Ohio State U, Oak Hills Local SD Partner on Digital Content Evaluation

SpotOn, an initiative of Ohio State University, has partnered with Oak Hills Local School District to offer professional development in the evaluation of digital content.

SpotOn will provide the district $30,000 in matching funds to train up to 60 teachers to review digital content under consideration by the district using SpotOn's rubric. Teacher reviewers will evaluate more than 300 apps and games for possible use in K-12 classrooms, making the reviews available at spotonreviews.org. A set of reviewers will then be chosen to become teacher-coaches and receive additional training to help expand the process to all district teachers.

"We are extremely excited to have SpotOn work with our educators to provide professional learning opportunities on reviewing and selecting digital content," said Todd Yohey, district Superintendent, in a prepared statement. "As our district increases the use of digital materials, it will be crucial for our educators to have the skills and confidence necessary to select appropriate digital content for their classrooms."

The partnership is the first in the SpotOn Digital Content Partnership Program, an initiative that offers up to $50,000 in matching funds to train teachers in digital content evaluation. More information about the program is available at spotonreviews.org/matching.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Digital clouds with data points and network connections

    Microsoft Makes Windows 365 Cloud Apps Available for Public Preview

    Microsoft has announced that Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available for public preview. This allows IT administrators to stream individual Windows applications from the cloud, removing the need to assign Cloud PCs to every user.

  • university building with classical architecture is partially overlaid by a glowing digital brain graphic

    NSF Invests $100 Million in National AI Research Institutes

    The National Science Foundation has announced a $100 million investment in National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, part of a broader White House strategy to maintain American leadership as competition with China intensifies.

  • Hand holding a stylus over a tablet with futuristic risk management icons

    Why Universities Are Ransomware's Easy Target: Lessons from the 23% Surge

    Academic environments face heightened risk because their collaboration-driven environments are inherently open, making them more susceptible to attack, while the high-value research data they hold makes them an especially attractive target. The question is not if this data will be targeted, but whether universities can defend it swiftly enough against increasingly AI-powered threats.

  • school building connected by lines to symbols of AI, data charts, and a funding document with a dollar sign

    ED Issues Guidance on the Use of Federal Grant Funds to Support Learner Outcomes with AI

    In response to President Trump's April 23 Executive Order on advancing AI education, the United States Department of Education has issued new guidance on how K-12 and higher education institutions may use federal grant funds "to support improved outcomes for learners through the responsible integration of artificial intelligence."