edtech
In recent years, there has been widespread excitement around the transformative potential of technology in education. In the United States alone, spending on education technology has now exceeded $13 billion. Programs and policies to promote the use of education technology may expand access to quality education, support students’ learning in innovative ways, and help families navigate complex school systems.
For teachers who have always wanted to use augmented reality (AR)--tech that overlays content on top of the real world--but haven’t had the chance to explore it, Jaime Donally has heard you. In her presentation “Creating Classroom Content in Augmented Reality,” she gave attendees some inside help on which apps to use in the classroom.
There are a number of digital classroom offerings available for K–12 teachers to use. However, none are more widely adopted than Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams. While both have similar features, they each offer unique tools that suit some classrooms better than others.
AI has been used in ed tech classroom applications for some time. Like smart speakers in homes, AI-powered tools in schools are growing at an exponential rate. But their level of effectiveness in meeting student-learning outcomes is a topic of much debate.
In a new study by Cornell University, scientists explored whether the compelling, immersive nature of virtual reality (VR) provides a better learning outcome than conventional hands-on activities. The study provides better intellect how the novelty of technology affects how people use it.
I was having a conversation with an old school teacher who thinks that AI is ruining education. They challenged me to name 26 ways that artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education for the better, and instead, I came up with. Here they are.
Independent schools and small districts rely heavily on technology to supplement smaller budgets and staffs, which means it is essential to have airtight cybersecurity measures in place. In order to create the best possible defense systems, schools should build on their technology investments over time, according to education leaders at a Jan. 27 session at the Future of Education Technology Conference.
While it may seem like these companies are competing in the education market simply to broaden their consumer base and give back a little, their collective strategy is much more concerning. Tech oligarchs are pushing skills like coding in education to train their own future labor force -- and pay them low wages.
"Alexa, what's 5 minus 3?" A 6-year-old boy recently asked that question in a video, which went viral on Twitter with more than 8.5 million views. He leaned over his homework as his mother hovered in the doorway. Alexa, Amazon's voice-activated assistant, delivered a quick answer: 2. "Booooy," the mother chastised her son.
Cast your mind back to the turn of last century. Experts predicted that by now classrooms would no longer feature human teachers, and holographic virtual entities would deliver lessons instead. This certainly hasn't happened. The closest we have come is group video chat via apps like FaceTime, Zoom or Google Hangouts. But this doesn't mean holograms aren't part of our lives – they're just marketed differently.