Artificial intelligence, data visualization, scaling innovation—these are just some of the topics that are on the minds of CoSN’s EdTech Innovation Committee this year. This dedicated group of K-12 edtech experts gathered for the first time of the 2024-25 project cycle just a few weeks ago to discuss the future of K-12 education, focusing on emerging technologies and their potential impact on the learning environment.
Read more about the six key themes that emerged during the Committee’s first meeting of the 2024-25 project cycle.
Key Themes & Discussion Points
Attendees were invited to share their thoughts on the most pressing issues that the committee should focus on moving forward. Several key themes emerged from this conversation:
Humanizing AI and Education: A significant concern was the need to maintain the human element in education as AI becomes more prevalent. The group discussed the importance of ensuring that AI tools support, rather than replace, the essential human aspects of teaching, such as emotional intelligence and social learning. This theme aligned with the upcoming 2025 CoSN Annual Conference, “Human Leadership in the Age of AI.”
Data Science and Visualization: Jennifer Santi (The Mount Vernon School) highlighted her school’s growing interest in leveraging data science—with the help of artificial intelligence (AI)—to drive educational innovation. The discussion centered on how AI and data science can be used to identify signals and trends that could inform strategic decision-making in education. “We’re very much into Futures Thinking and Scenario Planning. We are scanning for signals and seeking data that helps us do that work. With AI, we believe we can reduce human error and make space for creative human thinking” Santi said about her team’s curiosity for AI and data. The challenge of balancing AI’s capabilities with human oversight was also a focal point.
Scaling Innovation: Ryan Cox (Osseo Area Schools ISD 279, Minnesota) raised the critical issue of scaling innovation across school districts. “Taking all this innovation that has exploded—be it AI, be it post-pandemic areas that we’ve been thrust into, forced into, and invited into—how do we scale that innovation in a way that we can help grow within organizations,” Cox asked the committee. With the rapid proliferation of new technologies, the group recognized the need to develop strategies that allow for the effective implementation of innovative practices at scale. This includes considering the unique challenges of different educational contexts, such as urban, under resourced, or vs. rural schools.
Addressing Student Digital Health in the Age of Technology: The impact of technology on student well-being was another major topic of discussion. Katie Harmon (Westhill CSD, New York) shared insights from “The Anxious Generation,” a book that, she explains, “explores the detrimental effects of cell phones and social media on young children and young adults.”
In her district, they are bringing play back into their schools and exploring how students would interact with their own technology during the school day. Kris Hagel (Peninsula School District, Washington) added that his district decided last year to ban cell phones in their schools. “It’s an interesting dichotomy that we’re a district that deeply embraced AI, but also we don’t want cell phones in our classrooms,” said Hagel. “Our community is thrilled, our board is thrilled, our principals are thrilled—the kids are talking more, our cyberbullying incidents are going down, the relationships between students are growing. So, there’s just so many positives that have come from that.”
This led to a broader conversation about the role of schools in mitigating these effects and promoting healthy technology use. “We need a hard reset on some of these behaviors that kids have developed,” Hagel said. “And we have to figure out how we’re going to do that.”
But when technology use is curated, it can have positive results. Nick Stoyas (Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205, Illinois) shared that at his school, they are turning technology off for core ELA and Math experiences, and bringing devices in once technology leaders figure out how they can enhance learning for both students and staff. “The approach has led to [improved] digital citizenship, with the underlying construct of ‘I love that I can use technology in this way and for this purpose, but then turn it off,’” Stoyas said.
The committee will be focusing on this topic at our next monthly meeting. We know it’s a big issue facing schools today, and we want to be to support schools as they make the right decisions for their communities.
Teacher Shortages and Retention: Emily Marshall (Vail School District, Arizona) brought attention to the ongoing issue of teacher shortages, like in Marshall’s home state of Arizona. The group discussed the implications of this shortage for scaling innovation and maintaining educational quality. “Thinking about the reality combined with trying to scale innovation, it’s even more difficult when you have fewer and fewer qualified teachers,” Marshall said.
Janice Mertes (CDW Education State Level Ambassador) mentioned that the role of technology in supporting teachers and addressing retention challenges is an area that requires further exploration.
Future-Ready Education: The conversation also touched on the need to prepare students for careers that do not yet exist. Kathleen Stephany (School District of Holmen, Wisconsin) pointed out that as technology evolves, so must the education system’s approach to teaching and learning. “That’s something to keep in mind is how we can prepare our students to be able to learn and unlearn these various roles and continue to follow technology as it changes,” Stephany said.
Keep an eye on the CoSN blog for more insights and resources from the EdTech Innovation Committee!
Learn more about the Driving K-12 Innovation project.
AUTHOR: Stephanie King, Writer and Communications Manager, CoSN’s EdTech Innovations Committee and Driving K-12 Innovation
Published on: August 10th, 2024
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