: conversation starters; hands-on activities, bias, and digital privacy; reflection prompts for media literacy and critical thinking; and a glossary and curated resource links.

Elevate K-12 | Teacher Selection Tool

The Teacher Selection Tool enables decision-makers to review, request, and match with certified teachers who align with their school’s instructional goals. Through the Elevate K-12 School & District Portal, leaders can now: browse teacher profiles; engage in mutual matching; conduct Interviews; retain familiar teachers, and access seamless integration.

IXL| LevelUp Diagnostic

Built using psychometric principles, the IXL LevelUp Diagnostic helps educators identify students for intervention, lead organization-wide improvement efforts, track student growth and more—without waiting for official state testing results. After the assessment, LevelUp guides students from diagnosis to practice with personalized action plans. By seamlessly linking precise, actionable data to learning, it helps educators make faster, smarter decisions to ensure every student succeeds.

LibertyDS42 TeamUp+™ Series Multiscreen BYOM Switcher / Extender
The DS42 consolidates video, audio (analog and Dante), USB 3.0, ethernet and power delivery into a single USB-C connection. Liberty’s companion receivers extend those signals up to 100 meters, providing additional USB ports and a second display output wherever needed. With native multi-display extension support for both PC and Mac devices, users can mirror or extend screens across multiple displays.

McGraw Hill | GenAI Tools

New features from McGraw Hill include Teacher Assistant, an embedded GenAI tool that provides educators with support to help them personalize learning, as well as Writing Assistant, an embedded GenAI tool for grades 6-12 that allows learners to ask for assistance with their short-form writing assignments and receive personalized guidance throughout the writing process.

SecurlyI Safety OS

SafetyOS unifies web filtering, student wellness, and campus safety into one connected platform, so schools can see more, respond faster, and support every student. From AI-powered monitoring and web filtering to wellness alerts and campus management, every Securly solution works together. Securly allows districts to share insights, streamline workflows, and give educators the clarity they need to act with confidence.

Sharp | E Series Laser LCD Projector

The XP-E501U E Series LCD laser projector is ideal for small to medium-sized rooms in education settings. The E Series LCD laser projector delivers 5,000 lumens of brightness and includes a 16-watt speaker. Dual HDMI inputs and NaViSet Administrator 2 software provide flexible connectivity and easy management. Designed for simplicity, it features ECO Mode, auto power functions, plug-and-play operation and a five-year or 20,000-hour warranty.

Singlewire Software | InformaCast Wearable Alert Badge

The InformaCast Wearable Alert Badge allows school staff to request assistance and alert others when issues arise. Three presses signal that a staff member is requesting assistance for situations such as fights in a classroom, medical issues, or damage to the building. Six button presses or more signals that a large-scale emergency is taking place, such as an active shooter or that the school should go into lockdown.

SpeechLP |SpeechLP

SpeechLP is an evidence based AI-powered articulation practice app that provides children with interactive speech therapy games designed to play with the sounds they need to practice. It offers speech therapy games to help with language development for toddlers to teens in a fun and engaging way, as well as personalized exercises targeting all consonant phonological processes, tailored to each child’s needs.

• Edtech Show & Tell

SceneCraft was designed by the Engage AI Institute with funds from the National Science Foundation. This AI-in-education research organization has its headquarters at North Carolina State University and partnerships with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Indiana University, Vanderbilt University, and Digital Promise.

Teachers can currently apply for early access to SceneCraft through the tool’s website. Once teachers have access to SceneCraft, they can quickly create stories with AI that empower students to explore class subject matter in new and engaging ways while playing an active role in a story as it unfolds.

“These are interactive stories that are branching narratives, and the student can choose where they want to go,” says Jeremy Roschelle, Co-Principal Investigator for Digital Promise.

Although educators use generative AI to create the story, this is definitely not a chatbot, and students exploring each teacher-created story are not directly interacting with AI.

“So it's very safe to use, which is really important,” Roschelle says. He adds that another important feature is that it gives educators 100 percent control of the content students engage with.

SceneCraft In Practice

To create a SceneCraft story linked to class content, teachers who have access to the tool are led through a series of intuitive prompts. With the help of AI, they quickly develop a variety of scenes and different branches or scenarios that students can traverse. They can then deploy the story they’ve created with their students during class time.

Rochelle Urban, a senior research program manager at Digital Promise, says SceneCraft is primarily being used right now with middle school students, but the team creating it envisions high school students may utilize it as well. Science teachers, in particular, have been drawn to the tool, but English and History teachers have found creative uses for it as well.

Regardless of the topic, SceneCraft tends to work best when there is debate or uncertainty around a subject.

“It's well-tuned to content where there's not a right answer,” Urban says. “When there are differing ways to look at a situation, then the characters come in and talk about those different viewpoints, and you can hear from lots of different characters about how, whatever that topic is, impacts them.”

Urban adds that this can be a particularly good way to debate various topics related to science.

Keeping Teachers In The Loop

The Engage AI Institute will soon launch a companion program to SceneCraft that will serve as a community and education hub for educators using the tool. U.S.-based educators can receive a stipend for participating in these projects.

Urban says there will not be traditional trainings; instead, there will be events during which educators can come together and "talk through what they’re trying to do, work on it [SceneCraft] together, and have a little fun,” she says. “This project is just about having fun, too, because stories are fun. That's part of what makes them different from just giving students, ‘Here is what the controversy is and do something with it,’ versus ‘Let's actually hear an authentic conversation about the controversy.’”’

For teachers, the tool is also really designed for them to be at the center of the AI use, which can alleviate some concerns about the technology.

“That's often talked about, but we've seen very few good realizations of Teacher in the Loop,” Roschelle says. “This is quite a thorough one, and teachers are reacting really positively to all the control they get with this. And it gives them the ability to do something that's pretty stunning in about 10 to 15 minutes, once they get used to it.”

Welcome to the November 2025 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include screen-free STEAM learning, an AI-powered study app for higher education, combined AI and human tutoring, plus much more.

BioBrain | BioBrain

BioBrain combines curriculum-aligned content, personalized learning, and real-time feedback to help students and teachers succeed in and beyond the classroom. Designed for Senior Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, the platform supports the Australian and U.S. curriculums, as well as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. With thousands of practice questions and quizzes, BioBrain helps students prepare for exams while allowing teachers to track progress efficiently.

Clixo | Dino Adventure Pack

Dino Adventure Pack offers screen-free play with a prehistoric twist on STEAM learning. Hinged joints, curved arms, and textured connectors animate builds in real time, encouraging hands-on exploration and imaginative problem solving. Clixo provides off-screen playtime that keeps kids engaged, develops critical thinking, and stays exciting.

Edthena | Observation Copilot

Developed in collaboration with principals and currently free for principals to use, this AI-powered tool streamlines the process of turning classroom observation notes into framework-aligned feedback. Using the tool, principals take notes as they observe a teacher in the classroom. Then Observation Copilot creates the write-up by aligning the principal’s evidence to the district’s instructional framework or a custom framework of the principal’s choice.

Extron | DTP3 CrossPoint

The Extron DTP3 CrossPoint 42 is a 4x2 4K/60 matrix switcher featuring USB-C and HDMI inputs, HDMI outputs, and a DTP3 output for extending video, audio, and control signals up to 330 feet (100 meters) over a shielded CAT 6A cable. Features include 60 watt USB-C charging and audio de‑embedding, while Extron-exclusive Vector 4K scaling delivers pristine image quality, seamless transition effects, and logo keying.

GoGuardian | Merge Classrooms

Merge Classrooms is a new tool within GoGuardian Teacher that allows educators to combine multiple class rosters into a single, unified classroom session. This is a direct response to feedback from co-teachers, special education specialists, and substitutes who need to manage and support students from different classes simultaneously.

iCEV | Pretests and Posttests

Schools and districts can now access pretests and posttests for most of iCEV’s courses to help measure student growth and program effectiveness. iCEV’s pretest and posttest reports provide educators with actionable insights to enhance instruction and improve student outcomes. Accessible directly within the app or downloadable as a .csv file, these reports allow filtering by teacher, course, or student for flexible analysis.

ILT Education | Aski Raski

Aski Raski is an evidence-based reading intervention tool designed to help older learners thrive. Developed over 20 years in Scandinavia and now fully localized for the UK, Aski Raski supports students in building confident, fluent reading skills through personalized, age-appropriate learning pathways. Grounded in the Science of Reading, it combines phonological awareness, morphology, and orthographic knowledge to deliver structured, data-driven literacy support that boosts language acquisition through decoding and fluency exercises.

McGraw Hill | Sharpen Advantage

Sharpen Advantage is an AI-powered enterprise that expands the company’s Sharpen study app into a custom solution built for higher education institutions. Sharpen Advantage allows faculty and administrators to measure, curate and create in-app learning experiences, while bringing the Sharpen experience to scale. This ensures all students have access to a responsible AI solution that provides study support underpinned by vetted content.

Pathify| Campus Experience Platform

The Campus Experience Platform (CXP) category is a new class of higher education technology to help institutions navigate mounting enrollment, budget and perception challenges. A CXP introduces a unified, personalized and system-agnostic approach that replaces fragmented portals and apps with a single digital destination for students, prospects, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff.

Varsity Tutors | Live+AI

Live+AI combines human tutoring with context-aware AI across the entire learning cycle, all while being designed to save time for teachers, accelerate student proficiency, and provide administrators with actionable insights. The Live+AI™ platform combines tutoring with advanced context-aware AI tools, offering tutoring support, targeted intervention, and district-ready AI tools to assist educators and drive student success.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Welcome to the October 2025 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include an AI-powered virtual tutor, a knowledge-based literacy program, a new calculus curriculum, audio visual tech, and much more.

Avantis Education |Eduverse CTE

Eduverse CTE is the first in a series of immersive VR/AR content libraries from Avantis Education. Designed for career and technical education classes, it focuses on career readiness, vocational pathways and career exploration. Available exclusively through the all-new ClassVR Xcelerate headsets, Eduverse CTE is the first content library developed specifically for Avantis’ six-degrees-of-freedom headset.

Chief | Velocity Outdoor Pedestal System

The Chief Velocity Outdoor Pedestal System is a modular outdoor digital signage pedestal mount with options for single, double or triple displays. Ideal for wayfinding signage, the system supports Samsung and LG 55-inch outdoor displays and can easily accommodate future expansion.

Foxit | PDF SDK for Desktop 11.0.0

Foxit PDF SDK (Software Development Kit) 11.0.0 for Desktop introduces new features, including advanced security; refined rendering control; smarter optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities; superior PDF optimization; broader platform adaptability; and enhanced compliance.

Ignite Reading | Esteam AI

Ignite Reading, a Science of Reading-based virtual tutoring program, is adding Esteam, an AI-driven education startup to augment daily one-on-one human tutoring with AI-enabled assessment, skill mapping, and practice. With Esteam's expertise in AI and automatic speech recognition, Ignite Reading aims to make instruction personalized, targeting students' early literacy skills gaps.

Imagine Learning | Dragonfly

Dragonfly is a K–5 English Language Arts program designed to put knowledge at the center of literacy instruction. Research shows that students become stronger readers when they build background and vocabulary across meaningful topics. Dragonfly makes this possible by pairing the science of reading with texts, skills, and original media in a consistent structure.

Just Add Power | MC-TX1-RACK

The MC-TX1-RACK is designed to simplify and accelerate video installations. It combines three MaxColor encoders into a single rackmount chassis, providing a cleaner and more efficient way to manage multiple video sources. The product supports 4K60 4:4:4 resolution and all audio formats, and its Audio Return Channel (ARC) functionality ensures smooth two-way audio integration.

Lakeshore Learning and MarcoPolo Learning | iWonder & Learn

The new iWonder & Learn kits feature developmentally appropriate content created by educators to build literacy, math, social-emotional and fine-motor skills. Each kit includes hands-on learning materials that give children a concrete grasp of fundamental concepts, plus a one-year subscription to MarcoPolo World School—an Emmy-nominated learning app. The app features guided lessons aligned to the included materials, inspiring hands-on learning.

McGraw Hill | Aleks for Calculus

ALEKS for Calculus expands ALEKS offerings to cover the broad range of the mathematics curriculum. Developed by expert mathematicians and educators, ALEKS for Calculus uses AI-driven machine learning to accurately diagnose student needs and deliver personalized content. It features a digital graphing tool that mimics the pencil-to-paper experience and 134 selected topics.

On-Q | Unmanaged Network Switches

On-Q's new line of unmanaged network switches are designed to simplify networking installations. Engineered for plug-and-play deployment and seamless integration with On-Q’s structured wiring enclosures, these switches offer reliable performance and installer-friendly features for residential and light commercial environments. The new lineup includes three models, each tailored to meet specific installation needs.

Roku | Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube

The Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube is designed for both indoor and outdoor use, on any wall or screen. With a single Roku remote, along with integrated auto focus and auto keystone, the projector supports variable screen sizes and is backed by Roku’s intuitive UI and personalized home screen.

Sanus | VXF830-B2 Advanced XL Full-Motion Premium TV Wall Mount and VXL7-B2 Fixed Position TV Wall Mount

The VXF830-B2 is a full-motion mount built to accommodate TVs ranging from 65 to 100 inches. Its brushed metal exterior and slim profile complement the sleek design of today’s displays, while the ultra-strong steel frame ensures maximum durability and support for TVs up to 175 pounds.

Savvas | Savvy Writer

Available for use with myPerspectives English Language Arts 2025, SavvyWriter gives students an interactive writing experience with in-the-moment feedback and engaging instructional support to help improve their writing skills and boost their confidence. Featuring writing instruction and AI expertise for grade 6-12 students, SavvyWriter provides interactive outlines and graphic organizers that are intuitive and easy to use to help students pre-write and plan. SavvyWriter shows students how to improve their writing themselves, guiding them with AI-powered, sentence-level feedback.

Technovation | AI Curriculum

Technovation's new project-based AI curriculum makes AI-skilling meaningful and engaging. Learners will use AI and other technologies to create solutions to problems they care about, guided by lessons that teach them resilience, problem-solving, and adaptability, as well as coding, AI, and entrepreneurship skills.

Teradek | Bolt 6 XT 10K RX

The Bolt 6 XT 10K RX is a zero-delay wireless video receiver with a range of up to 10,000 feet (3 km) over 5GHz and 6GHz frequencies. The Bolt 6 XT 10K RX integrates a directional antenna, specifically designed for superior RF performance to minimizing interference by focusing signal reception. It also benefits from more robust internal shielding.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Mistral AI is the Paris-based AI developer behind Le Chat, a competitor to ChatGPT and other popular AI chatbots. The French AI platform is one of the globe’s top 10 most popular AI tools according to The AI “Big Bang” 2025 Study from One Little Web, and is generally considered the top AI model coming out of Europe at the moment. Mistral AI bills itself as a European alternative to U.S. AI offerings from the likes of OpenAI, Google, and others.

In my use of Mistral’s Le Chat, I found it to be quick, and therefore, a pleasure to use and, in many instances, equally as capable as some better-known AI tools created in the U.S.

Here’s everything educators need to know about Mistral AI and its potential applications for teaching.

What Is Mistral?

Mistral is a French AI company formed in 2023 by Arthur Mensch, Guillaume Lample, and Timothée Lacroix. The company seeks to compete with U.S. and Chinese tech companies in the still burgeoning AI field.

Mistral works very similarly to ChatGPT or Bard, but in my use, it seems to give responses a bit faster, and is trained in French and other languages beyond English. The company has received a lot of fanfare in its native country, and French President Emmanuel Macron has actively helped rally support for Mistral. The company does have ties to American tech, however, as its founders worked for U.S. companies: Mensch is a former employee of Google DeepMind, while Lample and Lacroix both worked at Meta. The three founders have become France’s first AI billionaires.

How Much Does Mistral Cost?

Le Chat is free to use on Mistral’s homepage. You simply navigate to Mistral.AI and can start chatting.

To store past conversations, however, you need to create an account. You can also subscribe to the Pro version for $15 per month, the Team version for $25 per month, or the Enterprise version, which requires contacting the company for a price quote. These subscription tiers offer various levels of access to more advanced models.

What Ways Can Mistral AI Be Used To Teach?

Mistral’s Le Chat can be used to help educators in many of the ways that have become common in recent years. I was able to get it to generate decent lesson plans and quizzes that, with some small tweaks, would be high-quality enough to use in my classes.

Mistral can also perform translations and simplify, summarize, and explain text, as well as offer detailed explanations on various topics. It also works as a search engine alternative and does this all really fast—as fast or faster than any other AI tool I’ve used.

Beyond these features, Mistral offers a good opportunity for a larger discussion around AI literacy and ethics. You might discuss with your students the international competition between AI producers in various companies. Does it matter if an AI tool is based in France, China, or the U.S.? Why or why not? These questions can lead to larger discussions around AI ethics and what happens when powerful technology is in the hands of one country and/or proliferates widely among others.

How Does Mistral Compare To Other AI Tools?

The free version of Mistral matches up pretty well against other popular AI chatbots. It has fewer modes than Gemini or ChatGPT, but for straightforward questions, it was faster in my experience and just as good.

While I didn’t compare it to ChatGPT or other tools on deep-dive research questions, on simple “Can you explain X to me?" questions, it did just as well and arguably a little better than ChatGPT because its summaries tend to be shorter and more to the point.

Bottom Line: Should Educators Use Mistral AI?

Yes. However, at this point AI tools are becoming a little like smartphones or cars in that many of them do pretty much the same thing in most use cases, and which one you use is largely a matter of personal preference.

Mistral is fast, which makes it particularly good as a search engine alternative, and educators who are AI power users will definitely want to add it to their list. Others may feel more comfortable sticking with an AI app with which they’re already familiar. However, with various U.S. tech industry leaders sometimes seemingly competing to see who can be the worst human, some users will see Mistral as a welcome alternative.

• AI-Powered Behavior Support: Leveraging Generative Tools for Individualized Classroom Interventions
• How AI Has Changed Your Teaching

826 Digital is an online resource that's ideal for teachers who want to inspire young writers.

The nonprofit website is a part of 826 National, a writing and tutoring network that was founded by Dave Eggers. This resource launched in 2017, and is now widely used across the 50 U.S. states and throughout the world in more than 60 countries.

The goal here is to make writing instruction inspiring while at the same time being accessible and -- crucially -- a lot of fun for students.

Consequently, there are resources for both students and teachers to make this easier all round, so the focus can be on good quality and highly creative writing.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about 826 Digital as a tool for your class.

What is 826 Digital?

826 Digital is a hub filled with resources for teachers and students that encourage and support creative writing skills and practice.

As the site itself says, this about the ability to "spark the power, brilliance, and joy of writing." And with more than 1,000 writing prompts available immediately, it's clear this is a good place for any budding writer to get started or find inspiration.

The resource library can be accessed online, so it's easy to navigate to from most internet-connected devices with a browser.

This offers teachers ready-to-go lesson plans. For both teachers and students there are quick prompts, extended projects, student work samples, and video resources.

How does 826 Digital work?

826 Digital has all its resources readily available on its website that you can access immediately without the need to sign-up or provide any details.

Select the Resource Library and you're met with a host of options organized into helpful categories to navigate and narrow down what's needed.

Materials are also searchable by grade levels, genre, writing skill, or resource type. This is designed to help make it easy to fit with curriculum-focused teaching.

Everything is also designed to be modular. Teachers can use five-minute warm-up prompts, one-session lessons, or multi-week projects to fit into their teaching plans as required.

It's also possible to sign up for emails to get the latest updates sent to you as well as select time-sensitive resources.

What are the best 826 Digital features?

826 Digital breaks the learning prompts into helpful sections that can be navigated to best suit what's needed. These are:

• Sparks: Short and adaptable writing prompts that take just a few minutes.
• Lessons: As the name suggests, this is for one- or two-session units and target specific skills.
• Projects: These cover multiple sessions and help dive deeper into topics or themes.
• Student Writing: This shows example pieces as a way to help mentor with text.
• Educator Tools: Guides and strategies for planning and teaching writing.
• Videos: These Watch and Write sessions offer featured authors and creators giving guidance over video.

Teachers can use a combination of these many resources to fit into current teaching plans. Equally, these can be great for teachers new to this area, or trying to integrate writing skills into other subjects.

Indeed, this can be a great place for students to get into creative writing on their own time, too.

How much does 826 Digital cost?

826 Digital is a not-for-profit organization meaning everything is available for free to access and use. It runs thanks to philanthropy and grants as well as donations and campaigns.

You don't have to provide any details to access the site, although you can sign-up with email to access features such as downloading, bookmarking, sharing, and uploading.

The organization makes it clear that there is no tracking and it does not engage in third-party tracking or targeted advertising.

826 Digital best tips and tricks

Start small
Use the Sparks to give simple writing prompts so students get a taste and can enjoy, while building stamina without pressure.

Mentor up
Use the student writing resource as a way to help your class feel mentored by the work of others, showing anything is possible.

Use videos
Using the videos within lessons can make otherwise abstract writing skills more graspable for students, ideal as a lesson starter.

• New Teacher Starter Kit
• Best Tools for Teachers

Meta AI is the tech giant’s standalone AI chatbot. It works much the same way as other AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc., but is integrated with Instagram and Facebook and can therefore draw upon each profile to tailor responses — which is both interesting and, well, creepy.

I’ll admit that until recently, I hadn’t given much thought to Meta AI, but Meta is investing a lot in the technology, and Meta AI is one of the top 10 most used AI tools according to a recent AI usage report. Therefore, it’s worth looking at from an education perspective, though, as with any AI tool, it's vital to make sure it is approved by your school or district’s IT team before using it in class, particularly with students.

Ultimately, I found that Meta AI was faster than the competition and performed as well, or almost as well, in most instances.

What Is Meta AI?

Meta AI is tech giant Meta’s standalone AI chatbot app that can be used in a browser or phone app. It has robust capabilities, including image generation and a talking mode that rivals the best around.

As mentioned previously, unlike other AI tools, it can draw upon each user's Facebook and Instagram profiles and, in theory, tailor better responses to each person as a result.

Another unique feature is that it has a discover mode, which is basically a social media feed of AI-generated text and images. Users can share their AI creations with others in this mode. The idea is this adds a social element to AI conversations and creations, though personally, I didn’t find this feature that fascinating—I’m hoping to see less AI-generated material on my social media feeds, not more.

How Much Does Meta AI Cost?

Meta AI is free. To use it, you need to go to Meta.AI on a browser or download the app and set up an account. You can also log in through an existing Facebook or Instagram account.

The process of setting up an account is quick and easy, and on the whole, Meta AI’s interface is a strength.

What Are Some Ways To Teach With Meta AI?

Meta AI works much the same way as other chatbots and can accomplish many of the same tasks.

For instance, for class prep it did a nice job generating quizzes related to subjects I teach, and a fair job with lesson plans, though ChatGPT outperformed it when I asked for a follow-up with specific examples. I teach writing, and when I prompted Meta AI for examples of unclear writing vs. clear writing I could share with my class, its examples were not that helpful. Meanwhile, when I made the same request to ChatGPT, it included a vague run-on sentence next to a well-written one.

Some teaching opportunities unique to Meta AI include working with students to analyze its tone. It's designed to be more social and seamless during interactions, so you can see if your students pick up on this--how is its voice different from ChatGPT or another AI chatbot?

Additionally, the way in which it integrates with the personal data of social media users provides a teachable and discussable moment.

What Makes Meta AI Unique?

Meta AI is really fast in its responses and can be accessed directly from other Meta apps, including Facebook and Instagram, which makes it really convenient to use.

In my experience, Meta AI provided shorter answers that were more to the point than ChatGPT, which was often a good thing when using it as an alternative to a search engine. This was less important when trying to get Meta AI to prepare potential class materials.

The social element of the app is another unique feature, but not one to which I was particularly drawn. I found scrolling through other users' AI AI-generated writings and artwork boring and had no desire to share my own AI creations.

That said, I could see a scenario in which particular groups of AI users might come together on a platform such as this. For instance, it could be helpful to be in a group dedicated to AI and education to see how other teachers are using these tools. Though a good old-fashioned Facebook group dedicated to AI in education might accomplish the same thing.

Meta and some reviewers have talked about Meta AI’s voice mode as a strength, and pointed to advantages over ChatGPT's voice mode. In my tests using the voice mode, I didn’t find it better than other voice AIs I’ve used—it was the same or maybe a little less lifelike.

Bottom Line: Would I Use Meta AI for My Own Teaching?

Sure. I like how fast it is relative to other tools, and its conversational tone is helpful in some settings when you don’t need a complete college-level dissertation. And there’s potential for the social element.

That all said, Meta AI is definitely not earth-shattering, and other than its speed, it seems to be outperformed by other tools available. So if AI is a big part of your teaching practice, I’d check this out, however, if you only use AI occasionally and already have a tool you like, there’s probably not a major reason to make the switch.

• What You Need to Know About Meta Glasses
• AI Starter Kit For Teachers

The AI field had quite a summer. Over the past few months, OpenAI, Google, and others have been in competition to release new-and-improved models with updated capabilities and education-specific settings designed for tutoring.

The growth has been rapid enough that I’m having trouble keeping up with it all, not just as an educator but as someone who writes regularly about AI. The changes have been significant. So much so that I feel my understanding of the capabilities of AI at the end of last school year no longer applies this school year.

Here’s a closer look at the biggest AI developments I’ve seen, and the ones I think every teacher should know about.

1. GPT-5

The biggest news of the summer was probably OpenAI’s long-awaited release of GPT-5. The tool now powers ChatGPT, which is still the best-known AI option around. This tool is definitely more powerful than previous GPT versions, but as I wrote shortly after GPT-5 was initially released, it’s not immediately revolutionary, though I have not used it for coding where there have apparently been significant improvements.

Impact on education: So far I haven’t seen any capabilities that change its potential usefulness on administrative tasks or any wild new capabilities that will make it easier for students to use it to cheat. It's a slightly better version of what we've all grown used to, but it is still something teachers should know about.

2. ChatGPT Agent Mode

More significant in my mind was the arrival of Agent Mode for ChatGPT. Though this feature, released in July, got somewhat lost in much of the hoopla surrounding GPT-5, which was released in early August, Agent Mode gives ChatGPT many heretofore unrealized abilities by allowing the chatbot to create a virtual browser and surf the internet. In this mode, ChatGPT can do helpful-but-also-scary things such as book hotel reservations, answer emails, conduct research, and then complete spreadsheets based on that research.

Impact on education: This has the potential to alter teacher and research workflows more significantly than other recently released tools. For example, a teacher looking for a new position might ask it to create a spreadsheet with every biology teacher position posted for a given region. On the other hand, there are many ways this could be used by students looking to have AI do all the work for them in violation of some academic policies.

3. Google’s Guided Learning

Both OpenAI and Google released education modes for their flagship AI chatbots over the summer. These tools joined Claude for Education, which Anthropic unveiled in the spring. All these teaching modes are designed to do more than just give answers. Instead, these are supposed to act as virtual tutors for students and encourage them to find the answers on their own with guiding questions. I haven’t had a chance to try Claude for Education, but I have tried ChatGPT’s Study Mode and Google’s Guided Learning. Both have impressive features, but Google’s approach wins out. Guided Learning integrates a series of education AI models from Google called LearnLM that was built for teaching from the ground up, instead of building a general model and prompting it for education.

Impact on education: Gemini’s Guided Learning Mode and the LearnLM model on its own are the best AI tutor with which I have interacted. It just asks better questions and has a fun, engaging style that is now my go-to when learning new tasks.

4. Google VEO 3

Released in late May, Google’s VEO 3 video generator is a big jump over other public-facing AI video creation technology I’ve tried. If you want to see just how good and terrifying this technology is, watch this YouTube video featuring real-seeming people coming to grips in various ways with the fact that they might have been created by prompts. Spoiler alert: the video was made entirely with AI.

Impact on education: Because of VEO 3’s steep subscription fee (access costs about $250 per month), its immediate impact on education may be minimal. That said, this technology is the wave of the future and could make deep fakes in the school setting more difficult to spot. On the bright side, there are also a bunch of fun and engaging lessons that could be designed using this type of technology, including prompting various historical events and seeing what the resulting video got right or wrong.

• ChatGPT's Agent Mode: What Educators Need To Know
• GPT-5 Has Launched: Here’s Everything Teachers Need To Know

Welcome to the September 2025 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include VR headsets, a free digital literacy curriculum, a speedy portable SSD ideal for gaming, and more.

Avantis ClassVR | Xcelerate and Xplorer headsets

Xcelerate is the first ClassVR headset made specifically for high school and higher education. Designed to maximize student comfort, Xcelerate delivers six-degrees-of-freedom head and controller tracking to provide a full range of spatial movement, plus an innovative 90° flip visor that supports transitions between immersive learning and real-world collaboration. While Xcelerate expands ClassVR to the high school and higher education spaces, Xplorer delivers a next-gen headset for K-12, delivering a new 4K Ultra-HD display, upgraded LCD screen, and enhanced audio.

Common Sense Media | Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum for K-8

This new, free curriculum reimagines what digital literacy and well-being education should be, identifying the essential knowledge, skills, and mindsets students need to thrive in a tech-filled world. It readies students for the possibilities of today's world, from cyberbullying to AI literacy, screen time, and more, including: expanded coverage, with 140+ new lessons on today's most relevant topics; engaging, low-prep activities, including new videos, games, and interactives; and backed by research, classroom tested, and created with teachers.

Epson | Q-Sys Projector Plugin

The Epson Projector Plugin enables easy connectivity into Q-SYS, a Full Stack AV Platform, and allows users to control and display information from Epson projectors, including integrating functions such as selecting the device input, controlling audio volume and mute functions, adjusting brightness, as well as navigating device menus and monitoring connection status.

Extron | NetPA 204 POE

The NetPA 204 POE is a Dante-enabled, PoE powered, four channel audio power amplifier that delivers up to 20 watts per channel and is designed to be mounted above ceiling tiles. Receiving audio and power over a single cable, the NetPA 204 POE automatically recognizes connected PoE, PoE+, or PoE++ to deliver the corresponding amount of output power. With its integrated DSP, the NetPA 204 POE includes essential audio signal processing.

Google Labs| NotebookLM Video Overviews

Google Labs has announced the launch of Video Overviews and upgrades to its Studio display panel to help make NotebookLM more dynamic, accessible, and insightful. Video Overviews provides a customizable visual alternative to Audio Overviews, transforming dense information from sources into digestible, narrated slides with images, diagrams and key quotes. Video Overviews allows users to specify topics to focus on learning goals, describing the target audience and much more.

iCEV | Building High-Impact CTE Centers: Lessons from District Leaders

"Building High-Impact CTE Centers: Lessons from District Leaders" provides practical insights, advice, and best practices from industry professionals and districts and features stories from the following districts: Culpeper County Public Schools in Virginia, Littleton Public Schools in Colorado, Montgomery Independent School District in Texas, Payette River Tech Academy in Idaho, and Roanoke City Public Schools in Virginia.

Other World Computing | OWC Express 1M2 80G Portable SSD

The ​​OWC Express 1M2 80G portable SSD portable SSD is ThunderboltTM 5 compatible and delivered in a palm-sized, fanless form factor. It offers users the choice between DIY “build your own” and ready-to-run solutions. A solid aluminum, heatsink-like finned design ensures silent, throttle-free heat dissipation to support peak speeds over 6000MB/s. The OWC Express 1M2 80G is available as a 0GB enclosure and in capacities up to 8TB.

Renaissance | AI Upgrades

New AI capabilities in Nearpod enable educators to generate high-quality, interactive content tailored to any topic, while Flocabulary Español debuts a vibrant new collection of Spanish-language lessons and videos, designed to support Spanish-speaking students in building foundational comprehension skills. These lessons reimagine popular English Flocabulary content with the same signature rhythm, rigor, and engagement—now crafted by Spanish-speaking lyricists, artists, and educators.

Wiley | zyBooks AI Upgrades

Wiley zyBooks has created four new learning tools that are available at no extra charge to users this fall: zyLabs AI Hints (an AI tutor); Generate with AI for zyLabs (an AI authoring wizard); zyBooks Assessments (custom assessments creator); and Student Behavior Insights. These new tools are designed to improve instruction, learning outcomes, and academic integrity in zyBooks college STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) courses.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Welcome to the August 2025 Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings include a free global education platform, a mini Chromebox, an AI-powered special education management platform, and much more.

Acer | Chromebox Mini CXM1

The Acer Chromebox Mini CXM is a mini Chromebox that is compact and fanless, so it’s ideal for all sizes of schools in a variety of spaces. Equipped with Intel Celeron N Series processor1, the Mini CXM is easy to deploy and maintain and features up to 16 GB1 Dual Channel LPDDR4X memory and 128 GB1 eMMC storage.

BBC | BBC Learning Hub

BBC Learning Hub is a free global education platform offering more than 1,000 video clips, lesson plans, and student activities for pre-K–12 teachers, students, and families. The platform, launching first in the U.S. with plans for international expansion, is designed to enhance instruction in classrooms and support at-home learning. Drawing on the BBC’s legacy of world-class journalism and storytelling, the Learning Hub features dynamic, ready-to-use multimedia resources covering a wide range of subjects, including content from BBC’s award-winning Science and Natural History Unit.

Better Speech | Streamline

Streamline is a new AI-powered special education management platform that uses AI to reduce paperwork time by 90%, shrinking IEP preparation time from 3 hours to just 10 minutes. Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) who used Streamline reported seeing a 50% increase in capacity for direct therapy, as well as a 32% improvement in speech-language outcomes through the platform’s integrated AI-enabled SLP Helper.

CTL | Chromebox OPS OPx1-3

The CTL Chromebox OPS OPx1-3 transforms interactive displays into ChromeOS devices, leveraging Google’s ecosystem for education, collaboration, and entertainment while simplifying IT management. Available in an 8GB RAM / 256 GB eMMC storage configuration, it offers a powerful solution for modernizing display technologies for schools, enterprises, and other organizations where interactive panels, digital signs, and kiosks are used.

Imagine Learning | Imagine+ Assessment

Imagine+ Assessment is a comprehensive K–12 assessment suite that combines screening, diagnostic, and formative tools in one system. Built to support early identification of learning delays and impediments, the suite enables educators to act on data without disrupting learning. The suite includes: Imagine+ Screener (PreK–3); Imagine+ Diagnostic; and Imagine+ Formatives (K–8).

Key Code Education | Hands-On Training Programs for Ross Video, Vizrt, EditShare, and SNS

Key Code Education is expanding its course offerings with new programs that include beginner and intermediate training for industry-leading tools: Ross Video Carbonite and XPression, Vizrt TriCaster, EditShare EFS, and SNS EVO. As production companies struggle to find skilled talent, Key Code Education is stepping in with a practical solution - live, hands-on training led by experienced instructors, available in-person, online, or on-site.

Lexia | LETRS Connect

Lexia LETRS Connect is a platform for graduates of the Lexia LETRS Professional Learning course that provides users with access to their completed courses as well as literacy research, instructional best practices, and actionable tools. Included are expert-led sessions, resources such as graphic organizers, highlighted routines and activities, as well as live-online events.

LG | Chromebox OPS

The new LG Chromebox OPS (Open Pluggable Specification) device is designed exclusively for the LG CreateBoard. This slot-in device transforms LG’s interactive flat panel display into a large-format ChromeOS device. It includes verified boot, a dedicated security chip and automatic system updates, including BIOS/UEFI firmware. ChromeOS automatically encrypts user data, with the Trusted Platform Module securing encryption keys at the hardware level.

LG | CreateBoard UltraWide

The new, ultrawide (21:9), 5K UltraHD Resolution 105-inch LG CreateBoard commercial display is designed to improve work efficiencies for corporate and educational establishments. Offering a large workspace, with a 21:9 aspect ratio for optimal collaboration, and 5K UltraHD Resolution (5120 x 2160 at 60Hz), it is optimized for Microsoft Teams Rooms (Front Row layout).

Other World Computing | OWC USB-C Quad HDMI 4K Adapter

The OWC USB-C Quad HDMI 4K Adapter uses a single Thunderbolt, USB4, or USB-C port on a Mac, PC, or Chromebook to create an immersive viewing experience. Simply plug in this visual upgrade to utilize multiple Ultra-High Definition monitors in business presentations, creative projects, or WFH settings. This adapter delivers a reliable multi-display experience while simultaneously charging a computer.

PBLWorks | Teach

PBLWorks TEACH is a web-based application with standards-aligned PBL projects for middle school math, science, English language arts, and social studies. TEACH’s middle school curriculum units are now available while units for elementary and high school will be available in 2026.

SchoolAI | SchoolAI 2.0

SchoolAI delivers real-time, personalized learning experiences for students while empowering educators and families with deep insights into what they need, and the tools to make it happen. The 2.0 release introduces Dot, a teacher’s AI sidekick that remembers teaching preferences and supports planning, prep, and day-to-day tasks.

Tribit | StormBox Mini+

The TRIBIT StormBox Mini+ is a portable Bluetooth speaker designed for powerful, customizable sound. It features 360° surround sound with 12W output from dual 48mm full-range drivers and a passive radiator, enhanced by 2+1 Band Dynamic Range Control, as well as customizable sound and true wireless stereo (pair two speakers for an immersive stereo experience).

• Edtech Show & Tell

AI can provide many new opportunities for accessible education, Crystal Yang says.

The recent high school graduate is about to start her first year at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and knows this firsthand. While a high school student, Yang was friends with a blind classmate and realized that the student didn’t have the same educational opportunities that Yang did.

“I grew up playing cool math games, like Khan Academy and PBS Kids Games. And these are all educational games that are all very visual, and there wasn't really a tool like that for blind students,” Yang says.

She decided to fix that, and launched Audemy, a nonprofit educational gaming platform designed for the visually impaired. So far, Audemy has partnered with 26 schools for the blind, and the platform has been used by more than 10,000 blind students.

Along the way, Yang has learned several best practices that she thinks can help others--including high school and college students--launch AI-powered apps that make a difference. Here are her tips for starting a tech nonprofit or company.

1. Embrace AI

“For the general public, there's this huge fear of AI right now,” Yang says. “But I think it's really necessary to embrace it. It is the future.”

She advises those interested in tech entrepreneurship “to shift your perspective and see how it can be used to help society, increase efficiency, and make things more accessible,” she says.

2. Use AI To Get Started With Code

Learning to code without any experience can be really intimidating, but the process is getting easier and easier.

“A lot of AI tools are able to code pretty well right now, and there are a lot of resources online that teach how to code,” Yang says. “I think someone without any coding skills can make an interactive website or create a small app. When it comes to editing the code, that gets a little harder, but overall, I think people would be surprised at how much AI can do right now.”

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help From Experienced Volunteers

People across the globe are passionate about using technology to help solve problems, and Yang was able to use the website VolunteerMatch to get volunteers to help launch and run her nonprofit. She now has a team of 60 professional developers and designers from all over the world, a response that has surprised her.

“I remember when I put out my first volunteer request for a software engineer, I was like, ‘There's no way I'll have professional people offering to build software,’” Yang recalls. “But I just put out the request anyway. And the next day, I had 15 people from all across the world with different skill levels who were interested in helping me out.”

This response has really inspired her. “I was so excited to see that people wanted to use technology to make an impact in the world,” Yang says.

4. Seek Out Grants

Many grants are available for nonprofits, particularly in the technology space. Yang says those looking to build new organizations should look for these.

Audemy was one of Intel’s AI Global Impact Festival award winners in 2024, and has received grants from Google in the form of Google ads that have helped the platform grow.

“People are willing to help nonprofits, not only via volunteers, but also financially as well,” Yang says.

5. Harness Tech For Accessibility

For those looking to work in the accessibility space in particular, Yang sees lots of opportunities. “I think accessibility is a really under-addressed theme when it comes to development,” she says.

Yang advises other students interested in working in the world of accessibility to connect with people from various communities and see what their needs are that are not being addressed.

“Use your creativity to build tools to address their specific issues,” Yang says. “There are infinite possibilities when it comes to technology.”

• Using 3D Printing and Student Input to Aid Accessibility
• 4 New Teaching Features For Google Classroom: AI, Accessibility, and More

Pivot Interactives by Discovery Education is a science resource designed to help teachers and students use real experiences to learn in an active and engaging way.

While physical world experiments are always an option, imagine having a wide variety of these already done and available in video format. This can save time and money, and allow for a far wider reach than might be possible with traditional in-room experiments.

Unlike some of the competition in this area, these STEM-friendly videos are highly interactive -- so you can make lessons in which students learn actively as part of the experience.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to know about Pivot Interactives in your class.

What is Pivot Interactives?

Pivot Interactives is a web-based experiment center that uses interactive videos as a way to engage and teach students about science.

The selection of videos are interactive, so teachers can add questions and ways for students to interact with the experiment videos, to work out new outcomes.

A wide selection of STEM-friendly videos are available on the site itself -- more than 500 original, plus 9,000 third-party options at time of publishing -- with more being uploaded all the time.

Teachers can work with standards alignment while students can access this content from most digital devices. This means there should be a very easy uptake for all involved with minimal training and learning required to get going.

The end result should be a wealth of experiments that span the spectrum to help teachers introduce new STEM topics, expand on these with experience, and to assess student understanding -- all with active engagement at its core.

How does Pivot Interactives work?

Pivot Interactives is a web-based platform that offers a wide selection of videos and interactive questions for use by students and teachers.

Teachers are able to select videos of experiments that are relevant to what's being taught. They can then use the overlay tools -- including rulers, protractors, grids, light and color monitors, and more -- to allow students to take measurements from the videos.

This interactivity allows teachers to make the experiments live in the room so students can interact in a way that requires further investigation.

Many options for follow-up questions are available, including graphs, tables, teacher-graded short and long answers, plus auto-graded multiple-choice questions.

Teachers have a class key that they can share with students, allowing them to easily log in via the website when needed.

What are the best Pivot Interactives features?

Pivot Interactives lets students take measurements from videos in a unique way, which makes these as interactive as a video can be. It also sets this apart from the competition in a way that makes for a far more immersive and engaging experience for students.

Teachers are able to record and upload their own videos that can work with the various tools. This can be done thanks to a selection of supporting tools, including guides, walkthroughs, and blogs. As such, there is a large and growing selection of videos available to use, already uploaded for public use.

Teachers can organize the selection of videos by certain categories, including the subjects and topics, but also via specific standards. You can also search by states, data sets, sensors, simulations, science practices, and more.

How much does Pivot Interactives cost?

Pivot Interactives offers a free trial as well as a selection of priced options for school and district scales.

The Classroom license offers more than 500 activities for a year, the ability to customize activities, hands-on sensor integration, student collaboration, LMS integration and on-demand professional development. Pricing varies on class size, but for a class of 30 the cost per seat is $5.50 for a total of $165 per year.

The District plan offers everything above plus a reporting dashboard with metrics, advanced restoring and SSO, advanced LMS integration, on-demand professional development, content alignment with state or custom standards, plus dedicated wider support. Pricing for this on a quote basis.

Pivot Interactives best tips and tricks

Experiment live
Lead an experiment on the big screen so the class can learn how the platform works as you learn together.

Follow-up
Create a selection of questions for use during the experiment as a way to direct action and learning.

Get creative
Build your own experiments and make this fun as its recorded in class by the group working together to make the videos.

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Kira Learning was originally a computer science education platform but has now re-aligned as a broader AI education support tool.

The current version of Kira offers AI tools that are built to support teachers and students across educational scenarios and subjects. The company says this gives teachers more time to focus on students and classroom impact.

Built by a team of educators, engineers, designers, and operators, Kira is a multi-faceted system that offers a finished and complete AI solution for teachers' needs, and is free for educators and students.

The company claims, "Kira is the first AI platform that delivers personalized education at scale."

This guide lays out all you need to know about Kira in your class.

What is Kira Learning?

Kira Learning is an AI platform that works to make the job of teachers more simple while also supporting students in their learning.

This is actually described by its creators as an AI toolkit consisting of more than 20 different AI tools, so it can cover a wide variety of teacher and student needs.

This can be used to prepare, with lesson plans and rubrics; to assess with quiz design and differentiated instructions; and to grade with feedback generation, progress tracking, and more.

A course library for teaching computer science is also available -- listed below -- since this does still offer the original Kira content, only now with a way more AI-focused approach.

How does Kira Learning work?

Kira Learning offers a rich course catalog that you can get into for computer science teaching. But now there is all that AI power as well, it's possible to use it in a way that is focused on more general teaching.

Sign up with a Google or school account initially and as a teacher you can begin using the services. You build activities using AI, create a course using instructional sequences, use interactive video to teach, or align content to educational standards as needed.

The point is this is very broad in its offerings, so how you use it as a teacher is up to you. You may wish to dive into the AI Tutor, which allows you to offer students real-time feedback on multimodal learning. Teachers can program this in a way that allows them to save time on individual support, while students still get that level of assistance while learning.

What are the best Kira Learning features?

Kira Learning is a powerful and rich offering so it can deliver an AI tool to work with most needs for teachers. For example, that means saving on time while still offering students personalized guidance and feedback, that can be monitored and analyzed by teachers to track progress.

Usefully, the Kira AI can adapt to student needs, so it will suggest targeted practice, offer useful insights to educators, and adapt explanations to help students as required.

This being education-specific, you can enjoy all the benefits of AI without any of the worries since this is compliant with COPPA and FERPA, uses AWS servers in the U.S., and is Common Sense privacy-verified.

The adaptive nature of Kira is really helpful. If a student keeps making the same or a similar mistake, for example, Kira will spot that and then adjust guidance accordingly. This should allow a new approach through which students find a way to understand and progress.

How much does Kira Learning cost?

Kira Learning is free for teachers and students, however, districts are charged at a bespoke rate for analytics.

Kira Learning best tips and tricks

Discuss first
Initially explain how this AI works so students are aware of its limitations and abilities -- and that they can ask you directly if needed.

Check in
The more you use AI, the more you can and should check-in to make sure it's working effectively and helping students as expected.

Teach CS
This is built from a computer science teaching platform so using it for that specifically is a great way to maximize what you're getting out of Kira.

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Welcome to the Edtech Show & Tell, in which our editors share some of the new edtech products that have caught our attention this month. These are not reviews or endorsements, but a showcase of education-friendly items, platforms, and more that we think might be noteworthy for you.

This month's new offerings feature many products that are being showcased at ISTELive 2025.

Avocor | A Series

The A Series features a detachable 4k camera for high-quality video. With Avocor EDLA OPS PC, users can enhance their Google experience with a certified Google EDLA display, enjoying the full benefits while maintaining energy efficiency. Handwriting recognition enables users to write naturally in whiteboarding mode before instantly converting to text.

Cellairis | CyberSystem

The new CyberSystem is a signal-blocking pouch designed to reduce distractions while keeping phones safely accessible for emergencies. Features include: Water-resistant and tear-resistant materials; ultra-strong Velcro; fits all major phones (with or without cases), plus earbuds, and smartwatches; hands-free carrying solution with attached carabiner; ID holder; built-in signal blocking stops incoming/outgoing communication.

Discovery Ed | DreamBox Reading PreK-Grade 5 Enhancements

Discovery Education is adding significant enhancements to the online, adaptive literacy program DreamBox Reading. These improvements broaden DreamBox Reading’s coverage to support all PreK-5 learners and expand educators’ abilities to develop students’ foundational skills and confidence in reading through personalized instruction. Among the latest enhancements made to DreamBox Reading are:  expanded access to adaptive, personalized learning for older readers; enhancements to the student experience; and improved teaching and learning Supports

Edlio | Community Analytics Dashboard

Designed to foster stronger engagement with families and communities, Edlio's new Community Analytics dashboard enables education leaders to monitor communication success, identify contact gaps, and take action to ensure that vital information reaches every member of their school community. It includes deliverability reports, targeted group messaging, and multilingual support.

Epson | PowerLite L-Series laser projectors

Epson's new three-chip 3LCD PowerLite L-Series laser projectors are compatible with Apple AirPlay, allowing users to share videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices directly to their projector. The new lineup delivers higher brightness and pro level features in a portable design, with an expanded range of throw ratios from 0.5 to 2.2.

Ergotron | YES Adjusta Pre-wired Charging Cart

Ergotron’s YES Adjusta Pre-wired Charging Carts are available in two configurations to support safe, secure, and fast charging. The YES24 fits up to 24 devices with 24 charging bays pre-wired with USB-C power adapters, and the YES36 fits up to 36 devices with 36 charging bays pre-wired with USB-C power adapters. Because each Charging Cart is pre-wired with its own dedicated set of power adapters accessible behind a lockable panel, schools can eliminate the ongoing need to replace lost, stolen, or damaged charging cords.

Extron | UCS SW 313

The UCS SW 313 is a collaboration and presentation switcher for presentation, unified communications, and other meeting spaces. It features three inputs that support USB and dual HDMI sources and five USB device ports connect to peripherals such as USB cameras and microphones. The USB-C input provides video and audio, USB data, and 60 watts of power to charge a user's laptop computer. The HDMI output provides signal for the room display and supports resolutions up to 4K/60.

FETC | FETC State Network Alliance

The FETC State Network Alliance is a groundbreaking initiative designed to unite state edtech leaders in scaling innovation, amplifying professional learning, and sharing resources to strengthen the national education ecosystem. This alliance demonstrates how state leaders are leveraging technology to enhance teaching and learning while also cultivating resilient, future-ready communities. The FETC State Network Alliance will operate as a national network dedicated to promoting innovation, enhancing professional development, and showcasing exemplary practices in leveraging technology to support teaching and learning.

Hemco | Vented Demonstration Hood

The Vented Demonstration Hood is ideal for classroom experiments and demonstrations because of its viewing visibility from all four sides. An instructor can perform a science demonstration while the class gathers around and safely observes. The hood can also be used as a student workstation, or vented storage enclosure. A hinged viewing window or horizontal sliding glass panels allow easy access and user safety. An integral exhaust blower with a front-mounted switch safely exhausts fumes and odors. A vapor-proof light is factory-installed. A power cord is provided for immediate operation.

HMH | HMH AI Tools

HMH AI Tools integrate secure, purpose-built artificial intelligence with trusted curriculum to deliver personalized, high-quality instruction at scale. Designed for educators, these tools automate daily instructional tasks—like generating leveled reading passages, vocabulary scaffolds, and formative assessments—so teachers can focus more on student engagement and less on prep. Embedded in the HMH ecosystem and aligned with HMH curriculum, HMH AI Tools ensure seamless integration with district instructional materials and professional learning strategies.

Kramer | MTX3-88-PR Pro 8x8 4K60

The MTX3-88-PR Pro 8x8 4K60 is an all-in-one matrix that offers high-performance video processing and fast-switching scaling capabilities for AV needs in enterprise, education and government settings and beyond. This single-box solution is rack-efficient and reduces installation complexity, required cabling and potential points of failure. It is ideal for sharing local and remote content.

LG | LG CreateBoard Core, LG Chromebox OPS, and LG CreateBoard Prep

Among the new offerings on display at ISTELive 2025, LG is debuting LG CreateBoard Core, tailored for schools that prefer to operate with their own content management systems and operating platforms. Also featured is the new LG Chromebox OPS for LG CreateBoard, which transforms the display into a large-format Chromebook, enabling seamless integration with Google-based learning environments. Rounding out the innovations is LG CreateBoard Prep, a new, free interactive lesson-planning software that allows teachers to prepare and collaborate from virtually anywhere using a laptop or tablet.

Magewell | Pro Convert IP to USB

The new Pro Convert IP to USB is a plug-and-play device that enables computers, including laptops, to capture an NDI®, NDI® HX or other streaming sources through a USB interface with no external power required. It is ideal for use in conference rooms, production studios, and in environments where software does not natively support NDI or other IP protocols and/or the installation of additional software is not permitted.

Microsoft | Learning Zone, plus AI updates to Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot+ PCs

Microsoft’s new solutions to support educators include: Microsoft Learning Zone, the first education-focused Copilot+ PC app, allows educators to quickly create, share, and track personalized and interactive learning activities right from their Copilot+ PC; Teach module in Microsoft 365 Copilot App, a hub that brings the latest functionality for AI-powered features for educators in one place, allowing for easy lesson planning, material creation and modification, and more; and Study Guides in Copilot Notebooks, a tool to help students, or educators, turn materials into organized study material with engaging learning activities such as podcasts, flashcards, quizzes and more.

Nearpod | AI Literacy Lessons and Question and Lesson generators

Nearpod has launched a comprehensive package of AI literacy lessons that introduce students to AI concepts and technology, building a strong foundation for responsible and ethical AI use. Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program equips educators with tools to teach AI literacy, digital citizenship, and other essential future-ready skills. The new AI generators can save teachers time by instantly generating high-quality interactive instructional materials customized by topic, grade, and standard. This gives teachers endless ways to introduce and re-teach content in order to differentiate their instruction.

Nureva | HDX Series

The HDX series is a response to the costs and complexities faced by IT managers who need to support a growing set of in-room audio requirements beyond full-room microphone pickup. This includes high-quality in-room media playback, voice amplification, voice lift, assistive listening, lesson capture, meeting recording and support for AI agents. The HDX series delivers this functionality in an integrated, cost-effective solution that doesn’t require special expertise to install, set up or maintain.

Philips | Unite LED 6000 Series All In One

The new foldable and height-adjustable 135” Philips Unite LED 6000 Series All In One combines cutting-edge Chip on Board (COB) technology with a fine 1.5mm pixel pitch for ultra reliable, ultra sharp visuals, from spectacular video to intricate meeting room presentations. It ensures content is always presented as intended, delivering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and uniform brightness.

Roland | BN2-30 Printer/Cutter and BD-12 UV Flatbed Printer

The BN2-30 is an eco-solvent printer/cutter with a maximum material width of 30 inches (736 mm), and the BD-12, a UV direct-to-object printer with a print bed of 12.2” x 8.3” (305 mm x 210 mm) that can accommodate items slightly larger than A4 in size. The BD-12 UV flatbed printer is designed for high-definition printing on three-dimensional objects up to A4 size and four inches (102 mm) in height, such as smartphone covers, notepads, sports memorabilia, giftware, fashion accessories, and promotional items. Optional rotary devices are also available that allow users to print easily and effectively on cylindrical objects up to two inches (50 mm) in diameter, such as cosmetics and travel items.

SMART | SMART Board GX Plus

Packed with premium features to help schools deliver modern learning experiences without the premium price, the GX Plus stands as a purpose-built innovation for both teachers and school leaders. It features a refreshed design, built-in tools that spark learning, and greater energy efficiency than competing models. Other key features include: EDLA licensed Android 14 experience with better security, speed, and access to the Google Play Store; upgradable to future versions of Android for superior longevity; integration with Google for Education and Microsoft 365 apps; 4K Ultra HD resolution with responsive multi-touch interactivity; and much more.

Sphero | Sphero Edu App upgrades

Sphero has introduced Python programming in the Sphero Edu App, giving students the tools to explore one of today’s most widely used and in-demand coding languages. Python joins JavaScript as an advanced programming option, helping learners bridge visual coding with text-based syntax. A new Python lesson collection for BOLT+, focused on robotics and physical computing, is now available in Sphero Central for students in grades 7–10. These lessons move programming off the screen and into real-world applications while helping students understand Python fundamentals. An educator guide supports each lesson with background info, instructional tips, and extension ideas.

Targus | VersaVu Bluetooth Keyboard Cases

The Targus VersaVu Bluetooth Keyboard Cases are versatile, slim keyboard cases made to upgrade the latest iPad models to a laptop-like experience, while keeping them protected. Standout features include: patented 360-degree rotation for seamless portrait and landscape viewing, an adjustable kickstand for comfortable typing, viewing, sketching, and reading angles, a full QWERTY backlit keyboard with large multi-touch trackpad and media keys, and mil-spec drop-rated protection made from high-quality materials and components.

Vernier | Go Direct 2-Axis Force Plate and Go Direct Turbidity Sensor

Vernier Science Education recently launched two new wireless sensors—the Go Direct 2-Axis Force Plate and the Go Direct Turbidity Sensor—for high school- and college-level science. These sensors can be used in a wide range of hands-on investigations to help students easily collect and analyze scientific data as they make real-world connections. The Go Direct 2-Axis Force Plate combines the Go Direct Force Plate and the Lateral Force Accessory into a single wireless tool, while the Go Direct Turbidity Sensor helps students analyze various water samples as part of water quality, water treatment, and short- and long-term water pollution investigations.

• Edtech Show & Tell

Along offers a way for teachers and students to communicate that is meaningful and authentic. The idea being this can help academically by first building a strong relationship.

The company behind the platform says that developing a stronger connection between teacher and student can have a positive impact on student academic growth, well-being, and social development.

This offers a digital way to forge that connection with lots of support for teachers that can make this an easy way to engage. Crucially, this is also about making students feel comfortable so they too want to engage and share.

This guide aims to explain all you need to know about Along for your class.

What is Along?

Along is a digital communications platform designed to help strengthen the relationship between teachers and students.

Using a mixture of text messaging, images, and videos, this offers a rich way for teachers to make contact with students and for them to respond and start a digital dialogue -- which can also spill over into physical conversations.

Unlike many other platforms, this one is purely focused on conversations that encourage deeper thinking and reflection for students and teachers. So while you can bring in academic topics, that's not the main focus here, with this being a more SEL-focused platform.

The idea is for teachers to better understand their students so that they can help meet their needs in the classroom far better and more effortlessly.

How does Along work?

Along works digitally, allowing teachers and students to connect across their own devices. Initially, teachers can sign-up using a Google or Microsoft account for quick access.

A range of resources are available immediately, including tutorials and teacher resources to help support reflective thinking. The idea of reflection itself is covered with tips on how to find time to do this, ways to reflect, research on how this works, and more.

A useful Google Slides presentation is available for teachers to share with students as a way to explain the idea behind this process so they can choose to get onboard, as informed and willing.

Teachers can email students the sign-up link so they are then able to using their own accounts to get started.

What are the best Along features?

Along helpfully offers plenty of pre-built resources for teachers to use. This includes guidance and explanations with research. But, perhaps most crucially, there are also pre-written questions.

Thanks to a mix of research-informed and partner co-created content, teachers can access a mix of open and scaffolded questions to get conversations started with students.

Once the response comes in, the teacher can reflect on it and analyze what was said -- individually as well as for class-wide trends. Support is provided from Along that helps during this part of the process too, which includes insights and recommendations.

Research-informed questions include ones such as, "What's one way you like to be recognized when you've worked hard?" with a selection of optional responses from which to pick. This is a more obvious and direct one, in terms of actionable outcome for teachers, but just shows how helpful this kind of space for dialogue can be.

How much does Along cost?

Along offers a range of options, all of which are free packages.

The Free option is for individuals and gets you on-demand setup and usage as well as troubleshooting technical support.

The School package, also free, gets you clever secure sync, live support for setup, dedicated onboarding, admin dashboard, school-wide sentiment survey, custom insights, and dedicated implementation planning for strategy and execution.

The District package, also free, gets you the above only applied to multiple schools at once.

Along best tips and tricks

Teach yourself first
Use the resources on offer to become accustomed to how the platform works before you start offering it to students.

Go IRL too
Determine if follow-up chats in real life are helpful to your student, and don't be afraid to use that should things get more complex.

Use others
This platform can open up more discussion points so be prepared to use other teachers, parents, and school counselors as needed.

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