Educational Technology

Schools are still catching up after Google opened Gemini to every student

Education Week reports districts were caught flat-footed by Gemini's availability to all students. What a district tech lead now has to decide, and when.

OpenAI says GPT-6 Astra is the first model to hit its 'Critical' cyber threshold

OpenAI rates GPT-6 Astra 'Critical' for cyber capability, the first model to get the label, as school AI rules tighten ahead of Microsoft's Nov. 1 terms.

The Innovator at the Center of UMCI

UMCI's Scott Shireman shares his vision for a Detroit partnership network that attracts talent and supports the city's revival ahead of the 2027 opening.

Schools are buying AI fast, but their contracts still can’t show it helps

District AI spending is rising, while Utah and LAUSD push screen-time rules that force a harder question: which tools measurably improve learning?

K-12 AI spending is moving from classroom apps to vetting, policy, and proof

Districts are spending more on AI tools, but the operational bottleneck is vetting, policy, and outcomes proof.

The Innovator at the Center of UMCI

How Scott Shireman's path from Indiana farm life to Berkeley's online education pioneer shapes his leadership at the University of Michigan Center for…

AI tutoring is moving from “answer engines” to “process engines”, and K-12 buyers are starting to write that into the spec

A Socratic, sub-3-second homework helper pitch meets a broader shift toward process-based assessment as districts rethink integrity, access, and outcomes.

The U.S. Department of Education’s edtech guidance turns “evidence” into a procurement requirement, even without new federal rules

A new Dear Colleague letter doesn't regulate edtech, but it does reset how districts justify buying it: outcomes and evidence, not adoption or usage metrics

Attain Partners' new maturity model targets the digital gaps behind expanding student success programs

A new SDX maturity model and campus-level student success expansions point to the same ops challenge: digital journeys now decide whether support programs get u

The Education Department’s 2026 guidance and rules are forcing edtech contracts to carry explicit “purpose, proof, and process” language

Three Education Department moves in summer 2026 are changing how districts and colleges document edtech value, civil-rights compliance, and student-debt risk.

Districts weigh AI procurement rules as a retail shopping-agent test hints at what's coming

A pair of August 2026 signals, a district buyer’s framework and a consumer AI-agent test, point to new requirements for K-12 AI purchasing and governance.

Teacher Stress Is Still at Crisis Levels in 2026. EdTech Vendors Selling Into Schools Need to Understand Why That Matters.

More than half of US teachers still experience frequent job-related stress in 2026, according to new RAND research published today. For EdTech vendors and enterprise L&D teams selling into school districts, that is not background noise. It is the primary adoption barrier their products need to solve.

How Raptor's StudentSafe tackles behavioral threat assessment and student well-being

Raptor Technologies built its reputation on visitor management, but the company's expansion into student well-being reflects a deliberate response to what its school district customers were already asking for. The result is StudentSafe, a platform designed to support behavioral threat assessment, ca

NYC Council members demand two-year pause on AI use in city schools

From NYC council moratorium demands to California bias-audit mandates, AI's role in schools and hiring is triggering a wave of regulation and rethinking.

Just Thinking… About How NeuraPoints Is Building the Bridge Between Minds and Machines

Artificial intelligence has reached a crucial inflection point. Once imagined as a fast track to artificial general intelligence, the field has instead hit a plateau—prompting leaders, educators, and innovators to rethink AI’s true purpose. As companies and schools race to adopt automation, questions about cost, ethics, and human purpose are rising to the forefront. According…

Just Thinking… About How NeuraPoints Equips Students and Teachers to Think Critically and Stay Engaged

Teachers today are facing a new reality: students have instant access to AI tools that can generate answers in seconds. The share of American teens using ChatGPT for assignments has climbed to 26%—twice as many as just two years ago. That shift raises urgent questions about how education should adapt for a generation that…

Just Thinking… About How to Bring Out the Best in Educators and Learners with Dr. Amy Alzina

Across classrooms today, student engagement is proving to be one of the strongest predictors of success. Learners who feel connected and motivated in school are not only more likely to excel academically but also more likely to approach the future with confidence and optimism. As artificial intelligence and other emerging tools reshape what’s possible…

Just Thinking… About How Professional Learning Among Teachers Can Boost Student Outcomes

With roughly half of the new teachers in Texas stepping into classrooms without full certification, the need for strong and practical professional learning has never been more urgent. According to research, effective professional development among teachers can boost student achievement by up to 21 percentile points—yet many educators frequently report lacking both the time and…

Just Thinking… About How Good Schools Foster Kindness, Curiosity, and Lifelong Learning

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping how schools, educators, and policymakers think about the future of learning. With OECD shifting its emphasis from test-based rankings toward human flourishing, and governments debating how to integrate digital tools without overwhelming already-strained systems, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A McKinsey study found that 20 to 40% of teacher…

Just Thinking… About Power Thinking and Authentic Leadership in the Age of AI

Education is facing seismic shifts as schools adapt to the realities of the fourth industrial revolution and prepare for the fifth—driven by AI and rapid technological change. With superintendents and school leaders under increasing pressure, conversations about how to cultivate authentic intelligence and wisdom, not just data-driven decision-making, have never been more urgent. One…

Just Thinking: How Metacognitive Teaching Strategies Build Critical Thinking and Transfer Knowledge

In today’s rapidly changing world, effective leadership in education is about more than managing schools—it’s about inspiring a culture of thinking that empowers both teachers and students. As classrooms adapt to new technologies, diverse learning needs, and shifting societal demands, leaders have the responsibility to guide not just the acquisition of knowledge but the…

Just Thinking… about Reimagining Education for the AI Era with the Human Intelligence Movement

Educators are grappling with how to move from knowledge retention to cultivating the human skills that will matter most in an AI-driven world

Educators Must Combine 1:1 Tutoring with the Science of Reading to Close the Reading Gap

Personalized instruction paired with evidence-based reading methods offers schools a proven path to reverse persistent literacy decline

ESA Success Requires Strategy, Infrastructure, and Support Beyond Legislation

Implementation of education savings accounts hinges on operational readiness that extends well beyond passing new laws

Funding Crisis Hits California’s Rural Schools: Advocates Call for Action Now!

Hundreds of California districts brace for funding cuts as a decades-old timber revenue program faces an uncertain future

JUST THINKING… about CCMR with a Focus on Military Readiness

Military readiness remains underexplored in CCMR conversations dominated by college and career pathways, despite its role in shaping disciplined leaders

Exploring Artifacts with Boxlight: A Journey of Discovery

Educational technology meets historical exploration through immersive kits designed to spark global student engagement

Just Thinking… About Breaking Educator Isolation Through Trust and Collaboration

With 44% of K-12 educators reporting frequent burnout and isolation compounding the strain, how can schools build cultures of trust and collaboration?

Just Thinking… About Bridging the Gap Between Classrooms and Real-World Scientific Research

Curiosity-led learning is explored as a catalyst for reshaping education and bridging the gap between K-12 classrooms and real-world scientific research.

Transforming Campus Connectivity: FGCU and Extreme Networks

A university ditched its legacy network provider to build smarter campus connectivity with AI-powered infrastructure improvements