35 edtech innovations we saw at FETC 2023
This 12 months’s Future of Education Technology Conference landed in New Orleans, and the convention was abuzz with post-pandemic studying restoration instruments, options to advertise fairness amongst college students and fogeys, methods for digital entry, scholar psychological well being, social and emotional studying instruments, and extra.
Here’s only a glimpse of what we realized about throughout FETC 2023:
AVer Information Inc. USA, introduced the launch of the A30, the world’s first All-in-One Camera with AI Audio for the Classroom. The A30 is a multi-functional classroom software that enhances the educating expertise by combining a doc digital camera, internet digital camera, microphone, and speaker. With easy-to-use plug-n-play connectivity, the A30 speaker connects to computer systems, IFPs, and screens to offer clear classroom audio as much as 20 ft away.
Beanstack, an edtech platform that helps colleges encourage children to learn by means of gamification, demonstrated the significance of participating readers. Beanstack helps educators and librarians encourage studying by making it straightforward to create and promote studying challenges for his or her communities. It motivates individuals to achieve studying targets by monitoring when, how a lot, and what they learn. The firm has constructed a number of instruments to try this, together with a customizable studying problem platform and a cell app, studying problem templates, and various guide suggestions.
BenQ, an internationally famend supplier of visible show options, delivered an illustration of all of the options and advantages of its BenQ Boards. Teachers from Citrus County Schools highlighted the convenience of use and intuitiveness of the BenQ Board good boards. BenQ additionally highlighted its household of BlueCore laser training projectors and InstaShow WDC20E training wi-fi presentation system (WPS).
ClassVR/Avanti’s World ensured that educators know that everybody can come to Eduverse.com. Eduverse.com is a revolutionary on-line studying setting offering a secure and safe ‘metaverse’ for Ok-12 colleges. Eduverse permits lecturers and college students to harness the facility of the metaverse and discover immersive digital worlds in a secure and inclusive setting. Eduverse affords a brand new strategy to be taught, enabling college students to collaborate in participating digital areas the place the unattainable turns into a actuality.
The Cook Center for Human Connection facilitated discussions in regards to the significance of scholar psychological well being consciousness and youth suicide prevention–and the essential position mother and father play in these efforts. The group companions with ParentGuidance.org, which affords training and therapeutic help to empower and provides mother and father hope as they help their youngster’s psychological well being. The mission of the Cook Center for Human Connection is to deliver collectively the perfect organizations, packages and merchandise to forestall suicide, present psychological well being help, and improve human connections important for individuals to thrive.
FEV Tutor explored what it means to actually have interaction college students and make digital tutoring equitable. To counter ongoing unfinished studying, many districts are in search of evidence-based interventions reminiscent of high-impact tutoring packages. But what’s high-impact tutoring and the way can directors discover the correct program for his or her district and colleges? Lisa Wills, government director of curriculum and instruction for Ector County Independent School District (ISD) in Odessa, Texas, answered these questions and extra in a 45-minute session at FETC. In her 34 years with Ector County, Wills has labored in all areas of training, from classroom instructor, curriculum specialist, assistant principal, principal, and director of literacy to government director of curriculum and instruction. In her present position, she works instantly with the district’s on-line tutoring packages, together with FEV Tutor, to speed up studying for college students.
FTW Robotics displayed its drone know-how in sales space #518 that’s presently in 1K colleges all through the United States. For The Win Robotics focuses on fostering essential considering and lifelong curiosity by means of the facility of experiential STEM and laptop science training by means of drone know-how. FTW reaches greater than 1,000 colleges throughout the United States with its drone-centered STEM and laptop science programming that’s obtainable for each training setting — from Ok-12 lecture rooms to varsity campuses, afterschool packages to summer time camps.
Impero showcased Impero Wellbeing, a holistic view of scholar security and wellbeing that gives cloud-based key phrase detection instruments to seize, file, and determine early warning indicators of dangerous on-line conduct. Combined with Impero Backdrop’s free digital safeguarding instruments, Impero Wellbeing permits colleges to handle and file scholar issues in on-line and offline environments from a single, secure, and safe interface.
Intelitek’s studying options have offered learners throughout the globe with the competencies wanted for in-demand careers in manufacturing. Driven by its pedagogic dedication to college students’ profession readiness and lifelong studying abilities, the corporate develops state-of-the-art instruments and applied sciences for engineering, manufacturing, automation, and robotics applied sciences. These applied sciences, together with Intelitek’s packages, empower instructors and encourage college students to pursue careers in cutting-edge companies. The emergence of latest industrial applied sciences has brought on such speedy modifications in manufacturing that employers are in fixed want of employees who’re technically superior, course of savvy, and pure downside solvers. To assist develop this workforce, Intelitek, a worldwide CTE chief, has launched SmartCIM 4.0, a modular coaching setting that includes industrial working parts for computer-integrated manufacturing training.
Kajeet launched Kajeet Private Wireless, its next-gen, cloud-based, non-public 5G and LTE platform delivering quick, safe, and dependable broadband connectivity for college students in distant areas and communities underserved by public wi-fi choices.
KinderLab Robotics‘ KIBO connects the humanities with laptop science – with out the necessity for display screen time. With KIBO, educators deliver lesson plans to life, whereas children use their very own creativity and self-expression to deliver KIBO to life. They examine their world, commerce and share discoveries, develop their computational considering and STEAM abilities, clear up issues, and a lot extra.
Learning.com, a supplier of digital abilities and laptop science curriculum, has acquired Codesters, a web based platform and coding curriculum. The buy bolsters Learning.com’s place as a supplier of complete digital literacy and laptop science curriculum for Ok-12 colleges. “Across the country, there’s a growing movement to provide computer science education to every student, in every school, at every grade level,” stated Learning.com CEO Keith Oelrich. “Our strategic acquisition of Codesters accelerates Learning.com’s expanding presence in the K-12 computer science market.”
Lenovo announced new {hardware}, software program and providers options designed to encourage and allow studying wherever. The newest Lenovo Education portfolio contains new laptops, operating Windows 11 or ChromeOS, constructed to assist college students and lecturers embrace next-level hybrid studying. The newest enhancements to the Lenovo VR Classroom options create an immersive academic expertise by means of participating visuals, significant content material, and explanatory audio that sparks a reference to every scholar. Lenovo additionally launched a brand new collaborative characteristic for its LanSchool Air classroom administration answer. Co-teaching permits lecturers to share their courses with different educators reminiscent of paraprofessionals, scholar lecturers, counsellors, and college directors to offer extra cohesive classes.
Leo, Tutor.com’s soon-to-come new tutorial help platform, is purpose-built from the bottom up by studying consultants, lecturers, and internet builders in collaboration with Ok-12 and higher-ed leaders. It is designed to satisfy on-line studying wants in Ok-12 and higher-ed colleges, from scheduling, administration, and supply of educational providers to a digital classroom expertise that conjures up college students and drives studying outcomes.
LG Business Solutions spotlighted a full vary of education-focused options, headlined by the brand new LG CreateBoard (mannequin TR3DK), a purpose-built answer to deal with a wide range of wants for in-person, distant and blended studying. LG additionally unveiled its expanded coaching packages by means of the LG Academy, with a brand new course set to launch particularly for LG CreateBoard line within the first quarter. The CreateBoard course will probably be adopted by further complete coaching assets launched in coordination with a third-party supplier.
Linewize introduced that Qustodio, its new parental management app, is now obtainable for all School Manager and Classwize clients. As a part of Linewize’s broader Community platform, Qustodio extends visibility, reporting and controls to folks and guardians into how their youngsters are utilizing school-issued units, each at faculty and at house. Qustodio gives mother and father with entry to a wide range of instruments and assets, together with a CIPA-compliant content material filter enabled for school-issued units at house, ongoing visibility and insights into their youngster’s on-line exercise and system utilization, and skilled recommendation and steering from digital security consultants.
Malwarebytes, a world chief in real-time cyber safety, at present introduced the upcoming Malwarebytes Mobile Security for Business, extending its award-winning endpoint safety capabilities to skilled cell units. From company organizations to academic establishments, the growing variety of related cell units introduces safety dangers to customers and networks. Over two-fifths (42 p.c) of SMBs who stated that their group had skilled a mobile-related compromise in 2021 stated that the results had been main—the opposite half stated that the repercussions had been lasting.
Navigate360, supplier of holistic security and wellness options, demonstrated its mannequin that spans the complete spectrum of security, together with menace detection and prevention, psychological well being and wellness, and security administration and preparedness – backed by analysis and developed by {industry} consultants.
OverDrive Education introduced that the Sora student reading app is piloting a brand new Sora Extra that connects college students to interactive studying assets from TeachingBooks.net. This new characteristic gives quick access to participating studying supplies that may deepen conversations about favourite books amongst college students, educators, and households.
ParentSquare, developer of a unified school-home engagement platform for Ok-12, has acquired Gabbart Communications, an internet site and content material administration system (CMS) enterprise. With the acquisition, ParentSquare gives Ok-12 colleges and districts with expanded choices to raise household and group engagement experiences, together with the ParentSquare platform’s new built-in faculty web site module, Smart Sites. With the mixing of Gabbart Communications’ faculty web site software, the ParentSquare platform now affords Smart Sites, a brand new module that permits educators to publish posts and alerts on to web site pages and social media channels from ParentSquare. Smart Sites customers can add info to ParentSquare and have the module mechanically furnish the brand new info on their web site and in social media posts and messages to households and group members, making certain content material consistency.
Presence, supplier of on-line remedy options for kids with various wants, demonstrated how Kanga, its all-in-one remedy platform, helps colleges, districts, impartial practitioners, and businesses reimagine the work of their clinicians. With Kanga, clinicians have entry to award-winning know-how to offer participating, best-in-class, and personalised remedy to every scholar, both onsite or remotely. Presence believes that know-how ought to improve, not change, the human connections between educators and college students. Built by clinicians, for clinicians, its remedy platform is designed with this imaginative and prescient in thoughts. With options like a collaborative workspace, customizable video games and actions, and digital instruments for documentation, it’s constructed to boost the remedy expertise.
Project10Million, from T-Mobile, is an initiative aimed at delivering web connectivity to tens of millions of underserved scholar households at no price. Partnering with faculty districts throughout the nation, this system affords free high-speed knowledge and free cell hotspots–and entry to at-cost laptops and tablets.
Promethean showcased its new ActivPanel 9 with ActivSync and the Symphony Classroom digital assistant by Merlyn Mind. Promethean’s newest ActivPanel powered by the corporate’s patented ActivSync know-how responds to an evolving academic setting by breaking down obstacles between units, enabling elevated connectivity and collaboration, and supporting hybrid and in-classroom studying. Promethean additionally highlighted Symphony Classroom with Merlyn, an entire training know-how answer from Merlyn Mind that features an AI hub, software program platform, and distant management. This distinctive AI-powered digital assistant allows lecturers to make use of voice instructions or a distant to regulate their units, browsers, apps, and extra.
Propello introduced its launch, providing a strategy to empower all colleges with entry to high-quality tutorial instruments, curricula, and instructor help. As educators face the looming problem of closing studying gaps that grew in the course of the pandemic, the Propello platform helps faculty districts present lecturers with the excellent curriculum, scaffolding, and insights they should help wide-ranging scholar wants.
Qualcomm mentioned with attendees how educators can and will embrace AI–and what platforms like ChatGPT imply for training. Thought leaders additionally chatted about why faculty districts like LAUSD are partnering with Qualcomm to shift to LTE-ready laptops for its college students versus solely Wi-Fi-based laptops and hotspot options. The significance of enhanced cybersecurity for colleges because the FCC considers modifications to the E-rate program additionally emerged as a must-know.
Reading Horizons shared how its training clients are utilizing its options to focus on pandemic-related studying gaps and studying deficits at all grade ranges. The firm is dedicated to partnering with educators to eradicate illiteracy, and in November it launched the (*35*), a free, on-line group designed to assist lecturers confidently and successfully implement the science of studying.
Samsung Electronics America, Inc. offered a primary look at the brand new Samsung Education Community Platform. The free-to-join platform will supply educators a web based dialogue discussion board, entry to look and skilled teaching, and free, self-paced skilled improvement programs, enabling them to develop new methods for leveraging know-how that may improve classroom engagement and studying outcomes for all college students.
Savvas Learning Company showcased its newly enhanced Savvas Realize studying administration system (LMS) and different new PreK-12 studying options. Savvas Realize was up to date for this faculty 12 months with enhancements that ship better simplicity, shareability, and seamless interoperability with greater than two dozen main edtech instruments that college districts use most. The platform not too long ago received the 2022 Supes’ Choice Award for greatest LMS from the Institute for Education Innovation. New Savvas merchandise highlighted at FETC embody: Savvas Now Literacy, a Ok-5 supplemental digital useful resource library; Savvas Essentials: Foundational Reading, a Ok-2 supplemental program aligned to the Science of Reading that targets key foundational abilities; Magruder’s American Government Interactive, the brand new version of the premier highschool program, now with constantly up to date digital assets complementing a foundational textbook; Civics Interactive, an all-digital civics curriculum for grades 6-12; and enVision Mathematics, the nationally acknowledged math collection for grades Ok-12 that has been up to date to interact college students with much more hands-on, problem-based studying.
SchoolStatus demonstrated how its answer integrates all scholar knowledge right into a digital scholar card so lecturers can study historic assessments, benchmark knowledge, disciplinary points. SchoolStanding helps Accountability Directors visualize benchmark and state knowledge in a single platform, and infrequently in a single report.
StickTogether confirmed attendees how its inclusive exercise helps college students chill out, be themselves, join with others, and be a part of creating one thing particular. Students can create colourful Pixel Art with a free software, obtain a coded worksheet, and use stickers to deliver their imaginative and prescient to life. Sticker poster kits start as a thriller and grow to be extra clear as everybody works collectively. StickTogether’s Virtual Stickerboards accommodate a handful–or a whole lot–of contributors as they work collectively on their very own units or an interactive whiteboard (free of charge) to create a picture collectively.
Spectrum Enterprise educated attendees about current federal laws that features funding for Ok-12 colleges and districts to help connectivity. Spectrum has eligible options that help long-term know-how plans–irrespective of the place studying takes place.
TutorMe companions with colleges and districts to offer 24/7 on-line tutoring that will increase equitable entry to personalised studying, helps lecturers, and addresses studying loss. Researchers and evaluation consultants have stated catching college students up academically from the pandemic will probably be a multi-year effort that lives properly into 2023 and past. Tutoring is an intervention technique many faculties are implementing in response, and TutorMe mentioned the demand for proof supporting on-line tutoring as an efficient tutorial intervention.
VEX Robotics demonstrated its VEX GO and VEX 123 options. VEX GO is an inexpensive building system that teaches the basics of STEM by means of enjoyable, hands-on actions that assist younger college students understand coding and engineering in a enjoyable and optimistic means. VEX 123 is a programmable robotic that teaches actual programming with out a pc by means of using the VEX Coder and bodily playing cards.
Wacom unfold consciousness in regards to the significance of utilizing industry-standard tools in CTE packages. Making connections from Ok-12 to increased ed and {industry} is essential for college students, and when college students are uncovered early to the instruments and abilities they’ll depend on of their careers, they’ll enter teaching programs and the workforce at a bonus.
zSpace, a Silicon Valley training firm, introduced the enlargement of math software program choices to incorporate a brand new software, Martian Math, and an replace to the Let’s Cook software on its augmented/digital actuality (AR/VR) laptop computer, Inspire. The zSpace Inspire is an AR/VR laptop computer that doesn’t require a head-mounted show or 3D glasses. A broad vary of STEM and Career and Technical Education functions is accessible on the Inspire, in addition to functions for esports, modeling, and simulation. Learning these abilities with the facility of augmented and digital actuality from the zSpace Inspire brings training to life, permitting college students to raised perceive hard-to-visualize ideas and observe navigating conditions that might be tough, unattainable, counterproductive, or costly in the actual world.
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Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
