Why “offline” digital learning is critical to impact children worldwide

Michael B. Horn, Co-Founder & Distinguished Fellow, The Clayton Christensen Institute

As thousands of educators, entrepreneurs, and investors gathered at the recent ASU+GSV Summit, a growing number recognized both the need and opportunity for educational innovation in developing countries, particularly for the over 250 million children who lack access to schools. But many of the solutions proffered still focus on internet-based … Read More

Reaching the 4Cs with 3D and virtual reality

Instead of using VR to gamify the classroom, students can use VR to develop higher-order thinking skills that are critical for thriving in today’s digitally connected society

I thought I was ahead of the times when I acquired virtual reality headsets and othermixed reality technology via a grant award in late 2019. The pandemic shutdowns halted my plans to use the acquired virtual reality headsets for virtual field trips and other STEM investigations. Returning to in-person learning … Read More

3 collaborative strategies to bolster cybersecurity

Curriculum and IT leaders can work together to ensure strong cybersecurity practices as they strive to protect sensitive data and information

In the fall of 2021, the Center for Internet Security’s Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) reported an expected 86 percent increase in cybersecurity incidents targeting K-12 school systems over the course of one year. Public and private schools provide a broad surface area for exploitation and are often … Read More

How to evolve your K-12 cybersecurity approach

Educational institutions must urgently take action to improve their protections when it comes to K-12 cybersecurity measures

We’re now two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and we continue to see massive digital transformation and innovation shaping the way we live, work, and learn. Technology supports the transformation of every industry imaginable–especially education. New models of learning, such as hybrid, blended, and remote, have led to more accessible … Read More

Don’t wait to secure your endpoints from cyberattacks

Understanding risks that your endpoints face is key to knowing how to mitigate these risks and keep information and systems safe

As we enter a new school year, among the myriad things that instructors and administrators need to be concerned about, ransomware remains high on the list. According to the K-12 Security Information Exchange, there were 166 publicly disclosed cyber incidents affecting 162 school districts across 38 states during the 2021 … Read More

4 ways to avoid cybersecurity snake oil

Take these steps to carefully evaluate cybersecurity vendors--and if something seems too good to be true, it likely is

When it comes to cybersecurity, you want to do right by your students, your schools, and your district–but it’s not that simple. The cybersecurity industry is massive, representing literally thousands of vendors in the United States alone, with the global cybersecurity market staged to grow to over $350B by 2026. … Read More

Rethinking your K-12 cloud strategy

K-12 IT teams need to rethink their approach to cloud storage costs and security

The new school year is upon us, and IT teams are ramping up strategic tech investments and systems to help ensure a smooth year ahead. For many of these IT teams, challenges around cybersecurity are top of mind, with recent research revealing over half of lower education organizations were hit … Read More

Forget flat networks–tighten your security

A properly segmented network reduces the speed at which a cyber criminal can move across your network

If you heard about the attack on the Los Angeles Unified School District in early October, you probably heard that 400,000 students’ private data was put at risk and that the hackers demanded a ransom. When speaking about the attack, the police chief made a point of saying that cyberattacks … Read More

How digital equity enhances cybersecurity in schools

Digital equity can be better achieved by marrying flexibility with cybersecurity

Digital equity in the classroom goes far beyond the need to deliver internet connectivity and devices. All students need and deserve a safe, reliable, and adaptable edtech ecosystem to support and nurture their learning experience.   Behind the obvious laptops and countless other tech tools used by everyone in today’s … Read More

3 critical elements of a K-12 cybersecurity strategy

School IT leaders are facing a number of cybersecurity challenges that have emerged as education becomes more connected

Technology has significantly changed the classroom experience over the last decade, with the ubiquity of the IoT, mobile apps, and teleconferencing ushering in a new era of instruction and learning. What’s more, this sea of change shows no sign of abating—case in point, late last year Roblox announced plans to … Read More