It wasn’t all about AI in K-12 in 2023! SEL, equity, and more were top news. In this special episode of Innovations in Education, editors Laura Ascione and Kevin Hogan go through the list of the most-read stories from 2023 and identify the best insights for our readers.

Avantis Education, the leading provider of VR and AR content and hardware for K-12 schools, has released a new white paper: “Building Back Stronger: New Thinking and Technologies Reshaping Education” which delves into the myriad ways K-12 schools are embracing different methodologies and cutting-edge technologies to support students following a period of declining academic success.

The white paper, released under the brand ClassVR, Avantis’ award-winning all-in-one VR/AR headsets for schools, is available for download at https://bit.ly/BBSwhitepaper.

As stated in the white paper, “issues such as underfunding, understaffing, the digital divide and the impacts of the pandemic have set the stage for an ambitious revival.” It notes that ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding has provided school districts with opportunities to leverage new educational approaches and technologies and that “these innovations serve as the catalysts for rejuvenation, charting a course toward the restoration of educational excellence. U.S. education is building back stronger.”

The white paper examines several specific approaches and technologies being used in schools, including:

The white paper includes insights from five education thought leaders:

It also provides examples of how some of these approaches and technologies are being used in classrooms.

“The 2020s will likely be a defining decade for education as schools and policymakers rethink their approaches to education,” said Avantis Education’s Chief Executive Officer, Huw Williams. “In this white paper we provide an informative look at some of the innovations happening in K-12 schools today and their potential to engage students and support academic growth. It includes thoughtful context offered by experts in the field about these practices and technologies in order to help inform the conversation about how best to support students in moving forward.”

Game-based learning holds great potential for student engagement in the classroom--where is it headed?

In this episode of Innovations in Education, a conversation with Ki Karou, Senior Director of Product, Content for MIND Research Institute, on the evolving landscape of education, gamification, and technology integration.

The 2023 eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards honors educators for their exemplary use of innovative edtech to support student learning. Profiled here is winner John Arthur, a 6th grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School nominated by Follett. Stay tuned for two more winner profiles to come.

John Arthur, a sixth-grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School in Salt Lake City, was the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year and one of four finalists for 2021 National Teacher of the Year.

Now in his 10th year of teaching, John’s students have gained national recognition as champions for children and immigrants like them through music videos and other digital content they create and share across platforms as @9thEvermore (on YouTube and Twitter/X). Moreover, he uses Kwame Alexander Bookfest book club from noted author Kwame and Follett to help his students see themselves in story, build literacy skills, and allow students to share their experiences and emotions through books.

Instructure’s senior leadership discusses the course of one of the world’s leading open-source learning management systems.

On this special edition of Innovations of Education, host Kevin Hogan sits with CEO Steve Daly, CPO Shiren Vijiasingam, and Vice President of Global Strategy Ryan Lufkin to lay out post-pandemic strategies for the company.

In this episode, Wilson Tsu, founder of PowerNotes talks about how AI is being baked into his and other platforms to transform the ways students perform research—and how the rise of AI has re-invented the role of libraries and librarians.

This month’s episode of Innovations in Education features James O’Hagan, Vice President of Education Innovation at LeagueSpot.

O’Hagan shares his insights on the continued emergence of esports as an integral part of any school’s overall education experience; how student use of tech in esports compliments and clashes with other onscreen activities; and what strategies educators can use to make the best of this phenomenon.