https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/ en https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/stem-centers-foster-high-tech-innovation-k-12-districts What’s one certain sign that your school district’s STEM program is heading in the right direction? Just three years after building a dedicated facility for students to explore real-world applications for science, technology, engineering and math, you’re already looking to expand. In 2023, Hemlock Public School District (HPSD) in Michigan found itself in that very situation. Its Lockwood STEM Center, built in 2020, was a place where students went to test robots and experiment with industrial fabrication machines. By all accounts, the center was a success, but it soon became clear that it was… Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:10:03 -0400 Chris Hayhurst https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/stem-centers-foster-high-tech-innovation-k-12-districts https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/can-ambient-ai-make-classrooms-smarter Ambient artificial intelligence is being hyped as a new wave of AI with the potential to make today’s tech-enabled classrooms even smarter. Compared with the transactional nature of traditional AI, ambient AI “fades into the environment rather than sitting in a visible tool waiting for someone to type a prompt,” explains Narmeen Makhani, founder of AIxecute, a strategic advisory and consulting firm. The technology is already being employed in medical settings, helping clinicians with note-taking and after-visit summaries. To pick up on engagement and classroom interaction in real time,… Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:26:26 -0400 Suchi Rudra https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/can-ambient-ai-make-classrooms-smarter https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/data-governance-helps-k-12-leaders-safeguard-school-data A few years ago, Jenn Judkins was attending a data governance training session when the instructor posed a question: “You may say you have a good data privacy practice in place, but is it documented? If it’s not documented, does it really exist?” That question resonated with Judkins, technology director at Wayland Public Schools in Massachusetts. She had spent years thinking about how to protect student data, working with her team to follow best practices around access, data protection and vetting software vendors. But none of it was formally written down. The instructor, Melissa Tebbenkamp,… Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:11:08 -0400 Wylie Wong https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/data-governance-helps-k-12-leaders-safeguard-school-data https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/schools-out-focus-device-maintenance-and-readiness-fall For K–12 IT teams, summer is one of the busiest and most important times of the year. Once devices are collected, classrooms are cleared and summer projects begin, technology teams must assess, repair, update and prepare the tools that students and teachers will rely on when they return to school. Classroom technology use continues to grow, driven by new tools. Chromebooks and other personal devices are transported between home and school, and not always in the most careful ways. By the time June arrives, devices show signs of use. There may be missing keys, cracked or damaged screens,… Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:04:27 -0400 Rachelle Dené Poth https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/schools-out-focus-device-maintenance-and-readiness-fall https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/5-questions-ask-when-choosing-edtech-solutions Technology can accelerate learning when chosen with care, but it can also become a distraction if it doesn’t meet the everyday needs of students and educators. Education program budgets nationwide are in flux, and demands on educators are high, so it’s crucial to evaluate edtech tools strategically. Here are five questions every school leader should ask before making their next technology investment. Click the banner below to find the guidance you need to manage your device ecosystem. Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:13:33 -0400 Madeleine Mortimore https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/5-questions-ask-when-choosing-edtech-solutions https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/five-keys-cyber-resilience-k-12-schools Although cybersecurity has been on K–12 districts’ radar for several years, many have yet to achieve maturity. The goal is resilience — the ability not only to detect an attack that is already underway, but also to anticipate threats, manage risks, minimize the impact of attacks and restore secure operations quickly. Here are five pillars of a resilient cybersecurity posture. Click the banner below for a cybersecurity roadmap built for K–12 schools. Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:10:27 -0400 Amy McIntosh https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/five-keys-cyber-resilience-k-12-schools https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/k-12-students-learn-broadcasting-skills-classroom-tech Washington’s Mercer Island High School introduced instruction in the art and science behind podcasting as part of its curriculum about seven years ago, just as the medium started to gain widespread popularity. MIHS Students in the school’s radio and podcasting program have the opportunity to gain firsthand experience operating recording studio equipment and contributing to the district’s FCC-licensed radio station, KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge. “Students develop skills to formulate an introduction, perform background research, make an interview sound great on the airwaves,” says Natalie Woods,… Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:24:50 -0400 Erin Brereton https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/k-12-students-learn-broadcasting-skills-classroom-tech https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/review-jabra-biz-1100-edu-headset-delivers-where-it-counts Walk into any school computer lab during a language arts lesson, an online standardized test or a remote learning session, and audio challenges are immediately apparent. Students on adjacent machines bleed sound into each other’s ears. Spoken instructions compete with the hum of the heating and cooling system. Younger learners yank cables, twist boom arms and subject hardware to the kind of punishment that turns most consumer headsets into trash within weeks. The Jabra Biz 1100 EDU was built in direct response to these conditions, and I recently tested it to ensure it could stand up to the… Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:36:08 -0400 Carlos Soto https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/07/review-jabra-biz-1100-edu-headset-delivers-where-it-counts https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/media/video/istelive-26-cybersecurity-everybodys-job-how-k-12-districts-are-building-culture-shared One of the greatest group project collaborations in K–12 right now has nothing to do with social studies or science projects.  The IT leaders who understand the risk tend to speak in technical language, while the administrators and educators who control the budget speak in outcomes. Finding a shared vocabulary helps them fight — and ultimately fund a defense to — the K–12 cybersecurity crisis.  The school year ended with a historic cybersecurity attack across K–12 and higher education, punctuating a point that teachers, IT leaders and school districts have been very aware of, with… Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:13:42 -0400 https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/media/video/istelive-26-cybersecurity-everybodys-job-how-k-12-districts-are-building-culture-shared https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/media/video/istelive-26-stem-loaner-library-checks-out Andy Mann’s model is deceptively simple. Informed by years of experience as a technology teacher, he developed a vision to get $10,000 virtual reality headsets and other sought-after devices in the hands of teachers who wanted to try them in their classrooms without the steep investment of buying them. Using strategic funding, Mann meticulously amassed a collection of STEM items that teachers from the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District in Michigan can check out. At his ISTELive 26 session, “Borrow Don’t Buy: Creating a STEM Loaner Library,” Mann shared how he built his STEM loaner… Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:14:45 -0400 https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/media/video/istelive-26-stem-loaner-library-checks-out