EdTech Digest

The rush to adopt AI is understandable—but without governance, schools risk compliance failures, community backlash, and missed opportunities for students. GUEST COLUMN | by Andrea Claver Artificial intelligence is currently a topic of conversation in many sectors; however, in the world of education, it’s taking center stage. From staff professional development to student AI literacy, the subject dominates every circle, including EdTech, K-12, and higher education. As these conversations evolve

AI can make us more capable—or less original. After a close call on a panel discussion, I developed a simple framework for deciding when AI should extend human thinking and when it risks replacing it. GUEST COLUMN | by Michelle Odemwingie I was halfway through a virtual panel when it happened. Another panelist started answering a question we’d both been prepped on, and as they spoke, I felt something cold settle in. The phrases were almost identical to the prep document I’d gotten

As AI reshapes learning and work, school leaders face a critical choice: wait for certainty or begin building a thoughtful implementation strategy today. GUEST COLUMN | by Vraj Shroff Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how students learn, how teachers instruct, and how schools operate. For principals, the window for deliberate action is now—not next year, not after the next conference, and not once the research has fully settled. This guide offers a practical framework for AI adoption

MIT’s Justin Reich explains why schools should be wary of unproven AI initiatives, rethink how they adopt new technologies, and focus on evidence over enthusiasm. INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero In a field often driven by promises of transformation, Justin Reich has built a reputation for demanding evidence. As an associate professor at MIT and director of the MIT Teaching Systems Lab, Reich has spent years examining how schools respond to technological change—not just what new tools can do,

When assessment becomes part of learning, data can do more than measure progress—it can help move students forward. INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero IXL supports more than 17 million students worldwide. In this EdTech Digest conversation, Jennifer Gu, Chief Operating Officer, and Kate Mattison, Vice President of Curriculum, discuss the company’s connected Assessment Suite, the new LevelUp Diagnostic, and how real-time insight can help educators personalize learning and support student growth. K–12

For decades, English-speaking universities have recruited globally while communicating only in English. Most have not thought hard enough about what that may be costing them. GUEST COLUMN | by John Crick I have spent most of my working life in international education. Around ten years at Study Group, another ten at Navitas, then almost six years at Enroly, where I was part of the early team. I was also based in Tokyo for three years, which gave me a useful grounding in how the mechanics of inte

On the AI features that now arrive switched on, and the right to delete that stops working the moment a model learns. GUEST COLUMN | by Daniel Kilback Most schools don’t think hard about what happens to student data once a new tool is in the building. They’ve never had to. Whatever goes in can come back out. Close the account, delete the files, ask the vendor to remove what they hold, and the data leaves more or less when the relationship does. That assumption has held for so long t

An estimated 773 million teens and adults worldwide cannot read above a basic level, according to UNESCO. For schools, the challenge is especially urgent among older students who need foundational reading support but are often disengaged by materials designed for younger children. Developed by the literacy experts at Storyshares, Literacy Intervention for Teens (LIFT) is a research-based literacy intervention program built specifically for striving readers in grades 5–12. Grounded in structured

After nearly two decades in edtech sales, I learned that success isn’t about louder messaging or better automation—it’s about earning the next conversation through creativity, humanity, and genuine connection. GUEST COLUMN | by Jason Fennell “I hope this works out.” “There is no guarantee this is going to work.” When I had both thoughts, I was all in regardless. That first prayer came in July 2006 after I finished my fifth year of teaching, a former student r

The challenges—and opportunities—defining the next era of K–12 education. INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero As schools race to keep pace with technological change, the challenges facing education leaders extend far beyond connectivity. Equity, affordability, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and student opportunity are increasingly intertwined—creating new gaps even as old ones begin to close. Few people have tracked—and helped shape—these shifts as closely as Michael Flood. Over the course of

Math becomes more meaningful when students can see it in action. Savvas Learning Company’s new enVision+ Mathematics for grades K–8 is designed to do exactly that, helping students connect classroom learning to everyday experiences while building confidence, critical-thinking skills, and mathematical fluency. The newest edition of the widely used enVision program moves beyond rote problem-solving to immerse students in authentic, real-world contexts. Whether exploring ratios through pop-culture

Dell Technologies Senior Vice President Leslie Harlien on AI, governance, shrinking margins for error, and what districts now demand from partners. INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero The easy era of education technology is over. District leaders are no longer asking whether technology belongs in schools. They are asking harder questions: Will this improve outcomes? Will it hold up financially? Will it protect student data? Will it still make sense two years from now? Those conversations dominated CoS

As schools rethink screen time and digital learning, one model shows how technology paired with authentic relationships can help vulnerable students persist toward graduation. GUEST COLUMN | by Diana Good Solis NUTHAWUT SOMSUK Much has been written about how technology distracts young people from focusing on schoolwork. Far less attention has been given to how educational technology can engage one of the most vulnerable groups in our education system: high school students who struggle to graduat

Adolescents can focus deeply when they feel competent. The challenge for schools is making reading feel rewarding instead of revealing. GUEST COLUMN | by Matt Bardin FAHMI RUDDIN HIDAYAT Today’s adolescents grow up in a world engineered to deliver constant, low-friction stimulation. Videos explain ideas instantly. Feeds scroll endlessly. Games reward quick responses and short bursts of attention.  Reading asks something fundamentally different. It slows students down, exposes confusion, and dema

Concentric Educational Solutions has launched a new 90-Day Summer Pilot Program designed to help school districts tackle chronic absenteeism and reconnect disengaged K–12 students before the new academic year begins. The initiative combines human-centered outreach with Concentric’s proprietary voice-to-narrative technology, transforming conversations with students and families into actionable insights that schools can use to strengthen support systems and improve attendance outcomes. The nationa

AI can spark curiosity and expand learning—but when chatbots start acting like friends, the line between education and emotional manipulation quickly disappears. GUEST COLUMN | by Chris Rohlfs and Keanon O’Keefe MARTA SHER The most dangerous thing an AI can say to your child isn’t violent or explicit. It’s “I love you.” You’ve seen the news: teenagers whose weeks-long attachments to companion chatbots end in tragedy; lawsuits against platforms that let conversations spiral. These extreme outcome

GUEST COLUMN | by Vishal Gupta MUHAMAD CHABIB ALWI The fundamental problem with keyword-based filtering is that it mistakes words for meaning. It flags students researching suicide prevention for a health class project while missing those consuming harmful content that never uses a concerning term. It blocks academic inquiries while letting genuine risks slip through undetected. ‘…keyword-based filtering … mistakes words for meaning. … And most school safety systems are s

Why school districts are becoming edtech creators. TRENDS IN EDTECH | by Victor Rivero For years, the relationship between school districts and edtech companies has been relatively straightforward: vendors built the tools, and schools bought them. But a new shift is emerging—one that could fundamentally reshape the education technology landscape. District leaders are no longer just technology buyers. Increasingly, they’re becoming builders. In a recent episode of The Boys of EdTech podcast, Wi

New Codio CEO Doug Hughes argues universities must move beyond theory and start teaching students how to work inside real AI systems before the workforce leaves them behind. INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero As colleges and universities race to prepare students for an AI-driven workforce, the pressure to move beyond theory and into hands-on technical learning is accelerating fast. Institutions across the country are expanding applied AI instruction into programs ranging from business and finance to

GoGuardian Discover cuts through edtech sprawl at budget crunch time. Districts are heading into budget season with a problem that’s no longer manageable: too many tools, not enough clarity, and shrinking dollars. The average system now juggles nearly 3,000 digital tools—and roughly 70% of licenses go unused. Meanwhile, funding has become the top unmet need for most district leaders, just as federal support is expected to decline. The disconnect between spending and accountability is reaching a