FETC

As the new five-year funding cycle for E-rate begins, experts at the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando urged districts to plan early, document thoroughly and stay vigilant on compliance.

Not every ed-tech tool has to be a bespoke platform or mobile app. A fourth-grade teacher at the Future of Education Technology Conference this week presented a collection of useful or fun websites available for free.

One of the key lessons from Florida Virtual School’s collaboration with the AI-enabled data platform Doowii was the importance of spending time with users to understand their needs and limits.

Some teachers say school districts should view computer science not simply as a precursor to specific college degrees, but as a foundation for thinking critically, creatively and confidently.

Starting a computer science program at the elementary school level involves gathering support, explaining the “why,” letting teachers play and experiment, establishing tech teams and formalizing new expectations.

As digital tools become more embedded in teaching and learning, questions about wellness, engagement and balance are affecting how districts think about instructional quality and responsible technology governance.

The final session of this year's Future of Education Technology Conference offered a glimpse at how AI platforms and tools might revolutionize education accessibility for students and work efficiency for teachers.

Expert panelists at the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando said K-12 technology plans should be adaptable, living documents informed by large committees and tailored to specific goals and mandates.

Panelists at the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando recommended that school leaders compensate for tightening budgets by availing themselves of data, artificial intelligence, audits and assessments.

A panel at the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando last week offered tips on planning for the future of broadband, while cautioning attendees that aspects of the E-rate program are in political jeopardy.

Seven years after a cyber attack cost her North Carolina school district $1.3 million, a retired CTO shared stories and tips from the 42-day recovery process at the Future of Education Technology Conference.

In the face of rising absenteeism and discipline issues, some schools have found esports can motivate students academically, provide sportsmanship training and give them a more positive outlook on education.

Digital revolutions in education and countless job markets are happening concurrently, and some teachers see in these changes the potential to train future generations for a new era of digital citizenship.

By creating “fake” versions of their data to interface with ed-tech vendors, school districts can limit what kinds of personally identifiable information those companies have in the event they experience a data breach.

While technology has made teaching more complicated in some ways, a speaker at the Future of Education Technology Conference this week offered a handful of simple ways technology can help teachers de-stress.

District leaders should convene a privacy team to familiarize themselves with applicable privacy laws, conference speakers said. They should formalize a process for vetting apps and train staff on best practices.