Looking into the Crystal Ball: The Future of VR in Education

Online Education

Article | July 19, 2022

Although school has resumed in countries such as Norway and China, restarting K-12 education during a global pandemic is proving difficult in the United States. Amid questions about if, how, and when to do so, a host of ideas have emerged.

Education Technology

Article | August 4, 2022

A Kentucky teen who became the subject of a viral video after an incident during a class field trip to Washington, D.C., warned viewers of the Republican National Convention Tuesday of an "outrage mob" that threatens to silence conservative viewpoints. After Nick Sandmann attended the March for Life anti-abortion rally with his former classmates from Covington Catholic High School in January 2019, a cellphone video of a close, face-to-face interaction between the students and a Native American demonstrator spread quickly online.

Education Technology, Continuing Education

Article | August 8, 2022

K-12 teachers and learners are witnessing a shift in learning methods, and much of the change is driven by technology. In the face of the pandemic, many schools adopted classroom management software as a temporary measure, but it is fast becoming the norm. If your school is still considering refining your classroom management or switching to a new platform, it is essential to understand the advantages it offers for administrators, educators, and learners. Here are three ways classroom management enriches K-12 education and why you should embrace it in 2023. Student Security The emergence of the use of laptops, tablets, and other devices has exposed students to not just increased screen time but also cybersecurity mishaps. Classroom management solutions offer extensive security modules that enable educators to keep a firm grasp on the safety of students online. These solutions offer visibility across devices used by students, which can prove to be mission critical in the case of data leaks. The two features that address device management concerns that can be addressed with these solutions are: Web filtering This software protects students by restricting access to inappropriate, objectionable, and harmful content that can impact students and risk the school’s network security. Combined with classroom management, web filtering provides richer insights into devices and fosters effective learning. Mobile device management Technology investment doesn’t come cheap. This is why mobile device management, or MDM, is so valuable. It helps the school’s technology department to keep a close eye on the access and user management, permissions, application deployment, remote access, lost equipment tracking, and so much more in order to prevent any kind of security breaches, and is especially handy in a hybrid classroom environment. Collaborative Activities Classroom management solutions can prove to be a meaningful investment only if they can address the most important need of a classroom, i.e., collaborative learning. Thanks to technology, collaboration in the classroom has become seamless and more engaging than ever before. Here are some ways that it is creating rewarding learning experiences. Screensharing Screensharing allows teachers to share their screen with the whole class and even allow certain students to share theirs. This encourages collaboration and allows teachers to conduct two-way discussions during each class. Secure messaging Classroom management solutions specialize in providing teachers with complete control of the online class and maintaining decorum. Teachers can lock screens and even devices, close tabs, and even message students individually to keep them engaged. Student Support One of the best features to ensure student engagement is an avenue for students to reach out to teachers. This way, students are able to stay in the loop, get their queries cleared, and avoid neglecting doubts and problems due to the inability to connect with their teachers. Better Learning Being able to cultivate ample learning opportunities in a creative, fun setting is one of the best ways to use classroom management platforms. Here are some ways that such solutions reduce the hurdles that many schools and educators face in creating conducive and enriching learning environments. Flexibility Classroom management promotes learning by supporting multiple settings for learning, like in-person classes, remote and mixed modes of instruction. Higher teacher efficiency Increasing teacher efficiency is another benefit schools can look forward to when equipping classes with classroom management solutions. Thanks to features like pop quizzes and report card generation, classroom management eliminates extensive paper work and promotes teacher efficiency. What’s the Word? There is little doubt that technology can propel learning and education to new heights. With the above features, it is easy to see why classroom management is a substantial piece in the puzzle for schools trying to figure out their long-term game plan for learning delivery methods. The right solution will not only be important, but it will also be a turning point in improving educational outcomes in K–12 schools, which are always looking for ways to make learning more fun and interesting while also making teachers' jobs easier and reducing teacher burnout.

Article | August 18, 2020

After a busy exam season, students up and down the country look forward to long summer vacations, hopefully with a trip or two! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, many of us don’t want to catch a flight this summer. But all is not lost! Gale Primary Sources, an online database of digitised primary sources, allows you to explore your cancelled holiday destination in a virtual way – from the safety of your own home! Personally, I’d planned to go to Marseille in June, which is a historic city in the South of France well known for its Roman and medieval architecture and ruins. Instead, I had a really fun afternoon exploring Marseille by delving into some rare and quirky primary sources – and you can go there with me in this blog post!