CoSN2024: Should K-12 Leaders Make AI Education Mandatory in Schools? mol.doak_fhrr Fri, 04/12/2024 - 14:49 While their approaches to artificial intelligence diverged somewhat during the closing session at CoSN2024 in Miami, the keynote speakers agreed that K–12 schools must prepare students for a future with AI. Hadi Partovi, founder of Code.org and Teach AI, and Mike Trucano, a visiting fellow in the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, shared a stage along with CoSN Board Chair Diane Doersch to discuss the power of AI to transform education. Trucano presented a more ..read more

CoSN2024: Could Poor Relationship Skills Derail School Technology Efforts? mol.doak_fhrr Fri, 04/12/2024 - 14:11 Are you a K–12 technology leader dedicated to districtwide digital transformation? It helps if the superintendent’s got your back. It also helps if your IT team feels appreciated. That was the consensus of two California-based superintendent-technology leader duos at the CoSN2024 conference in Miami this week. While planning, buying and deploying technology is important, none of that matters if the IT team tasked with implementing it is fractured, said Superintendent Kelly May-Voll ..read more

CoSN2024: Los Angeles Tech Leaders Reveal How They Turned the Table on Hackers mol.doak_fhrr Wed, 04/10/2024 - 12:12 After making headline news for falling victim to a ransomware attack on Labor Day in 2022, Los Angeles Unified School District technology leaders are speaking out. Because LAUSD is the second-largest school district in the country, with more than 600,000 students, the attack was a wake-up call for all of K–12. The incident made it very clear that when it comes to cyber targets, size isn’t the issue. “The bottom line is that, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you're a ..read more

CoSN2024: K–12 Technology Leaders Must Commit to Supporting Their Successors mol.doak_fhrr Tue, 04/09/2024 - 11:17 As the path to leadership in K–12 becomes more fluid and less prescriptive, the conversations at CoSN2024 in Miami this week revolve around supporting and advancing those with a penchant for educational technology. The women in technology breakfast and the opening keynote bookended the first day of the annual conference for K–12 technology leaders by distilling how those currently in charge can pave the way for a new and diverse generation of leaders. While technology leaders pre ..read more

CoSN2024: School Technology Leaders to Drill Deeper into Artificial Intelligence mol.doak_fhrr Tue, 04/02/2024 - 13:17 Artificial intelligence continues to capture worldwide attention, and educators are no exception. At the CoSN2024 Annual Conference in Miami, many of the sessions will address aspects of AI integration in K–12 schools. The conference, which attracts school technology leaders, administrators and educators and is themed “Leading for Innovation at Warp Speed,” will run from April 8-10. As generative AI became publicly accessible over the past couple of years, some school leaders ..read more

Why More K–12 Schools are Modernizing Their IT Procurement Process mol.doak_fhrr Mon, 03/25/2024 - 10:57 In Silicon Valley, tech execs brag about moving fast and breaking things. But in the neighboring Mt. Diablo Unified School District, IT officials need to be more careful and deliberate as they deploy new technologies. “We’re supporting teachers and kids,” says Robert Sidford, director of technology and innovation for the 29,000-student district. “We don’t want to be out there making a bunch of mistakes. So, we need to know what works, what we can afford and what is sustainable.” Moder ..read more

Flexible Furniture Gives Teachers and Students More Opportunities for Collaboration Rebecca.torchia_c7Ks Fri, 03/22/2024 - 14:45 This is not an old-fashioned library: In the Sebastian River High School Media Center, food and drink are allowed. So is chatting with friends and playing video games. The space is open and bright, with the school’s mascot shark emblazoned prominently throughout. Officially opened in fall 2023, the new media center is a far cry from the old library space, which hadn’t been updated in 25 years. “All the walls were painted pink. They used to call the school the p ..read more

More High School Students Are Getting a Jump on College Credits Now mol.doak_fhrr Tue, 03/19/2024 - 11:30 At Fort Smith Public Schools in Arkansas, a dual-enrollment program offers high school juniors and seniors the chance to get a head start on their collegiate careers. “Our students get hands-on learning and career readiness” in fields where studies have identified local workforce shortages, says Gary Udouj, director of career education and district innovation at FSPS. “They also get college credit at no cost, which the parents like very much.” Dual-enrolled students at FSPS reflect a nati ..read more

How to Choose and Integrate New Technology Vendors in Education mol.doak_fhrr Thu, 03/14/2024 - 14:56 As the CIO of a private K–12 school in Florida, Omar Valerio likes to lead by example. He dedicates two hours a day to continued learning to stay up to date on new technology trends, he told host and CDW Education Strategist Victoria Thompson on a recent episode of Focus on Edu. This not only drives the way he leads his team of IT professionals and tech-savvy teachers at Westminster Christian School but also informs his process for evaluating and purchasing new educational technology. “I alwa ..read more

FETC 2024: Are Today’s Schools Creating Future-Ready Students? mary.winters Mon, 01/29/2024 - 14:21 Despite the pandemic forcing more K–12 schools into some form of technology innovation, the American educational model has not seen massive shifts in recent years. That needs to change if today’s students are to become future ready, said Michael Meechin, Florida state director at the National Center on Education and the Economy. A former principal who won awards for his work, Meechin encouraged attendees at the National Future of Education Technology Conference at the Orange County Convention C ..read more