When did October become awards season in the world of educational technology? This week’s news is filled with announcements from finalists and honorees, for educators and providers alike, about the best and brightest developments for teaching and learning.
The winners:
Of course, we must start with the most prestigious ones! The eSchool News Hero Awards honor educators for their exemplary use of innovative educational technology to support student learning:
- Juan Arturosixth grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Dr. Jesus Jarasuperintendent of the Clark County School District (CCSD) in Nevada
- Tom Lamontpainting and design technology instructor at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School (BVT) in Massachusetts
Winners were chosen for their commitment to education despite obstacles (including achievement gaps, teacher burnout, and funding) and their creativity and innovation in helping all students continue learning while ensuring that they felt safe, empowered and committed.
Nominations were judged by a panel of education experts, including Laura Ascione, Editorial Director of eSchool News, and Eileen Belastock, CETL, Belastock Consulting. I hope to interview you in the coming days for the podcast. Here is one of my favorites from years past.
He Educational Innovation Institutea think tank of national school superintendents that serves as a bridge between district leaders and the K-12 industry to develop solutions to the biggest challenges in education, also announced finalists for the third annual edition this week. Supes’ Choice Awards. The Supes’ Choice Awards honor the most innovative education products and solutions and are the only education industry awards judged exclusively by school district superintendents.
“Now in its third year, the Supes’ Choice Awards have become known in the education industry as one of the top honors recognizing forward-thinking edtech companies,” said Doug Roberts, Founder and CEO of the Institute for Educational Innovation (IEI). “Judged by the nation’s most innovative superintendents, the awards provide founders and CEOs of educational technology companies with valuable insights to help them create more meaningful and impactful learning experiences for students. In fact, both students and teachers benefit the most when edtech companies partner with administrators on the front lines of K-12 education to refine their products and solutions.”
Supes’ Choice Awards finalists are chosen based on a demonstrated commitment to student outcomes, innovation and ingenuity, customer service, interactivity and engagement. Finalists in each category include:
- ai-powered education solution: Scrible, Navigate360
- The best gamification in learning: Giant steps, ExploreLearning – Reflex
- Excellence in Special Education: Staged Learning – Language Builder: Academic Readiness Intervention System (ARIS), TouchMath
- Tutoring Platform: FEV Tutor, Tutor.com and The Princeton Review
- College and Career Readiness Solution: Find Your Routine, Earn the Edalex Credential
- Communications and Family Engagement: AllHere, TalkingPoints
- Equity Champion: Clayful Health, Raz-Plus Espanol from Learning AZ
- K-12 Newcomer: Kognity for Middle School Science, FrenalyticsEDU
- Keeping children safe: Navigate360 – ALICE, Navigate360 – P3 Campus
- Learning Management System: Jupiter, D2L – Brightspace
- Literacy Instruction Solution: NoRedInk, Phonics, Reading and Yo, Read Naturally
- Math Instruction Solution: TouchMath, Magma Math
- The most innovative professional development solution: Lexia LETRS, Lexia Aspire Professional Learning and thinkLaw
- Operations, Finance and Human Resources Solution: Operoo, Upbeat and iiQ Facilities
- SEL Solution of the Year: Seeded to Grow, Care Solace
- STEM/STEAM Instructional Solution: Kide Science, ExploreLearning Gizmos
- Virtual instruction experience: proximity learning, tutored by teachers
The winners will be revealed in the Supes’ Choice Awards Gala 2023 which will take place on Friday, December 8 in New York City. The Gala is a celebration honoring the finalists and winners that includes dinner, awards ceremony and live entertainment.
ClassLink celebrated the exceptional achievements of individuals and teams during the closing session of its annual ClassLink Learning Analytics Summit, CLAS 2023, on October 5.
THE CLAS Excellence Awards celebrate the innovative ways individuals and teams use data to better serve students in their district, recognizing the educational impacts of institutions, leaders and experts.
Data Storyteller Award
- Winner:Connie Chin (Bibb County School District, GA)
- This award recognizes an individual who expertly uses data analytics to inform strategy and drive teaching and learning in their organization.
Data Bridge Builders Award
- Winner:Tonja Brun and team (Savannah Chatham Public Schools, GA)
- This award recognizes an organization that excels in collaborating and building a data-driven culture to improve teaching and learning.
Data Security Champions Award
- Winner:Keith Price and team (Vestavia Hills Schools, AL)
- This award recognizes an organization that uses analytics/security insights to inform the implementation of its data security strategy.
“We established the CLAS Awards for Excellence as a tribute to the notable individuals and teams leading the advancement of digital learning through the innovative use of data. All of us at ClassLink are deeply honored to witness creative applications of our analytics tools by notable winners. Your efforts inspire us all!
Berj Akian
Founder and CEO of ClassLink
