Strategies to Teach & Assess Learning in the Age of AI
Controversy surrounds ChatGPT, the chatbot powered by OpenAI, according to an article in eSchool News. Some experts believe this new technology can have a positive impact on teaching and learning; others worry it may weaken the teaching of critical thinking and increase bias by spreading misinformation about different groups and cultures. It’s up to educators…
Survey: Many U.S. Parents to Consider Different K-12 Schools for their Children in 2024
A surge in demand for school choice follows expansions to school choice in 20 states last year, according to research by a non-profit specializing in navigating school options. More than half of U.S. parents (65%) say they wish they had more information about education options for their children, according to a parent opinion survey released…
A Sensory Room Opens for Students to Calm Down — or Wake Up
The first thing a student might notice in Burkhart Elementary School’s (Burkhart Elementary is located in Indianapolis, IN.) new sensory room is the light tube. Or maybe the slide. Or the trampoline and crash mat, according to an article in Education Week. There are magnetic tiles on a wall and scooter boards all over the…
Violence Prevention Strategy Could Redefine Philadelphia High School Safety
Kevin Rosa’s office at Bartram High School is a place where students in the school’s Youth Violence Reduction Initiative can go when they’re involved in a conflict or just need a break, according to an article in Chalkbeat Philadelphia. As the program coordinator, Rosa juggles myriad responsibilities. He helps students finish their schoolwork before they…
Survey: Many Students Find Math Irrelevant to Solving Everyday Problems
Almost three-quarters of high school students believe they can be good at math with hard work, but many struggle to follow through when faced with challenging work, according to a national survey by YouthTruth and reported in Education Slice. The survey included almost 90,000 high school students across 62 districts in 14 states and revealed…
“Clean” Student Transportation: Electric School Buses Piloted in Kentucky District
Carter County Schools in Kentucky is receiving 23 electric school buses from Blue Bird as part of a pilot program, according to an Education Slice report. The buses, funded by a $9-million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will help the district move to a clean means of student transportation. The new Blue Bird…
Public School Enrollment Down; Private & Homeschool Numbers Up
Public school enrollment has continued to decline, more than three years after schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report in Education Slice. Public schools in the United States lost more than one million students between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. The decline has since stabilized but those students have not returned…
Why is Utah Public Education Ahead of the Curve?
Utah’s positive public education outcomes have recently been the focus of national attention. Why is Utah public education ahead of the curve? Howard Stephenson, a former Utah state senator, writing in the Deseret News, said: “One reason is that the Beehive State’s K-12 organizational structure is functionally among the best in the nation. The elected Utah…
New York City Schools Tests AI as Teacher Coaching Aid
A network of small public high schools in New York City is exploring whether artificial intelligence can change the way teachers receive feedback about their classroom instruction, according to Chalkbeat New York. Urban Assembly, a network of 21 schools, is working with the American Institutes of Research to develop an AI-powered tool that can help…
Can the Public Cloud Better Secure K-12 Data?
Many districts still prefer on-premises data centers but an increasing number are migrating their key applications and most sensitive data to the public cloud, according to a report in EdTech. One key reason is that it strengthens their security. In a survey by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), school IT leaders said cybersecurity remains…
