How robotic gamification helped my elementary students love STEM

Coding platforms offer virtual programming services where children can learn code through games

Coding is a necessary skill in today’s world, but it is relatively challenging to master, especially for kids. Its complexity is not necessarily because it is incomprehensible, but because it is a new concept for most students. This is especially the case for students in inner-city schools where technology is … Read More

4 predictions for computer science education in 2022

After COVID helped shrink the technology gap for students, there has never been a better time to go all-in on computer science education

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts across the country have seen an influx of funding for student devices, internet access, and a variety of edtech tools. While equity of access is still a challenge in many communities, this new funding has advanced a unique opportunity for schools to … Read More

How coding shapes students’ future success

Here are three major and far-reaching reasons why building coding skills in students should start as early as possible

With unpredictability fast becoming our daily bread, what can be more important than preparing the next generations for future challenges? Every parent wants to secure the best foundation for their children, be it for primary school education, academia, work, or life in general.  In this sense, research has shown us … Read More

3 activities that will turn classroom robots into SEL power tools

Classroom robots are great for STEAM lessons, but they also lend themselves naturally to SEL--a lead makerspace educator explains how she blends the two in some of her favorite activities

If I had one teaching tool at my disposal in a classroom besides pencils, papers, and books, it would be an educational robot. A robot is the single most engaging learning tool I’ve used with students. It appeals to children of all ages, genders, and backgrounds—and it goes beyond technology … Read More

4 ways to support the growing role robotics will have in society

Here’s how edtech providers can buoy educators’ efforts to teach tomorrow’s inventors to embrace the future through robotics

In the past decade, robotics have evolved from a sci-fi fantasy set in some distant future to an industry capable of producing present-tense toys, companions, workers and self-driving cars. And this is just the beginning. The industry forecast calls for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 26 percent, … Read More

Strategies to help IT leaders combat imminent cyberattacks

As long as effective measures are in place, including reliable endpoints and resilient zero trust, cybersecurity threats can be managed

It is undeniable–the education sector is prone to cyberattacks from malicious cybercriminals due to the amount of personal data available across user devices and organization networks. Just this past fall, the FBI, CISA and MS-ISAC issued an alert on Vice Society, whose actors have been known to disproportionately target the … Read More

4 key ways schools can strengthen and advance cybersecurity strategies

Implementing a proactive cybersecurity posture is a difficult and time-consuming--yet necessary--process

In a 2022 survey, 72 percent of the participating school administrators responded that cybersecurity was either a priority or high priority for their district leadership and local school boards. However, only 14 percent of the respondents said their district was very prepared for a cyberattack event. This alarming disparity between … Read More

Education must keep pace with evolving ransomware

IT leaders should leverage modern innovations like AI and machine learning to ensure data protection for faculty, staff, students and the institution as a whole

Despite the alarming rise of ransomware incidents in 2022, many education institutions still fail to address gaps in their protection protocols. A Sophos survey found that 64 percent of higher education and 56 percent of lower education institutions were hit by ransomware over the past year. These statistics should raise … Read More

Simplified K-12 cybersecurity streamlines student data access

The correct mixture of communication, IT, and protection should now be at the root of all K-12 data systems

Remember when moving from one end of a state to another often meant changing phone numbers because the new residence would be in a different area code? And, after cell phones were born, remember when relocating across the country meant ditching a cell phone company, along with the number, because … Read More

How K-12 IT leaders can protect schools from ransomware

With limited budgets and outdated security systems, school districts are often unprepared for incoming ransomware attacks

Cyberattacks on public schools are becoming more common and more severe every year. Between 2020 and 2021, more than 56 percent of K-12 education organizations suffered ransomware attacks with an average cost of $268,000. Most recently, an attack on the LA Unified School District in September 2022 conducted by the Russian … Read More