9.1 Trends in Educational Technology

There are several changes coming to the public school system in 2024 according to the article, 5 K–12 ed tech trends to follow in 2024, by Rebecca Torchia. 

First and foremost, the National Educational Technology Plan has been released and guides many decisions surrounding K-12 technological decisions. Beyond that, there are trends in five areas that Torchia lists as pivotal to 2024. 

Without Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (which is expiring), schools will have to plan for device obsolescence without the benefit of these extra funds. Torchia suggests that schools should utilize services and tools to "extend the life of devices" and be careful to get the "best return on investment" when purchasing new equipment. Doing this will save schools money where budgets are tight.

Another trend mentioned by Torchia is the advent of teachers using AI in the classroom to assist with simple, administrative tasks. She posits that this could alleviate burnout and fatigue. AI also allows teachers to "analyze student data more efficiently" which gives teachers the opportunity to manipulate their lessons and approaches towards students in real-time. 

Programs that "help monitor and analyze network traffic" are being employed to give schools the chance to provide better connectivity to their constituents. These programs often include a dashboard and the ability to remotely control adjustments. This will allow technology administrators to easily make any changes or adjustments they need to make with immediacy which keeps students and teachers connected. 

A safety feature that institutions are moving toward is multifactor authentication and single sign-on to protect their systems and the integrity of user log-ins. This will allow software systems to maintain their safety and keep user information from being compromised.

Finally, there is technology that is being implemented for school safety - "cameras and alert systems to door locks." In addition are programs that "monitor and improve student mental health." Some of these programs are able to indicate potential mental health issues by detecting particular words and phrases in documents created by the students. These functions enhance safety in schools - a sensitive area where technology could effectively be put to great use.

There are some exciting opportunities in and challenges for educational technology and schools in the coming year!

Torchia, R. (2023, December 20). 5 K–12 ed tech trends to follow in 2024. EdTech. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2023/12/5-k-12-ed-tech-trends-follow-2024

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