Following a fantastic launch event last Fall, Tech & Learning’s EdExec Summit is back at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort outside of Atlanta on September 11-13, 2024.

Once again, Tech & Learning will bring together senior executives from companies serving the K-12 industry for a three-day networking conference dedicated to the business of education. Last year, 80% of the attendees rated the event as “excellent,” and described it as “one of the best conferences we have ever attended.”

REGISTER HERE FOR EDEXEC 2024

The intimacy, deep connections, and partnerships that industry executives can forge at this event, coupled with a curated agenda that includes meaningful time for collaboration and connection, is unlike any other conference for education business executives. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to network with some of the most influential figures in the education industry.

The Agenda

The EdExec Summit 2024 agenda boasts an extensive group of industry experts from respected companies such as Google, Instructure, Powerschool, ClassLink, Renaissance Learning, Edmentum, and many more. Learn how to tackle unique edtech challenges to become the best provider you can be. Immerse yourself in the trending topics of today’s educational space, including AI, data privacy and security, and overcoming common edtech pitfalls. The EdExec Summit 2024 will provide you with the information you need to thrive in educational technology.

FIND THE COMPLETE EDEXEC 2024 AGENDA HERE

The summit’s agenda is divided into four tracks with multiple sessions to support education industry executives at all stages:

• The education market - Delve into various aspects of the edtech industry, including discussions about school policies, product interoperability, common pitfalls, and scalability.
• Team performance - Learn best practices for building and reskilling your team, setting and tracking goals, and recruiting and leveraging a community of brand ambassadors.
• Ramping up - Learn the vital components to gain market share both domestic and internationally.
• Exponential growth - Learn how to identify and secure strategic partnerships that drive growth, manage AI and data privacy in edtech, build roadmaps to success, and navigate funding pain points.

In addition to building connections with industry insiders, you will learn best practices of top-performing sales teams, hear insights and advice from school district decision makers, be informed of the latest edtech trends, receive tips for navigating the edtech space, and much more.

Agenda highlights include:

Privacy and AI: What Companies Need to Know: This session covers crucial school data privacy rules and regulations, as well as offer tips for operationalizing and scaling those rules.

The End of ESSER: Now What? How can companies find the billions of dollars still available in the education market after ESSER? In this session, attendees will learn where to find and secure funding.

How to Win in an AI-Driven Market: Tech & Learning's content director, Christine Weiser, talks with Magic EdTech's Chief Solutions Officer, Rishi Raj Singh Gera, about the challenges and opportunities education companies have in the current AI-driven market.

Sourcing and Securing Strategic Partners: This session covers best practices for partnership selection, negotiation, and management, presented by industry experts from Google, Classlink, and Instructure.

The Evolving Global EdTech Landscape: Opportunities & Challenges in 2024: This panel of experts explores the dynamic global edtech market, identifying emerging trends, opportunities, and obstacles.

FIND THE COMPLETE EDEXEC 2024 AGENDA HERE

And that’s not all! EdExec Summit 2024 offers chances for downtime and casual conversation as well. Throughout the three-day event attendees will have plenty of time to network with each other while enjoying meals and activities provided by Tech & Learning, one of the most trusted sources in educational technology news.

Who You'll Meet

Throughout the conference, attendees will have the opportunity to network with some of the most respected names in educational technology. They will also have time to connect with one another, providing the opportunity to share opinions, strategies, and information all to help them better connect with decision makers and make an impact in education.

Join senior education executives at the 2024 event from companies including: Intel, Google Education, Instructure, PowerSchool, Edmentum, Nearpod, Magic EdTech, ClassLink, Lexia, Renaissance Learning, Sirius Education Solutions, Authentica Solutions, Second Avenue Learning, Global Grid for Learning (GG4L), 1EdTech, Advancing Global EDU, CoSN, Burbio, CAST, Edlatam Alliance (Latin American Company alliance), Cherry Tree Associates, Loeb & Loeb, LLP, Boclips, Carolina -- and much more!

The Venue

The 2024 Tech & Learning EdExec Summit takes place at the beautiful Chateau Elan Winery & Resort outside Atlanta — spanning 3,500 acres of rolling hills and wooded forests.

In addition to a tranquil setting ideal for learning and networking with colleagues, the Chateau Elan has on–property restaurants and bars, a golf course, spas, wine tours, and more.

The EdExec Summit is a rare opportunity to garner actionable insights from edtech leaders, and this year is looking to be the best one yet! This three day event is your chance to learn from the nations’ top leaders in innovative educational technology. Make sure to secure your chance to attend the Summit and experience a unique event with connections and information that will last a lifetime.

It only happens once a year! Register now and put your finger on the pulse of the edtech industry with EdExec Summit 2024!

Go here for more information and to register for the EdExec Summit

The ISTELive conference is a chance to bring edtech enthusiasts of all walks together with solution providers looking to make advancements that will make the learning process easier for parents, teachers, and students alike. It is a celebration of how far we’ve come with edtech, with a concentrated focus on where the future will take us.

The night before ISTELive takes off, however, a group of dedicated educators organizes an old-school board game meetup during which people can connect in a way that predates even the oldest of tech.

Bonding Over Board Games 

With the tech-heavy focus of ISTELive being the reason educators gather in the first place, having a board game night right before might seem counterintuitive. After all, what do board games have to do with tech?

Eric Curts, Technology Integration Specialist at Stark Portage Area Computer Consortium, explains how game night came to be a beloved pre-conference staple.

“This is our second year doing this at ISTE, but we’ve done similar things like this at other conferences,” says Curts. “Just a bunch of folks saying ‘Hey, this will be fun to do in the evening. We’re a bunch of nerds and we like board games. Let’s do a board game meetup.’ And from that we said we should do this at ISTE.”

Last year’s inaugural event at ISTE was so well-received that there was no hesitation in doing it again.

“What’s behind it is we just want to have opportunities that meet everybody where they’re at,” says Curts. “They don’t want to be in a room with really loud music where they’re trying to scream over it to talk to somebody.”

The difference between a conference floor and a board game table can make all the difference when trying to get to know someone.

“Some people say ‘Hey, I’d rather go somewhere tonight where I can just meet some new people, talk, laugh, have some fun, play some games, and connect,’” Curts says. “And I love that about board games. It’s an opportunity that can bridge and connect people. They learn about each other, and that’s what we’re trying to do. Connecting awesome educators with other awesome educators in a venue that supports fun and creative communication.”

Pre-ISTE = Pre-Technology?

Having a board game night before an educational technology showcase can be jarring given the fact that these are on opposite ends of the spectrum. However, the focus on non-screen gaming is not meant to take away from the advent of technology highlighted by ISTELive. Rather, it helps to bring together a mass of wandering educators for one night to laugh, talk, and connect over one of the oldest forms of entertainment.

“We’ve had people from South Africa, Canada, and Australia,” says Matt Winters, Utah State Board of Education Specialist and founding participant. “We’ve had board game designers and we’ve had educators from higher ed and K through 12. It’s just incredible to see people play a giant version of Jenga and enjoy the craziness of it. I love that it feels like I’m at home, playing a board game with my friends. But these are friends from all over the world, and I’m just meeting them now. Hopefully, I’ll have a connection that goes forward for years.”

A Special Type of Connection 

Board games, much like the people who play them, are diverse in nature as there’s one for almost anyone who would like to play. This diversity was at the heart of the Pre-ISTE Board Game meetup, as participants are encouraged to bring a game of their choosing to the event. Games that would be present were listed prior to the date of the event so attendees would not bring the same game. As Director of Design and Innovation for Community Region Charter School in Maine Dan Ryder recalls, it was a much smaller game night that sparked the idea for this pre-ISTE ritual.

“How did it start? Playing games in Utah and then going for an Uber ride,” Ryder says. “Both Eric Curts and I were in Utah as featured speakers for an event, thanks to Matt Winters. We both went to a game night and, during the Uber ride from the conference to the airport that Eric and I shared, we said we should do this at ISTE. We laughed, but there was no reason why we couldn’t. So, at ISTE 2023, we were able to find a hotel that had a function room, we were able to get a handful of sponsors, and we got a small room that could hold about 150 people or so. We packed it.”

With an eye toward inclusion, Ryder says the event involved those who were less inclined to the hustle and bustle associated with average social gatherings.

“This tends to be an introverts’ paradise and we wanted to have something that was the opposite just as an alternative,” he says. “We’ve had a gentleman come who says he looked at the table and said those weren’t his games. I told him, someone is coming later with more games. He stuck around, found a couple games, had a couple conversations. Originally, he wanted to leave at 6:10 and he ended up leaving at 10:30. It just goes to show you the power of games, connections, and good people. It’s hard to go wrong there.”

Related:

• ISTELive 2024: Edtech Show & Tell
• How Gamifying Education Brings Out the Best In Students

No matter what you do, the video stream in your online lessons sputters, freezes up and loses its audio synch resulting in a classroom comedy of errors. Some of this is out of your hands with Zoom, Hangouts, and Teams networks overloaded to the breaking point. But there’s a major thing you can do to your Wi-Fi network to keep up with the demands of online video teaching.

A Wi-Fi extender can boost your bandwidth to where it needs to be. Basically, an extender is a combination receiver-transmitter that takes in a Wi-Fi signal, boosts its power, and retransmits. The result is the ability to push wireless data into new areas of the house.

Expect that a good extender will cost less than $100 and take about 15 minutes to set up. Dozens of models are available, but I used Netgear’s EX6200 Wi-Fi Range Extender ($75) to show how to boost the data flow in an area in my house that doesn’t have enough of a Wi-Fi signal to support good video.

Before you do anything else, take a bandwidth reading using Ookla’s Speedtest.net benchmark site to provide a baseline reading to compare the final results with. Tap Go and wait a minute for it to test the location’s data speed. For me, I got roughly 2.5 Mbps but the speedometer dial varied wildly and that’s likely why video conferencing isn’t working reliably.

Picking the right location

With the preliminaries out of the way, let’s figure out where to put the extender. It’s just as important as what you use, so pick a spot near an AC outlet that’s roughly halfway between the home’s Wi-Fi router and where you want the signal to end up. For me, the best place is in a corner near a heating vent, down the hall from my teaching room.

The EX6200’s details that we’ll need later are printed on a pull-out sheet in the back of the extender; some have it printed on the device’s bottom. Also have your Wi-Fi’s name and password handy. Let’s get started.

1. The actual set up instructions vary from extender to extender, but they are similar. For the EX6200, it starts with plugging the unit in and changing my iPad Pro’s Wi-Fi setting to “Netgear_EXT,” the extender’s network name.

2. After it connects, open the iPad’s Safari Web browser and type “mywifiext.com” into the address bar. Then, tap New Extender Setup.

3. Next, create a Netgear account with an email address and password. You’ll need to answer two verification questions.

4. Tap to set up a wireless extender and the app will scan for the extender and your Wi-Fi network.

5. Then, it asks which network to extend along with its password.  

6. You can pick a new name, but I use the host network’s name to ease roaming. Just type it in.

After a quick restart, the extender is working like a charm. I connected my iPad and based on speedtest.net’s benchmark test, it now gets over 70Mbps. 

That’s plenty for video teaching and the video signal now comes through more dependably.

Upgrading Network Infrastructure Ensures Reliable Connectivity for Testing and Learning

Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) serves the urban, suburban, and rural areas of Jacksonville, Florida. The effects of the DCPS aging network were interfering with schools’ teaching and state testing. Network unreliability was caused by older products incapable of handling the amount of traffic needed to keep a robust connection. Because the equipment had not been updated for more than a decade, DCPS was losing instruction and testing time to failing network connections.

The district had to continually ask the state for time extensions to complete state testing due to their failing systems. If the testing window is lost, so are the benefits from the state testing. The delay in the testing data hampered instruction. The unreliable backup connection also became a problem when DCPS decided to move its analog phone system to VoIP systems. The old networking equipment couldn’t handle the volume of traffic passing through the primary or secondary wired lines either.

The district chose Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Service for branch by deploying a branch performance router. This allowed DCPS to deploy the VoIP phone system and update its network for pervasive connectivity throughout the district. The service also includes cloud management, 24x7 support, and a limited lifetime warranty. The district can now rely on Cradlepoint’s wired line failover solution. DCPS can automatically send traffic through the wired link if the wired connection fails—ensuring constant connectivity for teaching and learning.

The Cradlepoint solution has saved the DCPS IT team time and effort because the network has significantly fewer issues to troubleshoot. The NetCloud Manager software allows them to manage all the devices from a single location. And as the district responds to the need for greater student security and safety, they are interested in Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Service for support of mobile assets like video to see attendance on the bus and to capture any safety incidents.

“Cradlepoint has already proven themselves with their branch services, so the decision on what products to include as funding becomes available is easy and stress-free,” said Stephen McLaughlin, supervisor of network operations.

Technology Used

Cradlepoint NetCloud Manager

From our friends at techradar:
5G is the fifth generation of mobile internet connectivity, and is just beginning to roll out around the world. It promises speeds up to 20 times faster than 4G connections, more bandwidth and more stable connections. 

This has tremendous potential to transform the way we communicate, with live high-definition video streaming and much faster download speeds, but it also has uses far beyond what we currently do with our phones and tablets – including reaching into the classroom.

Why this matters:  
Classroom technologies such as virtual/augmented reality and remote education are opening up new avenues to learning and engagement for K12 students. These technologies demand transmission of large amounts of data—which 5G can provide. To explore the benefits of 5G mobile internet connectivity in the classroom, visit techradar.com

Education technology SaaS provider GoGuardian, today announced it will be making a donation to a local Philadelphia education charity at this year’s ISTE 2019 conference. Knowing that conference promotional items often end up as waste in the local community, GoGuardian, a sponsor and exhibitor at ISTE 2019, is creating a new twist on conference giveaways by giving away money instead of promotional items.

GoGuardian will be donating to Coded by Kids, a local Philadelphia charity that provides young people, of all backgrounds, with intermediate to advanced-level software development, data science and user experience design skills.

GoGuardian is pledging $10 for every heart that attendees pin on the GoGuardian Giving Tree at the GoGuardian ISTE booth (#1752), with a minimum donation of $5000.

In addition, those who stop by the booth can interact with and learn about GoGuardian’s portfolio of tools that help K-12 schools create safe and effective digital learning environments. GoGuardian will be giving live demos of GoGuardian Admin, Teacher,Beacon, DNS and Fleet. To learn more about this year’s conference and GoGuardian, check out: http://bit.ly/315K583.

ISTE 2019 will be held June 23-26 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Juniper Networks(NYSE: JNPR) announced that the company has acquired Mist Systems, provider of cloud-managed wireless networks powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The deal will combine Mist’s next-generation Wireless LAN (WLAN) platform with Juniper’s wired LAN, SD-WAN and security solutions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Juniper Networks will acquire Mist for aggregate consideration of $405 million, subject to adjustment, payable in cash and the assumption of outstanding equity awards. The proposed acquisition is expected to close in Juniper Networks’ fiscal second quarter, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Mist has built the world’s first AI-driven wireless platform and an AI-driven virtual assistant, Marvis, to simplify wireless troubleshooting and provide insight into client and network behavior. In addition, Mist uses patented virtual Bluetooth® LE technology in conjunction with Wi-Fi and IoT to deliver scalable and cost-effective location-based wireless services to customers, such as indoor wayfinding, proximity notifications, traffic analytics and asset tracking. All operations are managed via Mist’s modern cloud microservices architecture for maximum scalability, agility and performance. 

“Mist Systems is a great fit for Juniper and for our enterprise customers,” explained Rami Rahim, CEO of Juniper Networks. “Juniper and Mist share a common strategic goal. We believe in the Software-Defined Enterprise and Mist’s focus on bringing AI to IT is consistent with our core belief that we need to simplify operations and improve customer experience while lowering costs. With Mist, we are adding a market leading solution to complement our portfolio, drive the cloud transition within the enterprise and accelerate our enterprise growth.”

The Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Decatur Township today announces it has been awarded a $700,000 two-year grant through T-Mobile's EmpowerED program. As a result of this funding, every student enrolled at MSD of Decatur Township in grades 3-8 for the 2018-19 school year will receive a personal MiFi hotspot at no cost to the students.

The awarded 3,500 MiFi hotspots serve as mobile WiFi devices that can connect to a provided cellular network and grant student’s internet access outside of the classroom and campus.

[Microsoft Education Expands Grant Program, Updates Minecraft]

The one-to-one district’s innovative, technologically advanced pathway-driven curriculum and digital approaches secured the grant.

To learn more about MSD of Decatur Township, visit decaturproud.org.

Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS company, today announced the Ruckus R730, an IoT- and LTE-ready, 802.11ax wireless access point (AP). The high-capacity, 12 spatial-stream R730 works in concert with the new Ruckus Ultra-High Density Technology Suite to provide high-resolution, latency-sensitive video in high density user environments such as schools and stadiums. In addition, the R730 complies with both the new WPA3™ security protocol and Wi-Fi™ Enhanced Open for more secure connections on public networks.

The R730 accommodates modular Ruckus OpenG™ LTE APs operating in the U.S. Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) 3.5 GHz band, enabling existing Wi-Fi APs to provide LTE service. Using modular or stand-alone LTE APs, organizations will be able to build their own private LTE networks to improve the quality of indoor cellular service within their facilities.

The R730 will implement the next-generation WPA3 wireless security protocol and Wi-Fi Enhanced Open. Users with compatible devices will benefit from significant security enhancements, including:

• Protection against brute-force dictionary attacks through use of a new key exchange protocol known as a simultaneous authentication of equalshandshake.
• Protection against traffic-sniffing attacks common to unauthenticated networks associated with public venues.

Availability

The R730 will be generally available this calendar quarter. The Ultra-High Density Technology Suite is available now for use with all Ruckus APs.

Lenovo today launched LanSchool Air, a cloud-based classroom orchestration platform that aims to help teachers keep students engaged in a safe online environment. Designed to meet the instructional needs of connected classrooms, LanSchool Air minimizes digital distractions, keeps students focused and on track and increases collaboration in the classroom

[Make the Most of Your Budget with These Great Products: Makerspace Product Roundup 2018]

LanSchool Air is available for use in single classrooms as well as entire school districts. Compatible with a Google Classroom™ account, the subscription-based platform can support a variety of tasks:

• Push Website allows teachers to instantly launch the same webpage on every classroom device, eliminating the need to retype, correct or walk around to help students navigate to the correct URL.
• Thumbnail Monitoring gives teachers thumbnail views of all student screens, easily seeing what students are working on and identify when additional assistance is required.
• Web Limiting keeps students on task by limiting web browsing to approved websites through whitelisting and by blocking unwanted websites via blacklisting.
• Blank Screens empowers teachers to blank all student screens, and lockdown keyboards and mice, with one click.
• Snapshot lets instructors take screenshots of student screens, whether to showcase great work or share activities during parent-teacher conferences.

A valid Google Classroom™ account is required to start a free 30-day trial of LanSchool Air. Once Google Classroom™ integrates with LanSchool Air, all updates made within Google Classroom automatically sync to the classroom orchestration platform.

For more information and to start a free trial, visit www.lanschoolair.com.

First, there was sneakernet. Then came the information superhighway. Next up? The Cloud. And now we’re hearing the latest catchphrase for the next great Internet thing—5G. What could this mean for edtech? If the price is right and various regulations and standards fall into place, it could mean a faster, more reliable platform to access online learning opportunities. We don’t suggest holding your breath for it any time soon, however.

Roberto Saracco writes in IEEE Future Directions: “In the education sector the possibility of personalising and contextualising the education, connecting it to everyday experience, reinforces learning and often increases students’ motivation since it shows its practical application side.” Saracco and other visionaries point to augmented and virtual reality technologies as two areas where 5G can make a real difference. Imagine learning biology by taking a virtual tour of the human body or taking a field trip to Rome without leaving your classroom.

[Need to Know: Blockchain]

Sounds great, right? You’ve also probably heard it before. The promise of 5G is similar to many promises made through the years for technology in schools. Even the most optimistic projections don’t see any real solution in fewer than five years. Nevertheless, major carriers like Verizon have begun to invest in research and development. As part of a $400 million initiative to fund STEM education, the company has announced plans to double the number of in-school programs it supports—from 100 middle schools in September 2018 to 200 middle schools by the end of 2020. Verizon Innovative Learning Schools will have access to 5G and continue to offer programs in urban and rural communities that expose students to skill building in augmented reality, machine learning, coding, 3D printing, and more. The program will reach an additional five million students by 2023.

Another catchphrase bandied about by the nerdderati these days is 5G, the next generation of Internet access. This new standard will make data communications faster and easier for more devices than ever. While all the major carriers are promising new services at some point this year, Verizon is to the first to promote the promise specifically to schools. Beginning today through April 15th, the company is calling on the public to nominate a local middle school in need for the opportunity to become a Verizon Innovative Learning school. Winners receive in-depth and ongoing teacher training, curriculum guides, tablets and 5G data plans. Some also receive innovation labs outfitted with the latest equipment and connectivity. Advocates should tweet and/or reply to one of a series of videos posted to the @Verizon Twitter handle, highlighting impactful stories from the program, along with the school name and location, using #Humanability. —Kevin Hogan, Content Director

[Artificial Intelligence Harnessed for Personalized Language Learning]

Editor’s note: The following is a recreation of actual events that happened on January 16, 2018 in Austin, TX. No one was harmed as a result of the events, save for some emotional scarring.

This past weekend, I decided to install a new wireless router. While this seems like a fairly mundane task of the 21st century family, what follows is an actual account of the events that transpired as a result of this.

First, some back story.

The last time I changed our home wireless router was 2012. I remember it well. It was a much more peaceful time then. Wireless connectivity was really only needed for my laptop and phone on occasion to save on data. We frolicked in the fields, played video games and watched cable television.

As what happened next will prove, present times are not so innocent and simple.

10:06AM – I started the morning by unplugging my gerbil-wheel-powered first-gen Netgear router that I bought at Radio Shack.

10:07AM – I began to look through the manual for my new, fancier, ultra-strong bandwidth system that’s all but guaranteed to make your skin tingle when you walk by it (It’s called something like the RoBoWiFi 3000 or the like).

10:19AM – A cold chill began to fill our home as I fumbled through the various cables and plugs under my desk.

10:22AM – The chattering teeth of my family alerted me to a major problem. You see, we use a Nest thermostat to control our house temperature. Without wifi, it had gone off-line and in “away” mode thus shutting off our heater during the coldest day in Austin since 1884. Suddenly, I knew the pressure was one to get this new router set up.

10:27AM – I went to turn on the lamp near my desk to get some better light and nothing happened. Last year, I had installed a Twist speaker bulb that was controlled by my phone through our wireless. It turns out I didn’t set it into an off-line mode, essentially, making the bulb useless.

10:31AM – I hear a tremendous shriek from our living room. We had cut cable a couple of months ago, which has been great, but also meant that any type of TV watching experience was now reliant on a combination of Chromecast, FireStick, AppleTV and aluminum foil antenna. My kids plans for snow-day of watching every episode of “Dragon’s Edge” was now interrupted.

10:33AM – Shortly after scrambling for something to distract them under their heavy blankets, I mindlessly hand them their iPad. One problem, their favorite Animal Jam app required network access. This was getting serious.

10:35AM – “Alexa, add firewood to the shopping list.”

10:35:08 AM – Alexa’s response, “Sorry, I can’t connect to the network right now and are therefor a useless black monolith sitting on your kitchen counter.”

10:37AM (or so I thought) – I checked my watch to see how long we had been without Wifi. As chilly breath became visible out of my mouth, I realized my Smart watch no longer had connectivity.

The world was ending in the Hooker household in little less than an hour.

I saw my life flashing before my eyes but realized it was only the flashing amber light of the new router attempting to connect. Years later, when they become adults, I imagine my kids will be telling their families how hard life was for them. They’ll tell them about the time their father nearly killed them when he pulled the wifi during a snow storm. The struggle was real.

Back to reality.

10:55AM – I got the wifi back online and quickly connected all our mobile devices, laptops, Nest, security systems, Alexa, light bulbs and even our Crockpot. (Yes, our Crockpot has wifi, don’t judge!) The whole scene played out like that scene in Jurassic Park where Samuel Jackson was frantically trying to get systems back online. (see side bar)

Reflection

This whole experience made me reflect at how quickly we have slow-boiled ourselves into a world where we rely on constant connection. My family owns a lake cabin and have recently been debating whether or not to put wireless access there. Currently it’s equipped with all the essentials of life: An Atari, board games, a campfire, and woods. Life seems different there.

Not better or worse…just different.

Today I came across a short story by Ray Bradbury called The Veldt. He wrote this story in 1950 and essentially outlines a future world where our homes are uber-automated with virtual walls, virtual smells and experiences that feed off of our thoughts. Our bathtubs bathe us, our toothbrushes work automatically, and we don’t have to life a finger to fold laundry. (cue the Laundry-folding robot from last week’s CES event). I won’t give away the ending, but let’s just say, life takes an unexpected turn for this family. (here’s the cheesy 80’s video version for those of you non-readers)

In a curious turn of events, I remembered one of my favorite Deadmau5 songs is called “The Veldt” and discovered the video is essentially a shout out to this Ray Bradbury short story. After you read the story, watch the video below.

I would love you to leave your comments below and hear your thoughts on what this all means for us as parents, as humans, and as a society. I don’t see this future getting any slower for us, but I think an awareness of the pros and cons of automaticity should happen as we connect more appliances to our homes.

Hold on to your butts!

cross posted at http://hookedoninnovation.com

Carl Hooker has been a part of a strong educational shift with technology integration since becoming an educator. As Director of Innovation & Digital Learning at Eanes ISD, he has helped spearhead the LEAP program, which put one-to-one iPads in the hands of all K-12 students in his 8000-student district. He is also the founder of “iPadpalooza”- a three-day “learning festival” held in Austin annually. He's also the author of the six-book series titled Mobile Learning Mindset, a guide for teachers, administrators, parents and others to support and embrace mobile learning in our schools. Read more at Hooked on Innovation.

CoSN’s 2016 Annual Infrastructure Survey found that, while schools are making progress increasing broadband connectivity in classrooms, significant hurdles remain. These include:

Affordability
✻ 57 percent said ongoing recurring expenses are the biggest barrier to robust connectivity (up from 46% in 2015).

Lack of Competition
✻ 54 percent of rural district leaders reported that only one provider sells Internet to their district.
✻ 40 percent of rural respondents reported receiving one or fewer qualified proposals for broadband services in 2016. This marks no progress from last year.

Digital Equity
✻ 42 percent ranked lack of broadband access outside of school as a “very high priority.”
✻ Nearly two-thirds, however, said they have no strategies for providing off-campus connectivity to students.

Security
✻ Nearly half spend less than 4 percent of their entire technology budget on security.

Cloud Migration
✻ Approximately 40 percent are considering migrating their server infrastructure to the cloud.
✻ Nearly 60 percent said that learning management systems make up the largest cloud deployment, followed by student information systems.

INDIANA CHOOSES CANVAS

More than 70 K–12 districts in Indiana have signed on with Instructure (instructure.com) in the last five months. Indiana now has 80 school districts using the Canvas learning management system. “Canvas has really put simplicity back in education by streamlining every step of the learning process on its platform,” says Donald Chase, director of technology at Southwest Allen County Schools. “It’s important for us to integrate technology in a way that enhances, and doesn’t disrupt, the learning experience, and our teachers and students have responded positively to Canvas.” With its modern functionality and user-friendly design, Canvas makes it easy for teachers to create digital assignments, to communicate with students and parents through group messaging, and even to live-stream lectures.

GROWING DISTRICT CHOOSES CONTROLLER-LESS NETWORKING

Lamar County (MS) School District, the state’s fastest-growing district, needed to provide reliable wireless connectivity to all schools. It selected Aerohive’s (aerohive.com) controller-less networking solutions to provide resilient wifi access to 10,000 students and 1,300 faculty members across 15 schools. With Aerohive, the district can now support its 1:1 initiative. “When you make a significant technology investment, it removes a lot of pressure from the IT team when you have a solution partner that is responsive and engaged,” says Ross Randall, director of technology. “As one of the first Aerohive customers to use 802.11ac access points, we took on some risk, but the rewards have been outstanding and far outweighed any hiccups we encountered.”

NC GOES DIGITAL

North Carolina’s Rowan-Salisbury School System expanded its partnership with Discovery Education (discoveryeducation.com) in support of its transition to digital learning environments. In the latest phase, the district purchased Math Techbook for its middle and high schools, as well as the award-winning Science Techbook for high-school science instruction. Both products are aligned to standards and include robust professional development. “Discovery Education’s dynamic digital resources and professional development are helping our teachers change the culture of instruction and are ensuring our students are fully engaged, thinking critically, and collaborating with other students to apply real-world meaning to their learning,” says Dr. Lynn Moody, superintendent.

SCHOOLS PERSONALIZE WITH LMS

Seven districts recently adopted Schoology’s (schoology.com) learning management system because it allows teachers to personalize education, increases collaboration among faculty, and connects students and educators outside of the classroom. The districts are Seattle (WA) Public Schools, Boulder Valley (CO) School District, West Aurora (IL) School District 129, Bristol Tennessee City Schools, Princeton (NJ) Day School, New Legacy Charter High School in Aurora, Colorado, and Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California. In addition to connecting a class or district’s digital solutions under a single platform, Schoology enables its network of educators and administrators to share curriculum, resources, best practices, and personal experiences to create better educational outcomes. For students, this collaboration extends to their coursework, classroom and beyond.

WI-FI ON THE GO

Miami-Dade County (FL) Public Schools, the country’s fourth largest school district, purchased the newest offering from Kajeet (kajeet.net)—the Kajeet SmartBus solution—for its WiFi-on-the-Go program. “Advanced technology has made Internet connectivity in the classroom fundamental to teaching and learning,” says Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. “But connectivity in non-traditional spaces is becoming increasingly relevant. Our students will benefit from WiFi-on-the-Go, transforming school buses into vehicles for learning and expanding opportunities to learn before and beyond the bell.” With Kajeet SmartBus, districts can purchase data in bulk from their choice of the two leading 4G LTE wireless broadband networks in the nation. The data pool is placed in the account and available for use across all buses. Data does not expire and rolls forward each month.

FILTERING COMPANY OFFERS TX DISCOUNTS

The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) awarded a Cooperative Contract to ContentKeeper (contentkeeper.com), a Web filtering and reporting company. Through this new partnership, Texas K–12 districts can purchase ContentKeeper products at a discounted price and will save time by issuing purchase orders directly to DIR vendors, as the DIR contracts have already completed the procurement process. That means districts can quickly implement ContentKeeper Mobile to keep students safe when using any mobile device both on and off campus. With ContentKeeper, districts can manage learning on devices in 1:1 and BYOD programs, and if a student goes astray districts have the data needed to get the student back on task.

NC AND AZ BLEND THEIR LEARNING

Two large districts recently selected Edgenuity (edgenuity.com) for their primary online and blended learning solution: Charlotte-Mecklenberg (NC) Schools (CMS) and Phoenix Union (AZ) High School District. At Charlotte-Mecklenberg, Edgenuity will provide access to its full curriculum and offer blended learning, instructional services, initial credit, and credit recovery to the district’s 78 secondary schools. “CMS has always been a leader in online learning and we believe that all students should have access to the best education available anywhere,” says Hope Kohl, director of virtual learning and media services for the district. “Working with Edgenuity, we know that we will be maximizing the impact of our online and blended learning program and we look forward to seeing significant improvement in student performance this year.” At Phoenix Union, Edgenuity will provide access to its full curriculum and offer blended learning and blended learning services to the district’s 16 schools and 27,000 students. “Phoenix Union chose Edgenuity because we needed a comprehensive online and blended learning solution to provide extended learning opportunities for our students,” says Seth Beute, facilitator, virtual instruction. “Edgenuity’s blended learning offering truly met our district’s goal of increasing choices for student success and providing teachers with a variety of methods of instructional delivery and support.”

MATH/ELA PROGRAM ALIGNS WITH 3 NEW STATES

Triumph Learning (triumphlearning.com) unveiled new versions of Waggle to align with learning standards in New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida. The three state-specific versions help students master math and ELA skills while educators monitor real-time progress. “We researched for months looking for a product that closely aligned with the format of the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA),” says Angela Whiddon, principal of W.E. Cherry Elementary in Clay County, FL. “We were at the point of giving up when we found Waggle. It is exactly what we needed to provide our students with daily practice and exposure to the format of the FSA.” All practice skills for math and ELA instruction are correlated to each state’s standards. The New York and Florida versions help students in grades 2–8 master math and ELA skills, while the Pennsylvania version covers grades 3–8. Teachers can assign lessons to students online within Waggle or use Coach print resources in their classrooms.

ONE-TAP EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS

St. Charles Parish (LA) Public Schools are now using SchoolDude’s mobile safety platform, CrisisManager (schooldude.com). The mobile app details instructions for emergency response scenarios so parents will have immediate access to the district’s parent/guardian emergency guide. The customized app offers one-tap emergency calling and the most up-to-date building maps, emergency exits, and lockdown locations. “As a school district known for its cutting-edge approach to technology, it was critical for us to get important safety information into our parents’ hands on their mobile devices,” says Felecia Gomez-Walker, superintendent. “We will continue to enhance our safety plans and their accessibility to ensure a safe, positive school experience.”

According to the new “Cloud 401 Report” from CDW-G, more than 42 % of IT services in K-12 education are delivered totally or partially through the cloud. This makes the ideal environment for cloud-based communication tools and services, which enable online collaboration among teachers, students, and parents in real time. Here are just some of these tools for schools, with ideas for in-class collaboration now, and anytime, anywhere connections later.

30HANDS LEARNING COMMUNITY

Platform: Social Learning Network
http://30hands.30hands.net/site/index
► Now: Teachers can use 30hands cloud for blended learning, professional development, and sharing and collaborating with other educators.
►Later: Assignments “handed” out in the 30hands cloud allow educators to comment in real time while students revise their work. Students can also work in study groups and see their work, reviews, and grades at any time.

BITESLIDE

Platform: Digital Slidebooks for Project-based Learning
www.biteslide.com
►Now: Educators can create collaborative projects for students where they control, manage, and monitor student accounts.
► Later: In groups, students can collaborate on school projects using a shared slidebook.

BOOMWRITER

Platform: Collaborative Writing Platform
http://boomwriter.com/Schools
► Now: BoomWriter allows educators to create collaborative writing projects by allowing students to type a chapter of a story and then vote on which chapter should be included in the “finished” product. This program helps students develop their reading, writing, and vocabulary skills. Students also have the opportunity to become published writers and offer their books for sale.
► Later: Students can vote at any time as they develop collaborative writing and group projects.

BUNCEEEDU

Platform: Web-based Creation Tool
www.buncee.com/education
► Now: Buncee incorporates multimedia onto a shareable digital canvas. Educators can use Buncee to assign a project and allow students to comment on the project in a protective “bubble” to help teach digital citizenship. Buncee is also ideal for allowing students to share announcements, digital storytelling, and sparking collaboration.
► Later: Students can use Buncee at home to “flip” their learning and collaborate with other classmates on group projects.

CLASSDOJO

Platform: Positive Feedback Platform
https://www.classdojo.com
► Now: Teachers can use ClassDojo to keep parents informed about classroom activities and behavior by sending individual messages or group reports with the builtin instant messaging feature.
► Later: Students can use ClassDojo to gauge how they are doing in class, based on a wide range of criteria such as class participation and behavior.

EDMODO

Platform: Social Learning Network
https://www.edmodo.com
ÎÎNow: Educators can use Edmodo to create an online community to share and find resources and build a forum where they can post and answer questions. They can also send assignments and projects to students and collaborate in real time.
ÎÎLater: Students can use Edmodo as backchannel chat, collaborate on group projects, and even create a blog in a safe environment.

EPALS

Platform: Portal for Communities of Collaborative Classrooms
www.epals.com/#!/main
► Now: ePals is an ideal way to collaborate with other classrooms around the world. Educators can join existing projects, share resources, and choose from a wide variety of learning centers.
► Later: Students can use ePals to learn about and share their own cultures with students around the world using discussion forums and galleries.

GAGGLE

Platform: Learning Management System
https://www.gaggle.net/
► Now: Gaggle can safely house and filter Google Drive, Google Apps, and MS Office. Gaggle is also an excellent way to introduce digital citizenship by providing a safe environment for students to collaborate or create safe videos on YouTube.
► Later: Students can use Gaggle to create blogs and emails, and collaborate with other classmates in a protective, filtered bubble.

FAKEBOOK

Platform: Fake Facebook Page for Study Purposes
www.classtools.net/FB/home-page
► Now: Fakebook is an excellent tool to not only teach students about social networking, but allow them to create fake Facebook profiles for historical or fictional characters. This is a great activity for doing a book report or a project on history.
► Later: Students can use this site to create imaginary debates between historical characters, such as the Lincoln-Douglas debate.

FRAMEBENCH

Platform: Online Tool for Reviewing Files
www.framebench.com/
► Now: An educator can create a workspace for students to do group projects. Everything is stored and secured in one place and allows them to collaborate on any file.
► Later: The innovative design of Framebench allows students to chat in real time about files such as documents and videos. It also lets students draw and annotate over any content to create a deeper understanding of the material. Finally, Framebench organizes content to allow for easy management of revisions.

VERSAL: INTERACTIVE COURSE CREATOR

https://versal.com/
► Now: Users can combine text, video, images, quizzes, and customizable elements.
► Later: Students can collaborate within the course to work as they explore content teachers have created for them.

OTUS

Platform: Learning Management Network
http://otusplus.com
► Now: Otus allows educators to collaborate with parents and students in real time. The ability to poll is a nice feature to assess student learning and differentiate instruction.
► Later: Access to Google Drive allows students to collaborate on group projects. The comment feature allows students to interact with teachers and classmates outside of class.

PADLET

Platform: Posting Tool for Creating and Collaborating
https://padlet.com/padlet-backpack/customers
► Now: Padlet is a nice and simple tool that educators can use to introduce and brainstorm on a topic. Educators can also manage and control student accounts while monitoring everything that appears on their padlet.
► Later: Padlet allows students to post anything from text to images to video on a page, making collaboration simple and easy. Students can use it for group projects, announcements, ecards, and more.

PROOFHUB

Platform: Online Project Management Tool
https://www.proofhub.com/company
► Now: ProofHub is a nice tool to use during class lectures. Students can take notes and collaborate in real time for better understanding.
► Later: When working on a group project, students can set to-do lists so members stay on task. Also, they can proofread each other’s work as well as share and manage files.

SEESAW

Platform: Learning Journal and Digital Portfolio
http://web.seesaw.me
► Now: Educators can use this shared journal to teach a wide variety of activities using Seesaw, such as adding new vocabulary words to parts of a map.
► Later: This free iPad app allows students to record their learning by creating a journal that includes video, images, and more, while sharing them safely and securely with others.

SOCRATIVE GARDEN

Platform: Student Response System with Collaborative Features
http://garden.socrative.com/?page_id=1776
► Now: Educators use Socrative Garden in many ways, such as collaborating with students in real time via backchannel chat, competing in collaborative games, sharing resources with other educators, and more.
► Later: Socrative Garden is an ideal tool for creating a backchannel by creating private rooms for users to collaborate. This is a great way for classmates to stay in touch, share class notes, ask questions, and brainstorm.

STORYBOARD THAT

Platform: Storyboard Creator for Project-based Learning and Digital Storytelling
www.storyboardthat.com/education/learn-more-aboutclassroom-portals
► Now: Educators are using Storyboard That to teach a lesson on any subject and to
collaborate, manage, and assess students via the educational portal.
► Later: Students can create storyboards for projects, digital storytelling, and more as they collaborate with their peers for group projects or self-assessment.

TACKK

Platform: Web Page Sharing
https://tackk.com/about
► Now: Educators are using Tackk in a wide variety of ways in the classroom. From daily announcements to creating digital portfolios, the possibilities are endless. The ability to comment publically and privately allows for
collaboration between teachers, students, or even with other classes.
► Later: The Tackk Stream is ideal for group collaboration as it updates in real time and allows students to add content to any project.

TODAYSMEET

Platform: Backchannel Tools for Classrooms
https://todaysmeet.com/about/backchannel
► Now: An interesting way to use TodaysMeet is for guided learning while watching a classroom video. The educator can ask questions and assess student learning in real time while the video is playing.
► Later: TodaysMeet allows students to collaborate on group projects at home, ask and answer questions from daily assignments, brainstorm, and much more.

VIDQUIK

Platform: Video Conferencing Solution
http://vidquik.com/
► Now: Educators can use Vidquik to videoconference with other classrooms around the world. This is great when learning about different countries and cultures.
► Later: Students can videoconference with other students about class projects, daily instructions, and more.

WIGGIO

Platform: Free Online Toolkit for Group Work
https://wiggio.com/about.html?cid=
► Now: Wiggio allows educators to create academic groups for collaborative projects as well as poll students to assess learning.
► Later: The group feature allows students to work on projects, such as a word processing document, and to upload drafts and revisions.

ZOHO

Platform: Online and Mobile Suite of Office Tools for iOS and Android
www.zoho.com/docs/zoho-writer-app.html
► Now: Educators can manage privacy and visibility controls of a document, spreadsheet, or presentation, which allows classes or students to work in a safe environment. Teachers can also manage and track student progress.
► Later: Zoho makes it easy for students to collaborate in real time on group projects by bringing up a chat window inside of a word, spreadsheet, or presentation document.