This is what high school teachers see when they open GoGuardian, a popular software application used to monitor student activity: The interface is familiar, like the gallery view of a large Zoom call. But instead of seeing teenaged faces in each frame, the teacher sees thumbnail images showing the screens of each student's laptop. They watch as students' cursors skim across the lines of a sonnet or the word "chlorofluorocarbon" appears, painstakingly typed into a search bar. If a student is enticed by a distraction--an online game, a stunt video--the teacher can see that too and can remind the student to stay on task via a private message sent through GoGuardian. If this student has veered away from the assignment a few too many times, the teacher can take remote control of the device and zap the tab themselves.

GoGuardian is a software company that makes, essentially, spyware: software that helps teachers and schools block and monitor what kids are doing online. When a student is using a school-issued Chromebook that has GoGuardian on it, the teacher can see just about everything they're doing. These technologies have been embraced by teachers and state Departments of Education alike, but students are less enthralled with having their online lives constantly surveilled. On Friday's episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Priya Anand, a tech reporter for Bloomberg who wrote a story on GoGuardian, about the rise of the school surveillance state and the implications of this technology for student's mental health and privacy. Lizzie O'Leary: You wrote for Bloomberg about Pekin Community High School in Illinois, which has been using GoGuardian for three years.

Artificial intelligence could have a profound impact on learning, but it also raises key questions. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are no longer fantastical prospects seen only in science fiction. Products like Amazon Echo and Siri have brought AI into many homes, and experts say it's only a matter of time before the technology has a profound impact in education, as well. Already, there are interactive tutors and adaptive learning programs that use AI to personalize instruction for students, and AI is also helping to simplify some administrative tasks. But Kelly Calhoun Williams, an education analyst for the technology research firm Gartner Inc., cautions there is a clear gap between the promise of AI and the reality of AI. "That's to be expected, given the complexity of the technology," she said.

At the K–12 level, guidance counselors have a lot to balance in terms of student success, from well-being to course credits. Tools that deploy artificial intelligence and data analytics can help empower them to serve their students better. "Much like students themselves, school counselors are finding a new identity and taking on more responsibilities," writes Nickey Pietila on Advancing K12 EdTech. "Today, school counselors work in social-emotional, academic, and college and career realms, and they embrace data as a way to increase student success in all areas." Software company GoGuardian had student success in mind when it developed its machine learning–powered content filtering tool, Admin 2.0. In addition to filtering content more efficiently by learning what is and isn't appropriate, the tool can also help protect students who might be considering self-harm.