Digital Transformation

Greenwich Public Schools in Connecticut are asking the town for $1.1 million over five years to fix inadequate cell service at the high school, citing safety concerns in the event Wi-Fi goes down.

Pivoting to remote learning Tuesday because of an intense snow storm, New York City Public Schools had issues taking attendance and using programs that required an IBM authentication to log in.

The biggest accelerator of K-12 innovation is changing attitudes toward demonstrating learning, and the top hurdle is staff recruitment and retention, according to an annual report from the Consortium for School Networking.

Montana State University will spend a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation on major upgrades to computer systems used for research in quantum science, large data analysis and artificial intelligence.

Savvas Learning Company, which produces digital learning tools for K-12, hopes to bring dual enrollment and dual-credit opportunities to its clients by acquiring an ed-tech startup that offers online college courses.

EPS Learning, formerly known as EPS School Specialty, will focus on K-12 literacy tools for both digital and print that incorporate the science of reading.

A journalism teacher at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Calif., crafted her own media-literacy curriculum with Ted Talks, documentaries, articles about TikTok’s algorithm and examples of AI-enhanced images.

The nonprofit Internet Safety Labs found that exposure to trackers and behavioral ads on school devices vary by race and income, and often the source of the problem is the school’s own official website.

Among more than 550 sessions at the National Future of Education Technology Conference in Florida this year, nearly one-fifth were about artificial intelligence, covering uses in classroom instruction and data analytics.

The new Foust Elementary School, one of two schools to open next year in Guilford County, N.C., will use gaming, coding and robotics to teach technology skills and expose students to related career fields.

While digital devices have brought accessibility and flexibility to education, educators should also warn about their potential for causing annoying and even dangerous distractions, surveillance or ethical problems.

Supported by a federal grant, Riverside Local School District in Ohio is spending $250,000 with Vocera Communications to replace analog radios with 400 new digital badges and radios that are typically used in hospitals.

After nearly two decades with the same IT service provider, an Ohio school district has contracted with a new provider, Sentinel Technologies, for three years of services such as Internet management and device fixes.

A private Catholic college in Albany opened a new facility that houses cutting-edge XR equipment including 20 computer stations, more than 30 headsets loaded with VR applications, mobile VR labs and drone technology.

Methuen Public School District, like others in Massachusetts, is looking at state grants to purchase lockers or pouches to store cellphones, as well as to support professional development and school culture activities.

The company’s latest AI features and content for education include new task-management and teamworking software, an AI for Educators Learning Path program, and expanded availability of reading and chatbot tools.

Seven experts from public education, nonprofits and the private sector predict shifting priorities around critical thinking, cyber defense, artificial intelligence, personalized education and data-based decisionmaking.

The state’s Department of Health Care Services is also working with K-12 districts to make the Soluna and BrightLife Kids digital mental health apps available on school-issued devices and in school wellness centers.