Education Technology
Article | July 14, 2022
We’d like to introduce you to Amie Hanbury. In the story she shares below, Amie describes how COVID-19 caused her to reevaluate her career, and how learning on Coursera gave her both the confidence and the skills to pursue a new opportunity. With the support of her family, and driven by a desire to make a positive difference in the world, she overcame her self-doubts and landed a fulfilling new role in a new field.
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Education Technology
Article | July 27, 2022
There’s no question the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to everyday life. But it has also spurred rapid growth in technologies that aim to make everyday life simpler, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Many industries have been fueling this growth, automating processes through AI (the use of computers and machines to mimic human problem-solving and decision-making abilities).
K–12 education is no exception. As schools rushed to accommodate remote learning with little notice — and maintain a secure online network for students and staff — many incorporated elements of AI and ML. Between digital assistants, endpoint security, chatbots and more, AI is gaining a foothold in U.S. classrooms.
Here are three trends to look for in 2022:
AI in Digital Assistants Helps K–12 Teachers Manage Classrooms
“Alexa, read us a story.”
That’s one way teachers are using digital assistants, such as the popular Amazon Echo device — technology that many parents of home-bound students used last year to aid in their children’s educational routines — in the classroom.
One school district in California has integrated this technology even further with the Symphony Classroom device from Merlyn Mind, described as the world’s first digital assistant for education. The device is powered by Edge AI, combining artificial intelligence with edge computing technology.
It’s a way of getting technology to kids where they’re at and when they need it, says Brian Fish, an English teacher at Rancho Verde High School in California.
“Nothing can replace a teacher. However, technology can expand teaching,” Fish says.
Elsewhere in the Val Verde Unified School District, first grade teacher Jennifer Thornton says it comes in handy in her classroom because she’s never at her desk for very long. Through voice commands, Merlyn — the name given to the AI — can navigate tabs on Thornton’s computer and play or pause a YouTube video for a lesson, for example.
“It’s helped a lot with the classroom management,” she says.
Darren Crist, an elementary special education teacher in the district, also uses it for videos in his classroom. But Merlyn’s best feature, at least for Crist’s students, is its visual timer, which helps them with time management and more.
Crist also assigns students to be in charge of Merlyn as a classroom job, which helps them develop life skills.
“As a special ed teacher I’m focused a lot on, not just the normal standards of academics, but making sure that my kids are able to get some of that executive functioning they might be lacking,” he says.
"Nothing can replace a teacher. However, technology can expand teaching.”
- Brian Fish English teacher, Rancho Verde High School
Next-Generation Cybersecurity Solutions Integrate AI Technology
The use of AI and ML is also shaping cybersecurity and the IT industry. For example, these technologies “can offer IT security professionals a way to enforce good cybersecurity practices and shrink the attack surface instead of constantly chasing after malicious activity,” BizTech reports.
So, what does that mean for schools?
Between January and May 2020, as the pandemic took root, the use of remote management and collaboration apps increased by 87 percent and 141 percent, respectively, in K–12 schools, according to an Absolute Software survey of more than 10,000 school and district representatives.
Despite the rise in online applications for teaching and learning, “educational institutions are spending more on endpoint security yet gaining less visibility and control. Forty-one percent of schools say tracking devices is one of their most significant challenges,” Forbes reported.
That’s where technology such as next-generation endpoint security comes into play. “This advanced protection leverages artificial intelligence to recognize potentially dangerous threats — both known and unknown — in real time without the need for signatures, increasing speed-to-action via a proactive, streamlined security protocol,” according to a CDW•G white paper.
Cybersecurity solutions powered by AI and ML are becoming more popular in school districts because they give time back to small IT teams and allow them to scale security with the introduction of large device fleets.
Chatbots Rely on AI to Improve Communication and Tutoring
AI-powered chatbots have been shown to improve classroom efficiency and help teachers communicate with parents.
Since the onset of the pandemic, even more uses for chatbots have started to gain steam. With tutoring seen as a solution to helping students overcome the COVID-19 learning disruption, chatbots could help bridge the equity gap between students who can’t afford private, traditional tutors and those who can.
“To me, AI is just a set of simple tools that we can use, in this case, to figure out some problems that teachers and kids are persistently having,” researcher Neil Heffernan, a computer science professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, says. “The real magic is giving human tutors and teachers a little bit of information on what’s going on so they can be more efficient.”
Google released a suite of programs for higher education that include virtual assistants and, as of November, an AI tutor. The applications in this software suite, called Student Success Services, can be customized for use in K–12 classrooms.
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Education Technology
Article | October 7, 2022
When it comes to staying competitive in an ever-evolving market, workforce management is a significant contributor. And what keeps a workforce agile and transformation-ready? A Gallup study revealed it’s learning and development. L&D that encompasses reskilling, upskilling, strength-based learning and higher education support result in a 73% attrition rate, according to Gallup. At the same time, it yields a 23% higher employee engagement rate and 18% higher productivity. So there’s no doubt that L&D initiatives are a win-win for companies and their employees. And there might be a way to get the most out of the benefits by working with colleges and universities.
Here are just a few collaborations in the educational space that aim to meet demand for skills and talent in their local and regional communities.
The Marion Community
To break down organizational barriers, a powerful partnership between Marion Technical College, Tri-Rivers Career Center, Ohio State University at Marion, superintendents of all local school districts, Ohio Means Jobs, Marion CANDO! economic development, the Marion Area Chamber of Commerce, and industry partners is working together to address the needs of the local labor market.
LED FastStart’s Approach to L&D
LED Fast Start is a top-ranking workforce recruitment and training program in the U.S. The organization is renowned for pioneering acclaimed training programs to fulfill the demand for an ongoing workforce pipeline. It has also partnered with multiple organizations, including the Southern University at Shreveport for aviation programs, and the Grambling State University for programs in computer science and cybersecurity. LED FastStart is also driving a partnership with the Nunez Community as well as NASA and Boeing. For example, students at the college are working at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility to build rockets in collaboration with Boeing.
Training a Workforce in the Western NY Wilds
Alfred University offers the best undergraduate and graduate programs in advanced ceramics technology, glass technology, and renewable energy. A fantastic resource for highly specialized employers in New York State's Advanced Ceramics sector is the university's Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT). Through education in ceramics, glass, renewable energy, and materials science, the CACT creates a pipeline of talent. Through funded student internships, they can minimize businesses' expenses by providing experiential training with research and manufacturing-grade equipment.
To Summarize
Where one-size-fits-all L&D programs fall short, higher education fills the gaps. There is an emerging trend of educational institutions that offer tailored partnerships to help businesses train their workforce in new and upcoming skills. Forward-looking businesses must grab the opportunity and tap into these learning and development partnerships to fulfill their workforce upskilling and reskilling needs.
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Education Technology
Article | July 27, 2022
Virtual reality and augmented reality, or AR/VR are making waves when it comes to creating immersive environments for people to learn, play, meet, and experience. And what better application of AR/VR than for learning purposes? AR/VR is known to make education more engaging, interactive and most importantly, to enable longer retention of information. The immersive experience allows students to be more present and learn multiple concepts hands-on. Implementing AR/VR in your school can be expensive, but there are applications that allow schools to get the most out of it without blowing their budget. Here are five free tools to consider adding to the AR/VR roster while waiting to win an education grant.
SkyView
The SKyView app is a winner among children who love space. The app requires users to use a smartphone and point it at the sky. It provides a real time view of the constellations and planets in the part of the sky that is being viewed through the phone. The app is especially great at night to view the placement of stars, satellites, and planets and identify them.
Berlin Blitz
Not all screen time has to be destructive. AR/VR apps make for a great way to enhance history lessons and make them more interesting and vivid. The BBC offers a 360-degree virtual learning experience that is free for all and can be accessed through a web browser on any device. Berlin Blitz lets users ride a bomber plane that was flown over Berlin by a camera crew and a journalist.
Froggipedia
Science classes are not complete without dissecting a frog. However, it can be too brutal for some classes or simply time-consuming and costly. This is where Froggipedia comes in. The app uses a virtual frog and displays the frog anatomy as if there was a frog on the desk. Not only is it safer but also cleaner and more animal-friendly. The app demonstrates how a frog’s body works in real-time without having to actually dissect a frog.
Google Expeditions
Google Expeditions lets users take a trip around the world from their screens. The initiative is part of Google’s Arts and Culture website. Learners can take expeditions across timelines and geographies. In addition, the classes come with follow-up materials for educators to do a class based on the trip.
Sandbox AR
Created by Discovery Education, the Sandbox AR app provides a comprehensive AR experience that lets students build a virtual world in any room. This allows for educators to move classes and take interactive sessions. For instance, students can discover the wonders of ancient Rome in a school auditorium.
To Conclude
At a time when remote learning has become an essential aspect of education, interactive and immersive apps are the best ways to ensure that education is fun, meaningful, and beneficial to students. These free resources ensure that schools are able to make the most of AR and VR technologies without having to invest in expensive hardware and paid applications.
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