eSpark, a web-based supplemental curriculum supplier for math, studying, and writing, is bringing AI-powered phonics follow to foundational studying instruction this faculty 12 months. This replace strengthens eSpark’s already robust alignment with the science of studying.
The eSpark Studying Lab brings superior speech recognition and evaluation applied sciences to the award-winning eSpark platform, starting with a six-week phonics scope and sequence for the back-to-school season. The Studying Lab analyzes college students’ speech patterns to supply detailed instruction, follow, and reporting on particular person phonemes, giving lecturers an unprecedented window into the place college students are on their early studying journeys.
eSpark launched greater than 50,000 lecturers to the advantages of generative AI through the 2023-2024 faculty 12 months by means of uniquely customized actions like Selection Texts, Selection Math, and an AI-powered writing tutor. The corporate then turned to one of many highest priorities in schooling right this moment–foundational studying instruction–and labored intently with lecturers to establish the place they wanted essentially the most help.
“To consider having a sentence on the display, a baby studying that, and eSpark offering fast suggestions and instruction on particular person sounds and placing these sounds collectively…That’s principally educating [my students] how one can learn,” mentioned Michigan instructor Michelle VanGilder. “To have one thing like that to help youngsters who aren’t studying as a lot at dwelling and have restricted classroom time to follow is superb.”
As lecturers adapt to a technology of scholars who’re “constructed in another way” post-pandemic, it has change into essential to distinguish instruction past simply leveling content material. eSpark’s Studying Lab is the most recent instance of how know-how can ease the burden on lecturers for time-intensive 1:1 help, whereas additionally fostering a love of studying with participating, responsive, extremely customized actions.
“Lecturers dedicate an enormous period of time and power to serving to college students study and love studying, nevertheless it’s robust to present every pupil one-on-one consideration in a busy classroom,” mentioned Ray Lyons, eSpark’s VP of Product. “With Studying Lab, we’re excited to supply this new know-how that assesses college students and offers customized suggestions and phonics help, so lecturers can spend extra high quality time in small teams.”
A free trial of the eSpark Studying Lab is out there now for all first-time signups and returning lecturers. Be taught extra and get began at https://www.esparklearning.com/product/reading-lab/.
With faculty admissions extra aggressive than ever, a workforce of Harvard and Johns Hopkins graduates has created a brand new on-line marketing consultant that makes use of synthetic intelligence to assist highschool college students get accepted into their dream faculties — for simply $10 per 30 days.
Known as Apply Genius, the AI app is designed to stage the taking part in discipline for college kids and fogeys who can’t afford to spend 1000’s — or tens of 1000’s — of {dollars} on a dwell faculty admissions marketing consultant.
“Apply Genius solutions any query you could have about faculty admissions, customized for you, providing you with entry to the identical admissions secrets and techniques that the wealthiest candidates pay $10,000 or extra for,” mentioned Michael Pankowski, a Harvard graduate and co-founder of Apply Genius. “This software is democratizing faculty admissions consulting, making it inexpensive for all.”
Out there on the Apple App retailer, Apply Genius permits customers to start out without cost and prices solely $9.99 per 30 days for limitless entry, answering any faculty admissions questions one has. And the Apply Genius workforce affords a high quality assure: If there’s any reply that’s to not a person’s satisfaction, the Apply Genius workforce will personally reply that query by e mail.
As faculty admissions charges have plummeted (Harvard accepted solely 3.6% of candidates this 12 months), the admissions course of has grown more and more complicated and nerve-wracking. A current nationwide survey discovered that over 60% of scholars are overwhelmed by faculty admissions recommendation, and 76% of scholars really feel excessive stress ranges all through the appliance course of.
“Till now, solely the wealthiest college students and fogeys might afford to pay for somebody to information them by means of this sophisticated and hectic course of,” mentioned Anthony Colarusso, a Harvard graduate and co-founder of Apply Genius. “Our app adjustments this, providing deeply customized recommendation at a extremely inexpensive value.”
Utilizing a mixture of proprietary analysis and top-quality insights, Apply Genius is designed for each college students and fogeys. The state-of-the-art app is extremely simple to make use of and options:
- A Scholar Profile that takes in over 30 distinctive knowledge factors to personalize each reply for every pupil’s circumstances and admissions targets.
- An Open Chat function the place college students can ask any faculty admissions query and get on the spot, customized, knowledgeable recommendation at any time.
- A Guided Chat function the place college students can ask questions from the 100+ query Prompting Information, filled with an important faculty admissions questions, and get a customized reply.
- A Chat Historical past the place customers can revisit their saved chats, so that they always remember the essential faculty admissions recommendation they’ve obtained.
“To earn admittance to their high faculty, college students want to face out from the group. Apply Genius helps college students just do that,” mentioned Sean Sebastian Darcy, a Johns Hopkins graduate and co-founder of Apply Genius.
Apply Genius helps college students overcome the quite a few challenges they face navigating the school admissions course of. Amongst them:
- Faculty admissions is notoriously unclear as to who will get in and why, and the Web is stuffed with unsound, outdated recommendation.
- Highschool counselors, particularly at public faculties, are overwhelmed by the variety of college students they need to assist. The nationwide common is 385 college students per counselor, and 24% of public faculties haven’t any counselors in any respect.
- Non-public faculty consultants are costly – their common charge is roughly $300 per hour, and one costs a payment of $750,000 for his or her companies.
Be taught extra about Apply Genius at www.getapplygenius.com.
Kollegio, the AI-driven platform for faculty purposes, right this moment introduced its official launch to assist college students obtain knowledgeable steerage for the school utility course of. Kollegio seeks to reinvent the school entry infrastructure, creating extra equitable alternatives whereas concurrently dismantling the prevailing obstacles that block out a majority of scholars from reaching high faculties. Kollegio’s superior AI instruments present customized steerage and knowledgeable recommendation to empower college students to craft their very best purposes. Capabilities vary from serving to college students prioritize faculties based mostly on pupil profession targets, GPA, and extracurricular actions, all the best way to reviewing and suggesting edits to particular admission essays. The total launch comes on the heels of Kollegio’s not too long ago introduced $750k pre-seed funding in June.
66% of scholars using Kollegio’s early entry come from households that earn $100,000 or much less in annual family revenue. The highest 3 universities that these college students are looking for to use to incorporate Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. A 2023 research performed by economists based mostly at Harvard discovered that college students from the highest 1% have been 34% extra more likely to be accepted to an Ivy League faculty in comparison with their friends with the identical or comparable SAT or ACT scores. One benefit that college students from extra prosperous backgrounds profit from are extremely private suggestions offered by steerage counselors on their behalf. The typical ratio for a public faculty counselor is 1:400 in California.
Kollegio works alongside college students through the faculty discovery and utility course of. Personalised profiles assist decide goal faculties based mostly on skilled targets and grades. College students have the choice to freely write admission essays and obtain AI-provided suggestions or can brainstorm utilizing frequent utility prompts. College students can work on admission essays anytime and obtain help to finest match their distinctive schedule and work fashion. Information on necessary deadlines, utility charges, monetary assist, and extra can also be out there from 1,600 faculties to assist maintain college students knowledgeable.
“Kollegio was constructed with the tenet that each one college students, irrespective of their background or circumstance, ought to have the identical shot at entering into their dream faculties,” says Kollegio CEO and Co-Founder Senan Khawaja.
Saeed Naeem, the CTO and Co-founder echoed the identical sentiment “No pupil with desires of pursuing increased schooling ought to be restricted as a result of their households can not afford the leg up that the rich minority can.”
To study extra about Kollegio, please go to www.kollegio.ai
