Classroom Technology Updates

🌳 Inclusive Design Patterns For 2025 (Google Doc + Videos) (https://lnkd.in/eb9ZW8xs), a free 3.5h-online workshop recording on design patterns for more inclusive and accessible UX — with all video recordings, slides and examples in one single place. Feel free to share with your friends and colleagues — no strings attached! Google Doc (slides, videos, links): https://lnkd.in/eb9ZW8xs All slides (PDF): https://lnkd.in/eVsF8Mvk Full 3.5h-video recording: https://lnkd.in/eFg-Bx46 Key takeaways: 1. Companies often see accessibility as an “external edge case”. 2. They don’t realize that we all rely on accessibility all the time. 3. Eyeglasses are assistive technology, so are subtitles and zoom. 4. People are never “edge cases” and “average” users don’t exist. 5. Exceptions will occur eventually, it’s just a matter of time. 6. Accessibility is a reliable way to ensure design resilience. 7. Every person is unique, their experience is on a spectrum. 8. Accessibility overlays are a band-aid that rarely improve UX. 9. You can’t build empathy with facts, charts or legal concerns. 10. Nothing is more impactful that seeing real customers struggling. UX guidelines: 1. Blue is the safest hue for users to perceive color as you do. 2. Respect physics: map scrolling behavior to your animations. 3. Ask for consent before presenting “parallax” features. 4. For animated storytelling, add “skip to end” shortcut. 5. Drag-and-drop needs UI controls to drag with keyboard only. 6. Avoid newsletter pop-ups, feature newsletter areas instead. 7. Support spaces and copy/paste when typing into form fields. 8. Avoid complex pass requirements → suggest 2FA/passkeys. 9. Avoid superscript, use same letter size instead (1st, 2nd). 10. Rephrase fractions for understanding: 14.3% → 1 in 7 people. 11. Avoid time countdowns, time outs, sense of urgency. 12. Remind people of key events, unfinished drafts. 13. Show recent files, recently used filters/presets. 14. Guide user’s attention with Layer-Cake pattern, not F-pattern. 15. X icon is remarkably confusing, name it explicitly (Discard/Save). 16. Avoid pre-selected radio-buttons or add "None of the above". 17. Don’t assume that every deaf person can lip read well. 18. With children apps, you’re always designing for parents, too. 19. Parents value reviews from teachers, parents, doctors. 20. For teenagers, default search engine is YouTube, not Google. 21. Show sources/data: it’s difficult for teens to judge credibility. Recorded by yours truly with the wonderful UX community yesterday. And a huge THANK YOU to everybody sharing their work and their findings and insights for all of us to use. 🙏🏼 🙏🏾 🙏🏾 #ux #design #accessibility

Last week Google announced Learn Your Way - a research experiment to reimagine the most overused, under-loved artifact in education: the textbook. The problem is obvious: textbooks are one-size-fits-all. Written once, updated rarely, inflicted equally. Great for industrial-scale learning, terrible for actual students. Learn Your Way tries to fix that with AI: a student picks their grade level and interests (sports, music, food). The system then “relevels” the text, swaps out generic examples for personalized ones (Newton’s apple becomes a soccer ball), and builds a personalized core. From there, it spins out multiple formats: immersive text with visuals, section-level quizzes, narrated slides, Socratic dialogues, even mind maps. In a controlled trial with 60 high schoolers, it beat the humble PDF reader across the board: comprehension, retention, and preference. AI is going to fundamentally change education. The way I see it, we will move from: ▪️Standardization → Personalization: Education has been built for scale: 1 teacher, 30 students, 1 chalkboard. AI flips that. Materials adapt to pace and interest; assessment becomes continuous, not blunt. ▪️Knowledge Transfer → Cognitive Coaching: When facts are instantly accessible, memorization stops being the scarce skill. The real edge is knowing when AI is wrong, asking sharper questions, and connecting ideas across disciplines. ▪️Classrooms → Learning Ecosystems: Teachers shift from lecturers to facilitators and motivators. AI covers explanations and drills; humans teach judgment, values, and meaning. Peer learning deepens when everyone brings AI-augmented insights. ▪️Exams → Evidence of Thinking: With AI co-pilots, recall-based tests lose power. Evaluation moves to process, projects, and defense - not “what’s the answer?” but “show your reasoning.” ▪️Scarcity → Abundance (with new inequities): AI promises tutoring for anyone with a smartphone. But access to devices, connectivity, and high-quality models could widen divides. A new gap may emerge between students trained to use AI critically and those who consume it passively. Here's the irony: in making information abundant, AI paradoxically revives the oldest form of teaching. Socrates didn’t assign PDFs; he asked questions until you realized you didn’t know what you thought you knew. His role wasn’t to supply answers but to train skepticism. That is the teacher’s role again. Not to out-explain Gemini, but to show when not to trust it. To cultivate judgment, doubt, and the art of better questions. AI hasn’t reinvented education so much as rerouted it back to its roots: the Socratic method - only now Socrates is paired with a chatbot that never sleeps and never hesitates.

Static textbooks might be outdated soon... Learn Your Way — Google's AI-powered learning tool, is one of the most thoughtful experiments I’ve seen in AI + education. It can turn a simple PDF into five personalized learning formats in one click. And instead of one-size-fits-all lessons, it adapts to you: Pick your grade level + interests → the content reshapes itself. ---- Into space? Physics comes with rocket examples. ---- Learning to code? It adjusts to your experience level. Where it’s at now: • Live in Google Labs as an official research experiment • Built on Google’s LearnLM + Gemini (pedagogy-first AI stack) 💡What it already does well: 🔹 Converts content into multiple formats (read, listen, slides, mind maps) 🔹 Built-in quizzes + adaptive feedback 🔹 Contextual examples that actually feel relevant 🔹 Low-effort learning modes (like audio on commutes) *Still early-stage (can’t upload your own materials yet, in tester phase), but what’s there already shows what AI + education could look like. Fun to explore,  Link’s in the comments. __________ For more on AI and learning materials, plz check my previous posts. Alex Wang #education #ai #generativeai #edtech

Save or bookmark this! Here’s a curated collection of some of the best EdTech tools out there to help you plan smarter, communicate better, stay organized, engage your students, and grow professionally. Notice I said “some.” That word matters. There are plenty of other great tools that didn’t make it into this list, either due to space, or because curation is inherently subjective. I’ve spent 15+ years blogging about EdTech, testing tools, and talking to educators, and this visual reflects what I believe actually works in real classrooms. And no, I’m not affiliated with any of these platforms. This isn’t sponsored content. These are practical picks based on real-world utility not hype. A few quick notes: 1. Don’t feel overwhelmed. You’re not meant to use them all. 2. Some tools overlap in function. Pick what works best for your context. 3. The goal isn’t EdTech for the sake of EdTech. It’s efficiency, clarity, and better learning experiences. #EdTech #TeacherTools #ProductivityTools #EdTechForTeachers #InstructionalDesign #MedKharbach #EducatorsTechnology #TeacherLife #EducationInnovation #TeachingResources

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱: 𝗔 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀! ⬇️ Students there spend just two hours a day learning core subjects with the help of AI tutors. There’s no traditional classroom, no homework overload — and yet they consistently score in the top 1–2% nationwide. The rest of the day is dedicated to building real-world skills: public speaking, creative projects, entrepreneurship. This is not science fiction. It’s already happening and more schools are set to follow in the United States. 𝗠𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄? This isn’t just an experiment in educational technology — it’s a glimpse into what the future of learning could and should be. For years, we’ve accepted the idea that we can’t offer every child a personal tutor. That’s no longer true. With intelligent systems and adaptive learning models, personalization at scale is not only possible — it’s operational. What we’re seeing is the collapse of the old excuse that “one size fits all” is the best we can do. Interestingly, this isn’t happening only in the U.S. China has already begun introducing AI education to students as young as six — not just to teach tech skills, but to foster critical thinking and ethical reflection around AI. Say what you will, but that’s a strategic, long-term investment in the next generation. The traditional school model was built for the industrial age. Today’s world demands something different: tailored learning, real-world relevance, and systems that evolve as fast as the students inside them. The technology is ready and the results are emerging. Now it’s a matter of vision — and willingness to act. Of course, no one is suggesting AI should replace human connection. But when used right, it creates space for deeper mentorship, curiosity, and creativity. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀! Full story in the comments. ⬇️

After 13 years of teaching, I banned all phones and laptops in my classroom, and got the best reviews I’ve ever received! Hard to believe students gave me BETTER reviews after I made them put away their digital lifelines? Let me explain. Initially, students were skeptical. But after a couple weeks, they were more engaged, absorbed information better, and actually enjoyed class time. The research backs this up: students who take handwritten notes retain significantly more information than those typing on computers. And the mere presence of smartphones (even when turned off) reduces cognitive capacity and makes social interactions less engaging. While 11 states have enacted statewide phone bans in K-12 schools, this trend hasn't quite caught on at colleges and universities where it's desperately needed. Yes, 18-year-olds are legal adults, but they still need structure to optimize their learning – their prefrontal cortices aren't fully developed yet. We can't turn back time to the flip phone era, but we can preserve our classrooms as sacred spaces for genuine teaching and learning. More thoughts in my The New York Times piece, linked in the comments below. #HigherEducation #StudentLearning #TechInClassroom

With OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teachers launch, Google's NotebookLM and Nano Banana Pro updates, Common Sense Media's health risk assessment of major platforms, and new research on AI companions and sycophancy in education, it's another big week in AI + Education. Here's what's happening: ✅ Google’s latest updates—Gemini 3, Nano Banana Pro, infographic, and slide features to NotebookLM—signal a shift from general AI tools to specialized, sector-specific applications that are transforming daily workflows in creative work and education. ✅ The new ChatGPT for Teachers provides a free workspace for K-12 educators through June 2027, featuring GPT-5.1 Auto, data controls, unlimited prompts, Google Drive/Microsoft 365 integration, and district-level administrative controls. ✅ Common Sense Media’s study of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Meta AI found that chatbots consistently miss warning signs across common conditions (anxiety, depression, eating disorders, ADHD, psychosis), get distracted in realistic conversations, and prioritize engagement over directing teens to professional help. Their recommendation (and ours): Teens should not use AI chatbots for emotional support. ✅ New Aura research analyzed how 10,000+ children (ages 8-17) interact with AI companion apps versus friends and found kids write 10X more per message to AI chatbots (163 vs 12 words), with over one-third of conversations involving sexual/romantic role-play—raising questions about AI's impact on child and teen development. ✅ USC research reveals that large language models show "sycophantic" behavior—agreeing with user suggestions even when incorrect—with accuracy shifts of up to 15% based on how students frame questions, creating equity concerns as knowledgeable students benefit while struggling students receive reinforced misconceptions. What did you think of this week's news? Anything we missed? Link in the comments for more details! And for those in the US, wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! AI for Education

We're fighting the wrong battle in education. Everyone's worried about smartphones destroying attention spans. But I believe we're missing the real issue: We're trying to compete with TikTok using 1950s teaching methods. The Real Problem: We're still optimizing for information transfer when we should be optimizing for transformation. Students aren't distracted, they're disengaged. There's a difference. Instead of banning devices, let's make learning so compelling that students choose to put them down voluntarily. The Engagement Revolution: - Make every lesson personally relevant - Use storytelling, not just facts - Create emotional connections to content - Design learning experiences, not just lessons The attention economy thrives on quick dopamine hits. The learning economy should thrive on deep satisfaction hits. Stop competing with entertainment. Start competing with transformation. How are you making learning irresistible in your classroom? #Education

I’ve seen firsthand how technology can transform classrooms—especially when it is designed to support, not replace, the teacher. That is why I’m incredibly proud of our latest collaboration with Khan Academy. Just in time for the new school year, we are bringing new, practical AI tools directly into classrooms. Through a six-month Google.org Fellowship, a team of six Google engineers worked side-by-side with Khan Academy’s product and engineering teams. Together, they expanded the capabilities of Khanmigo using Google's Gemini models. Two new features stand out: 💡 Interactive tutoring: Khanmigo now uses Gemini’s advanced reasoning to generate dynamic charts and visual aids in real-time, helping students visualize complex math and science concepts actively. 💡 Teacher-controlled practice: The redesigned Practice My Knowledge tool keeps educators firmly in control. Gemini drafts practice questions, but teachers can co-plan, edit, or reject materials before their students see them. A huge thank you to Sal Khan, Ben Gomes, and our dedicated Google fellows for what they have co-created to support teachers and inspire students. Read the full update in the News from Google blog post: https://lnkd.in/eVp2JYB6 #AIinEducation #EdTech #TechForGood #KhanAcademy #Googleorg

Gen Z is the first generation in over a century to score lower on core cognitive measures than the one before it. Screen saturated schooling is a central reason why. Neuroscientist and educator Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, PhD, MEd testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on what he described as a measurable reversal in cognitive development trends across the developed world. For most of the twentieth century, average cognitive performance steadily rose, a pattern known as the 'Flynn Effect'. Beginning in the mid 2000s, that trend stalled. In multiple domains, it has now reversed. Horvath argued that foundational cognitive skills required for deep learning are weakening, even as educational investment and classroom technology have expanded. Evidence shows a consistent pattern across more than 80 countries: Students who report higher daily computer use in classrooms perform worse in reading, maths, and science. More screen exposure corresponds to lower performance across income levels and national contexts. Apparent benefits attributed to moderate classroom technology use disappear once testing mode effects are controlled for. When assessments shifted from paper to digital formats, students with limited device familiarity were penalized, creating the illusion that screen use improved learning. When this distortion is removed, the advantage vanishes. When digital interventions are benchmarked against ordinary classroom instruction, most general use educational technologies underperform standard teaching. One to one laptop programs, fully online instruction, and broad classroom technology integration consistently fall below traditional methods. Only narrowly constrained tools, such as adaptive drills for basic skills, show modest gains, and even these do not strengthen deep understanding. The data reflects a mismatch between how human cognition develops and how digital platforms structure attention. Human attention systems are not designed for constant task switching. Digital environments are. Even in academic settings, screens condition habits of rapid checking, fragmented focus, and shallow processing. Memory formation weakens. Comprehension suffers. Sustained attention, deep reading, and complex reasoning are being systematically undertrained. Handwritten note taking, for instance, outperforms typing because it requires summarization and conceptual organization rather than transcription. The testimony does not claim that technology is inherently harmful but that that large scale, unregulated digital adoption has produced a structural mismatch between learning environments and cognitive development. Intelligence is being reshaped. Screens change how students think. Education policy shapes national cognitive capacity decades into the future. If classrooms are optimized for device use and engagement metrics rather than how human cognition develops, the consequences should not surprise us.