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TECH & LEARNING ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF BEST FOR BACK TO SCHOOL 2024
Tech & Learning has announced the winners of their 2024 “Best Tools for Back to School” to help our readers find the most impressive products and solutions that will support their work in any learning environment.
Tech & Learning judges evaluated nominated products based on versatility, value, and solutions to specific problems to support innovative, effective teaching and learning.
“With emerging technology like AI exploding just as ESSER funds are dwindling in schools nationwide, our readers count on Tech & Learning to curate the best products out there to support an equitable, effective learning environment,” says Tech & Learning Content Director, Christine Weiser. “The winning products met our evaluation criteria to qualify for this prestigious list.”
Congratulations to the following winners!
Read the full article here
Higher Education
BenQ, BenQ LH650, BenQ RP04
Blackmagic Design, DaVinci Resolve, ATEM Mini live production switchers
BM Technologies (BMTX), BankMobile
Disbursements and BankMobile Vibe
ClassLink
Copyleaks, AI Detector
D2L, D2L Lumi
Ellucian, Ellucian Journey
Gale, part of Cengage Group, Gale Literature Resource Center, Gale Digital Scholar Lab
NetSupport, NetSupport School
Niche, Niche Direct Admissions
Turnitin, Turnitin’s Paper to Digital Add-On for Feedback Studio
Viewsonic Corp., ViewSonic
LDC031 DirectView LED Display
VitalSource, Bookshelf CoachMe
Primary Education
Acer, Acer Chromebook Plus 514
Age of Learning, My Reading Academy Espanol, My Reading Academy, My Math Academy
Amplify Education, Amplify Desmos Math
Arizona State University’s Mary
Lou Fulton Teachers College,
Community Educator Learning Hub
AVer Information, AmpliWave, M15W AVID Products, WonderEars
Vivi, Vivi Wireless Presentation and School Communication Solution
Voyager Sopris Learning, Step Up to Writing William H. Sadlier, From Phonics to Reading 95 Percent Group, 95 RAP, 95 Literacy Intervention System, Top 10 Tools by 95 Percent Group
Secondary Education
Acer, Acer TravelMate P4 Spin 14, Acer Premier Service (Authorized Service Provider and E-Learning Repair Program)
Amplify Education, Amplify ELA Banzai
BenQ, BenQ LH650, BenQ RP04 Bloomsbury/ABC-CLIO, American History
Boxlight, Robo E4/E4 Pro 3D Printers, MimioPro G, FrontRow Unity ClassLink
Teachers’ Curriculum Institute (TCI), TCI’s Social Studies Programs
UWorld, UWorld’s Courses for AP Vivacity Tech PBC, 36-Unit Smart Charging Cart, Mobile Charging Station, Student Repair Academy (SRA), Guardian Work-In Case with Pouch
Vivi, Vivi Wireless Presentation and School Communication Solution
Voyager Sopris Learning, LANGUAGE! Live
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HOW A CELLPHONE BAN MIGHT IMPACT EQUITY, DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, AND LOCAL CONTROL IN SCHOOLS
By Michael Millington
Cellphones have become one of the most important pieces of technology in our lives as these offer a way to stay connected with family, friends, and emergency contacts. But cellphones can also create a distraction in the classroom. Is a cellphone ban the right way forward?
“I think it’s a proven statistical point,” says Glenn Robbins, Superintendent of the Brigantine Public School District in New Jersey. “In the last couple of years, you’ve seen discipline numbers go up. You’ve seen academic struggles go up, and the question is whether that was from the closures where the lockdown happened. You see the academic struggles that some of these kids have who were virtual or not in school for a year or two. You hear a lot of administrators and teachers talking about respect and discipline not being to their liking.”
but one thing that hasn’t changed is students stay in contact with their friends, and that’s with their cellphones. But cellphones have many other uses outside of communication. Does that alter our considerations when it comes to cell phone bans?
“The biggest way that I look at this is the equity piece, and what I mean by that is you have kids of various backgrounds coming to your school,” Robbins says. “They might only have a cell phone in their household. It might be a tablet. They might not have an updated laptop or Chromebook, whatever it may be. So when the teacher sends the student home with homework, they might not have the accessibility of all these different apps and programs [that we are using]. So that’s a part that I’m a little concerned about.”
The pandemic has changed how many students and teachers view in-person school,
A NEW BOOK ARGUES GRADES ARE FAILING STUDENTS. HERE’S WHY
By Erik Ofgang
Joshua R. Eyler gives the U.S. grading system an “F” in his new book Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students, And What We Can Do About It. In it, Eyler, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and an education professor at the University of Mississippi, makes the case that grades hurt academic success and are helping to fuel the ongoing youth mental health crisis.
Is It True Grades Aren’t Linked To Academic Success?
One of the main arguments in favor of grading is that it inspires students to do work, and without it, students wouldn’t have any motivation. The research doesn’t really support this claim, Eyler says. In his book, he points to a 2021 metaanalysis of many previous studies looking at the impact of grading overall.
“That work really confirms research that has been around for decades showing the [negative] effect of grades on performance learning and motivation,” Eyler says. “It’s a continuous thread that we see through these investigations.”
Why Do Grades Seem To Decrease Achievement?
Education scientists often talk about intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation. Grades, most agree, are extrinsic motivators. “They’re the prize, the candy, the reward that students get for following the rules and moving through the system,” Eyler says. “What we know about extrinsic motivators is that they are good for compliance. They work to get people to do things that they don’t want to do. And so, yes, they can work to get students in seats, to get them to turn things in on time, to get them to participate.”
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EDEXEC SUMMIT: THE NETWORKING EVENT CONNECTING INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES
SERVING THE EDUCATION MARKET
Tech & Learning’s EdExec Summit was back at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort outside of Atlanta on September 11-13, 2024. Once again, Tech & Learning brought together senior executives from companies serving the K-12 industry for a three-day networking conference dedicated to the business of education. The intimacy, deep connections, and partnerships that industry executives forged at this event, coupled with a curated agenda that included meaningful time for collaboration and connection, is unlike any other conference for education business executives.
Attendees had plenty of time for networking and meeting new colleagues
The DOLS gather for a group photo
Attendees enjoyed a wine tasting reception at the Chateau Elan Winery and resort before heading to dinner
Chad Stevens, new CEO of TinkRworks, joins a panel to discuss the lessons they_ ve learned as edtech leaders
Jim Callen of Datiak12 chats with colleagues
Niquelle Cotton and Rod Houpe mingle at the closing dinner
Dr. Dana Bedden meets with an attendee
Magic EdTech’s Chief Solutions Officer, Rishi Raj
Gera shares his insight on how edtech companies can succeed in an AI-Driven Market
Corporate and Education Collaboration Solutions
Atlona AT-OME-CS31 products feature AV switching, USB routing, audio mixing, and amplification as well as extensive automation capabilities that make them ideal presentation and collaboration solutions for modern meeting and learning environments.
Pam Lloyd and Paula Reed enjoy a toast
Chad Johnson of Cherry Treet Associates meets with an attendee
Courtney White of IncidentIQ greets Tech & Learning event director Blake Pippin
Singh
ACCOMMODATING NEURODIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND
By Michael Millington
When it comes to preparing our education system for neurodiverse students, the level of involvement can vary and might not always produce the intended results.
Courtney Teague, Deputy Director of Internal Professional Learning & Coaching and Chief Culture Officer for CLT & Associates and a presenter at Tech & Learning’s recent EdExec Summit, discusses the importance of identifying neurodiversity in the classroom and preparing neurodiverse students for a successful future.
Preparing a System that Caters to Neurodiversity
“When we think about our systems and how we set up for programs and projects, are we responsive to that?” says Teague. “If you have someone that may have autism, they might not be able to be in a space with all of their teammates at that moment. They might need time to settle in. When I’m thinking about the school teachers, thinking about people that work in a district
office, do they offer choice and flexibility? Or do you push everyone into a room and say, ‘We all have to sit in this room together’?”
Making Sure Neurodiverse Hires Are Catered To As Well
Young people who see themselves in those they look up may adopt those individuals as role models, so having neurodiverse teachers is critical. But how do we ensure we’re making an environment that gives neurodiverse teachers the best opportunity to be successful? Teague suggests that embracing a partnership approach between administrators and neurodiverse teachers should be the goal.
“As the leader, the administrator, or the superintendent, we’re asking what you need to be successful,” says Teague. “Let’s see if what you need is what we are able to provide and it’s not disrupting the system.”
GAMIFICATION: PROS AND SOME CONS, ACCORDING TO RESEARCH
By Erik Ofgang
Gamification has become a popular educational approach, having demonstrated solid potential as a learning tool. However, it’s not always clear exactly which gamified elements are helping, and in some instances, it can foster counterproductive competition and enhance extrinsic motivation rather than the more effective intrinsic motivation.
Education experts Sebastian Deterding and Naomi Clark have studied the benefits and limitations of gamification in education, and acknowledge that the approach has pros and cons.
Gamification Pros
A 2020 review of empirical studies looking at gamification found the intervention had small but significant positive effects on cognitive, motivational, and behavioral outcomes. Rather than have students compete individually against one another or work all together, the best results from gamification seemed to occur when groups of students were broken into teams and competed against one another, creating a “collaborative and competitive environment,” Deterding says.
Gamification Cons
“Gamification has been shown to rely on what psychologists call ‘extrinsic motivation’— you’re getting a reward that is not necessarily an inherent or built-in part of what you’re doing,” Clark says. The intrinsic motivation for learning to cook, for instance, would be getting better at cooking because of the joy the skill brings. On the other hand, the extrinsic motivation might be a random reward for peeling potatoes. “The problem with extrinsic motivation is that it can actually cause intrinsic motivation to deteriorate,” Clark says.
Navigating Toward Positive Outcomes
Maximizing the benefits while minimizing any potential negatives of gamification is often about good common sense teaching practices. For instance, you can look for gameplay elements that enhance intrinsic motivation by reminding students about the inherent values of the skill they are learning. Teachers can do this by incorporating storytelling into the gamified elements of the lesson and emphasizing its real-world implications.
6 WAYS TEACHERS CAN TELL STUDENTS ARE USING AI
By Erik Ofgang
Te achers have gotten used to seeing AIgenerated essays and other written work. So It’s no surprise many of those of us who teach, particularly those of us who teach English or writing, have also gotten good at recognizing writing from ChatGPT and other AI models. I have learned that others have noticed similar trends and “tells” of which I had not been previously aware. Their tips have helped spotting the frequent AI work I see from my students, and I hope these will help other educators as well.
1. The Tell-Tale Apostrophe - “Typography can reveal subtle clues that often go unnoticed,” says Valerio Capraro, a psychology professor at the University of Milan. “For example, if the statement has been written in a Word document formatted in Times New Roman or Calibri, but contains straight apostrophes, this is a strong indication that the text has been pasted from ChatGPT, which typically generates straight apostrophes, whereas the classical apostrophes in Times New Roman or Calibri are curved.”
2. Smooth Jazz But With Words - One tell for AI images is what is described as “dead eyes.” These eyes just look soulless and non-human. AI writing can often also feel that way. Robin Provey,
an English instructor at Western Connecticut State University and CT State Community College, says AI writing is, “Sesquipedalian: sophisticated prose with little to no meaning.”
3. AI Word Choice ‘Fundamentally’ Does Not Contain Much Variation The More You ‘Delve’ Into It - A recent study comparing students and AI writing found that ChatGPT uses 35% less unique vocabulary than students. Other commonly used AI words include ‘fundamentally,” “shaping,” “identities,” “disparities,” “intricate,” and “empower.”
4. This Writing is Familiar, Maybe Too Familiar - Brian Clements, director of the Kathwari Honors Program at Western Connecticut State University, finds the most striking AI tell to be “paragraph transitions unlikely to be the student’s voice and similarity to language from other student papers.”
5. AI’s Biggest Grammar Mistake Is It Doesn’t Make Mistakes - One of the tells in AI writing I see, particularly in introductory writing students, is a lack of grammar errors, even though the paper isn’t that stellar otherwise — and AI’s propensity to make factual mistakes is well-documented.
6. Setting An AI Trap - Educators have also shared a trick for catching AI users red-handed. The technique is to include specific instructions above and beyond the “real” prompt, and put these instructions in a white font so these won’t be seen by most students.
5 WAYS SCIENCE INFORMS MY TEACHING
By Erik Ofgang
Over my years of teaching, I’ve come across department-mandated practices that have been debunked as ineffective, and have seen things I did in my own teaching that were unlikely to be helpful for my students. Today, I do my very best to avoid these mistakes and try to keep up with the latest teaching research. I’m certainly not perfect in this regard, but I’m hopefully always improving.
1. Avoiding Learning Styles - When I was in college, one of my professors had every student in class complete a learning style questionnaire. According to the questionnaire, I was a “visual learner.” Later, as a teacher, I thought about how I needed to make sure my lectures appealed to visual, audio, and other types of learners. These efforts were at best a waste of time since learning styles are a myth.
2. Better Utilization of Video - Students will probably learn better from a high-quality YouTube lesson than from me. That’s according to a 2021 study that found students learn better from video lectures than in-person lectures. With this study in mind, I don’t shy away from assigning and sharing vetted videos with students based upon specific knowledge gaps I notice in their work
3. More Pretesting - Pretesting may seem like a counterintuitive strategy, with professors giving ungraded tests to students before they have a chance to learn the material, except it has been shown to boost learning.
4. Less Lecture - I’ve become a big fan of active learning, which research suggests can be more effective than traditional lectures. And with that in mind, I’m dedicated to devoting more class time to in-class writing and other writing-related projects.
5. Fighting AI-Generated Papers - Unlike some teachers, I encouraged my students to use automated citation tools, as I didn’t buy any of the arguments against using these, especially for undergrads. However, even if AI writing gets good enough that students won’t need to write in the future, the writing process is still linked to building cognition, thinking, and learning skills.
I HAVE AI FATIGUE. HERE’S WHAT I’M DOING TO OVERCOME IT
By Erik Ofgang
Idon’t think I’m alone when I say, I’m tired of reading AI papers.
I’m an adjunct college writing professor and teach online, and the prevalence of AI papers I suspect are AI-generated has grown to such an extent over the past year that it has changed my relationship with teaching.
Rather than give in to negativity, I’m trying to change my mindset around AI work to regain a little bit of the fun and passion that I think the robots have stolen from teaching. Here’s how.
Focusing On Quality Rather Than Authorship
- This semester I am embracing the idea that the human pilot of AI-generated work can still benefit from seeing the flaws in that effort. To do this, I’m letting students know that I’m grading AIstyle writing harsher, so this will hopefully de-incentivize AI use overall.
Accepting That There Will Be AI Papers Submitted That Will Get Past Me - At the risk of sounding cliché, my new motto is, “Give me the strength to detect the AI papers I can and accept the AI papers I can’t detect.” Because of my new focus on the quality of the work rather than
how it was created, it should matter less if an AIgenerated paper or two slips by, as the students most likely won’t be rewarded for that.
Reframing The Purpose of Writing - My new message to students is: You shouldn’t learn to write so your resume will look better or your cover letter will shine. You should learn to write because writing is one of the fundamental ways in which humans are able to express their thoughts, hopes, dreams, and more.
7 THINGS SCHOOL LEADERS CAN DO TO PROMOTE DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY
By Michael Gaskell
Efor identifying reliable content, it fosters a culture of skepticism and inquiry.
3. Emphasize the importance of adults modeling responsible digital citizenship. Children often mimic the behaviors they observe, so it is crucial for parents and educators to demonstrate ethical online conduct.
nsuring students’ safety and responsibility online must be a priority for schools. While educators often focus on teaching students about digital citizenship and literacy within the classroom, it is important to engage parents and the entire school community. School leaders play a critical role in fostering this.
1. Disrupt negative interactions such as the hyperactive hive mind by promoting positive online interactions through the benign disinhibition effect. This method cleverly flips the script, by which supportive and monitored online groups can provide healthier engagement alternatives for students. People feel liberated in this safe zone, more comfortable sharing personal information, feelings, and vulnerabilities online than in real life, where they fear judgment and the danger of social ostracism.
2. Promote critical thinking by questioning the credibility of sources and recognizing misinformation. By providing tools and strategies
4. Avoid rabbit holes. “Reply only twice” is a method that encourages us to limit our responses to two online exchanges to foster clarity and efficiency, while preventing prolonged threads of back and forth.
5. Encourage open conversations at home, and even help structure it. In communications with parents, provide them with conversation starters and strategies for talking to their children about digital citizenship.
6. Partner with local organizations. Partner with local organizations and law enforcement agencies who specialize in digital safety. These partnerships can provide valuable resources and additional expertise for your school community.
7. Celebrate good citizenship. When you see students practicing responsible digital citizenship, acknowledge their efforts publicly. Share these stories in your newsletters or on your school’s social media channels.
MANAGING SCREEN TIME WITHOUT BANNING TECHNOLOGY
By Erik Ofgang
During the pandemic Jan Plass learned firsthand how nuanced the discussion around kids and screen time has to be. At one point, he became upset with his teenage children about how much time they were spending in front of screens.
“So I go into their rooms ready to tell them to get off their computers. My older one says, ‘Dad, I just composed another song, look,’” says Plass, director of CREATE Consortium for Research and Evaluation of Advanced Technologies in Education at New York University. “My younger one was in his room, and when I got ready to get mad at him, he had just looked up how to play a piano piece by a particular pianist in a certain style.”
being done on the screen matters. He says when used correctly in schools, nonphone devices can be very effective for education by supporting creativity and playfulness through activities such as gamification. The trick for educators and parents is differentiating between productive and distracting screen time.
“The best thing parents can do is steer their children toward media production rather than media consumption,” Plass says.
Age Also Matters When It Comes To Screen Time
Plass wrote a blog post about the experience, suggesting that conversation around screen time is misguided because it assumes that students are engaged in certain undesirable activities. “Tt doesn’t recognize that children nowadays are getting their information from screens like we used to get them from other sources. They make screens the primary source of education.”
Not All Screen Activity Is Equal
As Plass learned with his own children, what is
The screen time discussion also requires different approaches for different age groups and a better understanding about how children use screens early in their development.
“We’re running a whole study for birth to eight-year-olds to try and understand what they’re doing on their screens. Nobody knows,” Plass says. “We know kids spend a lot of time on their screens. We know they start younger and younger, but we have very little data on what’s actually being done.”
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TECH & LEARNING ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF BEST OF SHOW AT ISTE 2024
ISTELive24 was another energetic and inspiring conference, held in Denver this year with hundreds of sessions and exhibitors enjoying the learning and networking.
The exhibit hall showcased hundreds of new products and services, and our Tech & Learning judges reviewed the nominated products on the show floor to choose the winners for this year’s Tech & Learning’s Best of Show awards at ISTELive 24 awards. The evaluation criteria included: ease of use, value, uniqueness in the market, and proof that the product helped make teachers’ lives easier and supported student achievement.
“Although AI was the most talked-about topic at this year’s ISTE conference, we were impressed by the array of nominated products that continued to support the nuts and bolts of teaching and learning and meaningfully integrated emerging tech,” says Christine Weiser, content director for Tech & Learning. “Our
judges chose the products that they believed best supported innovation in the classroom and district. Congratulations to our winners!”
Winners of Best of Show at ISTE 2024
• Acer Chromebook Plus 514, Acer TravelMate P4 Spin 14
• AGParts Education, EmpowerED360
• Avantis Education, Enhanced ClassVR Portal
• AVer Information, M15W Wireless Document Camera, U50+ USB FlexArm Document Camera
• AVID Products, WonderEars, AVIGA
• Boxlight, Unity, Robo E4/E4 Pro 3D Printer, Clevertouch Impact Lux, Clevertouch Impact Max, MimioWall, MimioPro4, Xploris, DS Series
Before education and edtech leaders, teachers, consultants, experts, and others from around the globe attended ISTELive 2024 in Denver, Colorado, a select group gathered for Tech & Learning’s regional leadership summit, which was held at the amazing Denver Zoo!
In addition to enjoying a fun day of professional learning, networking, and connecting with edtech partners, attendees enjoyed a “fierce” reception in the zoo itself, surrounded by elephants, giraffes, rhinos, monkeys, and all sorts of other furry and feathered friends.
The Tech & Learning team (from left to right): Michael Millington (Senior Staff Writer), Christine Weiser (Content Director), Allison Knapp (Sales Director), Anne Gregoire (Sales Associate), Blake Pippin (Event Director), Marquita Amoah (Event Partnership Director), Ray Bendidi (Managing Editor).
Tech & Learning OG’s Adam Phyall, Matt Joseph, Andrew Wallace, Phil Hintz & Carl Hooker.
Tech & Learning Summit attendees got a deep dive into new technologies at the opening T&L Innovation Lab, hosted in partnership with Education Market Experts.
Tech & Learning event director Blake Pippin celebrated the Denver Pride Festival with new friends.
Tech & Learning hosted a reception and celebration of the winners of the Best of ISTE awards during the conference.
The Otus team celebrated their award win at the Best of ISTE reception.
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JOIN US FOR OUR LIVE SUMMITS
Calling all Superintendents, CTOs, CAOs, Instructional, and Tech District Leaders – join us for our free upcoming Regional Leadership Summits!
The Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summits allow district leaders to come together in an intimate, relaxed, face-to-face setting to talk about focusing on the needs of students and faculty with a future focus. Come join us to share, listen, and learn about the great work going on in your region!
Find our more about out upcoming Summits:
Texas: September 20
Northeast: October 18
Midwest: November 8
Innovation Summit: December 5&6
Our Regional Leadership Summits will be continuing. See our website for updates.
Our Summits provide a full agenda including working groups, keynote addresses, panel discussions, and interactive activities, as well as our announcement of the awards winners.
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