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Tag: Core

  • AI didn’t break homework: It exposed what was already broken

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    Key points:

    Who among us has never copied a homework answer in a hurry? Borrowed a friend’s paragraph? Accepted a parent’s “small correction” that eventually became a full rewrite?

    Long before generative AI entered the classroom, homework relied on a quiet, fragile assumption that what was submitted reflected independent understanding. In reality, homework has always been open to outside influence. While some students had parents who edited essays or tutors who guided every response, others worked entirely alone. This unevenness was tolerated for decades because it was manageable and largely invisible.

    Generative AI has made that invisibility impossible.

    Tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini can now draft essays, summarize readings, and solve complex problems in seconds. What once required a knowledgeable adult now requires only a prompt. AI did not invent the outsourcing of schoolwork; it simply scaled it to a level we can no longer ignore. In doing so, it has forced educators to confront a deeper, more uncomfortable question: What has homework actually been measuring–understanding or compliance?

    The design problem we avoided

    Homework has traditionally served as a catch-all for practice, accountability, and reinforcement. However, in many classrooms, completion gradually became a proxy for learning. Neatness signaled effort, and submission signaled responsibility. Whether the work reflected authentic reasoning was often assumed rather than examined.

    AI exposes the fragility of that assumption. If a task can be successfully completed through reproduction rather than reasoning, it was always vulnerable, whether to a search engine, a sibling, or a chatbot. This is not primarily a cheating problem; it is a design problem.

    From Product to Process: The Research Pivot Educational research suggests that the solution isn’t more surveillance, but a shift in what we value. Durable learning depends on metacognition, a student’s ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own thinking.

    The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) identifies metacognitive and self-regulated learning strategies as among the most impactful approaches for improving student outcomes. Their research suggests these strategies are most effective when embedded directly within subject instruction rather than taught as a separate “study skills” unit. Similarly, John Hattie’s Visible Learning synthesis highlights that feedback and self-regulation have effect sizes that far exceed the gains associated with surface-level task completion.

    In other words, what drives long-term achievement is not the polished output, but the visible thinking that produced it. Yet, many traditional assignments remain stubbornly product-driven:

    •  Write a summary.
    •  Complete the worksheet.
    •  Submit a finished essay.

    In an AI-enabled world, polished products are cheap. Reasoning is the new currency.

    Levelling the field for ELL and SPED learners

    This shift toward “process over product” is a matter of equity, particularly for English language learners (ELLs) and students receiving special education services.

    Traditional homework often privileges surface-level fluency. An ELL student may grasp a complex scientific concept deeply but struggle to express it in perfect academic English. When grading centers on the final product, their linguistic struggle can overshadow their cognitive mastery. Similarly, many SPED students, particularly those with executive functioning or processing differences, benefit from structured reflection and chunked reasoning. A single, polished submission rarely captures the massive cognitive effort they put into the “middle” steps of a project.

    By redesigning homework to focus on the “how” rather than the “what,” we begin to ask more meaningful questions:

    • How did the student navigate a point of confusion?
    •  What misconceptions did they revise during the process?
    •  How did they use available tools, including AI, to clarify their own understanding?

    Draft comparisons, reflection notes, and verbal explanations reveal a landscape of learning that a perfected final draft hides. For linguistically and cognitively diverse students, this shift values growth and strategy over the “veneer” of a perfect assignment.

    Redesigning for the AI era

    The answer is not to ban the technology, as students will inevitably encounter it beyond the school gates. Instead, we can redesign homework to cultivate discernment. This might include:

    • Critique and edit: Asking students to generate an AI response and then use a rubric to identify its factual errors or lack of nuance.
    • Artifact collection: Requiring the submission of “thinking artifacts” such as brainstorming maps, voice notes, or early drafts that show how an idea evolved.
    • The “exit interview” model: Following a take-home assignment with a brief, two-minute in-class dialogue or peer-review session to verify the reasoning behind the work.

    A necessary reckoning

    AI did not destroy homework, but rather removed the illusion that homework was ever a pure measure of independent work. We are now in a period of necessary reckoning. We must decide if we are willing to design assignments that prioritize cognition over compliance.

    In an era where text can be generated instantly, the most valuable evidence of learning is no longer the finished product sitting on a desk or in a digital inbox. It is the human reasoning behind it. For our most diverse learners, this shift away from “the polish” and toward “the process” isn’t just a reaction to technology, it’s a long-overdue move toward true equity.

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    Nesreen El-Baz, Bloomsbury Education Author & School Governor

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  • How early cognitive training leads to lifelong brain strength

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    Key points:

    As we continue to make strides in understanding the brain–its strengths and weaknesses, how it develops, and its incredible potential–one idea has continued to strike conversation: the profound benefits of cognitive training. Cognitive training involves exercises that target core skills like working memory, attention, and processing speed. While much of the research in this field has focused on its applications for the elderly, the greatest promise may lie in starting cognitive training early and establishing a foundation for lifelong brain health, rather than simply addressing decline later in life.

    Research consistently shows that daily cognitive training exercises can slow cognitive decline and boost overall brain function in older adults. A landmark National Institutes of Health-funded study, known as the ACTIVE trial (Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly), demonstrated that challenging brain activities help maintain mental sharpness and memory retention in people over 50, delaying the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

    While cognitive training benefits adults at any stage of life, the Handbook of Clinical Neurology indicates childhood as a uniquely pivotal opportunity for brain development. The research highlights that synaptogenesis (the creation of new synapses) peaks in childhood, making it a critical window for experience-dependent brain changes. If introduced during the formative schooling years, ideally between the ages of eight to 18, brain training has the potential to lay a strong foundation for sustained cognitive health well into adulthood, helping improve short-term cognitive skills and setting the stage for long-term mental fitness.

    Using the education system as a vehicle to introduce cognitive skill development to children and teens offers a promising route for ensuring these benefits become part of every young student’s growth journey. By incorporating structured cognitive exercises into schools through gamified, digital training platforms, educational institutions can create a holistic approach to learning that nurtures both academic success and mental well-being in a fun, innovative way. And, while there may be hurdles to overcome due to time constraints associated with training or the implementation of new technology, the results of improving test scores with these mostly self-guided programs should make this transition a no-brainer.

    Furthermore, the science shows that brain training programs have resulted in better schooling outcomes. One recent study published in Brain Sciences, an international scientific journal, investigated the efficacy of computerized cognitive training (CCT) on school-age children with learning differences. Teachers were trained to administer daily 20-minute sessions to students, monitor their progress, and provide guidance and support as needed. The findings ultimately concluded that CCT is efficacious in building core cognitive abilities that are critical to school success. Evidence also indicated that more CCT training leads to greater treatment effects. Research like this not only provides the assurance of positive results, but also demonstrates the feasibility of integrating technology-based cognitive training programs into school systems and educational organizations.

    Students today face unprecedented distractions from technology, social media, and academic pressures. Cognitive training can combat these distractions early on by reinforcing focus and attention–skills that are essential for navigating an increasingly complex world. Embedding cognitive training into school curricula ensures all students have equal access to developing critical brain functions, giving them the fortitude to thrive both academically and personally. Just as physical education evolved from a novel concept to a core part of school curricula worldwide, cognitive training should be viewed through the same lens–as an investment in lifelong success, resilience and overall well-being.

    The question is no longer whether cognitive training works–it does. With continued declines in national academic benchmarks, now is the time for homeschooling parents, public school systems, tutor centers, and other academic-adjacent institutions to get creative with solutions.

    Investing in technology for cognitive training in the classroom is an evidence-based approach to improving student engagement and performance in the short term, while building a lasting foundation for robust brain health in the future. Proactive integration, rather than retroactive intervention, during the formative years of life is key to redefining the trajectory of cognitive aging. This isn’t just about improving test scores today; it’s about safeguarding mental acuity and cognitive resilience for generations to come.

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    Dominick Fedele, Mastermind

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  • Teaching visual literacy as a core reading strategy in the age of AI

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    Many years ago, around 2010, I attended a professional development program in Houston called Literacy Through Photography, at a time when I was searching for practical ways to strengthen comprehension, discussion, and reading fluency, particularly for students who found traditional print-based tasks challenging. As part of the program, artists visited my classroom and shared their work with students. Much of that work was abstract. There were no obvious answers and no single “correct” interpretation.

    Instead, students were invited to look closely, talk together, and explain what they noticed.

    What struck me was how quickly students, including those who struggled with traditional reading tasks, began to engage. They learned to slow down, describe what they saw, make inferences, and justify their thinking. They weren’t just looking at images; they were reading them. And in doing so, they were rehearsing many of the same strategies we expect when reading written texts.

    At the time, this felt innovative. But it also felt deeply intuitive.

    Fast forward to today.

    Students are surrounded by images and videos, from photographs and diagrams to memes, screenshots, and, increasingly, AI-generated visuals. These images appear everywhere: in learning materials, on social media, and inside the tools students use daily. Many look polished, realistic, and authoritative.

    At the same time, AI has made faking easier than ever.

    As educators and school leaders, we now face urgent questions around misinformation, academic integrity, and critical thinking. The issue is no longer just whether students can use AI tools, but whether they can interpret, evaluate, and question what they see.

    This is where visual literacy becomes a frontline defence.

    Teaching students to read images critically, to see them as constructed texts rather than neutral data, strengthens the same skills we rely on for strong reading comprehension: inference, evidence-based reasoning, and metacognitive awareness.

    From photography to AI: A conversation grounded in practice

    Recently, I found myself returning to those early classroom experiences through ongoing professional dialogue with a former college lecturer and professional photographer, as we explored what it really means to read images in the age of AI.

    A conversation that grew out of practice

    Nesreen: When I shared the draft with you, you immediately focused on the language, whether I was treating images as data or as signs. Is this important?

    Photographer: Yes, because signs belong to reading. Data is output. Signs are meaning. When we talk about reading media texts, we’re talking about how meaning is constructed, not just what information appears.

    Nesreen: That distinction feels crucial right now. Students are surrounded by images and videos, but they’re rarely taught to read them with the same care as written texts.

    Photographer: Exactly. Once students understand that photographs and AI images are made up of signs, color, framing, scale, and viewpoint, they stop treating images as neutral or factual.

    Nesreen: You also asked whether the lesson would lean more towards evaluative assessment or summarizing. That made me realize the reflection mattered just as much as the image itself.

    Photographer: Reflection is key. When students explain why a composition works, or what they would change next time, they’re already engaging in higher-level reading skills.

    Nesreen: And whether students are analyzing a photograph, generating an AI image, or reading a paragraph, they’re practicing the same habits: slowing down, noticing, justifying, and revising their thinking.

    Photographer: And once they see that connection, reading becomes less about the right answer and more about understanding how meaning is made.

    Reading images is reading

    One common misconception is that visual literacy sits outside “real” literacy. In practice, the opposite is true.

    When students read images carefully, they:

    • identify what matters most
    • follow structure and sequence
    • infer meaning from clues
    • justify interpretations with evidence
    • revise first impressions

    These are the habits of skilled readers.

    For emerging readers, multilingual learners, and students who struggle with print, images lower the barrier to participation, without lowering the cognitive demand. Thinking comes first. Language follows.

    From composition to comprehension: Mapping image reading to reading strategies

    Photography offers a practical way to name what students are already doing intuitively. When teachers explicitly teach compositional elements, familiar reading strategies become visible and transferable.

    What students notice in an image What they are doing cognitively Reading strategy practiced
    Where the eye goes first Deciding importance Identifying main ideas
    How the eye moves Tracking structure Understanding sequence
    What is included or excluded Considering intention Analyzing author’s choices
    Foreground and background Sorting information Main vs supporting details
    Light and shadow Interpreting mood Making inferences
    Symbols and colour Reading beyond the literal Figurative language
    Scale and angle Judging power Perspective and viewpoint
    Repetition or pattern Spotting themes Theme identification
    Contextual clues Using surrounding detail Context clues
    Ambiguity Holding multiple meanings Critical reading
    Evidence from the image Justifying interpretation Evidence-based responses

    Once students recognise these moves, teachers can say explicitly:

    “You’re doing the same thing you do when you read a paragraph.”

    That moment of transfer is powerful.

    Making AI image generation teachable (and safe)

    In my classroom work pack, students use Perchance AI to generate images. I chose this tool deliberately: It is accessible, age-appropriate, and allows students to iterate, refining prompts based on compositional choices rather than chasing novelty.

    Students don’t just generate an image once. They plan, revise, and evaluate.

    This shifts AI use away from shortcut behavior and toward intentional design and reflection, supporting academic integrity rather than undermining it.

    The progression of a prompt: From surface to depth (WAGOLL)

    One of the most effective elements of the work pack is a WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like) progression, which shows students how thinking improves with precision.

    • Simple: A photorealistic image of a dog sitting in a park.
    • Secure: A photorealistic image of a dog positioned using the rule of thirds, warm colour palette, soft natural lighting, blurred background.
    • Greater Depth: A photorealistic image of a dog positioned using the rule of thirds, framed by tree branches, low-angle view, strong contrast, sharp focus on the subject, blurred background.

    Students can see and explain how photographic language turns an image from output into meaningful signs. That explanation is where literacy lives.

    When classroom talk begins to change

    Over time, classroom conversations shift.

    Instead of “I like it” or “It looks real,” students begin to say:

    • “The creator wants us to notice…”
    • “This detail suggests…”
    • “At first I thought…, but now I think…”

    These are reading sentences.

    Because images feel accessible, more students participate. The classroom becomes slower, quieter, and more thoughtful–exactly the conditions we want for deep comprehension.

    Visual literacy as a bridge, not an add-on

    Visual literacy is not an extra subject competing for time. It is a bridge, especially in the age of AI.

    By teaching students how to read images, schools strengthen:

    • reading comprehension
    • inference and evaluation
    • evidence-based reasoning
    • metacognitive awarenes

    Most importantly, students learn that literacy is not about rushing to answers, but about noticing, questioning, and constructing meaning.

    In a world saturated with AI-generated images, teaching students how to read visually is no longer optional.

    It is literacy.

    Author’s note: This article grew out of classroom practice and professional dialogue with a former college lecturer and professional photographer. Their contribution informed the discussion of visual composition, semiotics, and reflective image-reading, without any involvement in publication or authorship.

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    Nesreen El-Baz, Bloomsbury Education Author & School Governor

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  • School Specialty LLC Announces Acquisition of Nasco Education U.S.

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    Greenville, Wis – December 8, 2025 – School Specialty®, a leading provider of learning environments, supplies and science curriculum to the preK-12 education market, today announced the acquisition of Nasco Education U.S., a trusted name in specialized, curated education solutions for K-12 schools. This strategic acquisition enhances School Specialty’s ability to serve its core customers by enhancing its value proposition to schools across the country.

    “We estimate that nearly two-thirds of Nasco Education U.S.’s customers are already School Specialty buyers,” said Ryan Bohr, CEO of School Specialty. “Like School Specialty, Nasco Education U.S. has been an industry fixture of supplying schools for decades. Combining our companies will bring procurement efficiencies to our customers and expand the scope of products available to them.”

    School Specialty has more than 60 years of leadership in transforming classrooms into future-ready learning spaces for preK-12 educational institutions, serving five in every six school districts nationwide and curating products from hundreds of trusted brands. Nasco Education U.S.  offers a broad selection of specialized products, including hands-on, activity-based resources that support instruction across subjects like science, math, and the arts. Both companies share a deep commitment to providing high-quality, relevant resources that empower teachers and students.

    Both organizations will operate independently for the near term.  School Specialty expects to integrate the businesses gradually to ensure a seamless experience for the longstanding customers of both organizations. 

    “Together, we will be able to provide even greater support, innovation, and value to schools nationwide, helping them deliver the best possible learning experiences for their students,” said Ryan Bohr, CEO of School Specialty.

    About School Specialty, LLC 

    With a 60-year legacy, School Specialty is a leading provider of comprehensive learning environment solutions for the pre-K12 education marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. This includes essential classroom supplies, furniture and design services, educational technology, sensory spaces featuring Snoezelen, science curriculum, learning resources, professional development, and more. School Specialty believes every student can flourish in an environment where they are engaged and inspired to learn and grow. In support of this vision to transform more than classrooms, the company applies its unmatched team of education strategists and designs, manufactures, and distributes a broad assortment of name-brand and proprietary products. For more information, go to SchoolSpecialty.com.

    About Nasco Education U.S.

    Nasco Education U.S. is a leading developer and distributor of instructional materials, offering a wide range of hands-on learning products for the preK-12 education market with 80+ years of experience. Nasco Education U.S. provides schools and educators with the educational materials needed to create impactful classroom experiences that enhance student engagement and academic performance. For more information, go to NascoEducation.com.

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  • Finastra reportedly exploring another divestiture

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    Financial services technology provider Finastra is reportedly exploring the sale of its core banking business.  The potential sale, first reported Sept. 1 by Reuters, could bring in $1 billion for the tech provider.   News of the divestiture follows Finastra’s May sale of its treasury and capital markets business to global private equity advisory firm […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • Transaction: Thread Bank selects Finxact, Infinant to enhance embedded finance offerings

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    Thread Bank is implementing the Fiserv Finxact core to boost its embedded banking capabilities.  The $722 million digital bank is switching to Fiserv Finxact from Fiserv Premier, Thread Chief Executive Chris Black told Bank Automation News. Additionally, Thread is tapping tech provider Infinant and its Interlace Platform to serve as the embedded banking layer for […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • Transaction: Thread Bank selects Fiserv’s Finxact core

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    Thread Bank is implementing the Fiserv Finxact core to boost its embedded banking capabilities.  The $722 million digital bank is switching to Fiserv Finxact from Fiserv Premier, Thread Chief Executive Chris Black told Bank Automation News. Additionally, Thread is tapping tech provider Infinant and its Interlace Platform to serve as the embedded banking layer for […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • Red Rocks Credit Union guts its tech stack, switches core

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    Red Rocks Credit Union is undergoing a digital facelift with a new core and AI implementation.  “We’ve spent the last several years really refreshing our brand identity,” Chief Executive Darius Wise told Bank Automation News, during a discussion on the bank’s three-year focus on creating a frictionless digital experience. “We gutted our tech stack over […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • Haworth & MiEN Announce Partnership

    Haworth & MiEN Announce Partnership

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    Haworth and  MiEN are announcing a partnership to grow both companies’ presence in the education market. MiEN will join Haworth as a  partner brand, offering specialized solutions that build on Haworth’s comprehensive suite of products for higher education and K-12 learning environments. 

    “Both Haworth and MiEN understand the landscape of innovative education spaces, how to support schools and how to create environments to drive more success for students. At our core, MiEN specializes in K-12 with products that seamlessly transition into higher education. With the Haworth partnership, we now have a stronger trajectory for those higher education environments.” Remco Bergsma, MiEN Founder and CEO.

    “Haworth and our dealership network are already serving the higher education market and having access to MiEN products will allow us to expand our solution set for those clients. We can now provide more robust solutions that meet the needs of the ever-changing K-12 market,” said Jack Cottrell, Haworth’s Vice President of Channel & Dealer Development. “It’s a mutually beneficial relationship based on a similar go-to-market position and organizational cultures.”

    This partnership allows each company, individually and collectively, to provide more complete solutions for students, faculty and staff. As Haworth continues to sharpen its focus on providing great spaces for learning, wherever they may be, expanding its presence especially within the K-12 segment is an obvious next step.

    Haworth and MiEN culturally align through core values – solving customer needs to create more effective spaces. Both partners have a deep desire to study and understand how to create learning environments that make a difference to students and faculty. It is also beneficial that Haworth and MiEN are both located in West Michigan, allowing for joint developments and operational efficiencies.

    About Haworth

    Haworth believes great spaces empower people to thrive and work their best. As a leading global furniture maker, the company partners with customers, dealers and influencers to create spaces that result in effective people and efficient real estate. Haworth’s customer-first approach comes from an entrepreneurial spirit, design-forward thinking and multicultural perspectives. Founded in 1948, Haworth is a privately-owned company operating in more than 150 countries through a global network of 400 dealers and 8,000 employees. Headquartered in Holland, Michigan, U.S.A., the company has sales of $2.57 billion USD.

    About MiEN 

    MiEN is a global company serving the education industry with innovative furniture products and services that promote and support active and interactive learning environments in engaging and functional ways. An American company with a strong European influence, its products and services represent the ideas and collaborative efforts of an expert team of suppliers, designers and engineers. Built strong and durable using eco-friendly, sustainable materials, its products rank high in the industry in meeting the demands of creating dynamic and collaborative learning environments.

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  • Proximity Learning Partners With LinkIt! To Empower Certified Virtual Teachers With Advanced Assessment Solutions

    Proximity Learning Partners With LinkIt! To Empower Certified Virtual Teachers With Advanced Assessment Solutions

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    AUSTIN, Texas–( BUSINESS WIRE)–Proximity Learning Inc., the pioneering provider of synchronous virtual instruction for K-12 education, announced today its partnership with LinkIt!, a market leader providing data warehousing, analytics, assessment and multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) solutions for K-12 schools.

    Proximity Learning teachers can now access LinkIt!’s assessment creation and analysis tools to personalize their virtual learning programs, which have proven to increase grades across core subjects by up to 56 percent in some districts.

    “Our teachers have provided standard-setting instruction to over 500,000 students,” said Evan Erdberg, president and founder of Proximity Learning. “Our goal is to equip teachers with the training and resources they need to not only provide a stellar virtual learning experience but to deeply connect with their students to understand their individual and group learning needs. Tools like LinkIt! allow us to measure the effectiveness of our educational program by monitoring and nurturing student progress.”

    Designed by K-12 educators, technologists and data experts, the LinkIt! platform offers assessment management, data analytics and intervention support to drive student performance. With the addition of LinkIt!, Proximity Learning teachers can better measure pre- and post-test performance to meet every student’s academic needs.

    “We founded LinkIt! to close the gap between curriculum assessment and mastery for standardized testing. Since then, we’ve evolved our tool to support hundreds of districts and partners throughout the U.S. with capturing student data and improving educational outcomes,” said Joshua Powe, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkIt!. “Assessment data is a powerful tool for educators, administrators, parents and the students themselves. Tracking and analyzing progress is critical to surrounding students with a holistic learning environment focused on their success.”

    To learn more about LinkIt!’s data collection and analysis platform, visit www.linkit.com. To find out more about how Proximity Learning is empowering school districts and improving the learning experience, visit www.proxlearn.com.

    About Proximity Learning Inc.

    Established in 2009, Proximity Learning Inc., an Education Solutions Services company, has pioneered using web conferencing technology to stream certified teachers into a classroom when a teacher could not be found locally. Students are able to see, learn and interact with a teacher “live” each day from within their school classrooms. This PLI model directly addresses the acute and growing teacher shortage crisis plaguing school districts across the U.S. To learn more, visit www.proxlearn.com.

    About LinkIt!

    LinkIt! is a market leader providing data warehousing, analytics, assessment and MTSS solutions for K-12 schools. We help school districts streamline collecting, managing and analyzing student performance data to improve academic achievement, save time and increase overall productivity. Specifically, the company’s data warehouse and assessment platform enable schools to store and analyze third-party and locally created data for all grade levels and subject areas. LinkIt! also provides custom analytical services to help schools better understand their data for more effective decision-making and action planning. Lastly, our MTSS solution helps schools optimize workflows to create individualized student learning plans. At LinkIt, we come to work every day knowing that our work directly impacts students, teachers and their ability to succeed. While we differentiate our products by being comprehensive, easy to use and innovative, our unique value proposition is our relentless focus on customer service and support.

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  • Inside Cambridge Savings Bank’s 3-year digital roadmap | Bank Automation News

    Inside Cambridge Savings Bank’s 3-year digital roadmap | Bank Automation News

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    Cambridge Savings Bank is executing a three-year digital roadmap with automation, client experience and modern platforms at the forefront of the effort.   “Our mandate is digitize everything right now as much as we can,” Chief Operating Officer Kevin McGuire told Bank Automation News.  As the Cambridge, Mass.-based bank kicks off the plan, the mandate is […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • 95 Phonics Lesson Library Meets ESSA Standards of Evidence for Grades 4-5

    95 Phonics Lesson Library Meets ESSA Standards of Evidence for Grades 4-5

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    Lincolnshire, IL – Today,  95 Percent Group LLC, the trusted source for comprehensive, proven literacy solutions, announced that its 95 Phonics Lesson Library™ is now listed on the Evidence for ESSA website for Tier 2, small-group instruction, for grades 4-5. The rating confirms the program’s research meets federal standards under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for demonstrating evidence of efficacy. In 2022, 95 Phonics Core Program® by 95 Percent Group also earned ESSA listing for Tier 1 Instruction.

    Based at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Research and Reform in Education, Evidence for ESSA was established following the 2015 Congressional approval of the federal act and provides independent, authoritative information on program research that meets the ESSA evidence standards. As a leading resource in the field, the website enables educators and communities to select effective instructional tools to improve student outcomes.

    “Our continued, strategic investment in research both provides us with the information we need to continue to grow and develop our product offerings and demonstrates to educators the power of our programs to accelerate literacy skill development for all students,” said Brad Lindaas, CEO, 95 Percent Group. “We are excited to expand our listings on the highly respected Evidence for ESSA to include supporting intervention for students in grades 4-5.”

    95 Phonics Lesson Library provides teachers with the tools to guide students to grade-level mastery. This evidence-based program for intervention offers three levels of instruction and easy-to-use, fully prepared lessons. As a precision tool, 95 Phonics Lesson Library gives students the targeted intervention they need to fill specific skill gaps.

    LXD Research founder Rachel Schechter, Ph.D., said, “Much of the current focus of science of reading has been on the earlier elementary grades. Our recent research demonstrates the ways that 95 Percent Group programs are effective instructional and intervention tools for students in grades 4-5.”

    In the study that earned 95 Phonics Lesson Library Evidence for ESSA approval, two schools in Ohio’s Youngstown City School District implemented the program with students in grades 4-5. At mid-year, LXD found that 7 percent more 4th graders and 13 percent more 5th graders were on or above benchmark compared to their peers in other district schools that were not using the program.

    “Educators making decisions about science of reading aligned materials for their students are faced with complex and time-consuming decisions. They need to ask questions, such as ‘Is this program evidence-based?’ and ‘Will it move the needle for our students?” 95 Percent Group has made a long-term investment in independent research they can trust, in order to put that information at their fingertips,” said Amy Boza, Ph.D., director of research at 95 Percent Group. “In addition, the work has been highlighted at both national and international academic conferences including IDA.”

    About 95 Percent Group

    95 Percent Group is an education company whose mission is to build on science to empower teachers—supplying the knowledge, resources, and support they need—to develop strong readers. Using an approach that is based in structured literacy, the company’s One95™ Literacy Ecosystem™ integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers and is proven and trusted to help students close skill gaps and read fluently. 95 Percent Group is also committed to advancing research, best practices, and thought leadership on the science of reading more broadly. For more information, visit www.95percentgroup.com. 

    About LXD Research

    LXD Research is an independent evaluation, research, and consulting division within Charles River Media Group focusing on educational programs. They design rigorous research studies, multifaceted data analytic reporting, and dynamic content to disseminate insights. Visit www.LXDResearch.com.

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  • Inside look: Fiserv University tech training | Bank Automation News

    Inside look: Fiserv University tech training | Bank Automation News

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    Technology provider Fiserv is expanding its training offerings to clients through Fiserv University, which launched in May. 

    “Many institutions are under pressure to do more with less, which requires a highly efficient and well-trained staff,” Dudley White, president of core account processing solutions at Fiserv, told Bank Automation News. Fiserv University offers tech and process training, he said.  

    Jay Coomes, chief technology officer at Intracoastal Bank, said in a release, “We recognize the importance of leveraging our technology to its full potential and supporting the continued development of our associates’ skill sets.”  

    Dudley White, president of core account processing solutions at Fiserv (Courtesy/Fiserv)

    Fiserv University offers product certifications following a university 100- to 400-level class structure, White said. Certification costs are based on the asset size of an institution — meaning there is no limit to the number of institution employees who can take courses. 

    The university offers training on both banking core platforms and integrated products from the Fiserv suite, White said.

    Demand for tech training 

    Fiserv University evolved from the growing demand for Fiserv’s offerings, including its live events, on-demand courses and consulting services, White said.  

    Before the university launched, more than 3,700 institutions used Fiserv’s training and consulting offerings in 2023, White said. “This number is likely to grow with the expanded set of Fiserv University training options, courses and events to meet the unique needs of our clients.” 

    Dudley said financial institutions find that tech training can help in the following areas: 

    • Bringing new employees up to speed quickly; 
    • Conducting large-scale training following a merger or acquisition; and 
    • Supporting staff retention through continued investment in skills training.  

    Fiserv bank clients include Seattle-based WaFd Bank, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Evermore Bank and Marlborough, Mass.-based Main Street Bank.  

    Early-bird registration is now available for the inaugural Bank Automation Summit Europe 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 7-8! Discover the latest advancements in AI and automation in banking. Register now.  

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  • 5 strategies to close the critical thinking gap

    5 strategies to close the critical thinking gap

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    Key points:

    Achievement discrepancies among U.S. students remain persistent and troubling–despite decades of targeted interventions and whole-school improvement programs. To make real gains, teachers need to address the underlying problem: the critical thinking gap.

    Focusing on core cognitive skills sets students up for success throughout their academic careers. These five critical thinking strategies can help.  

    Why focus on critical thinking?

    Most academic interventions focus on core knowledge and basic skills: Let’s practice two-digit addition. Review the parts of the cell. Learn these vocabulary words. Read these passages for fluency. These kinds of exercises can help students make marginal gains in reading, math, and general content knowledge, but they don’t address the root of the problem: learning how to think and how to learn.

    Growing evidence points to the role of critical thinking in educational achievement. Students need to activate higher-order thinking skills and metacognition to effectively master and retain new content knowledge, synthesize it with prior knowledge, and apply it to new scenarios and domains. However, most students are not explicitly taught how to do this.

    Colin Seale, author of Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking to All Students (Prufrock Press, 2020), noted in an interview with ASCD: “When you start to look at how critical thinking looks in practice in K–12 classrooms, it’s often being treated as a luxury good. You’ll see critical thinking in an after-school mock trial program, or for an honors program that serves 8 percent of the school population, or for the special debate team or the selective entry school.”

    Teaching students how to activate critical thinking and metacognition will enable them to learn more efficiently and effectively. Fortunately, that can be done within the context of the existing curriculum. Here are some ways teachers can get started:

    1. Integrate critical thinking with content

    Critical thinking should not be something that is separate from and on top of everything else teachers are doing in the classroom. For best results, it should be fully integrated with the content that is being taught. Think about the standards you are teaching to. Most will have both a content knowledge component and a thinking component. For example, if the standard requires students to understand the causes of the Revolutionary War, they need to know specific content, but they also need to understand cause-and-effect thinking. Teachers can help students by explicitly calling out the type of thinking required–e.g., defining, classifying, part-to-whole relationships, sequencing, etc.–and making sure students know what that kind of thinking looks like.

    2. Give students a framework for thinking

    Once students understand the type of thinking required, they need a framework to support it. A visual framework supports the development of critical thinking skills. Making thinking visible and concrete helps students activate the type of thinking required by the task and organize their ideas effectively. While there are tons of graphic organizers out there, it’s most beneficial to have a consistent framework for thinking that spans grade levels and content areas. This supports the growth of automaticity in activating cognitive skills.

    3. Make learning active

    Models such as project-based learning and inquiry learning have been demonstrated to improve learning outcomes. But you don’t have to upend your entire curriculum or implement a complicated model to make learning more active. Building in time for debate and discussion and collaborative learning activities are simple ways to make learning more active and engaging. For example, students can work together to construct meaning using a thinking map. Look for learning activities that require students to go beyond simple recitation of facts and engage deeply with the content as they solve a problem, develop and defend a point of view, or create something original.

    4. Ask better questions–and teach students to ask their own

    Increasing the rigor of the questions we are asking is another way to support critical thinking. That means asking questions that go beyond basic knowledge and comprehension to require higher-order thinking skills such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. (See some examples in the image below.) Even better, teach students how to ask their own questions. After introducing new content, for example, pause for a class brainstorming session where students come up with as many questions as they can, including basic clarification questions and higher-order “why,” “what if,” and ‘what else” kinds of questions. Then, students can work together to start answering some of these questions using the active learning methods above.

    5. Get metacognitive

    One important aspect of critical thinking is metacognition, or “thinking about one’s own thinking.” Students who are skilled in metacognition are able to recognize how well they understand a concept, where they need extra help or support, and how to apply and adjust learning strategies. Metacognitive skills include planning for learning, monitoring understanding, and evaluating the learning process. Like fundamental cognitive skills such as cause-and-effect or sequencing, metacognitive skills can also be explicitly taught. The questions in the Tree Maps below can help teachers get started.

    These essential strategies can be applied across all grades and content areas. When we help students develop fundamental cognitive and metacognitive skills, learning becomes easier–and a lot more fun.

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  • Missouri Approves 95 Percent Group Programs as Recommended English Language Arts Supplemental Resources

    Missouri Approves 95 Percent Group Programs as Recommended English Language Arts Supplemental Resources

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    Lincolnshire, Ill. – Today 95 Percent Group LLC, the trusted source for comprehensive, proven literacy solutions, announced the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education approved its 95 Phonics Core Program®, 95 Literacy Intervention System™, and Sound Wall Classroom Kit™ as recommended English Language Arts Supplemental Resources. Missouri is one of more than 40 states nationwide to support evidence-based literacy instruction focused on the science of reading. The state’s Missouri Read, Lead, Exceed initiative provides a framework for action to align state, district, and local literacy efforts, with the goal of ensuring every student develops the strong literacy skills they need for the future.

    “I am thrilled to see the accelerating, national momentum behind using evidence-based, science of reading aligned instruction to help young learners build literacy skills,” said Brad Lindaas, CEO, 95 Percent Group. “We have already seen our school and district clients in Missouri experience significant literacy success with their students and are excited to participate in the state’s broader goal of supporting every student in growing into a strong reader.”

    After an extensive review process of submitted materials, Missouri state education officials selected 95 Percent Group’s programs for inclusion on its recommended supplemental materials list for grades K-5, determining that they meet state curriculum standards and are aligned to the science of reading.

    95 Percent Group has a strong track record in Missouri. According to an independent study of 16 Missouri schools conducted over two years by LXD Research, more students were reading on grade level when they used the company’s flagship product, 95 Phonics Core Program, as compared to their peers who were learning with a different program. Based on this study, 95 Phonics Core Program earned the Strong rating on the Evidence for ESSA website for Tier 1, Whole-Class Instruction. The Strong rating confirms that the program’s research meets federal standards under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for demonstrating the highest level of evidence. School partners call the program essential to their students’ literacy progress.  

    Joplin School District Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Sarah Mwangi said, “What we have learned on our journey is that 95 Phonics Core Program is a great centerpiece for our literacy instruction. It is the program that we are dedicated to ensuring happens for our kids each day. It’s intensive, explicit and straightforward, offering exactly what you need to do with students instead of being one piece of an overwhelming ‘big box’ curriculum. If you are a district that has struggled with inconsistent foundational literacy instruction and you need to get schools back on the same page, 95 Phonics Core Program is a great, direct, explicit way to do that.”

    95 Percent Group products approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education are:

    • 95 Phonics Core Program: a Tier 1 structured literacy solution that supports meaningful and effective literacy progress linked across grades, grounded in the science of reading and for the critical K-5 years. The program adds an explicit phonics strand to the daily reading block to ensure that all students receive consistent evidence-based and research-aligned phonics instruction to improve outcomes.
    • 95 Literacy Intervention System™:  a new digital platform that puts the tools for diagnosing skill gaps, digitally grouping students with similar needs, and assigning targeted reading instruction at teachers’ fingertips. Linking to 95 Phonics Core Program™ and 95 Phonics Lesson Library™, the 95 Literacy Intervention System allows teachers to ensure all students receive the targeted instruction they need to quickly graduate from intervention.
    • Sound Wall Classroom Kit for Grades K-2: provides teachers with everything they need to create a Sound Wall to help students build phonological and phonemic awareness. The kit includes Kid Lips® cards, a Kid Lips® teacher’s instructional guide, phoneme/grapheme cards – teacher’s instructional set, phoneme/grapheme mini cards, Student Sound Wall folder, and many other resources.

    About 95 Percent Group

    95 Percent Group is an education company whose mission is to build on science to empower teachers—supplying the knowledge, resources, and support they need—to develop strong readers. Using an approach that is based in structured literacy, the company’s One95™ Literacy Ecosystem™ integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers and is proven and trusted to help students close skill gaps and read fluently. 95 Percent Group is also committed to advancing research, best practices, and thought leadership on the science of reading more broadly. For more information, visit www.95percentgroup.com. 

    About LXD Research

    LXD Research is an independent evaluation, research, and consulting division within Charles River Media Group focusing on educational programs. They design rigorous research studies, multifaceted data analytic reporting, and dynamic content to disseminate insights. Visit www.LXDResearch.com.

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  • Why Did CORE Price Surge 20% While The Crypto Market Dumped?

    Why Did CORE Price Surge 20% While The Crypto Market Dumped?

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    CORE, the native token of the layer-1 network CoreChain, has surged over 20% in the last 24 hours. This is a notable price increase, considering the downward trend in the broader crypto market with the prices of other major cap tokens, including Ethereum (ETH) dumping. 

    Related Reading

    Why CORE Soared By Over 20%

    CORE’s price rallied by over 20% following crypto exchange Coinbase’s decision to add the crypto token to its listing ‘Roadmap.’ That means the foremost US crypto exchange plans to list CORE at some point, although it hasn’t disclosed exactly when that will happen. Regardless, this is undoubtedly a positive development for the CORE ecosystem, given the exposure and mass adoption it could gain from being listed on Coinbase. 

    CORE runs on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible layer-1 blockchain CoreChain. The network is unique because it adopts a ‘Satoshi Plus’ consensus mechanism. This mechanism adopts Bitcoin’s proof-of-work (PoW) and Ethereum’s delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) mechanism to address the blockchain trilemma of decentralization, scalability, and security.

    CORE has already had quite a year, considering it is one of the best-performing crypto assets among the top 100 coins by market cap, with a year-to-date (YTD) gain of over 265%. This feat is more commendable given that only three crypto tokens (Dogwifhat, PEPE, and Arweave) in the top 50 rankings have made more YTD gains than CORE. 

    Interestingly, most of CORE’s price gains came in the weeks leading up to the Bitcoin halving, with the crypto’s price skyrocketing by over 220% in a single week. CORE’s interoperability with Bitcoin also gives it an edge, with the network launching ‘CoreBTC,’ which allows users to bridge their BTC tokens to the network, thereby tapping into the liquidity on the flagship network, Bitcoin. 

    CORE is now trading at $2.2. Chart: TradingView

    Coinbase On A Roll

    Coinbase’s decision to add CORE to its list listing roadmap follows its recent listing of XRP and BONK for its New York customers. The crypto exchange’s decision to relist XRP undoubtedly raised eyebrows, considering it had delisted the crypto token in 2021, shortly after the legal battle between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Ripple began. 

    Meanwhile, BONK’s listing has caused many in the crypto community to question when the crypto exchange will also list meme coins, Dogwifhat, and PEPE. Coinbase’s hesitation to list these two meme coins continues to be a surprise, given that they are the fourth and third largest meme coins by market cap, respectively.   

    Related Reading

    Meanwhile, Coinbase International Exchange also recently announced that it will add support for Bonk, FLOKI, and Shiba Inu perpetual futures on its platform and Coinbase Advanced. The platform added that trading will officially begin on May 30th. Coinbase Derivatives also recently launched futures contracts for the foremost meme coin, Dogecoin. 

    Featured image from NBC News, chart from TradingView

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  • CTL is Officially Certified as a B Corporation

    CTL is Officially Certified as a B Corporation

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    Beaverton, OR – CTL, a global cloud computing solution leader for education and enterprise, announced today it is now certified by B LabTM as a Certified B CorporationTM for its commitment to sustainability for its workers, community, customers, and the environment.

    “While CTL is known for its series of technological innovations on ChromeOS devices, today we’re taking our innovation strategy to the next step. As a ChromeOS computer manufacturer, we’re leading the way to put sustainability at the core of our business and achieve this prestigious worldwide designation. We’re thrilled to call ourselves a B CorpTM, and we look forward to continuing our drive for sustainable cloud computing innovation in the years to come,” said Erik Stromquist, CEO of CTL.

    B Corp Certification means that a company has been verified as meeting B Lab’s high standards for social and environmental impact, that it has made a legal commitment to stakeholder governance, and that it is demonstrating accountability and transparency by disclosing this record of performance in a public B Corp profile.

    CTL earned B Corp Certification in response to its continued commitment to social impact and sustainability, with programs including:

    • The redesign of laptop products to increase the amount of recycled material to 30% in PX Series products in 2023
    • Carbon offset activities that planted 4,004 carbon-capture mangrove trees in Kenya that will remove 2,722,720 pounds of carbon emissions over the trees’ lifetimes
    • The launch of ChromeOS-as-a-Service device rental program to improve whole device lifecycle management, refurbishment, and recycling
    • Ensuring that CTL’s Beaverton headquarters runs on 100% renewable energy sources
    • Achieving platinum status with the Green Business Benchmark

    CTL’s commitment to sustainability initiatives and its B Corp certification are included on its corporate social responsibility website page. 

    About B Lab

    B Lab is transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. A leader in economic systems change, our global network creates standards, policies, tools, and programs for business, and we certify companies—known as B Corps—who are leading the way. To date, our community includes more than 700,000 workers in over 7,800 B Corps across 92 countries and 161 industries, and more than 200,000 companies manage their impact with the B Impact Assessment and the SDG Action Manager.

    About CTL

    CTL is a global computing solutions manufacturer empowering success at school and in the workplace with award-winning technology products and industry-leading services. For 35+ years, customers in more than 55 countries have relied on CTL’s award-winning offerings of Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, laptop and desktop PCs, monitors, high-end servers, and video collaboration tools. CTL serves as a computing configuration partner to deliver customized solutions with comprehensive lifecycle services and support from purchase through recycling. CTL’s expertise has earned designations as a Google Education Premier Partner, a Google Cloud Partner, and an Intel Technology Platinum Partner. In 2024, CTL was officially certified as a B Corp™ for its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. For further information and to purchase products, visit ctl.net.

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  • AI-Enabled Personal Professional Learning MicroGrant Winners Announced

    AI-Enabled Personal Professional Learning MicroGrant Winners Announced

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    Charlotte, North Carolina — North Carolina based QoreInsights announced winners of their inaugural MicroGrant program where they selected three schools to win free site wide licenses for unlimited use of their AI-enabled personalized professional learning platform, The Classroom Education Plan© (CEP). The granted award will begin in fall 2024 and extend until the end of the 2025 school year. It includes support for on-boarding and professional learning to ensure the success of the initiative. The total approximate value of the three awards is over $30,000.

    The Classroom Education Plan© (CEP) supports teachers and coaches helping them to improve their core instructional practice. CEP uses a job-embedded professional learning approach, coach-support that utilizes AI to guide every teacher to targeted evidence-based instructional strategies, tracks impact, and enables real-time insights into student progress and well-being. “The response was incredible. Everyone demonstrated a true need and presented creative ways to support or rethink their existing professional learning programs,” said Dr. Toni Shub, Founder and CEO of QoreInsights. “We developed CEP to create equity for both teacher and student learning, and are thrilled to be able to foster new best practices through these three winning school organizations and share that back out to the greater education community nationwide.”

    The 2024 three winning organizations are:

    ● Bensalem Township School District (PA)
    ● P.S. 74 Future Leaders Elementary School (NY)
    ● Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (ATAP) (MI)

    This innovative and engaging platform includes personalized needs assessments that elevate teacher and student voice, custom-ranked, evidence-based instructional strategies for every classroom, and an easy-to-use, teacher-designed progress monitoring system. Additionally educators will receive expert guidance for coaching evidence-based strategies and effectively leading PLCs via Administrator dashboards where they can see teacher engagement, needs assessments, strategies selected, and impact on student learning and well-being and responsive technical support from QoreInsights’ customer success team.

    ABOUT QOREINSIGHTS:

    QoreInsights, an education technology company, stands at the forefront of educational advancement, uniquely fusing technology, pedagogy, and learning sciences to transform the educational landscape. Our flagship product, the
    Classroom Education Plan© (CEP), an AI-driven SaaS platform, is a job-embedded, continuous professional learning and coach-support system. We take pride in our diverse, multidisciplinary team that applies learning sciences to teaching and learning, enabling deep and innovative collaboration between product developers, educators, researchers, learning engineers, and AI experts. With a strong commitment to continuous improvement and to fostering equity in education through the ethical and responsible use of AI, QoreInsights has partnered with AI ENGAGE Institute and Vanderbilt University as research partners. For more information, visit the QoreInsights website and follow QoreInsights on LinkedIn for updates. For more information, contact Dr. Anika Davis at info@qoreinsights.com.

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  • AI-Enabled Personal Professional Learning MicroGrant Announced Targets Teachers and Coaches (K-6)

    AI-Enabled Personal Professional Learning MicroGrant Announced Targets Teachers and Coaches (K-6)

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    North Carolina based QoreInsights announced today the launch of a MicroGrant program where they will award three schools with free site wide licenses for unlimited use of their AI-enabled personalized professional learning platform, The Classroom Education Plan© (CEP). The granted award will begin in fall 2024 and extend until the end of the 2025 school year. It includes support for on-boarding and professional learning to ensure the success of the initiative. The total approximate value of the three awards is over $30,000.

    The Classroom Education Plan© (CEP) supports teachers and coaches helping them to improve their core instructional practice. CEP uses a job-embedded professional learning approach, coach-support that utilizes AI to guide
    every teacher to targeted evidence-based instructional strategies, tracks impact, and enables real-time insights into student progress and well-being. “Millions of educators across the nation echo the same need: to provide teachers with high-quality professional learning that translates to measurable improvement in student achievement, engagement, and well-being,” said Dr. Toni Shub, Founder and CEO of QoreInsights. “We developed CEP to create equity for both teacher and student learning. CEP uses learning engineering and a decision support system to equitably guide every teacher to the most impactful evidence-based instructional methods for their specific classroom to address whole-child student needs, including feelings of safety and internalizing behaviors.”

    Three elementary schools will be selected to become QorePremium Partners and will receive CEP licenses for all general education K-6 teachers at the awarded sites (administrators and coaches are free). Schools will be able to award teachers up
    to 36 job-embedded continuing education credits!

    This innovative and engaging platform includes an entire school year of personalized needs assessments (3x per year) that elevate teacher and student voice, custom-ranked, evidence-based instructional strategies for every classroom, and an easy-to-use, teacher-designed progress monitoring system. Additionally educators will receive expert guidance for coaching evidence-based strategies and effectively leading PLCs, Administrator dashboards to see teacher engagement, needs assessments, strategies selected, and impact on student learning and well-being
    and responsive technical support from QoreInsights’ customer success team.

    The AI-Enabled Personalized Professional Learning MicroGrant is open to any learning institution serving K-6 students. Winners will be selected based on their vision for involving their learning community and creative plans for
    engaging all members, school wide.

    For further information about the grant, go to
    https://qoreinsights.com/qoreinsights-microgrant-2024/

    ABOUT QOREINSIGHTS:
    QoreInsights, an education technology company, stands at the forefront of educational advancement, uniquely fusing technology, pedagogy, and learning sciences to transform the educational landscape. Our flagship product, the Classroom Education Plan© (CEP), an AI-driven SaaS platform, is a job-embedded, continuous professional learning and coach-support system. We take pride in our diverse, multidisciplinary team that applies learning sciences to teaching and learning, enabling deep and innovative collaboration between product
    developers, educators, researchers, learning engineers, and AI experts. With a strong commitment to continuous improvement and to fostering equity in education through the ethical and responsible use of AI, QoreInsights has partnered with AI ENGAGE Institute and Vanderbilt University as research partners. For more information, visit the QoreInsights website and follow QoreInsights on LinkedIn for
    updates. For more information, contact Dr. Toni Shub at info@qoreinsights.com.

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  • Podcast: How to operationalize a bank | Bank Automation News

    Podcast: How to operationalize a bank | Bank Automation News

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    Financial institutions continue to spend on technology but many bank technology experiences are disjointed. 

    Banks are hurting their efficiency and overall customer experience with technology that doesn’t connect seamlessly, Emily Steele, chief operating officer of fintech Savana, tells Bank Automation News on this episode of “The Buzz” podcast. 

    To create more seamless digital experiences, banks must unify their digital layers on a single technology platform, she says. All of the bank’s processes, including automation, routing, communications, notifications and alerts, should come from one platform. 

    For example, Savana technology enables back- and front-office teams at $9 billion Woodforest National Bank to support all customer and product needs, Steele said. 

    Listen as Steele discusses how banks can use technology to create efficient and consistent processes throughout their operations. 

    Get ready for Bank Automation Summit U.S. 2024 in Nashville, Tenn., on March 18-19! Discover the latest advancements in AI and automation in banking. Register now. 

    The following is a transcript generated by AI technology that has been lightly edited but still contains errors.

    Whitney McDonald 0:03
    This episode of The buzz is brought to you by bank automation summit us 2024. This annual event is tailored to resonate with financial services professionals focused on business optimization through technology and automation. Learn how to overcome implementation challenges by hearing firsthand from C level executives from institutions, including Bank of America, Wells Fargo city and more. There is no better place to get a read on the competition than at Bank automation summit us 2024 Register now at Bank automation summit.com. My name is Whitney McDonald and I’m the editor of bank automation News. Today is February 13 2024. The buzz welcomes Emily Steele. She is the president and chief operating officer of FinTech Savannah. Before joining Savannah, she spent time at Tech provider Temenos. She is here to discuss how financial institutions can invest in technology in a way that won’t lead to disjointed experiences in the long run. She will also explain how long term tech investment can lead to better banking experiences, and overall better customer experiences. The buzz welcomes Emily.

    Emily Steele 1:06
    Terrific, thanks so much with me, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And thank you for allowing me the opportunity to participate in the buzz podcast. So my name is Emily Steele and I have been in the technology industry my entire career, I have worked on technologies that surround the core, I have sold and been a part of companies that have built core software, and most recently joined Savannah about a year and a half ago. And our focus is really two primary missions, we are focused on helping the financial industry improve the banker experience, and helping banks improve their customer experience. And I say banks, but it can be banks, credit unions, FinTech, anybody in the financial industry, really focusing on creating that truly frictionless interaction between a bank and its customers. So that’s what our mission is. And we do that by bringing a digital delivery platform to market with a multitude of solutions for the banker and the customer. So we are very excited to be a part of part of transformation in today’s crazy technology space that we’re in.

    Whitney McDonald 2:27
    Yes, crazy. Technology, space is definitely one way to put it. There’s something new happening in the industry, when it comes to technology, it seems like every day. So again, thank you so much for joining us. During today’s discussion, we will be talking about how to address clunky core systems approaching modernization. So with that, maybe we can just start bigger picture here. How does a financial institution address these clunky core systems? How do you modernize what works? What doesn’t work when you’re when you’re taking this approach to modernization?

    Emily Steele 3:06
    Yeah, it’s, it’s so interesting, Whitney, because I feel like the industry often thinks about modernization as core transformation. And you use the word clunky. And the industry uses the word legacy, for course, and we only really consider a transformation at the back end from a core perspective, or the front end from a digital digital perspective. And we really come at it. And I come at it from a little bit of a different viewpoint. Because if you look at the last two decades, there’s a tremendous spend billions of dollars spent on driving transformation and modernization. But it is almost always targeted at improving self service and digital customer experiences. However, it’s actually creating in our opinion, problems with mismatched, disjointed array of solutions that ultimately begin to present a, it’s supposed to create a unified front, but ultimately, it creates a completely disconnected front, what we find is that really all of these systems that are getting added on the back or the front, they’re ultimately hampering operational efficiency, not improving customer experiences. And from my point of view, modernization, I think we need to look at it from a different lens, and not the back, not the front, but rather look inside of a bank and a credit union and focus on an approach of modernization that’s really operationalizing the bank unifying technology inside of the bank so that those different silos or different systems can begin to talk to each other and ultimately serve the customer better. I think that’s actually how We create a better banker experience and a better customer experience, not just looking at core transformation, but instead operationalizing a bank.

    Whitney McDonald 5:10
    Now, you mentioned this this disjointed experience, of course, you’ve seen different solutions that can work for the short term or you’re plugging in here are plugging in there. How is the financial institution? Do you really know when your system has reached its limit? That you do need to look internally and your operations aren’t necessarily working at their max capacity? What are those signs that you should be watching for to say, hey, I need to take a look at how all of these systems are working together or not together.

    Emily Steele 5:39
    I love that. So I think that there’s a couple of places to look. So if we think about, I’m often asked, the question is specific about core? And I always like to say that, look, I don’t know that core is really the always the challenge. The purpose of a core is to act as a ledger, to provide the account balances the transactions, the interest post, posting, the product manufacturing, if the core is actually performing those well, and it’s an open system, allowing the bank to connect surround systems, then I would challenge is that really the problem that you’re having? So for me, when you think about what’s reached its limit, as you described? I think that it’s about asking, what’s the real problem that you’re trying to solve for. And often, what we’re finding is if bank executives or credit union executives, ask their operational teams, what’s working and what’s not, or stand behind them, and watch how they’re working, what they’ll find is, most bankers are actually entering into anywhere from eight to 15 different systems at any given time. And ultimately, that’s creating a swivel chair, it’s creating inefficiencies, it’s creating mistakes. It’s how regulatory issues get missed whenever you’re trying to be regulatory compliant. But you’re toggling between systems, or you’ve got this procedure book of a checklist of the way that you’re supposed to create or execute a task. So from my perspective, I think that you look at how are you operating? And is it efficient? Is it driving the results that you’re looking for? So for me, whenever you think about the silos that you mentioned, and how do you know it’s the limit, it’s whenever your fingers are working in too many systems, the systems aren’t connected. And ultimately, that’s not able to be pushed forward to your customers. So I don’t think it’s always about core, let the core do what the core is supposed to do. Act as a ledger, be the householding be the product manufacturing. And if all of that’s working, look at what the other problem is, and try to solve for that specific problem.

    Whitney McDonald 8:04
    So So you mentioned a couple of things. One being asked that specific question of what is the problem that we’re solving for? Rather than Are we are we doing all of these different tasks at the same time? What are we actually trying to address? And then you also mentioned looking internally, so not looking at the backend? Not looking at the front end? Maybe we could break that down a little bit? How do you really do that? What does that approach look like? And how do you change your mindset to not just look at the back end or the front end? But really look at the operations as a whole?

    Emily Steele 8:38
    Yeah, that’s an excellent question. And it’s exactly what we think that the banking industry needs to look at today. True modernization of today is about orchestration technology, not just that front and back like you described Whitney, but orchestration that really enables both channel and core agnostic, because those systems that are in the back are often multiple cores to support deposit servicing, to support mortgage servicing, credit card servicing. So that’s what the silos have a very business specific need in the bank. So you need an orchestration technology that’s core agnostic, that can talk to all of those systems, unify them. But it’s also channel agnostic so that you have an opportunity to layer and drive consistent experiences. Regardless of where your customer is actually sitting. They might come in through a self service channel, they might come in through branch through call center, through back office, through an online banking channel through a kiosk, a orchestration technology that can connect all of those channels from a channel agnostic and connect to the core agnostic is where we believe that modernization should actually begin today. The end result then is that the orchestration you is really from core to customer. And then it’s pushing all of that process communication and everything in between. So that the channels can be leveraged very consistently, what it results in then is a bank employee can better do their job, they’re able to help customers as problems arise, while those customers then get a better consistent experience, regardless of how they’re interacting, and it really does include operationalizing processes. And then integrating those two, the front and the back, ultimately providing a single place versus those eight to 15 different places, a single place for a banker to work, and then the customer service channel, regardless of the channel, they’re getting that same experience, because the processes inside of the bank have been operationalized. Does

    Whitney McDonald 10:51
    that make sense? It does. And maybe we could take it a step further, just just to clarify this idea a little bit more. So talking through this, the seamless communication, the connection necessary so that you don’t have this siloed approach? What does this really bring to a bank? And I know that you talked about customer experience, and I know that you talked about having that seamless experience. But what does that really bring to the bank, even on the on the back end, your digital potential, what you can bring in terms of, of innovation? What is that connectedness and that that seamless communication bring to the back end of the bank, or institution? Yeah, no,

    Emily Steele 11:29
    that that’s excellent. And I think it’s a few things. We really believe that once you’ve got a digital layer, or this single platform that’s connecting or unifying the bank, it simplifies a lot of things. One, it enables, as I already shared the banker to have a single platform, it also ensures that all of those processes are orchestrated today, bankers are going individually into each of those systems. And they have to remember what the steps of very simple or very complex processes are. And then they’re often routing their work to various different departments inside of the financial institution. So if you think about what a unification platform brings to a bank is, it’s orchestrating that process in its entirety. It’s automating it where it can, it’s routing it, and it’s sending all the communications notifications and alerts immediately out to the consumers. So it eliminates a few things. Once the bank has operationalize, it makes training so much simpler. They’ve got one system to train in, when they’re then a second thing that it does. You and I started the conversation with technology craziness, right? There’s always a new technology, there’s always a shining star out there that everybody wants to try something new, it’s very difficult to implement in banks, modernization is hard, because they’ve got to retrain employees, they’ve got to retrain their customers, all of their materials have to be updated, they have to ensure regulatory balance, and everything remains intact. If you’ve got an operation system that’s unifying all of that, you can swap out technology much faster, much easier, because you don’t have to change all of your procedures. So you don’t have to retrain your staff. You don’t have to retrain your customers, it eliminates that because everything’s been centralized. And then finally, the other thing that it does is, it really begins to simplify a customer’s experience. And this is probably the most important, and I’ll use an example. I’m gonna use a simple example. But one of the things that we’ve been talking about for years is bringing the ability for us, you and I, as customers of our financial institution, much more self service, we don’t want to rely on our bank, we did, when was the last time you actually went to your bank, you want it to all be online. So the ability to bring a lot more self service forward to our banks, customers, or our credit unions customers. And the way that we can do that, once we’ve unified the processes is by having open technology that can push those same processes. So let’s use an example. You want to change your address today. Very simple process. But for a bank, it’s not that simple. Because there’s regulatory considerations. There’s, you’ve got to check and make sure that it’s a valid address that I as a consumer might have fat fingered and entered wrong, and we don’t want garbage in garbage out right into a system. So the system needs to check and make sure that that’s a valid USPS address velocity. We’ve got fraud considerations if people are changing their address regularly, it may be because of some fraud that they’re trying to commit. There’s notifications from a regulatory that if you change your address, you’re required to get a notification just in case it wasn’t you that did it. Imagine if all of that is orchestrated. If, and if you can push a button and all of that happens, and all of the backend systems get updated, now you get a better experience. Or if we take another one, let’s assume you start a loan application online, but you hit a snag. Now you want to call into the bank to figure out where that loan is, if the systems are connected, your banker can pick up the phone and see exactly where you left off in your self service channel. So the third and I think the most important is it really creates a better customer experience bringing that self service to them, and consistency across their channels.

    Whitney McDonald 15:40
    I mean, those are all key points and create key drivers. And those questions that you were asking or that you mentioned earlier, what should you be asking of your institution? What problems are you solving for? Those are all examples of those problems that institutions are working to solve for with the ultimate goal of that seamless customer experience. At the end of the day, it’s a people’s business with, with all of the technology that you have, you want to be serving your customers in a way that’s that’s the easiest and most convenient. Maybe we could go through some examples of financial institutions that are that are on their modernization path, or that are simplifying this, this journey to the customer side, on the back end side. You don’t necessarily have to have to name an institution. But if you have any examples there of some of those processes that have been improved throughout modernization, that’d be great.

    Emily Steele 16:34
    Absolutely, at one of the we’ve been implementing bank right now, that is a perfect use case for this, and they’ve got over 800 branches, they’ve been in business for a very long time. And they have a lot of what would be considered legacy systems. They’ve selected Savannah specifically to support them in a full stack, tech conversion. And their goal is to unify their departments and their service channels through a single digital delivery platform. They’ve selected Savannah to do that for them. And this is Woodforest bank has actually partnered with us to bring this technology forward. And ultimately, what they’re looking to do is enable their back office, front office teams both call center and branch to support all of their customer and product needs. On any channel with speed and consistency. Their goal is a single delivery platform, we do have other financial institutions that don’t want to bite off sort of the big bang approach of doing core to customer all at once. So sometimes they’ll start on the front, because we have solutions, that you can start at the front and then build your way back by operationalizing, after you’ve gotten your digital channels in play. So some of our customers choose to start on the front to enable as much self service while they’re implementing their operationalization of the overall bank. What we’re really finding is a trend we’ve we’ve talked about unifying. And you saw technologies over the years that were integration layers, or ESPs. So lots of people have been talking about this, the difference in what we’re talking about today is it’s not just an integration layer, it’s banks really having a desktop that they can work from. And then behind the scenes is the magic of the integration layer, regardless of where you want to start that implementation. So we also have banks who are using it for the the trends that you’re probably talking about on other podcasts with embedded banking and bringing more FinTech services to their customers. So they’re integrating using our servicing layer and our digital channels to get embedded banking and additional services out to their customers quickly.

    Whitney McDonald 19:06
    Now, I’m going to kind of combine my last two questions just based on what you were saying, In your previous response. A full tech conversion sounds very intimidating. It’s a huge undertaking. So what you were just mentioning about you don’t necessarily have to do it all at once. You can you can do these more self service implementations early on. So you don’t necessarily have to do it all at once. So that that is one question that I have. So what could we done in the short term what you kind of discussed so maybe we could take that a step further, but maybe combine that with, with what would what advice or one one lesson learned that you would get one of these financial institutions listeners in our audience about how to approach modernization and noting that you don’t have to do it all at once? So what is that takeaway of how do you get started or or what’s one place to start on this path of modernization to to really enhance your institution?

    Emily Steele 20:07
    Yeah, I think you nailed it as well. I think the key is to just get started. And getting started isn’t about trying to solve for utopia, figuring everything out. It doesn’t have to be operationalizing every single thing in your bank, you can choose one process to start with, one that we have a bank, who we’re working with today, that’s decided to first start with disputes. I think it goes back to what you and I were talking about at the very beginning, really understanding what are the problems that you have at your financial institution that you’re trying to solve for, and not just leaping to the buzzwords of modernization, modernization is more than just replacing the core modernization is more than just adding a new, sexy digital channel. It’s about looking at how do you holistically change the way you serve your customers? How do you create a wow customer experience? And I think it is time to take the bold step, intimidating step, but bold step to re operationalize from the inside out at begin to eliminate silos, empowering employees and delivering exceptional frictionless experiences across customers. And while we’ve talked about that vision for a long time, we’ve not actually been able to achieve it. And it really is how financial institutions can future proof themselves for really generations of banking. And it only takes one step. It doesn’t have to be every process. It doesn’t have to be front to back, choose one and get started.

    Whitney McDonald 21:47
    You’ve been listening to the buzz, a bank automation news podcast, please follow us on LinkedIn. And as a reminder, you can rate this podcast on your platform of choice. Thank you for your time and be sure to visit us at Bank automation news.com For more automation news

    Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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