Most people use augmented reality every day without realizing it. Features like “See this in your room” at major online retailers let users visualize furniture in their space before buying, while backup cameras in cars overlay guidelines to help drivers reverse and park safely.  These applications seamlessly blend the digital with the real, providing extra context to inform decisions and deepen understanding.

Now, imagine a student struggling with ratios — a common challenge because ratios require proportional reasoning and dimensional analysis, abstract skills that can be difficult to visualize.

Like “See this in your room”, what if an augmented reality app presented the student with a virtual kitchen counter on their desk, stocked with ingredients for trail mix? The student must mix the correct proportions of raw nuts, raw seeds, and dried fruit, adjusting quantities as they go. Bonus: No mess and no actual cooking. It only requires a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

This fun, real-world approach helps students learn challenging concepts through play and interaction. It’s one of many activities in McGraw Hill AR, a free app from McGraw Hill, a leading global education company. 

Sean Ryan

President, McGraw Hill School

“Immersive technology has the potential to make previously out-of-reach knowledge accessible for any learner,” said Sean Ryan, president of McGraw Hill’s School Group. “McGraw Hill AR will be a game-changer for teachers, particularly in math and science, where the detailed, interactive learning experiences will spark students’ curiosity and drive them to dive into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of complex, abstract concepts.” 

Reaching students across subjects, languages, and platforms

Yes, the app is really free. McGraw Hill builds the app in partnership with Verizon Innovative Learning. This educational initiative seeks to help bridge the digital divide with a goal of providing digital skills training to 10 million students by 2030.

To help reach those students, the app has a growing library across math, science, and social studies, with plans to add English Language Arts in 2025. It’s available in the App Store and Google Play Store. For students learning on Chromebooks or laptops, there are 3D web-based versions at mharonline.com. All activities are available in Spanish. For educators and homeschoolers, content is standards-aligned with accompanying lesson plans and worksheets at verizon.com/learning.

By combining play with practical learning, McGraw Hill AR offers a new way to connect, engage, and learn.

Click here to download the McGraw Hill AR App

The post Engaging Today’s Students Through the Power of AR appeared first on Education and Career News.

AI was one of the major themes of 2024.The discussion frequently revolved around its impact on work, but there are innovative ways it can be used to complement human insight to address significant societal challenges.

For example, suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 (2022) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This impacts everyone from families to educators. In one small Missouri town, a K-12 Safety Support Specialist was alerted when a student searched, “How much Tylenol does it take to die?” and “What is the best way to kill yourself?” These online searches triggered the school’s student safety tool which uses machine learning to identify harmful content. A specialist was immediately notified and was able to quickly intervene, providing the student with the necessary support to prevent self-harm. 

There is an urgent need for effective solutions to protect students from threats like suicide, self-harm, cyberbullying, and exposure to harmful content. A combination of machine learning detection to allow for speed and scale, and human review to allow for context and nuance, is required for a comprehensive K-12 student safety tool. This allows schools to act when needed, as guided by their own Safety Plan. According to Talmage Clubbs, Director of Counseling for Neosho District in Missouri, “Our students know about it [student safety K-12 tool]. We have students purposely typing in keywords so they can be pulled in and talked to about their suicidality, their mental health issues, anything like that because they are struggling, and they just don’t know how else to reach anybody.”  

Another example where human intervention is essential is when a machine learning-powered solution flags anatomical text as explicit content, but this might be for legitimate science coursework. Human reviewers can verify educational intent by examining context like student age and subject. 

In the 2022-2023 school year, 94% of public schools report providing digital devices, such as laptops or tablets, to students according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This is a 28% growth from the number of devices provided pre-pandemic in middle schools and a 52% growth for elementary school students. As students spend more time online for school, they also use these devices for extracurricular learning and making social connections. However, they also have easier access to inappropriate content online. The challenges of ensuring online safety have become increasingly complex, as more students may seek harmful information or engage in distressing or inappropriate behaviors.

To truly support all students — regardless of their socioeconomic background or technological literacy — in the digital age, solutions must be user-friendly and adaptable to the diverse needs of schools and districts. By collaborating — educators, technology providers like GoGuardian, and policymakers can create a future where AI enhances educational experiences for students, fosters healthy human connection and empathy, and ensures privacy.

This also supports educators in today’s digital world who require innovative safety and security solutions to enable students to thrive physically, mentally, and academically while ensuring their well-being and academic progress. “You can rest well at night, knowing you are changing districts and saving lives,” says Dr. Jim Cummins, Superintendent of Neosho District.

To learn more, visit GoGuardian.com

The post Combining AI and Human Expertise to Better Protect K-12 Students Online appeared first on Education and Career News.

That’s where teacher training can help. Let’s take a look at why your childcare center’s teachers must be trained to take advantage of education technology! 

Enhancing communication with parents

The average smartphone owner uses 10 apps per day and 30 apps each month, according to the app company Builtfire. That number is even higher for millennials, the largest group of today’s parents. Almost a quarter of this age group open an app more than 50 times a day!

These parents expect real-time updates about what their child is doing in your daycare. Your teachers must be trained to send photos, videos, and notes throughout the day to keep families happy. Choose an app with family engagement capabilities that is easy to use and part of an all-in-one childcare software solution. Then sharing updates won’t require much training so your teachers can spend their time learning about other ways to use technology.

Plus, this transparency creates a supportive learning environment!

Access to a wealth of resources

If your teachers are not trained to use education technology, they will miss out on access to educational content from around the world and children will not reap the benefits either. 

A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found there is “emerging evidence to suggest that interactive apps may be useful and accessible tools for supporting early academic development.” Your teachers must be trained to take advantage of these apps, while understanding that screen time must be limited.

Online libraries, databases, and educational websites provide information on virtually any topic, allowing teachers to supplement their curriculum with up-to-date materials. This accessibility ensures that both teachers and young learners can expand their knowledge beyond traditional textbooks.

Education technology saves time

The 2024 Child Care Management Software Industry Trends Report from Procare Solutions found that about 30% of survey respondents said each teacher spends between three and five hours a week doing lesson planning, and a similar percentage noted their centers create their own curriculum.

So, beyond direct instruction, technology can significantly reduce the time teachers spend on these types of tasks, and on assessments and other paperwork. Childcare management software can streamline time-intensive processes, giving teachers more time to focus on what truly matters — the children in their care. 

A strong digital curriculum that’s easy to use supports your teachers by handling lesson planning that takes time away from children. When childcare centers equip teachers with state-of-the-art online curriculum at their fingertips, teachers and young learners reap the benefits of education technology.

How to encourage your teachers to embrace education technology

To maximize the benefits of technology, ongoing professional development is essential. Employee retention rates rise by 30-50% when companies prioritize staff learning!

Workshops, webinars and websites that offer professional development and credentials can help teachers stay abreast of the latest technological advancements. 

By investing in continuous training, your childcare center can ensure that teachers are confident and competent in integrating technology into their classrooms.

To learn more, visit www.procaresolutions.com

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But now that we’re almost five years out, what things actually stuck? Was this new way of learning successful and is it feasible for schools to implement these changes long term?

Learning today

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is a professional association of instructional designers, educators and professionals who provide leadership and advise policy makers to sustain a continuous effort to enrich teaching and learning. Members of AECT offer their perspectives of how learning today was impacted by the sudden shift and new uses of technology during the pandemic.

Dr. Theodore J. Kopcha, a former secondary mathematics teacher and AECT board member whose current research explores the integration of innovative technologies into the classroom, has seen mixed responses. “There are some schools where the pandemic pushed teachers to create an online asynchronous learning experience that could complement in-classroom teaching but also function in the absence of the teacher… In the meantime, we’ve returned to in-person teaching, which, for some teachers, is only strengthened by this online repository of information.”

Now, though, we’re seeing a bit of a rift between various groups of educators with some continuing to embrace the benefits of virtual learning and others who want nothing to do with the online space again.

With these two opposing views, the educators who support online learning end up stepping up and becoming technology leaders in their buildings without stepping into a new leadership position.  “These teachers are often our best teachers, and is too often the case, we are asking our best teachers to do even more than they already are,” said Dr. Cecil R. Short, assistant professor and director of secondary education at Emporia State University and AECT’s Teacher Education Division board member. However, there are many ways for educators to use these new technology integrations. 

Best practices

Beth Willoughby, district librarian in Dunellen, NJ and active AECT member has observed that “teachers are more comfortable utilizing technology in their lessons… [and] are collaborating more both in their grade level or subject area and with other teachers.” She also notes that “students are more willing to email a question than talk to a teacher which is a great help for the extremely shy students.”

As a parent, Dr. Kopcha has seen through his children that these new online systems create a bit of a ‘lost in cyberspace’ experience. Each teacher tends to organize materials in a different way. “As a parent and educational technologist, it became apparent that teachers and students would benefit from efforts to keep the online learning experience more standardized across classes and teachers.” This sort of standardization would take away some autonomy from the teachers, but the student experience would vastly improve.

Final thoughts

The impact of the pandemic on schools continues through today. As Dr. Kopcha said, “the pandemic was more of a ‘blip’ that came and went, and what was left was a vast amount of online resources that teachers created and continue to build upon to this day.” Dr. Short observed that “going into the pandemic, we knew from several research studies that teachers and schools were not prepared to support virtual teaching. Coming out of the pandemic, many more teachers, schools, and even states are now requiring educators to be prepared for teaching across various modalities — in-person, online, and blended as a combination of both.”

The post Educating in a Post-Pandemic World. What Things Should We Take Away? And What Things Should Be Left in the Past? appeared first on Education and Career News.

As schools embrace these technological advancements, both parents and administrators must work together to implement safety measures and address the evolving responsibilities that come with digital education. Experts from the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) share their insights on how to navigate these opportunities effectively while keeping students safe.

Evolving safety protocols

Cathy Leavitt, an instructional technologist and AECT member, explains that schools have increasingly adopted tools to safeguard students on digital platforms. “There are great apps and software that record what children are doing on devices,” Leavitt notes, emphasizing the importance of tools that monitor and restrict access to harmful content. However, technology alone isn’t enough. Leavitt stresses that digital literacy is vital to fostering a safe online environment, teaching students how to navigate the digital world responsibly.

The importance of digital literacy

Bruce DuBoff, Ph.D., past president of the NJ Association of School Librarians and nominated Ethics Officer for AECT, identifies a gap between today’s digital skills and the safety practices needed in schools. “We live in a world rocked by Future Shock,” DuBoff says, which describes the rapid technological advancements that have outpaced current educational approaches. He advocates for early education in ethical online behavior, with librarians playing a pivotal role in integrating technologies like podcasting, game design, and web development, which not only enhance learning but also ensure safe online engagement.

Dr. DuBoff argues that the biggest threat isn’t Artificial Intelligence (AI) but the social media algorithms that create information silos, limiting students’ exposure to diverse viewpoints. By educating students on the risks of these algorithms and promoting digital literacy programs like Common Sense Education’s Digital Citizenship curriculum, schools can better equip students to navigate the online world safely.

The role of parents

Parental involvement is essential in maintaining online safety. Leavitt advocates for parents to monitor their children’s digital activities, even if it might feel like an invasion of privacy. She calls for a “unified approach” between schools and parents, with regular communication to ensure parents understand the risks their children face online. Schools play a crucial role by educating parents as much as students and providing ongoing resources to reinforce safe practices at home.

Cybersecurity and administrative challenges

As schools adopt more digital learning platforms, cybersecurity threats such as data breaches and cyberattacks have escalated. Leavitt points out that strong security measures such as two-factor authentication and regular updates are critical to safeguarding student data. However, these measures introduce additional challenges for school administrators, who must balance tight budgets and manage the growing costs of technology maintenance and staff training. Schools need to allocate resources strategically, ensuring that cybersecurity is prioritized without unnecessary overspending.

Moving forward

Keeping students safe in the digital world increasingly requires collaboration and a unified approach between parents, teachers, and administrators at schools. Open communication between all three groups from a common framework of understanding provided in comprehensive digital literacy programs combined with strong cybersecurity measures are essential to creating safer online environments for our loved ones while managing the administrative challenges that come with these advancements.

The post The Key Aspects to Keeping Children Safe Online appeared first on Education and Career News.

Devon Espejo did not enter the teaching profession to spend her time policing cell phones in her classroom. An art teacher at Santa Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, CA, she has watched as phones and social media have tightened their grip on her students.  

Educators are deeply concerned about the impact social media has on students’ mental health and believe those negative effects are another reason to limit access to phones at school. However, is the relentless, intolerable, and exhausting disruptions that have made their presence untenable. 

“It takes up too much time. I don’t want to be the phone police,” she says. “I want to teach.”  

Protecting the learning environment

Santa Barbara educators took their case to the district, and the district, eventually, listened. In the 2024-25 school year, Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) enacted a new cellphone policy called “Off and Away” that requires all high school students to park their phones in “cell phone hotels” — numbered pouches hanging either on classroom walls or over doors — before they sit down in class. 

For educators in the district and an overwhelming majority nationwide, these restrictions are welcome and overdue.  

A 2024 National Education Association poll found that 90% of teachers support prohibiting student cell phone use during instructional hours. Seventy-five percent favor extending restrictions to the entire school day.  

A 2023 student survey by Common Sense Media found that, on a typical day, the average student receives hundreds of notifications on their phone, about a quarter of which arrive during the school day. 

“Students are so reassured by that sound. They’re flipping it over and looking at the screen without even realizing that they’re doing it,” says Noelle Gilzow, a science teacher in Columbia, MO, where a new restrictive cell phone policy was introduced in middle and high schools in 2024. 

It is a step more schools are taking. Cell phone bans never went away, but prior to the pandemic, many districts were looking for a middle ground. Current trends, however, suggest that any lingering patience with the devices has faded.  

“We’re definitely seeing more schools tighten up their policies,” says Elizabeth Keren-Kolb, professor of educational technologies at the University of Michigan. “The question is how far these bans should go.” 

Considering all perspectives

Currently, these bans or restrictions are limited to the classroom, where, says San Marcos English teacher Frank Koroshec, there really isn’t any convincing pedagogical reason to allow student access. “We have other resources in classrooms — iPads, Chromebooks — so I don’t think we need phones in the classroom for learning.”  

Still, when designing and implementing a new policy, the voices of all stakeholders must be considered, says Victor Pereira, co-chair of the Teaching and Technology Leadership Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. “You need to listen to everyone. This is a complex issue, and all those folks come with very different perspectives.”  

Many parents’ fear that they will not be able to reach their children during an emergency has fueled some opposition to more ambitious cell phone restrictions.  

Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, cautions that cell phone communication during emergencies can increase safety risks. “During a lockdown, students should be listening to the adults in the school who are giving life-saving instructions, working to keep them safe,” Trump explains.  

So far, parent support for the restrictions in place at San Marcos High has been encouraging, and educators there report that the learning environment has improved since “Off and Away” went into effect.  

There are some holdouts among the parents, says Espejo, “but if they were to sit through a class with kids who have access to their phones and then sat through one where phones were not allowed, they would endorse it. It’s like night and day.” 

The post Why Teachers Are Advocating for Restricting Cell Phones in the Classroom  appeared first on Education and Career News.

Michelle Kang

CEO, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Alissa Mwenelupembe

Managing Director of Early Learning, NAEYC

When we were children — and even when our own children were little — educational television shows like “Sesame Street,” “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and “Reading Rainbow” provided time-limited relief for busy parents and an opportunity for children to learn.  

Now, screens are ubiquitous as adults carry them in pockets and purses, and the content coming from those screens has changed considerably to become more interactive, brighter, and more likely to encourage continued engagement with the screen. It’s no longer as straightforward as turning off the corner television set. 

The research on children and technology is ongoing, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has declined to set recommended screen time hours for children — not because unlimited screen time is good, but because not all screen time is equal. 

For parents, this presents an individual challenge, but for early childhood educators, it is magnified across a whole program, where teachers are responsible for the positive development, health, and well-being of many young children at once. 

What is appropriate? 

A guiding rule is that the use of technology in an early childhood education setting, whether in a center, home, or school, should be in service to developmentally appropriate practices around learning. 

That takes professional judgment by early educators who, through expertise and experience, can identify the value of incorporating active, hands-on technology into activities based on the readiness of the children and whether it will support their learning.  That also means early educators must have appropriate training, support, and digital literacy themselves. 

Any technological engagement by children should support creativity and/or cognitive and social development. Special consideration should be given to how it can help create equity, particularly by using translation and assistive technology supports to engage with multi-language learners or children with identified disabilities. 

One great example of technology use in a preschool classroom was from a teacher who shared a story with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) of assigning a classroom job of “journalist” to one of the preschoolers in her integrated special education classroom. The child would document the day by taking photos on a tablet, and then report on one of the pictures during the closing circle. It’s interactive, sparks conversation, inspires creativity, and is adaptable to different developmental levels. 

What are some guidelines? 

NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media issued a technology and interactive media position statement in 2012. While it is on the docket for a renewal and refresh, the fundamentals still hold even as technology has advanced. 

Early childhood educators should:  

• Select, use, integrate, and evaluate technology and interactive media tools in intentional and developmentally appropriate ways, giving careful attention to the appropriateness and the quality of the content, the child’s experience, and the opportunities for co-engagement. 
• Provide a balance of activities in programs for young children, recognizing that technology and interactive media can be valuable tools when used intentionally with children to extend and support active, hands-on, creative, and authentic engagement with those around them and with their world. 
• Prohibit the passive use of screens in early childhood programs for children younger than two, and discourage passive and non-interactive uses with children ages two through five. 
• Limit any use of technology and interactive media in programs for children younger than two to those that appropriately support responsive interactions between caregivers and children and that strengthen adult-child relationships. 
• Provide leadership in ensuring equitable access to technology and interactive media experiences for the children in their care and for parents and families. 

There is no one-size-fits-all way to address technology in early education programs, even and especially as technology expands to include AI. However, well-prepared and supported educators using their professional judgment will remain the critical link between children and safe, effective engagement with technology.

The post What Early Education Teachers Need to Know About Technology  appeared first on Education and Career News.

Melinda French Gates

Philanthropist, Businesswoman, Author

What is the biggest challenge you see educators facing today, especially women educators?

The worst thing you can do is put a lot of pressure on yourself to fit in. I know because I’ve been there. What I learned is that I was much happier — and much more effective as a professional — when I found my own leadership style. My advice to anyone in that position today is this: You will succeed because of who you are, not in spite of it. In the meantime, surround yourself with people who believe in you and will bring out the best in you.

What would you tell today’s educators to help them ignite a passion for STEM subjects in the next generation of female innovators?

The best educators understand that many girls are interested in STEM subjects — and many girls are really good at STEM subjects — but they get interested in them at different times and for different reasons. For example, because girls don’t always get the same early exposure to STEM that boys do, their interest tends to develop later. While boys often get into tech through video games, girls are more likely to develop an interest in the subject when they see it as a way to solve real-world problems. Educators can help by introducing STEM to girls early, bringing these subjects to life, and telling the girls in their classes, “Hey, I think you’d be good at this.” 

Sean Ryan

President, McGraw Hill School

What is the biggest challenge you see educators face today?

The social context in which teachers operate poses immense challenges. Educating a child — though all are natural learners — has become more complex in recent years; more complex than I’ve seen in my entire education-related career. Poverty, social media, gun violence, ideology, belief systems, and the unrelenting advance of technology mean that what worked yesterday might be less relevant today, and what we might need tomorrow is harder to discern. That’s why as a curriculum and technology provider, we must stay in close contact with educators to ensure that we remain a worthy, agile, and, most importantly, trusted partner.

Where do you see the adoption of education technology headed in the next year?

Education technology has been deployed in a piecemeal fashion to serve a variety of specialized needs. Together, the promise is immense. Separately, confusion and frustration can ensue. The key, in my view, is systems integration to create an increasingly coherent digital learning environment that complements the physical classroom. However, this takes time. I’m less interested in new features and functionality and more enthusiastic about what happens to the teacher’s workload when core, intervention, and supplemental solutions work in harmony to ease the teacher’s burden. There will be progress next year, but it will be of an evolutionary nature, not revolutionary. You might not even notice it.

With the increased use of education technology, how can we help keep teachers from burning out and ensure that technology enhances, rather than complicates, their instructional practices?

Teachers have a near-impossible task of educating a class of students with a wide variety of demonstrated performance levels across subjects. The year of a child’s birth is a poor organizing principle. Given that principle is not likely to change any time soon, technology must be deployed thoughtfully to handle the administrative, logistic, and computational work that supports personalization at scale. Automation should absorb time-consuming tasks that teachers are taking home or missing lunch to complete. Let’s empower teachers to get to know their students, to create a vibrant learning environment that goes beyond a universal and rigid scope and sequence with a single subject.

What advice would you give to educators, administrators, and policymakers as they navigate the increasingly complex landscape of educational technology solutions?

Despite daily pressures, try to think long-term. Despite political difference, try to think universally. What is in the best interest of the students today? What is in the best interest of all of us outside of the classroom tomorrow? An educated polity is vital to improving the human experience. We are constantly planting and replanting democracy and the precursors of prosperity in the minds of the next generation. For it to take root, flourish, and grow, there must be constancy of purpose. It’s through the lens of that purpose that we can evaluate new technologies to determine if they serve or, perversely, demand servitude. Technology in isolation is neutral. Only in the context of human wants and needs can we determine if a technology is useful or harmful.

How can K-12 schools address concerns of the digital divide, especially when it comes to equitable access to devices, internet connectivity, and high-quality content?

It begins with measurement. Don’t assume national headlines reflect your local reality. Take time to understand the computing environment across buildings and between the homes of your students. We should neither assume a problem nor that there isn’t one. Once you know the state of things, administrators can go to work with trusted technology partners to close known gaps. Today, with the near ubiquity of devices and high-speed connectivity, there’s no reason to leave anyone out. This requires communication and cooperation between home and school. With respect to high-quality content, take the time to understand the differences between solutions. The lower the quality, the more grandiose the promises.  

The post Technology’s Role in Helping Educators Navigate the Future of Learning appeared first on Education and Career News.

How did you get started in your career in teaching, and what led you to start sharing your journey on social media?

I didn’t initially plan on teaching. I studied journalism at San Diego State, inspired by movies featuring magazine editors. I later chose history as a minor just for fun. After college, I pursued journalism, but I eventually tried substitute teaching, loved it, and got my credential in history. 

During COVID, my students encouraged me to post lessons on TikTok, where I shared content in a humorous, easy-to-understand way. My Russian Revolution video went viral, which led me to keep creating these quick, story-like history lessons. I love reaching people worldwide and making history engaging. My videos are only about a minute long, which helps with attention spans, although I know they simplify complex topics. My hope is these videos spark curiosity, encouraging viewers to explore history further. 

What are some emerging trends in technology that you think are shaping the future of education or that you have used in your classroom to engage students? 

AI is a major topic in education now, especially around how its used and the ethics of it. Initially, my school blocked ChatGPT but then allowed it when teachers started using it to adapt lessons for different reading levels or languages. In my journalism class, we discussed the ethics of AI. My students agreed it wasn’t ethical to let AI write an article for them, but they saw value in using it to generate interview questions. These discussions highlight that we can’t avoid new technologies — we need input from students, teachers, and administrators to navigate them responsibly. 

Companies like Adobe are creating student-friendly versions of AI tools, helping ease the burden on teachers. I also use AI to caption videos, which saves time. Students heading into creative fields need to learn these tools, as AI proficiency is essential. Just as learning to type or use email became necessary, so will understanding AI. 

Do you have any advice for balancing the benefits of technology with the need for face-to-face interaction in the classroom?

Teaching during the pandemic proved technology can’t replace teachers. Students need human connection. While tech has its place, it should be used to build specific skills, not just replace traditional methods. For example, students should still use a pen and paper daily, as it activates different brain functions and builds motor skills. Using technology in class should go beyond digitizing worksheets; it should add real value, like using AI in art to analyze creative elements. Ultimately, tech should support, not replace, essential hands-on learning for students’ overall development. 

Do you have any tips for teachers looking to stay organized and efficient so they can focus on engaging their students in the classroom? 

My biggest advice: Don’t grade everything. It’s okay to assign work as practice without grading it. Focus on priority standards — what students truly need to know — and build multiple assignments into one when possible. Trying to do it all leads to burnout without improving student outcomes. Start small, establish routines, and add more gradually to avoid overwhelming yourself and your students. 

Is there any technology that you recommend that helps with the behind-the-scenes side of teaching, like lesson planning and grading? 

I recommend using tools like Illuminate and Google Classroom extensions like Brisk and Magic School to manage data effectively. For one-to-one schools, Google offers many helpful extensions, and programs like IXL provide valuable insights. The key is to focus on areas where students struggle most, using data to streamline your lesson planning. With large classes, pulling reports helps make sense of data and can guide your approach without being overwhelming. 

Are there any key digital safety practices that teachers should be implementing to protect students online? 

It’s challenging when schools block tools like ChatGPT or YouTube, as they can also be valuable educational resources. We’re at a crossroads and need more digital citizenship education to teach students about online risks and the lasting consequences of their actions. Many students don’t realize that certain online behaviors, like sharing inappropriate images, can have serious legal consequences. They’re also vulnerable to scams, online blackmail, and bullying, particularly on group chats and gaming platforms. Parents should be aware that even if kids aren’t on social media, they’re still interacting with others online. We must educate young people on these dangers, as laws haven’t fully caught up to technology. Parents, teachers, and students need to support each other, staying vigilant and reporting harmful situations online just as they would in real life. 

Do you have any advice for teachers who are facing burnout or mental health struggles right now?

It’s not you; it’s the system. You’re not doing anything wrong, and you can’t change everything on your own. If you burn out, they’ll replace you, but students benefit from experienced teachers. High turnover isn’t good for schools or students. 

Social media can distort reality, making it seem like everyone is angry and divided. In reality, most people are not like that. Social media algorithms promote outrage, which skews our perception of others. Many teachers online appear to have perfect classrooms, but that’s often not the case — they face the same challenges as everyone else. I try to share positive experiences to stay motivated, but I’ve encountered many difficulties that I don’t discuss publicly. 

It’s also easy for students to idolize influencers, but most of what they see online is curated and not real. They should focus on real-life skills instead of just consuming online content. Encourage students to engage in offline activities like sports, arts, or social groups to foster real interactions. For example, in my classroom, I limit phone use during free time to promote conversations and social skills. 

To support students academically, tools like Canva and Google Classroom can help organize assignments and instructions in one place. This is important because students juggle multiple classes and responsibilities. They need resources to manage their workload effectively, like accessible rubrics and checklists. Technology allows students to take ownership of their learning, especially during emergencies. Teaching them to use project management tools can build important skills. At my school, we even grade time management alongside project quality. Overall, digital organization and project management are valuable skills for students and teachers alike.

The post How Technology Can Improve the Classroom for Students and Teachers Alike appeared first on Education and Career News.

In school districts around the country, school board members are working with key education stakeholders, including superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and students to determine how to harness AI’s benefits while protecting student and teacher agency, ensuring student privacy, and safeguarding data.

One of the most exciting benefits of AI in education is its potential to personalize learning experiences. Imagine a student who struggles with a particular math concept receiving additional practice and resources tailored to their needs, while advanced learners receive more challenging problems. Or, a student who enjoys fantasy stories could read those, while another who prefers nonfiction gets recommendations in history or science. With lessons tailored to each student’s needs and interests, the result is a more engaging and effective learning experience for the student that improves grades and fosters a love of learning.

AI-based applications can also help teachers with administrative tasks like scheduling, giving them more time for instruction and one-on-one interactions with their students. Additionally, AI tools can facilitate communication between teachers, students, and parents, helping everyone stay informed about a student’s progress.

Equitable and fair learning

Despite its benefits, the incorporation of AI in schools poses several challenges. Equal access to the technology is paramount. If some students have inequitable access, learning gaps could widen further. This divide is a crucial concern for school board members who must ensure that each student benefits from AI educational innovations, regardless of their socioeconomic status, ZIP Code, or background. 

Another critical concern is student privacy. While school districts have established student privacy policies in the wake of the rapidly evolving technological landscape, educational leaders must ensure that their guidance is stringent enough to continue to protect student information as AI continues to evolve. 

Concerns have been raised about possible cheating, plagiarism, and misinformation. As with any new technology, students must be taught how to use AI responsibly and ethically. Twenty-five years ago, teachers thought graphing calculators, which could store sophisticated formulas and programs, would lead to rampant cheating. The same concerns were raised about smartphones, which could answer any question with a simple internet search.

Additionally, while AI can enhance the learning experience, it cannot replace the invaluable role of teachers. Effective teaching involves emotional intelligence, empathy, and personal connections — qualities that artificial intelligence cannot replicate. School board members and other educational leaders must emphasize the importance of a balanced approach, integrating AI resources as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for traditional teaching methods. They must also ensure that educators receive appropriate professional development and other support to know how to effectively incorporate AI into their teaching practices and help students leverage AI to enhance their learning. 

Equipping teachers and students for success

Ensuring each student’s access to artificial intelligence tools, as well as the appropriate safeguards, technology, and training needed to accompany these innovations, will require additional funding from federal and state sources for school districts with already limited resources.

In the end, each community must decide its own approach toward the use of AI. When implemented correctly, it can be used ethically and effectively to enhance the educational experience for each student by empowering teachers, bridging educational gaps, and maximizing student potential. 

As we look toward a future where jobs increasingly rely on AI, it is imperative that we equip our students today with the skills they need not just to adapt to this evolving landscape, but to lead in a world transformed by artificial intelligence.

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