The month of May has flown by, and we hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend! Now you can catch up on what’s trending in EdTech news with this edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup. We’ll cover:
The Pandemic's Effects
While health mandates have all but disappeared, the social and educational impacts of the pandemic are still visible today. Here are a collection of stories highlighting how the pandemic is still affecting life for students and teachers today:
In this story from NPR, high school seniors reflect on what pandemic learning really looked like. One student noted that “. . . it was just a game of trying to get through all the content that was required. And so, I would speed through videos, and I would finish assignments as quickly as possible just to say that I’ve done them and be done with it.” Read up on what the class of 2023 has to say about their high school experience!
New research has found that students within the same district seemed to experience similar academic setbacks, regardless of their backgrounds. School district and community factors have proven to be more influential than home factors, which shows greater attention and support is needed for schools.
Recent research from the Institute of Education Sciences showed that 53% of schools started the 2022-2023 school year feeling understaffed, and as more teachers plan to leave the profession, more schools will be left feeling incomplete. The free eBook is a product of interviews with teachers and administrators across the country conducted over the last year and offers school leaders concrete suggestions they can take to retain their teachers.
In 2021-2022, 32% of 4-year-olds attended a state-funded Pre-K program, according to annual research by the National Institute for Early Education Research. The same report notes that the pandemic nearly erased a decade’s worth of growth in public pre-kindergarten education, but several states are pushing for universal pre-k, a move that could change many things for K-12 education.
Political Happenings
Peek into what’s happening in education politics with news on ESSER funding, school-based wellness services, and ChatGPT.
ICYMI: ESSER funding closes September 2024. A loss of funds can cause leaders to axe possibly programs added to address learning loss, absenteeism, and other challenges that blossomed during the pandemic. Read the article to hear what seven districts have planned as funding changes!
The Biden administration recently announced new ways for schools to provide health and wellness services for children covered by Medicaid. Wellness resources like these will help address our nation’s youth mental health crisis, and research shows that students are six times more likely to seek services when they’re offered at school.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the creator of ChatGPT), recently addressed a Senate panel about how AI impacts kids, privacy, and the differences between social media and AI.
Insights from Experts
Read the top takeaways from education and tech experts about how these fields are evolving!
Hear from an EdTech director and a school technology director on the five EdTech trends that will shape education going forward: digital identities, augmented & virtual reality, technology integrations, equity and access, and idea sharing.
IT experts from K-12 to higher education share their advice on cybersecurity, data access, K-12 IT departmental operations, and more.
Five different education and tech leaders share their thoughts on what’s next for high school education. Predictions include artificial intelligence, programming literacy, computational thinking, success habits, and more.
Mind mapping is a way to visually organize information. It’s a great way for educators to see what students know, what they find engaging, and what areas for more learning are available. A Texas educator shares the tools she uses to empower students to mind map, including Science Techbook for Texas from Discovery Education.
