K12LEADERS

Author: Carl Hooker

  • An AI Scope-And-Sequence for K12

    An AI Scope-And-Sequence for K12

    We all know that AI is here to stay and will be very much a part of the our students’ future world. Educators have had a couple of years to be in the “exploratory phase” of AI but lately, the schools I’ve been working with have started to shift to something a little more long-term. Much like the proliferation of iPad apps back in the early 2010s, there was a point in time where schools started to think about appropriate topics and skills to teach students at various levels.

    This post outlines some early ideas for AI integration in schools from grades K to 12. There is a lot more nuance and detail than comes with actually rolling something like this out, but I’ve always been a believer that “perfect is the enemy of done” and schools are just looking for a place to get started. Hopefully, this is that place.

    K-2: AI Foundations

    In the primary grades, students will have likely limited access to technology and are below the age requirements of most AI tools. Despite those limitations, educators should start laying the ground work for what AI is and the ethical use of AI. There are major concerns around the anthropomorphization of AI by adults treating tools like Amazon’s Echo like a person. Making students aware at a young age that AI is very much a computer and not a human is key. As part of building AI foundations in our primary grades, educators should focus on the following:

    1. Understand that AI and computers follow instructions from humans.
    2. Recognize how patterns work. (early algorithmic understanding)
    3. Discuss characteristics and attributes of objects. (building early descriptive prompting language)
    4. Create stories that follow a set of rules. (laying the ground work for prompting limits and rules)

    While none of these activities specifically focus on AI, they lay the ground work for when students start to interact with AI later in school. Below are a couple of teacher-led AI activities that could be introduced to primary students:

    Crowd-source prompt story creation – Students help create a prompt for a story with the teacher sharing the results whole group. Students can then add more details to the story that is generated by AI. This shows that AI has some ability to create but adding adding human creativity can make it even better.

    AI Image story starter – Use an AI image generator and a very simple prompt such as “a magical tree” or “a flying dog” to create a picture that will be the basis of a story. The teacher then leads the discussion to fill in the back story of this object like where it might live or what it likes to do. Then students create their own stories about the creature.

    This is just a place to start in schools but it’s important to lay a strong foundation of understanding of what AI is. Also, as this will likely be their first exposure to it, defining how and when to use it along with its limitations are extremely important to the foundational skills they’ll be learning during the rest of their K12 journey.

    Grades 3-5: Introduction to algorithms, data & coding sequences

    Building on the foundational understanding of artificial intelligence, in these intermediate grades schools should dive deeper into the concepts around algorithms and predictions that AI use in the background. In addition, this is a good age to begin discussion around the data that really feeds these engines. Educators in these grades should focus on the following skill development:

    1. Understanding that an algorithm is really like a set of step-by-step instructions.
    2. How to collect and interpret data, as well as how limited data sets could present different outcomes.
    3. Discuss simple decision-making processes like using a decision tree to help make decisions based on simple rules.
    4. Representing and displaying data in a variety of formats (graphs, charts, etc)
    5. Understanding the limits of AI but also discuss the appropriate use of it as a tool in the learning process.

    Here’s a couple of activities that students in these grades could do to help deepen their understanding around AI:

    Create a set of “Human Algorithms” – students create flow charts or step-by-step instructions for everyday tasks like making a sandwich or brushing their teeth. These shows how sequences work and why the order of events matter.

    Data collection projects – Have students collect data on a variety of topics including those they are interested in like favorite pets, color, restaurant, etc. Have them design a graph or pictograph as an output of the data.

    Block-based coding – Using tools like Scratch, students create simple animations, games or stories tied to a particular subject area. This further reinforces the idea of sequencing and loops as well as early computer programming.

    “Prompetition” – Working as a whole group or small group, have students describe simple objects into an AI image generator like the one built into Padlet. Here’s an example I used recently with some educators on recreating a beach ball in a pool. Discuss which images represented that original object best and have students share their prompting language used.

    It’s important to deepen their understanding on where AI is getting its information (data) and how humans access it (prompts). This is also a great time to reinforce the “when and why” around the use of AI with students. Seeing it as a tool to use in their learning process is something that should be re-enforced from this point going forward. Otherwise, students will start to see it as a “short cut” to learning.

    Grades 6-8: Machine Learning & Ethics

    We all know that kids under the age of 13 would NEVER use a tool with a 13+ age restriction right? (tongue planted firmly in cheek) This age group is the first that will have some access to the tools that carry 13+ age restrictions, and you can expect students to use them. This is a great time to further their understanding of how AI works and also give them some “walled garden” type exploration of vetted AI tools. Some major ideas to cover for this group would be:

    1. Discuss the ethical implications of AI (academic integrity, bias, privacy, etc).
    2. Explore how AI is a part of our world (with specific examples like digital assistants, Netflix and Amazon suggestions, Google map real-time traffic, etc).
    3. Understanding the basics behind machine learning and how it learns from data, including trends and patterns.

    While some students may be able to use many more AI tools than those in elementary, I would still favor a large amount of teacher-led modeling and usage to start. Here’s a few activities I would try with this age group:

    Find the bias – Use AI to create some images or written output with built-in bias. Some of my favorite prompts are “create an image of a nurse taking care of a robot” or “write a joke about a teacher” and then see what biases are naturally produced. This can lead a great discussion about why bias exists and what other prompts might generate biased outputs.

    Data prediction game – Looking at various data sets (weather, sports scores, number of cars in the school pick-up line, etc) have students predict what comes next and see who gets the closest to the actual answer. Using real-world data sets mimics how AI uses data collection to make assumptions and predictions on its outputs.

    Ethical impact debate – Discuss and debate what role AI plays in our lives and its potential impact on society (i.e. autonomous vehicles, facial recognition, false positives, etc).

    Human vs. AI Brainstorming Challenge – One of my favorite activities to do with students is to give them one minute to generate as many items around a particular topic. (i.e. Things found at a BBQ picnic, Things that need water, etc) Then have AI generate a similar list of 30-50 items. Through this activity, students will see the limitations of AI and as they do this more often, they’ll start to think of things AI would never consider, promoting human creativity over artificial intelligence. Here’s an example at a recent conference where I had them brainstorm social media platforms:

    Grades 9-12: Advanced AI Concepts and Applications

    At some point during a student’s high school career, the use of AI shifts from something they are learning to use to something they’ll use to learn. It’s also laying the foundation of how AI could be a part of whatever future career path they might choose. At this point, students will be old enough to access most AI tools and be most likely to use them as shortcuts for learning. Here are some key ideas that high school students should learn around AI:

    1. Discerning when to appropriately use AI in their learning.
    2. Explore AI applications in various career fields.
    3. Research and debate AI trends and ethical considerations.
    4. Develop strong prompting skills and use a variety of AI tools to evaluate outputs.

    In high school, the subject area teacher is king. Sure, students could take a computer science course to learn how to code and program their own AI or machine learning models, but AI is much broader than that and impacts all subjects. Here’s just a handful of ideas of activities that students could explore with AI in various subject areas:

    AI first draft – Whether it be writing a paper in ELA or History class, have the students utilize AI to write the first draft. Then, as part of the assignment, have students improve on the AI first draft and showcase where they enhanced the final paper. This helps show transparency of AI use and forces the students to be smarter than AI.

    AI Career Exploration – Research and discuss career paths in AI-related fields as well as how AI is impacting other careers (agriculture, real estate, etc.)

    Ethical case studies – The use of AI to generate content creates an interesting debate about ownership and copyright. Discuss the dilemmas of ownership, plagiarism and other ethical concerns that could arise due to the wide-spread use of AI (like facial recognition in a criminal investigation).

    Bias and cultural relevance discussion – AI has inherent bias and a lack of cultural nuance in its generic responses. For this activity, challenge students to create outcomes that are more representative of a different populations and geographical cultures.

    Creating models, visuals and prototypes – Utilizing AI image generators, students create and design visuals to help get their message across. Whether its a graph showcasing various scientific data sets or a mock-up of a new tennis shoe to hit the market, utilizing AI-generated visuals can help students communicate their message in greater detail than a slide full of bullet points.

    This rough draft of a K12 scope-and-sequence is merely a starting point for educators and schools. My recommendation for schools would be to gather teachers from these various areas and give them time, training, and support (something we have in short supply at the moment) to design a more “flushed out” version of this for their district. Then, once the skeleton has been built, have educators create lesson activities and ideas that integrate with existing curriculum and standards. This doesn’t need to become “one more thing” to put on a teacher’s plate. Professional learning is at the heart and soul of meaningful integration of AI in the classroom. Unlike the apps of yesteryear, these tools carry with them much more concerns around data privacy and have greater emphasis on their ethical use that must be addressed before releasing them into the wild. That said, there’s no better time to start than now.

    Carl Hooker is an international speaker and educator. He works with schools and events across the country to thoughtfully integrate tools like AI into learning. His latest book Learning Evolution shares several examples, strategies and ideas like this one. His newest workshop “Learning in the Age of AI” is designed for educators and school leaders looking to implement AI thoughtfully in their schools. If you are interested in booking Carl for your next event or professional development day, fill out this speaking form to get more information.

  • 2025 Bold Predictions in Ed Tech

    2025 Bold Predictions in Ed Tech

    In 2013, I made a resolution to come up with a range of various “bold” predictions for the world of education and technology. Twelve years later, I continue to try to up the ante while also staying grounded in some level of realism. Think Black Mirror but for education…or is that too dark?

    Some of my predictions from back then seem almost laughable and yet, strangely plausible. I predicted someone would name their child “ #3?” as Twitter was all the rage back then (RIP). I also predicted that memes would become the hieroglyphics of this generation, and I think I pretty much nailed that. When it came to school devices, I made the following prediction in 2013 prior to the massive wave of Chromebooks taking over schools:

    It’s fun to reflect and cherry pick the times I got things right. It would take several thousand words to go over all the ones I got wrong, but if you ever want to go back and take a look, here’s a list. Now it is time to face forward and peer into the not-so-distant future. Last year, AI played a major role in most of my predictions and it will continue to play a role in some this year as you will see below.

    So without further ado, here’s my BOLD predictions for 2025:

    There will be a rapid increase of “AI Schools”

    The rise in AI and the ever-shifting landscape of public education funding means that schools like the Alpha School will continue to develop and grow exponentially this year. Fueled by the decrease in education majors and the increase of teacher burnout and I could see a future world where we send our kids to these “AI centers”. At these centers they use computers to learn academics and lean on the adults to learn about life. This sounds all well and good, but my biggest concern isn’t around the efficacy of the use of AI in these schools. My biggest worry is about the equitable access that students around the country will have to it. Stay tuned…

    You’ll soon be able to buy stock in schools

    The stock market (invented in 1792) has been around almost as long as public schools (invented in 1635) in this country. With funding of schools becoming more of a state issue in the future, we’ll have to start thinking of innovative ways to get dollars into learning institutions. Enter the School Stock Exchange – a place where parents and non-parents alike can invest some monies into the “value” of the school. Should the school do well and show improvements, the stock goes up. Should students start to drop-out or not graduate, the stock plummets. There would have to be some other metrics in place as well as insider trading laws, but imagine getting hired as a teacher and being offered stock options for where you work? It happens almost everywhere in the business world, why not education?

    K12 Crypto launches

    While the stock market has been around for over 3 centuries, cryptocurrency is still very much a new player on the scene. Companies like Knowlej incentivize students with a “learn to earn” model that might be the ticket to increase attendance and student engagement. Creating cryptocurrencies can’t be that hard can it? Time to put pressure on the founders of K12Leaders to make this happen in education.

    Uber-like education services become a thing

    Commerce has rapidly shifted from the big box stores of yesteryear (RIP Toys R’ Us) to a more “on-demand” model of ordering something once you think of it. I predict learning will evolve into much the same way. Using an app, students (or parents) can order up a few servings of math with a side of language arts for their struggling student. That request goes into a queue which is sent around te area and online looking for a quick tutor to provide assistance. Most of these tutors will be virtual and perhaps even AI-driven, but for an up-charge, they can even come to your house, park, or neighborhood coffee shop to help with that struggling concept or assignment. A rating system will sort out who are the best of the best and pricing surges will ensue for those most sought after, especially during finals.

    Robots won’t replace teachers, but maybe custodians?

    As I’ve stated a couple of times already, education is in dire straits when it comes to funding. Some schools like the AI school mentioned above may give school leaders the idea to replace teachers with robots. This was infamously tried back in 2008 Japan and as I outlined in my book Learning Evolution the results were disastrous. Schools looking to cut corners may go the way of stores like Sam’s Club Brain Inventory Scan robots to deploy as a replacement for custodians. The robots will not only sweep and buffer the floors, they’ll also come with vape detection and defensive battle tactics in the event of a school lock-down.

    The new Secretary of Education will be on the UndisruptED podcast

    Adam and I have had some pretty big guests on the show in the past, but this year, for our 100th episode, we set our target (and steel chair) on newly appointed secretary of education Linda McMahon. I’ve already got a request into her office to have her on the show. It would be beneficial to those in the education space to hear her views on the future as Adam and I try and limit the amount of wrestling references during the show. Who’s ready to learn from the top rope? Can you smelllllllll…what the cafeteria is cooking?

    Transformative furniture will re-imagine the traditional classroom space

    We’ve had mobile chairs, Hokki stools, and standing desks for over a decade in education. What’s next in the education furniture space? These TRANSFORM tables from MIT (video below) can readjust the learning surface on the fly into whatever you might imagine. Think of a future world where you hit a button and your entire classroom comes with built-in stadium seating or maybe a giant circle configuration for Socratic seminars. The only limits are your imagination (and funding, as I’ve mentioned now three or four times in this blog).

    The Meta Smart Ray-Bans go next level

    During my travels this past year, I came across several colleagues repping these new Meta smart Ray-Bans. Unlike the Google Glasses experiment/disaster of a few years ago, these have a manageable price point (around $300) and some decent functionality for texting and searching via voice commands. One of the major flaws that would inhibit it in the education space besides price (did I mention education is under-funded?) is the fact that it would be unmanageable to have an entire class of students talking out loud to their smart glasses. One recent iteration from the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) are these Halliday smart glasses. These have a mini-display and a way to control the menu through a connected smart ring. I can hear the excuses already…”I can’t learn today because I forgot my ring!”

    Photo of Rob Dickson (right) wearing the new Meta smart Glasses

    I will publish a response book to “The Anxious Generation”

    Last fall, Forbes published this article stating that 60% of employers have fired Generation Z employees within their first year. With GenZ really struggling in the workforce, we in the Hooker household are wondering how our own kids will fare and where they will struggle. Psychologist Jon Haidt posited his views on this in his book The Anxious Generation where he goes into a myriad of details as to why kids are struggling so much in this day and age. His chapter on education and parenting lack ideas for how parents and teachers can fix this other than “screens are bad, play is good.” I’m cheating a bit on this prediction as I’ve already started working on an outline, but expect some handy “Antidotes for the Anxious” coming your way in 2025.

    Some kid will get rich using AI to invest

    I really feel like finances are a major theme to this year’s list so why not finish my predictions with…something about money? AI can do a lot of things well and others not so well. I recently posted my list of recent ChatGPT prompts on BlueSky as sort of a personality test. I got some interesting responses from my followers including why I would write a song about Tom Murray, but one in particular was the “Couch to 10K” prompt I used.

    My daughter tricked me into signing up for a 10K race in April which prompted me to prompt ChatGPT for an assist on “creating a plan for an overweight, middle-aged man to run a 10k in 16 weeks.” That brings me to my final prediction. I predict a student will use AI to either help them invest or create some sort of investment strategy that turns them into a millionaire before they graduate. Maybe they’ll invest in schools like prediction #3?2 or buy K12 Crypto like prediction #3?? While neither of those outcomes are likely, I do think AI will help some student develop an effective investing strategy that will make them rich and famous before the ball drops on 2025.

    So there you have it. Which of these predictions will come true this year? What predictions do you have for the upcoming year? No matter what happens, here’s hoping we all get rich with learning in 2025!

  • Intention Over Attention: A Mindful Approach to Social Media in Our Lives

    Intention Over Attention: A Mindful Approach to Social Media in Our Lives

    Over this past week, millions have flocked from Twitter/X to BlueSky. As I look at many of the first time posters on that platform I saw many of the same messages:

    “This is what Twitter used to be like”

    “I like the lack of algorithms here”

    “This feels like a less toxic space”

    For a variety of reasons, educators are leaving the former blue bird to join the blue butterfly and other platforms. Exactly two years ago today, I wrote this post about what happens if Twitter dies and where will people go. I’ve also spent the last two months working on a new book that dives deeper into world Jonathan Haidt calls  The Anxious Generation . Add to that, the timing of the other work I’ve been doing that started back in 2022. Working with a team of educators, we built a new social platform called K12Leaders, not necessarily as an alternative to “TwiX” as I call it, but as a safe space for educators to engage in meaningful conversations and to find their own community. It’s funny how timing and momentum work.

    With the flood of people joining BlueSky and K12Leaders, I have been reflecting on what purpose social media serves in our lives. This grand experiment began before the invention of Facebook in 2004, but it was really Facebook and subsequently Twitter in 2007 that made social media the powerhouse it is today. Couple that with the proliferation of the mobile phone (the first iPhone debuted in early 2007), and you have the timing for a perfect storm of new media driven by the everyday people you choose to follow.

    Somewhere along the way, these upstart companies along with Instagram, SnapChat and TikTok, figured out that in order to make money, they really need to make sure they capture and hold our attention. Hence the “attention economy” was born. The magical AI algorithms went to work and they began to both listen and learn from where we focus our attention. Social media has turned into a place where people AND machine influence what we look at.

    Time for a Social Media Purge

    All of this affects our mental health in one way or another. For me personally, I found that I was spending and inordinate amount of time on Facebook and TwiX. Not necessarily interacting with family, friends and colleagues, but endlessly scrolling through videos about poker, politics, and Pickleball. I was spending hours each week watching nonsense and actually felt WORSE after I was done (along with the guilt over the time I wasted).

    So I decided to enact a 3-phase approach to slowly get back my time and attention:

    Phase 1 –

    First, I turned off all notification alerts for both platforms. That little red number in the corner of the app was calling to my attention as much as the thump on my Apple Watch every time someone commented on something. Did I really need to know what someone said at that moment? No.

    Phase 2 –

    After a couple of months went by, I realized I was still finding myself checking the app just to see if someone posted, commented or liked something interesting. Quickly, I would be drawn into the time-suck of endless scrolling. So, for phase two, I decided to delete the app from my home screen. I didn’t delete the application from my phone, but I couldn’t see it anymore. I could still search for it if I needed to, but now it was out of sight and hopefully out of mind.

    Phase 3 –

    Recently, I’ve been playing a game with my teenage daughters. We check our phones screen times to see how many daily “pick-ups” we had that week and what were the top apps that garnered our attention. The average teenager picks up their phone 1500 times a week to check on something so I wanted to see how often they were checking their phones and why. Not surprisingly, social media were the top reasons, but when I looked at my phone, I was shocked. I was picking up my phone an average of 130 times a day and Facebook was one of the top reasons why. That means, even though I no longer had it on my screen and notifications were turned off, I was still searching for it and spending time on it. It was time to enact phase three and completely remove it from my phone. The graphic below is what my pick-ups look like now:

    Avoiding the Teacher’s Lounge

    I’m not a psychologist and I don’t even play one on TV, but I can speak to my own mental health and how I feel when it comes to interacting with various social platforms. Facebook turned into a time-suck and with the recent presidential election, also a very negative place. When I was a classroom teacher, I used to eat my lunch in the teacher’s lounge at the school. Over time I noticed that generally the lounge was a place where teachers could vent about their students, their parents, or their colleagues. I think some venting isn’t a bad thing, but as someone who considers himself a pretty positive person, it made me feel more and more negative. I would leave the lounge feeling worse than when I got there. After my second year of teaching, I made a decision to not eat lunch in there ever again.

    Facebook and TwiX have turned into that negative teacher’s lounge for me.

    Attention vs. Intention

    We only have a limited amount of time on this planet. We all die at some point, that’s the reality of life. As I was doing some back-of-the-napkin math about my hours spent scrolling funny short videos, I had a major realization. I was spending almost 1.5 hours a day binging mindless entertainment. If you add up all that time, it comes out to just over 3 weeks each year spent just scrolling. While I get some joy out of watching cooking videos or fun places to visit, I think it’s safe to say I needed to reduce that time. My goal at the start of this school year was to reduce that by at least a half an hour each day, earning me back a week of time every year to do something more productive or joyful.

    So far, I’ve exceeded my goals and actually feel better as a result. More time walking the dog, playing cribbage with my wife, or listening to music with my kids. More time to enjoy what being human means. My battle between my attention and social media needed to have some better ground rules. I needed to be in charge of where, who and what garners my attention going forward.

    In essence, I needed to put  INTENTION  ahead of my  ATTENTION  when it comes to social media. I still check Facebook on the browser of my computer when I feel the need and admittedly, on occasion, I’ll find myself searching for it on my phone like a long lost cousin. Overall, the change has been extremely beneficial to my mental health but does come with some headaches as friends will share posts with me that I can’t see on my phone. When that happens, I go to my computer when I have a moment to check on what was sent. But it doesn’t feel like a priority like when it was on my phone.

    All this said, I had one final challenge that I needed to overcome. I got on Twitter in early 2009 and spent the last 15 years building a community, making connections, and learning from others on there. The last few months, I’ve not found that joy that I once did from being on the platform. The algorithms seemed to be more out of whack then ever (likely the Elon-effect). So last night, I skipped my 3-phase approach and headed straight to the exit. Here’s the video (turn up the sound) that I, ironically posted on Instagram/TikTok:

    Next Steps

    I haven’t completely abandoned those platforms but will spend the next several months focusing on putting my intention over things that want my attention. I’m going to make time to reflect on how I feel when I interact with certain platforms (Instagram and TikTok…you are on notice!) Before I go to a social platform, I’m going to make sure it is for a purpose, not for a distraction.

    This isn’t a panacea or one-size-fits-all approach. It’s a one-size-fits-Carl approach. If you are someone that connects with what I’ve posted here, I hope you’ll join me on this journey and share as well. I’ll be spending my time with intention on K12Leaders (@carl is my handle) and BlueSky (@hookertech). Connect with me there and let’s start this grand experiment over. But this time, let’s try and get it right. 🙂

    Posted by: Carl Hooker

  • Antidotes for the Anxious Generation

    Antidotes for the Anxious Generation

    When I began my tenure as a Director of Instructional Technology for an 8000 student district in Austin, mobile devices weren’t wide spread. It was 2010 and smartphones were only 3 years old and popular social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat didn’t even exist. We launched our 1:1 device program to update our teaching and learning practices as well as prepare kids for a future that involved the internet and technology.

    After the first few years, albeit far from perfect, we had a pretty well-established program that schools from across the nation would come to and learn from. Somewhere along the way, I was encountered by a group of parents that were pushing back on the use of screens in schools. I listened and tried to understand their concerns in the hopes of working on a plan that still enabled educators to prepare students for their future while also balancing their use of technology.

    That balance is something I’ve always strived for. For the past 15 years, I’ve given talks to parents, teachers, students and leaders around the thoughtful and purposeful use of technology in and out of school. I’ve even dressed up like a zombie to get my point across (“Surviving the Digital Zombie Apocalypse”). For the next several years, I felt like the battle of screen time was missing the point. It wasn’t about the amount of time, it was about the usage and the distraction that comes from the devices.

    Then a pandemic happened. We all retreated back to our screens and the argument around screen time and social media was put on hold for a few years. Recently, the argument has made a phoenix-like resurrection in schools, largely due to the New York Times best selling book by Jonathan Haidt called  The Anxious Generation.  In Haidt’s book, he claims our kids (GenZ largely), are experiencing a crisis of mental health due to the addictive distraction of smart phones. His book would appear on Oprah’s book list and now has become the gospel of school leaders looking for an excuse to hit the easy button and ban technology like phones.

    I’m not going to go into detail in this post about many of the fallacies in Haidt’s book except to say this: He wields our own vices and fears around technology to encourage confirmation bias within ourselves. Heck, you don’t become a New York Times best seller by just writing about a solution. As a society, somewhat ironically, we are attracted to fear-mongering click bait and his book gives us all the “feels” and head-nods we are looking for.

    Are phones distracting? Yes.

    Should kids be on them 24/7? NO.

    Solution: Ban them!

    That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. The real answer (or “antidote” as I’ve posited here) is much more nuanced. As many states and districts push out cell phone bans this school year, I think it is helpful to reflect on the purpose of our job as educators (and parents…but we’ll tackle that later). Our job is to prepare students for their future. Yes, we have to teach them standards and subjects, but ultimately, it’s about getting them ready for a future that we can’t predict.

    Five years ago, I wrote an article around this topic and, after reading Haidt’s book, it pretty much nails every negative point he tries to leverage in his book. A couple years before that, I wrote another article about when parents should give kids a smart phone. A lot has changed since those posts (hello…Covid), but there are still some salient points back then that still apply today. Recently, I read a post from educational thought leader (and friend) A.J. Juliani about the book and subsequent phone ban fall-out. Juliani makes some great points while also recognizing the possible causal effect of increased phone and social media usage in kids.

    I’m not about to argue that phones have zero effects on us or our kids. I’ve spent years working with my own kids (ages 11, 13, and 15) around teaching them the balance of phones, screen time, entertainment time, and social media doom-scrolling. My wife and I have spent countless hours in debates and arguments with them around their own screen time limits, but the goal has always been the same; Teach them to monitor and self-regulate their phone usage. Can we do that as parents if there is no device?

    Phone bans are really just band aids. It covers up the problem without really addressing it. If it’s out of sight, it will be out of mind. Phone bans are  a  solution, but is it the right solution? In the next couple of months, I hope to tackle this problem in a more long-form format (Yes, another book. No, probably not a NYT best seller). However, I also want to put some ideas out to my community and gather feedback for solutions. Remember, this goes beyond the phone. It’s more about the mental health and self-awareness for this generation of students.

    Antidote #1 – Notification Awareness

    Smart phones will be a part of students lives for the foreseeable future. It’s important for students to be aware of how often they are on them and how often they are distracted by them. For this antidote, set up an experiment to see how often students get notifications (or as I call them “notifistractions”) on their phones. A few years ago, a teacher actually did this and had a chart paper to track the amount of alerts that went off in her classroom. Here’s the data from one class period:

    This is a whole lot of distractions to a student trying to learn algebra. One solution to this particular symptom is to have students silence their distractions when they are working, collaborating, creating or being productive. As they prepare for the world of work, notifications can be distracting and potentially harmful to their career. Silencing and/or regulating what you get notified about on your phone can directly help with your focus.

    Discussing this with students helps them create more proactive solutions to their own focus. Do you need to get notified about the group Snapchat or can it wait until after school? What things do you need to be notified about right away on your phone? What happens to your learning when you get distracted? Reflecting on these and other questions around distraction is the first step in addressing the problem. The goal is to recategorize the relationship students have with their phone from “distraction device” to more of a “productive tool”.

    Antidote #2 – Tech Check-In Breaks

    This idea was actually shared with me by my daughter’s sophomore ELA teacher. He has the students for 90 minutes and knows their minds can wander at times. To help keep them focused, he asks that for the time in class they have their phones put away. Then, in the middle of class, he has a “tech break” where they can stand up, walk around the hallways (monitored) and check-in on their device. He relayed to me, that doing this little break every day helped kids with their anxiety (FOMO) and actually helped them learn how to take a break with technology and then get back into the work.

    Antidote #3 – Social Media Detox

    This summer, my family did a full digital detox over a weekend. We went off to a cabin in the woods and no one was allowed to bring any technology except my phone for emergencies. What ensued was pretty hilarious for several reasons. For one, the kids were all extremely upset that we were doing this to them. It was almost like they were suffering from detox before we even took the device away. The other thing that happened is that we lost water service at the cabin and realized my wife’s phone was needed to verify account information (whoops). So we ended up at a cabin with no water and no technology it turned out. However, after a couple of days, we all reflected on how we felt. We acknowledged that technology is necessary and useful but also can be distracting, especially social media.

    It’s difficult to reflect on an event or activity while it’s happening. With the pressure of constant social media connectedness, the ability to pause and think becomes even more difficult. In this activity, challenge students to take an entire day (24 hours) away from social media. No Snapchats, TikTok video scrolls, or group message drama. Then, ask them to discuss and reflect on how they did. Were they more focused? Did they have a severe sense of FOMO? How could doing something like this regularly be helpful? Did they have increased focus or creativity?

    Antidote #4 – Timed Task Disruption

    Acknowledging the distraction of phones is one thing. Banning them does take away that distraction but doesn’t teach students how to inherently manage that distraction in every day life. One technique I’ve used personally is called the Pomodoro Technique (check out my Digital Zombie post for more). The idea is to scaffold your day (and time) based on different tasks. Learning these executive functioning skills is vital to their own success and productivity later in life.

    In this challenge, have students set a timer to work on a task for 10 minutes. Then have them pick up their phones and interact in someway with an app (like a game or social media). Then have them get back to the task. Were they capable of picking up where they left off? Was their any momentum lost by checking in on their phones? The fallacy of multi-tasking has long since been exposed, but many students still claim they can task-switch without any issue. Helping them identify what a distraction can do to their work, will help them develop their own techniques on when and how to manage their phone interaction in a productive way.

    Antidote #5 – Phone-Free Social Zones

    As a society, we have all become used to having our phone as sort of a Linus security blanket. It helps fill in the quiet gaps that enter our mind and makes us feel connected when we are physically in a place with no connections. I see it all the time when I travel or go to a doctor’s office. It helps occupy our minds and for those with significant social anxiety, can ease some of the pressure that comes with social interaction. I even wrote about my experience in 2013 of going “digitally naked” to an event where I didn’t know anyone.

    During my workshops with teachers, I often create opportunities for interaction without technology. This is done purposefully and with a variety of different challenges that encourage collaboration, creative thinking, and wit. In class, we need to create purposeful opportunities to encourage social interaction without their phones. It could be anything group discussion or even playing an analog board game, but the idea is to have them reflect on how the conversations and interactions go compared to interactions with their phones. Did the absence of phones improve the quality of the interaction? How do they feel when they are talking to someone and they start looking at their phone? How valuable is it to have someone’s attention when you are discussing a deep topic?

    Antidote #6 – Mindfulness Breaks

    Back in 2013, I learned about professor David Levy from the University of Washington. Professor Levy taught a class around contemplation and mindfulness. As part of the class, he would ask students to sit silently, with their eyes closed and try to be present for five minutes. Students immediately struggled with this assignment and many became fidgety and complained of being bored. It took several attempts but eventually students not only were capable of calming their minds, but also focus more on their work. (for more check out Levy’s book on Mindful Tech)

    Professor  Levy practicing mindfulness with his college students

    We need to have opportunities for students to be mindful and reflective every day of class starting in kindergarten. Our society has become extremely fast paced and isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Our constant connection with technology and social media is a big driver of this pace of life. For this activity, I like to practice one minute of mindfulness. I ask students to close their eyes while I set a timer and play some light instrumental music. Then, I ask them to raise their hand when they think one minute as passed. Not surprisingly, many hands start to come up within the first 30 seconds of the activity and most are up before 45 seconds have passed. One minute of silence is a LOOOOOOONG time for most of us.

    I know we teach in a time where every minute is valuable. There’s pressure to get through the curriculum and the standards quickly. However, taking just one minute to have students pause, reflect, and be present can actually help them with their own focus and productivity going ahead. We all need a break!

    Antidote #7 – Interest-based Personalized Learning

    I saved this last one for the end because it takes the most amount of work and effort for a teacher to implement. Using the above techniques helps with awareness of the distraction of phones and our lack of attention spans. We can’t compete with the short form video content of TikTok and Reels, nor should we. However, we can learn from those tools about what garners and keeps kids attention.

    Those platforms personalize the “feeds” based on algorithms of what the user watched. If you like videos about cats (or in my case lately, pickleball), then the feed will continue to show you videos about these things. We’ve been talking about personalizing learning in education for decades, but the reality is, to do so would take a monumental shift in pedagogical practices as well as total overhaul of state-level assessments and mandates.

    I believe AI can help with this personalization in many ways by structuring content around student interests. Whether it creates a Taylor Swift song about elements on the Periodic table or generates a personalized tutor to help with a math equation, we can leverage AI to help drive more interest-based learning in our classrooms. This means opening up the lesson plan book to the idea of letting students truly drive their own learning. Have students create in whatever medium they choose as long as they can demonstrate their understanding of the subject or topic. Differentiate how the information is consumed from written form to a variety of other formats like those very short form videos I mentioned earlier.

    This doesn’t have to be a fight. Banning phones produces great short term results that allow educators to win the battle, but not the war. We need to meet students where they are and give them guidance to help their own path toward a productive (and happy) future.

     

    Carl Hooker is an international speaker and trainer. He works with schools, parent groups and events across the country to thoughtfully integrate technology into learning. His latest book  Learning Evolution  shares several examples of ways to integrate AI into the every day classroom. If you are interested in booking Carl for your next event or professional development day, fill out this speaking form to get more information.

     

    Posted by: Carl Hooker

     

  • K12Leaders Trivia Night – December 19 – 8pm ET

    K12Leaders Trivia Night – December 19 – 8pm ET

    How well do you know A Christmas Story? What about all the 12 days of Christmas or Adam’s Sandler’s Hanukkah song? Test your trivia knowledge as K12Leaders is proud to announce their upcoming 2nd annual virtual trivia night taking place on Tuesday, December 19th in the Virtual Trivia Night Group.

    This FREE fun and interactive experience is the perfect way to test your knowledge and challenge your friends. Whether you’re a trivia buff or just getting started, there’s something for everyone!

    The night will feature a variety of trivia topics, all centered around the holiday theme. Plus, you can compete for prizes and bragging rights amongst friends and family. So grab your ugly holiday sweater and join us for an unforgettable night of trivia and fun.

    The virtual trivia night will start at 8:00 PM EST in the Virtual Trivia Night group and is open to participants of all ages. So, grab your friends and family and get ready for a night of trivia on K12Leaders.

  • Join me for my AMA session on October 5th!

    Join me for my AMA session on October 5th!

    You have questions? I might have answers! Last month we debuted this monthly AMA (Ask Me Anything) session that was lively and spirited as you the guest ask me the host to answer any question. While most of the questions did center around education, there were some fun ones thrown in there as well.

    Questions about AI? I just wrote a book about it!

    Questions about how to write a book? I just finished my 8th!

    Questions about why do I always pose with my hand on my chin beard? Tune in tomorrow at 1pm EST to find out more.

    Just jump onto K12Leaders at 1pm EST tomorrow and you’ll see instructions on how to tune into my “channel” and ask me anything.

    “See” you soon!

    – Carl

  • Announcing the K12Leaders Ambassador Program!

    Announcing the K12Leaders Ambassador Program!

    One of the main reasons for building a platform like K12Leaders is to continue the conversation between fellow educators. We also realize that diversity of thought can spur creativity and innovation. We learn from those both in and out of our circles.

    Here at K12Leaders, we’ve always been a believer in building a bigger table to include a wide variety of voices in education. We realize that our platform as it currently stands has over 1500 members who believe in education and want to support it in a variety of ways. In order to help broaden the impact of those voices within our platform, we have decided to launch the K12Leaders Ambassador Program and because we want to make it fun, we’ve decided to make it a bit of a competition.

    Here’s how it works:

    On Monday, May 15 you will be able to send out an invite from your K12Leaders account. Now you’ve always been able to do that with the little “invite” button at the top of the screen in the browser window. However, on Monday something different will happen.

    You see, we’ve also been toying around at building a bit of a gamified approach to K12Leaders and how we interact. Every other social platform uses some algorithms to gather your data to sell to other companies. We don’t think that’s right. You should be rewarded for your interactions and we’re going to start testing this out with our K12Leaders Ambassador referrals.

    From May 15 to June 12, every time you use the invite button to send an invitation to a colleague in the education space, you’ll be awarded a K12 Ambassador point. Every time someone you refer signs up, you’ll get 3 more points! Once you hit 100 K12 Ambassador points, you’ll unlock an Ambassador badge for your account.

    So besides the awesomeness and glory of having a cool new shiny badge, what else do K12 Ambassadors get? I’m glad you asked.

    How about a K12Leaders T-shirt!? That’s right, we’ll be rewarding each of our K12 Ambassadors with a custom-designed, comfort-forward, K12 Leaders T-shirt. These t-shirts make great talking pieces at your next educational conference or neighborhood book club.

    Along with the T-shirt (which is amazing, did I mention that?), you’ll also be enrolled in our K12 Ambassador private group. Now we can’t tell all of the things we have planned for members of this group, but just like the incredible and awesome T-shirt, it will be spectacular.

    With all of these amazing incentives we imagine many of you are ready to jump in right away and even exceed the 100 point mark to become an Ambassador. That’s why for a bonus, we are also throwing in something a little extra for the member that tops the charts at the end of June 12. We’re not revealing that prize yet (and no it’s not another t-shirt) but I can promise you it’ll be something special.

    We thank each and every one of our members for being a part of the start of this community and look forward to a fresh set of voices joining our platform in the coming weeks!

    – Carl Hooker CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer)

  • Cybersecurity and Student Safety in K12

    Cybersecurity and Student Safety in K12

    Last month, I had the pleasure to host a panel of cybersecurity experts from various aspects of education. Each brought to the table a different lens from which to tackle the modern challenges around cybersecurity and student safety in the K12 space. This post is a recap of some of the highlights of that discussion, but I also encourage you to watch the original event here for more on balancing cybersecurity in the digital age

    Here were the panelists for this important discussion:

    Julianne Ross-Kleinmann – Data Privacy Officer – Ulster BOCES (NY)

    Serena Sacks-Mandel – Worldwide Education CTO – Microsoft

    Richard Boucher – Director of Information Services – Town of Medway (MA)

    Teodora Pavkovic – Cyber Psychologist and Digital Wellness Expert – Linewize

    What are the biggest challenges in education currently when it comes to cybersecurity?

    In light of recent cyber attacks at schools, it’s apparent our industry is a primary target for those looking to gain access to funds or important data. All the panelists acknowledged that we will never keep pace with the amount of sophisticated techniques being used, but ultimately, this becomes a people issue.

    Richard Bouchard shared that “Prioritizing cybersecurity in education when things like curriculum and instruction are the primary focus is a challenge.” With all the things vying for our attention in the educational space and the additional outside noise, it makes it hard to prioritize where cybersecurity fits in the food chain. Sometimes, districts are also somewhat fearful to pull back the curtain and see where their vulnerabilities may lie. While tools and filters can be helpful, many of the attacks are coming via phishing scams which are really social hacks.

    Teachers in a hurry read an email from their principal asking them to send along a few gift cards and the hook is set. Rather than physically stopping by the office to confirm or click on the email address in the mobile mail app, educators quickly comply with the request and send along hundreds of dollars to a random phisher. Training staff to identify unusual requests like these before they happen is key.

    “This responsibility ultimately falls on everyone,” Julianna Ross-Kleinmnan explained. It’s not just the one librarian teaching about digital citizenship or the one tech leader trying to make sure every student and staff member is safe. Ongoing education is the key to stay up to date on best practices and raise awareness around what current threats exist. These skills aren’t limited to the CTE teacher, librarian, or tech coach, it’s shared ownership between all staff and students.

    Technology is ever-changing and can be disruptive (for both good and bad reasons) when it enters the classroom. How do we balance new tools when they enter the educational space?

    Whenever new technology is introduced into a society or in our case, educational space, there’s a tendency to be fearful of it. It can represent change or disruption to how we play the game of school. Tools like ChatGPT and TikTok are disruptive for educators that value the status quo when it comes to learning. At best, these tools are a fun distraction but the reality is, they are becoming more and more a daily part of a students’ life. ChatGPT gives students an opportunity to let AI assist them with learning or in some cases, even complete the tasks for them.

    “Whenever we have new tools we need to ask critical questions,” adds Teodora Pavkovic. “What is everything that could go right? What is everything that could go wrong?” The wisdom of human-kind cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence. That said, there are many implications with what AI could do for teaching and learning. Should we continue to teach rote, fact-based worksheets when tools like Microsoft Excel have existed for 20+ years? Should we continue to ask students to respond to basic prompts when AI could answer it for them? The truth is, we need to teach our students how to be critical thinkers and the addition of AI will only amplify that need.

    Equity also plays a major role in this discussion too as some schools will have access, based on demographics and connectivity, to more AI tools than others. Much like connectivity and access concerns prior to the pandemic, there are still digital divides in schools when it comes to how the technology is being used and why. This additional layer of AI will only magnify those gaps as we roll forward to the future.

    How do we empower students to be more aware of their digital lives?

    Digital citizenship is nothing new in education. Schools have been discussing this with their students for quite some time. However, now we are seeing more of the conversation shift from citizenship to ‘wellness’ when it comes to how they live their digital lives. In the past, schools might bring in a cyber expert to ‘scare’ the kids into behaving online, but with the tremendous infiltration of digital tools and social media, we need to start thinking of a different path.

    When it comes to helping students navigate this ever-changing space Teodora suggests that “We don’t need to speak at them, but with them.” Involve the student in the conversation and ask them how they feel about sharing their lives online. While students feel adept using social media apps, they still need help identifying scams and phishing that will continue to increase the more they interact online.

    Student agency is such a key to this conversation. Our students have been raised in such an immense digital world compared to us that we need to listen to their own experiences and share our wisdom as we can. Things like creating boundaries and limits that are self-controlled rather than adult-imposed really help with this empowerment.

    When and how these skills are taught is also something for schools to consider. Serena Sacks-Mandel has been a CTO of two very large districts in the past and mentioned that her thinking has evolved from when she started. “At first, we had every teacher and student complete a digital citizenship course before we rolled out devices.” Now she feels like we should be engaging with the students on a more regular basis and not just when they are eligible to have a social media account. These conversations and expectations should start as early as Kindergarten and be an ongoing discussion as they age up through our system.

    While ultimately this responsibility falls on educators, the conversation and lessons to be learned around online interactions need to be a part of the entire community. Parents and guardians need to be an important part of this conversation to really make an impact. Having the at-school and at-home environments in sync when it comes to digital wellness invites all stakeholders to speak a common language.

    How do school leaders balance blocking/banning tools vs. helping students learn with the tools?

    The influx of digital tools is disruptive to schools in both good and bad ways. The genie is out of the bottle when it comes to using technology and the internet in schools. Richard mentions that even if we block apps, students can still use their phones and 5G to access these programs. Internally, schools need to have a process to approve apps and tools that have instructional benefits AND adhere to data privacy best practices.

    Balance is such a key part of this process when it comes to not only what tools we use but also how parents limit digital usage. There are several tech solutions out there for monitoring, filtering, and tracking usage, but as Teodora mentions, “there’s also a major component of educating the community.” Just locking down doesn’t teach students how to navigate certain online risks because they won’t have the opportunity in some ways to learn from their online mistakes.

    As part of that education, we also need to be listening to what students are talking about in the hallways and in between passing periods when it comes to online tools. When, not if, a mistake happens online, Julianne says “it needs to be a teachable moment” but those don’t happen if everything is blocked and shut down.

    Ultimately, technology can help us much more than it can hurt us as long as we educate our students and community well. Serena shared a powerful quote from a colleague – “When students wrote on the bathroom wall, we didn’t lock the bathroom.” By that same vein, turning off the internet or blocking everything won’t teach them how to navigate this world safely. This conversation is ever-evolving with new tools and AI being introduced every day. Keeping abreast of latest trends while also having an interactive conversation with students and stakeholders is the key to navigating digital wellness going forward.

    One particular tool I’d like to share is Microsoft’s Trust Center. The folks at Microsoft have created this tremendously useful website to tackle the challenges around digital privacy and cyber security. In our ever changing world, the more we can connect and share great resources like this, the more likely our students’ digital journey will not only be safe, it will be powerful.

    Editor’s note: This blog and the webinar for which it is based on is supported by Microsoft.

  • Bold Predictions in Ed Tech for 2023

    Bold Predictions in Ed Tech for 2023

    Each and every year since 2012, I set out to challenge myself and my readers to a set of bold predictions around the ed tech space. Yes, I usually sprinkle in some pop culture and politics (Oprah running from president in 2020 didn’t happen..maybe the Rock in 2028?) But mostly these center around innovation in and around the classroom learning space.

    In reflecting on this past year and previous years, there are times when my predictions hit the mark, like when I guessed that Texas would give up its Pearson testing contract. Others, took time, like when I predicted in 2013 that a device other than iPads would rule the classroom (hello Chromebooks!). Mixed in with the successes are some failures of course, like when I predicted self-driving school buses in 2016 (still a chance!). This year, it’s a mixed bag. Many of these are on the verge of reality while others may never happen. So without further ado, I present to you, my 2023 Bold Predictions :

    Artificial Intelligence will make AND break classrooms around the country

    I’m going to start out with a bit of layup here. I’ve written about artificial intelligence in past bold predictions (2018 and 2017 here) and in 2019 I even predicted that someone would write a blog or paper with predictive text. With the release of open source tools like ChatGPT, it’s finally at the classroom doorstep. This coming year will be extremely vital to the future of AI in schools. Will we ban it or embrace it? Will we run from it or run towards it? The progressive school leader will see this as an opportunity to create new learning pathways as AI begins to remove some of the lower level tasks like filling out worksheets or writing a short essay about the trade routes of the 13th century. New courses in teaching the AI to work better for us will emerge and be both congratulated and vilified. AI is a part of our collective future, but will it be a part of what our kids learn? That’s a question ChatGPT can’t answer…YET.

    VR mobile labs become reality

    Virtual reality is still somewhat on the fringe when it comes to education even though I’ve written about it since 2016. The price of getting VR headsets for each student is becoming more reasonable, but issues like long-term eye strain and other health concerns will likely keep a 1-to-1 VR environment from happening anytime in the next several years. However, much like when schools started rolling out their device programs, I can see a future where there are VR mobile labs that teachers can use to immerse students in a certain environment. When Google Expeditions died off in 2021, it means there is a new opportunity for an ed tech company out there willing to make a splash in this space. Or maybe the Metaverse will just take over.

    Educators flock to K12Leaders 

    With Elon Musk’s purchase and repurposing of Twitter, many educators are flocking to different online communities and spaces. Some are heading to Twitter-clone sites like Mastodon in the hopes of re-creating the same experience on that platform. However, much like Twitter, it could face similar changes in the future as almost every social media platform is run for commercial gain by using algorithms to keep you scrolling. Last year, in this column, I wrote about a new platform launching that is solely for educators and those that are educationally adjacent to our space. K12Leaders takes the best parts of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIN but is run on Human Intelligence, not AI. Instead of algorithms, there are conversations. As co-founder of the platform, I’m admittedly biased, but for the now 1100+ users, we get to be a part of building a safe social space for educators from the ground up. My BOLD prediction – by the end of the year we’ll have 25,000 users.

    Elon Musk tries to become James Halliday

    Speaking of Elon, my UnDisruptED co-host Adam Phyall has long been of the theory that Mr. Musk is actually a Bond villain. Taking over transportation, space, satellite internet and social media are just the first steps in his slow take over of the planet. I still have hope for him though as his innovations have led to some great societal changes. My next prediction for him is that he goes full on Ready Player One and creates an Oasis for education. A place where kids from anywhere on the world can connect and learn via some sort of VR mechanism. Will this be the final step towards true equity in education or is it just the next step in global domination for Elon? It’s certainly becoming more and more of fine line between the two lately.

    Remote teaching fills in the gaps

    As we now enter the post-pandemic phase of education, what can we take away from that experience that will benefit students going forward? Most schools provided some sort of device to their students during the pandemic but some of those are not being utilized as we go “back to normal.” Add to this, an educator shortage that will lead to increased inequity of learning opportunities and you can see that we might have to get creative in the future. How can we fill the gaps in teachers, especially in speciality areas like Computer Science? Remote teaching continues to increase since the pandemic and some companies like Rex Academy have created student-led CS courses that come with an accompanying virtual teacher. Rather than trying to find a teacher to teach a single CS course, schools in the future will outsource those courses to remote options. This will save on payroll and provide more opportunities for students in hard to reach areas. While online learning isn’t ideal for everyone, it might start to close the equity gap based on geographical boundaries.

    The “Shopping Mall” School is launched

    Remote learning fills in some gaps, but we still have a need for some physical spaces as well to interact and learn. During the Tech & Learning Innovative leader summit in December, teams of innovative educators gathered to brainstorm ideas for what the future school might look like. One team, the Centre for Innovative Learning, came up with an innovative idea that I think will gain some traction as the big box stores and shopping malls give way to Amazon online retail. With several big stores like Toys R’ Us and Sears going out of business in recent years, it leaves some large commercial real estate that could be used for an innovative new school. The movie theater becomes the performing arts center. The food court becomes the culinary arts department. The old Sears becomes the auto repair shop. Aspiring beauticians can utilize the many hair salons and for the entrepreneurial student, why not spin up a kiosk to sell your wares in the middle of the store? This isn’t a new concept for community college (ACC here in Austin did this a decade ago), but the potential for K12 is tremendous. Check out their full pitch deck here and the full Innovation Playbook here.

    Cybersecurity becomes cool again

    Actually, when was it not cool?  Ok, ok, I get it, no one wants to spend hours talking about ransomware and data privacy. However, those companies tasked with helping with filtering and threat detection have taken some major leaps in the past year. One in particular that I’ve been an advisor with (Linewize) has added some major components through the purchase of companies like NetRef, Qustodio, and Smoothwall. Putting all these tools under the same roof make more and more sense for schools trying to stay ahead of the next ransomware attack. As a bonus, schools can use their app tracking database to check on usage of purchased applications to monitor ROI (Return on Investment) and provide targeted professional learning in the future.

    Wireless displays make classrooms truly mobile. 

    The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of my dream conferences that I’ve never attended. I think more educators and those in leadership roles should go if they want to keep an eye on what the future brings in tech. While it’s geared towards consumers, eventually, items that debut here can make their way into the classroom (see: tablets). This year, I was excited to see this LG completely wireless TV display. As more and more classrooms move away from the “Sage on the stage” model with interactive white boards, this could be a nimble solution that truly makes presenting mobile. Currently, schools are paying hundreds in upgrades for displays on wheels, but these still are limited by needing a plug nearby. They also leave behind pretty large footprints as the bottom of the carts have to be fairly large to make sure the monitor doesn’t fall over. With these new LG screens, you could have multiple wireless display screens all over the classroom for a truly immersive experience….once the price becomes reasonable.

    Ready, Set, Fail HARDER!

    Last year, I launched my 7th book Ready, Set, FAIL! making true on my 2021 prediction that I would write another book. I couldn’t have predicted the underground success that comes when talking about failure, but it has struck a chord with educators and students alike. The truth is, our schools tend to be places where we preach compliance and conformity and less about risk-taking and failure. With this book, there has been increased momentum with schools reflecting on how much they encourage risk versus safety when it comes to creativity. This year, I predict there will be much more to come centered around Ready, Set, FAIL! including an online course and classroom playing cards designed to help students risk, fail, recover, and learn.

    The Voyage for Learning sets sail in 2024

    In one of the final chapters of my book, I put my BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) out there for the world to see. Since 2015, I’ve been slowly working with various teams of educators to help create a different concept for the traditional conference. One where experiences and connections take import over sessions and vendor halls. The Voyage for Learning will feature a variety of different land and sea experiences for those in attendance that I can’t reveal until we launch, but stay tuned. This final prediction is that in 2023 you will learn more about what this experience has to offer and why it will be more enriching, fun, and engaging than a traditional mega-conference. Ready, Set, SAIL!

  • How to Recruit and Retain School Counselors in Your District

    How to Recruit and Retain School Counselors in Your District

    Many students (including myself when I was in school) have been impacted by an amazing counselor. School counselors and psychologists are the key component for mental health in K-12 school districts. They’re responsible for advocating for students’ well-being, mediating conflicting, spearheading violence and drug prevention programs, and much more.

    As I’ve been writing about teacher shortages in my Forward to Different series and podcast, counselors are not immune. Nearly 59% of school counselors leave their position after the first two years in the position. Additionally, a report published in the Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research found that 67% of mental health professionals reported experiencing high levels of burnout. Key contributors include:

    • High volume of non-counseling duties
    • Large caseloads
    • Lack of administrative support and supervision
    • General burnout (Chronic fatigue, depersonalization/compassion fatigue, and stress)
    • Role ambiguity

    The lack of mental health resources available to address these compounding issues continues to plague school districts. Across the country, K-12 schools don’t have enough on-site counselors and psychologists to cater to the mounting mental health needs of students.

    Mental health crisis in America

    When talking to teachers, counselors and school leaders, many mention that this past school year (2021-22) was much more stressful than the previous year of the pandemic. Exacerbated by COVID-19, students (and adults) have struggled with anxiety and social interactions much more than before the pandemic. Suicide rates among youth and gun violence on school campuses is at an all-time high. Furthermore, studies have shown that social distancing and remote learning mandates, while necessary at the time, yielded some unintended consequences. Post-pandemic school life has increased stress among students and strained relationships between teachers and students.

    Considering these harrowing statistics, students need more mental health support than ever.

    “Looking at this situation outside of the COVID-19 context makes it abundantly clear just how vulnerable this profession already was to attrition, but taking COVID-19 into consideration as well as virtual learning and the mental health crisis that has ensued among young people, school counselors have found themselves in impossible working conditions,” says Teodora Pavkovic, lead psychologist and cyber safety expert at Linewize.

    The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a student counselor to student ratio of 1:250. However, only 14 percent of schools met this criteria during the first full year of the pandemic in 2020.

    The current average national ratio is one school counselor for every 415 students — but in some schools, the ratio is much higher..

    Problems school counselors face

    According to the American Counseling Association’s ethical standards, school counselors “have an ethical responsibility to monitor their feelings of burnout and remediate when their feelings potentially influence their ability to provide quality services to their stakeholders.”

    School counselors are responsible for maintaining their physical and emotional health to ensure quality care. When a counselor’s well-being is neglected, their ability to help students is compromised. I recently keynoted an event for school counselors in Texas and discussed some of the every day stresses they face and the impact the stress has on those they serve. Below are some of the most common causes of counselor stress.

    High caseload

    The national student to counselor ratio far exceeds the recommended 250:1. Large caseloads make it difficult to remember student names, build rapport, and earn trust. Furthermore, high caseloads can quickly lead to heightened stress levels and stronger feelings of depersonalization.

    This creates a domino effect of complications. A higher number of students increases the risk of missing a student in crisis. As a result, students who lack access to sufficient mental health support will continue to suffer in silence. And, without resources to guide them, their struggles can negatively impact academic performance, behavior, and social awareness.

    Lack of administrative support and supervision

    School counselors are uniquely positioned to gauge the wellbeing of the student body. However, it’s not uncommon for counselors to struggle to implement changes as they are largely viewed as “support” positions in many schools rather than the leaders they are. Counselors need the support and supervision of principals and other administrative officials in order to develop programs and practices that address the challenges they observe. Without a clear, open communication channel, progressive changes are difficult to make.

    Role ambiguity

    According to Elementary School Guidance & Counseling, “School counselors experience role ambiguity when their responsibilities or the expected level of performance is not clearly identified.”

    School counselors and school psychologists are motivated by the prospect of having a positive impact on their students and environment. Yet, despite the clear role statements set by the ASCA, school counselors frequently find themselves in organizational systems where roles and responsibilities don’t align with the counselor’s training or ethics.

    “More needs to be done to help clarify the role of the school counselor, whose job description currently encompasses too wide and vague a scope, including student’s academic, social and personal needs and outcomes,” says Pavkovic.

    How to recruit high-quality counselors

    So we have identified the importance and impact of the role of the school counselor in a school community, but we also acknowledge the large turnover in the position. What are some strategies for school and district leaders to recruit high-quality folks in the position? Here are a few strategies that leaders have shared:

    Create clear roles and responsibilities

    Hiring personnel should outline clear responsibilities that fall within the American School Counselor Association’s list of acceptable duties. Create a role agreement that reinforces your commitment to ASCA-approved responsibilities.

    Set collaborative goals and expectations. At a minimum, meet with your school counselor at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to discuss those responsibilities, address any gaps, and review goal progress.

    Emphasize work-life balance

    School counselors tend to be overworked and overwhelmed. An unhealthy work-life routine can negatively impact counselors’ ability to help students while tending to their own mental health needs.

    During the interview process, communicate the prioritization of healthy work-life balance and establish boundaries early on. This could mean mandatory mental wellness days, reinforcing acceptable tasks and “asks” for counselors, and setting defined working hours, including when to be on and off of email.

    Improve your staff to student ratio

    Studies have shown that lower student to staff ratios may have a positive correlation with improved test scores and higher graduation rates. A strong student to staff ratio enables school counselors to effectively support and manage the student body.

    Schools that aren’t in a financial position to hire more staff (as many are) should — at the bare minimum — be transparent about future plans to improve student-to-staff ratios and address how the school will actively prevent case overload in the interim.

    Partner with training programs

    Many states have developed unique solutions to address the shortage of mental health staff at schools.

    For example, Montana State University and the University of Montana developed the Rural Mental-Health Preparation/Practice Pathway federal grant program to prepare graduating counseling candidates to gain experience as counselors in rural communities. One of the primary objectives for the program is to increase the number of counselors in rural schools and communities and to foster quality rural mental health services in the state.

    Over in California, the state senate launched its “Golden State Teacher Grant Program” to provide aspiring school counselors with $20,000 grants for a four-year commitment to working in public school districts.

    State leaders should leverage policies and grants to address mental health challenges and improve the pipeline of mental health professionals in schools. There are many federal grants available to fund school counselor salaries, mental wellness program development, and professional development opportunities.

    Reach out to your state educational agency to learn more about grant opportunities that support your school’s mental health efforts.

    Improve workplace culture

    Workplace culture has significantly impacted employee retention, productivity, creativity, and collaboration. School leaders should prioritize engagement, communicate and practice core values, and foster collaborative working relationships. Here are a few ways to improve the culture at your school:

    • Launch social and emotional professional learning sessions
    • Survey your staff regularly to track their wellbeing
    • Share your mission state to ensure staff are aligned with values
    • Always model core values
    • Create opportunities for social gatherings (like a trivia night!)
    • Provide access to professional learning programs outside of the district
    • Check in regularly
    • Show appreciation and be present

    Retaining high-quality counselors

    With high turnover rates for school counselors, retention should be top priority. Once you’ve hired a great school counselor, how do you keep them?

    “Providing financial incentives is certainly one way of helping schools and districts hold onto their counselors, but a lot more is needed,” notes Pavkovic. “Counselors must be given more manageable workloads and have to be provided with the resources they need to help those students whose challenges surpass their level of training.”

    Improve collaboration between counselors and administrators

    According to the ASCA, school counselors should work alongside other educational stakeholders to create learning environments that promote educational equity for all students.

    To cultivate a school culture that promotes systemic change and student success, counselors should be granted the time and resources necessary to collaborate with administrators, families, teachers, and community leaders. These collaborations help reinforce the mission of the school counseling program. Counselors should included as part of a the campus leadership team.

    Avoid assigning tasks unrelated to school counselor responsibilities

    While there are times when schools are short-staffed and there is an “all hands on deck” approach to counselors helping out in areas outside their job description, these shouldn’t be the norm. High volume of non-counseling duties is one of the biggest causes of burnout among counselors. These tasks include:

    • Monitoring the cafeteria and halls
    • Supervising students at recess / crosswalks after school
    • Maintaining student records
    • Performing disciplinary actions
    • Preparing materials for testing,
    • Acting as a 504 coordinator

    “Although sometimes uncomfortable, setting boundaries is necessary in school counseling,” said TaRael Kee, a school counselor at Collinsville High School. “We are compassionate and empathetic in nature and for many of us, saying yes to increased workloads and extra duties feels easier.”

    Review the list of appropriate responsibilities outlined in the ASCA National Model and conduct a regular audit of current school counselor duties.

    Are there any tasks that do not require a specialized certification? Are counselors currently responsible for tasks that fall outside the scope of ASCA-approved duties? If so, delegate those responsibilities accordingly.

    Assess burnout risk

    Although burnout looks different for everyone, recognizing early signs can help stop it. Preventative measures may mean the difference between a long tenure and a high turnover rate.

    Although counselors have a duty to protect their own mental health, as previously mentioned, they often agree to take on increased workloads and non-counselor duties in the interest of helping their colleagues and the school. These additional responsibilities can quickly result in burnout and feelings of loss of control.

    School administrators should provide school counselors and other educators with tools to self-assess burnout risk, such as Educator Impact. Tools like Educator Impact enable principals to run regular wellbeing check-ins, gather feedback, and connect staff with the appropriate support resources.

    Involve school counselors in decision making

    Your school counselor may have several innovative ideas to improve student wellbeing based on their professional experience and observations. For example, perhaps they’d like to develop a more streamlined system for setting up appointments, create a communication procedure for dealing with parents, or have more opportunities to talk in classroom and group settings.

    School counselors need adequate support in order to make a strong impact on systemic processes. They play a crucial role in the success and wellbeing of students, and their feedback and suggestions should be strongly considered during administrative decision-making.

    Professional development

    Continuing education is crucial for successful counseling careers, particularly in today’s tumultuous time.

    “Outside of the heavily off-balance counselor-to-student ratios, many counselors also struggle to deal with their student’s mental health difficulties, such as self-harm behaviors, which they have not been trained to handle,” says Pavkovic.

    School counselors and other mental health professionals need access to professional development resources that help expand their professional skills and nurture their ability to respond appropriately to sudden shifts in mental health among students.

    Show appreciation

    Counselors play a significant and instrumental role in schools. It doesn’t take much to show appreciation, but it goes a long way. A simple “thank you” gives school counselors the recognition they deserve and can help motivate them to remain in their position.

    For example, according to the ASCA, National School Counseling Week, which takes place every February, “highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.” While every school should participate, there are several ways you can show appreciation throughout the year:

    • Say “thank you”
    • Acknowledge gratitude during school announcements
    • Enable your students to give certificates of appreciation
    • Allow students to decorate counselor doors with positive affirmations and recognition

    Financial support for mental health services in schools

    Over the past several years additional federal funds have been allocated to support mental health initiatives in schools. Most notably, the Safer Communities Act was recently passed to address the mental health crisis among students in America.

    The Safer Communities Act allocates billions of dollars in additional funding to support the development and implementation of student wellness and safety programs in schools. This includes offering schools the funds necessary to increase the number of diverse, highly-qualified mental health professionals on-site and provide school counselors with additional professional development support.

    Conclusion

    There are many reasons counselors decide to leave a school. In addition to burnout, more counselors are also leaving schools to launch independent practices. As the mental wellness space grows, it’s possible that unsatisfied school counselors are pivoting career tracks in search of job satisfaction.

    Strong recruitment and active retention efforts can keep your counselors happy and your student body healthy.

    “When you invest in school counselors, you’re not just investing in students’ academic achievement, mental health and college and career readiness,” said Jose Cardenas, a counselor and program specialist for the Stockton Unified district. “It’s an investment in the entire school, in families and whole communities.”

    Editor’s note: This article was co-written as a partnership with Linewize.