EdTech Today

Even before the pandemic, improving student engagement in critical "gateway" math/science courses was a tricky business, especially in traditionally underserved communities. In this episode of EdTech Today, Aurora Martinez, VP & General Manager at Wiley, discusses the diversity gap in tech careers and how we can leverage education to help close it.Prior to joining Wiley, Aurora was the COO and Managing Director at Gamelearn--a game-based learning company and the co-founder and CEO of EVERLEARNING. She spent the majority of her career in executive leadership positions for two of the world's largest education technology and services companies, McGraw-Hill and Pearson Education, and also spent several years with Curriculum Associates where she learned about entrepreneurship and how to grow a start-up—skills that she was able to apply at Trinity Education as Senior Vice President.Wiley announced last week its Diversity in Tech: 2021 U.S. Report, following a survey of more than 2,000 early career tech workers and 270 business leaders. The report verifies the pace of progress is too slow in addressing the lack of diversity in U.S. technology-focused jobs and reveals insights that underscore the challenges companies must address to build more diverse workforces. Key findings include that nearly 70% of U.S. businesses identify a lack of diversity in their workforces, while the same percentage of young tech workers feel a lack of inclusion and belonging in company culture."It's estimated that U.S. companies collectively are spending more than ever before - about eight billion dollars a year - on diversity and inclusion training,” said Todd Zipper, President of Wiley Education Services. “This report proves that investment alone isn't enough to achieve equity in the workplace. We need to take an ecosystem approach to workforce diversity: making science and math education more accessible for all learners from an early age through college, and creating more equitable on-ramps to employment through short-form skilling and 'last-mile' training solutions."The report provides some key insights and findings about the lack of diversity in workforces including:There is immense power in educating and encouraging secondary-school students to pursue technology-focused roles.According to 18–28-year-old workers currently in the technology field, the most common reason for pursuing a career in technology is encouragement to do so by their high school. Nearly five out of 10 young tech workers (47%) cited this as one of their main motivations, highlighting the necessity for schools to do more to promote tech roles to a wider range of students.To land a tech job or advance in the tech sector, nearly half of women surveyed were concerned about their qualifications; 31% were concerned they are not good enough at math and science; and one-in-three women were worried that they do not have the right educational background. When comparing men and women, women are more concerned about their skillset with 48% worried about their qualifications compared with 43% of males.Though businesses are aware of the lack of diversity in the tech sector, they are unsure how to address it.Nearly nine out of 10 (89%) business leaders surveyed plan to recruit junior tech talent in 2021; of those, more than half (51%) struggle to recruit diverse entry-level technology talent.68% of businesses surveyed feel there is a lack of diversity in their tech workforce, but only half (46%) are actively trying to address the issue within technology teams. Nearly a quarter (22%) said they do not know how to address the issue. Surprisingly, nearly half (45%) of businesses have yet to invest in anti-bias training for hiring managers.To enable a more diverse workforce, companies need to create more inclusive cultures.Seven out of 10 (68%) young technology workers have felt uncomfortable in a job because of their gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background, or neurodevelopmental condition. When looking at women of color (female respondents who identify as non-white) this number increases to nearly eight out of 10 (77%).Half (50%) of young tech workers said they had left, or wanted to leave, a tech or IT job because the company culture made them feel unwelcome or uncomfortable, highlighting the importance of building inclusive cultures. This number increases to nearly six out of 10 (57%) when looking at women of color.A significant proportion of all surveyed (64%) said they believe people from minority backgrounds are discriminated against in the recruitment process for technology jobs. This number was relatively consistent across the different demographics.

This week Kevin Hogan and the EdTech Today show went on the road to the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego. Hogan used the opportunity to sit down with the biggest leaders in EdTech to discuss what they have learned from the successes and failures of remote learning and more importantly the lessons we can take away to improve the technology instead of backing away from it as we exit the pandemic.The CEO of Mursion, Mark Atkinson, sits down with Hogan to discuss how the company is imagining a new era in which all people have equal access to the future.Mursion has been recognized at the summit as being a transformative figure in taking AR and VR into the work place and set a new standard for job training.

The more data that drops, the clearer the message for institutes of higher learning—in order to keep pace with today's society, operations must change. In this episode, Kshitij Nerurkar, Education Business Leader at Cognizant, drills down on his numbers for further evidence.Cognizant last week released the findings of its study, “The Work Ahead in Higher Ed: Repaving the Road for the Employees of Tomorrow.” The study reveals disruption for students and educators caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has only just begun with 45% of educators surveyed believe the pace is accelerating.With the sudden pivot to online and hybrid learning, and the renewed awareness of education inequities, higher education is now in the throes of a major reinvention. Increasingly, educators need to examine the rigid, lengthy approach to how students learn and earn a degree over their academic careers. The study uncovers the need for a more fluid, flexible and personalized approach to education in order to meet the new ways students will engage with professors and achieve academic success.“The role of the modern university is being disrupted,” said Kshitij Nerurkar, Education Business Leader, Cognizant. “The pandemic has shined a spotlight on many inequities and challenges that higher education institutions are facing as they pivot to new ways of teaching students. Students are not interested in sitting in classrooms anymore and taking exams. To prepare the next generation of students will require institutions to be more flexible and adopt new technologies and digital modes of education delivery.”With the new and ever-changing skills required to meet the rise of AI, analytics and automation in the workplace, students are now faced with the prospect of having not one but multiple careers in their lifetime, making the traditional linear model of education-employment-career inadequate.Technologies such as hyperconnectivity, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data/analytics will help Higher Ed institutions adopt to the new ways of learning. These technologies will create a new path for educators to teach, but they will need to be re-trained to elevate their skills as machines take on more repetitive tasks, such as administrative activities. Educators continue to be skeptical that this level of learning can be delivered.The study highlights key educational and technology takeaways that institutions need to carry forward to provide a better student experience, including:Intelligent Systems and Connectivity: more than half of respondents are doubtful their existing educational systems are ready for the adaptations needed. The greatest drivers of change are hyperconnectivity (45%), AI (42%) and analytics (42%), which will drive better student engagement, greater educational access, and personalization.Adoption is Slow: while educators acknowledge the importance of these technologies, widespread implementation of AI and analytics are minimal, only 7% and 4%, respectively. The improvements so far, 29% being the higher end, have been small, but improvement is expected between now and 2023.Financial Commitment: investments need to rise to reap much-needed gains. With an expected growth of just 3.5%, higher education's digital investments are the lowest among industries surveyed. While just 5.6% of higher-ed respondents' revenues are derived through digital channels today, that figure is expected to nearly double by 2023, to 10.6%.Future Learning ExperiencesGoing forward students will learn differently. In a digital-first world, they will expect content that responds to them. Students will require learning experiences that are easy to access and be highly compelling, even bingeworthy, drawing students from one module to the next like the latest television show on a streaming service.In a hyperconnected world, rote classroom activities will give way to a fusion of lesson plans with pick-and-choose, video game-like distance learning options (or motion-activated learning while on the move, with an audio lecture or podcast and no screens or devices at all).Technology should be used to “nudge” or check in with students, whether through chatbots, texting, conversational AI or other mechanisms, using analytics and machine learning algorithms to detect when such engagement would be most effective, to make student communications easier, constructive and persistent.Like musicians or filmmakers, we might see teachers and professors begin to franchise or license lessons with on-demand revenue allocation. The rise of offerings like Master Class — a fee-based streaming platform that offers stepwise lessons from the world's virtuoso storytellers, chefs, filmmakers, etc. — provides an idea of how this might work.

Big news this week from Digital Promise—it will co-lead a new five-year, $20 million initiative aimed at creating artificial intelligence (AI) tools to advance human learning and education. In this episode of EdTech Today, Jeremy Roschelle, Executive Director of Learning Sciences Research at Digital Promise and one of the co-Principal Investigators (PIs) of the NSF grant, explains what this phase change will mean for future learning tools.The NSF AI Institute for Engaged Learning will produce transformative advances in STEM teaching and learning by bringing together a team that includes researchers from four universities (North Carolina State University, Indiana University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt University). Digital Promise will bring its learning sciences researchers as well as educational practitioners, policy makers, and product developers into the work and ensure the knowledge is broadly communicated. The investment is part of a broader effort by NSF to advance our understanding of AI technologies and how they can drive innovation to address real-world challenges.“We're energized to create a nexus of activity and communication to strongly involve educators, policy makers, innovators, and additional researchers in defining the future of engaged learning with AI,” said Jeremy Roschelle, executive director of learning sciences research at Digital Promise and one of the co-Principal Investigators (PIs) of the NSF grant.The institute will focus on three areas that complement each other. First, the institute will create AI platforms that generate interactive story-based problem scenarios that foster communication, teamwork and creativity as part of the learning process. Second, the institute will create AI characters capable of communicating with students through their speech, facial expression, gesture, gaze and posture. These characters, or “agents,” will be designed using state-of-the-art advances in AI research to foster interactions that engage students effectively in the learning process. Lastly, the institute will create a sophisticated analytics framework that analyzes data from students in order to make the tools truly interactive.In other words, the system will be able to customize educational scenarios and processes to help students learn, based on information the system collects from the conversations, gaze, facial expressions, gestures, and postures of students as they interact with each other, with teachers, and with the technology itself.Researchers involved with the institute will work with a broad range of stakeholders, including schools, museums, and nonprofit organizations. This collaborative approach is designed to ensure that the institute creates tools that can be used to meet educational goals while also ensuring its AI-driven learning environments are ethically designed and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.“Building on our strong commitment to equity and inclusion, Digital Promise will facilitate vigorous engagement of educators, policy makers, edtech developers, and other stakeholders in the institute's contribution to a future for learning technology that minimizes bias, increases fairness, emphasizes transparency, and builds on the personal and cultural assets of diverse learners,” says Roschelle.Over its nearly 10-year history, Digital Promise has created the nation's leading networks where educators, innovators, and researchers come together to realize the promise of digital technology for improving teaching and learning. Due to the importance that AI and emerging technologies will have in the next decade, Digital Promise is leading a portfolio of related projects to develop the research-based guidance that will be needed for emerging technologies to make a positive difference in education.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt recently released its 2021 educator confidence report, and the findings were not particularly optimistic.In this clip from MarketScale's EdTech Today, host Kevin Hogan weighs in on what the report's findings might mean for both the short and long-term future of education."As with most news coming out these days about the state of education in the midst of the pandemic, there are good numbers and there are bad numbers.Houghton Mifflin Harcourt came out with their annual 2021 educator confidence report, which is an annual barometer, now in its seventh year, where they ask how educators on the front lines in schools across the country are feeling about the state of teaching and learning.This year, only 38% of educators reported a somewhat or very positive view of the state of their profession, which is down from 49% in 2020. [Further,] 37% of educators reported thinking the pandemic would increase respect for teachers this year, which is a significant decrease from 63% in 2020.It's very disappointing figure in the conversations that I've been having with EdTech Today guests that, across the board, it seems that the perception as a parent or as a professional that everyone has seen the recognition of what these folks do for the kids.Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be getting through to them. Now, there was also some good news that came out of that. And that comes when we talk about the use of education technology in school — 77% now believe the technology will help them be better teachers post-epidemic.Additionally, 56% of educators reported the improved ability of students to access instructional content anytime, anywhere, which reinforces the value of technology for K-12 education and should give educators and parents a peace of mind that the progress is being made on that front.So not all good news, not all bad news. I think, at this time and this date, as we go forward to the 2021-2022 school year, we just need to keep on keeping on."

Levi Belnap wants to make this clear from the beginning—artificial intelligence will never replace human teachers, at least not in our lifetime. What he and his colleagues at Merlyn Mind believe is that AI can enhance teachers' work. In this episode, Levi introduces us to his nascent company's offering and provides some insights on how they believe the classroom experience can be better for all involved.The company launched out of stealth mode last month to unveil the first digital assistant built specifically for education that empowers teachers to more naturally use the technology in their classrooms and simplify their work. The company also announces it has closed $29 million in funding to date, led by Learn Capital.The Merlyn Mind team spent the last three and a half years working in tandem with educators to create Merlyn, the first digital assistant built specifically for education. In 2021 alone, Merlyn Mind has piloted Merlyn in over 50 classrooms across more than 20 different schools as the company accelerates the release of Merlyn to help educators take back their classrooms from the complexities of technology. Merlyn gives teachers more natural command of the devices and digital services in their classrooms and untethers them from the front of the room. Responding to both voice and remote control, Merlyn empowers teachers with choices that simplify how they use classroom technology.“We've been investing in education technology companies for more than a decade at Learn Capital, and Merlyn Mind has brought together what is quite simply the dream team,” said Rob Hutter, Founder & Managing Partner at Learn Capital and board member of Merlyn Mind. “Incredible professionals from IBM Watson Labs, HP Education, Amazon Alexa, Google, Facebook, Broadcom, and Roku have come together to work on a unified product experience for an extremely urgent mission--that of reclaiming the classroom for teaching from the complexity of technology itself.”“I've worked closely with the Merlyn Mind team to understand what educators really need from their technology, and what we know is teachers don't just need more technology, they need the right technology,” said Emily Schindler, Associate Director at Creativity Labs, University of California-Irvine. “Merlyn Mind wants to give teachers what they need most, more time and freedom to think about student learning and the ability to better leverage their greatest asset, themselves.”Before COVID-19, teachers already spent half of their time focused on administrative tasks (McKinsey & Co., 2020), managing more than 900 different applications in the classroom according to LearnPlatform. After COVID-19, teachers' jobs have become even more difficult, with more than 97% of K-12 educators reporting learning loss in students over the past year when compared with children in previous years, according to Horace Mann Educators Corporation. Merlyn helps teachers manage the complexity of teaching with technology in the classroom and frees teachers to focus more of their time on the individual needs of their students.The Merlyn assistant is accessed through Symphony Classroom, an AI hub custom-built for the unique needs of education. With Symphony Classroom, teachers can control classroom devices like the front-of-room displays, teacher laptops, the internet browser, and the applications teachers use daily. Merlyn integrates with the apps and devices teachers already use and love, including Google Slides, Google Drive, Classcraft, Nearpod, Newsela, and more to meet teachers where they already are.

The current economic zeitgeist suggests that workers need to start re-educating themselves if they want to not only survive but thrive. David Blake, CEO of Learn In, thinks differently. On this of EdTech Today, David breaks down why the employers are the ones that should shoulder the burden of educating the workers in order to not only retain workers but save money in the process.His company recently announced that it has partnered with Degreed, the leading enterprise learning experience platform. The partnership will enable Degreed's 7 million users access to a marketplace of short, cohort-based learning experiences, plus innovative tools that unlock employer tuition assistance, allocate and manage necessary time for learning, and support via personal coaches."Through partnerships like this, we empower companies to build the talent they need, effectively addressing the skills shortage,” said Learn In co-founder and CEO, David Blake. “We can provide a unique set of high value learning opportunities through a novel solution for funding rapid, job-ready skill building at scale. By tapping into employers' existing tuition assistance budgets, Corporate Learning, Talent and HR teams can develop essential capabilities faster and easier than ever before.”Blake, a serial edtech entrepreneur, co-founded Degreed in 2012, and co-founded Learn In along with Chief Operating Officer, Yael Kaufmann, and Chief Product Officer, Taylor Blake in 2020. “Our research consistently shows that lack of time, guidance and support are the biggest barriers to employee skill development,” said Kat Kennedy, President of Degreed. “Degreed helps companies overcome this gap by enabling workers to create skill profiles and connect with the content, people and experiences that matter most to their futures. Now, with Learn In available through Degreed, this data can give our users recommendations for more intensive upskilling and reskilling opportunities, all potentially paid for via their company's tuition assistance program.”Learn In works with enterprises to scale the number of employees building job-ready skills. Learn In's technology allows companies to navigate a curated marketplace of world-class bootcamps and certificate programs aligned to business needs. The options cover a variety of the most in-demand skills, such as data science and digital marketing. To drive action towards completing these programs, companies use Learn In to precisely target teams with approved learning time, synchronous cohort-based learning, support via 1-on-1 coaching and prepaid financing tied to specific programs. On top of this, Learn In's analytics show HR and learning leaders the ROI of every dollar spent along with the skill-building progression of participants.“When more targeted and intense, expert-led instruction is needed to close skill gaps, enterprises look to Learn In. That's what we aim to bring to Degreed's clients through this partnership. Once people know via Degreed what skills are required to progress at work, they then need financial support, focused time to learn with others, plus support and coaching on-hand,” noted Kaufmann.In Degreed's 2021 State of Skills report, 60% of all respondents say that COVID and the subsequent economic crisis has accelerated their need to develop new skills; in the same moment, 46% say their employer has reduced upskilling opportunities during the pandemic.By aligning upskilling opportunities with companies' existing tuition assistance programs, this partnership enables companies to leverage tax-advantaged dollars that they already have in place. Through the Learn In and Degreed partnership, those dollars can now be used on any upskilling program or course—not just traditional degree programs. "Upskilling requires, on average, 480 hours and a $24,800 investment, per the World Economic Forum. It is a big job to upskill even a single individual-- and companies must increasingly do it at scale or fall behind,” says Blake. “This is a new job for companies, one they historically outsourced to universities. As companies take on this intensive role in upskilling their employees, they need help. Degreed plus Learn In have partnered to deliver the most comprehensive upskilling journey to date.”

New research released today by the Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University finds that digitally accessible, high-quality instructional materials designed to bring students, families and educators together increased student learning and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research reveals possibilities for sustained partnership between schools and families moving forward.Despite challenges associated with remote learning, students, families, and educators from nine school districts and charter school organizations across seven states told researchers that students with access to high-quality instructional materials and support from a caregiver learned about the same – and sometimes more – than they would have in a "typical" year. Their experience was in contrast to students who struggled academically, and at a time that many fear learning loss among students because of pandemic-related learning disruptions."We learned through virtual schooling that educators' use of high-quality, culturally responsive instructional materials that are enabled by technology and educative for families can be a game changer," said Elizabeth Chu, Executive Director of CPRL. "Instead of families being 'passive recipients' of instruction, it's time for a new model in education that brings families fully into the instructional process by using high-quality instructional materials to help foster close coordination and collaboration between students, families and educators."The findings are spelled out in a new report, "Fundamental 4: Pandemic Learning Reveals the Value of High-Quality Instructional Materials to Educator-Family-Student Partnerships." View the report here."In Hartford, we've learned how important it is for our students, the majority of whom are students of color and/or from families that are economically disadvantaged, to have access to high-quality instructional materials on a daily basis to foster strong academic partnerships with families," said Mario Carullo, Director of Mathematics at Hartford Public Schools, a study site. "The adoption and implementation of high-quality curriculum materials was an essential key to turning around the district and ensuring our students could reach their academic potential. The pandemic was not an excuse not to continue to ensure our students received access to these materials. Our district team worked hard to ensure all of those materials were fully accessible online when the vast majority of students were learning online. This was a commitment to equity for our students," said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent at Detroit Public Schools Community District, a study site. Researchers from CPRL found that high-quality instructional materials are strongest and most impactful when dimensions of "high-quality" are expanded from being aligned to standards to also include being 1) tech enabled, 2) culturally responsive and sustaining, and 3) designed to enhance families' ability to guide student learning and instruction.The report recommends expanding the definition of "high quality" to include these additional components. It also provides recommendations for dedicating federal pandemic relief funds:Adopt instructional materials that meet that expanded definition of "high quality."Invest in curriculum-based professional learning that supports educators to implement high-quality instructional materials in ways that respond to student, family and community needs.Create systems and structures in schools to support continued collaboration between families, teachers and students around academics and learning.CPRL conducted more than 290 interviews between February 2021 and June 2021 with administrators, teachers and families from the following sites:Clarksdale Collegiate: Clarksdale, MSDetroit Public Schools Community District: Detroit, MIExcellence Community Schools: New York, NY and Stamford, CTHartford Public Schools: Hartford, CTHayward Community School District: Hayward, WINew York City Department of Education's Community School District 11Richmond Public Schools: Richmond, VARocky Mountain Prep: Aurora, CO and Denver, COStoughton Area School District: Stoughton, WI

Never before has edTech been more essential, or more coveted in the investment community. In this of EdTech Today, Liam Pisano, Managing Partner at EduLab Capital Partners, talks about the current phenomenon and what it means for the industry moving forward.EduLab Capital Partners is a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on learning and workforce technologies, investing in business models that transcend the traditional education landscape. EduLab's Boston and Tokyo-based team provides foundational support to entrepreneurs to help expand their customer base, make key early-stage hires, and raise additional capital for profitable and sustainable growth. The firm's global network of partnerships and distribution channels provide its portfolio companies with the depth and reach to quickly accelerate product integration and scale impact.One recent example of EduLab's work is a round of seed funding it provided for writing instruction and feedback company Prompt. The new capital brings Prompt's total funding to $1.9M.Three MIT engineers founded Prompt to take a systematic, practical approach to making people better writers. Their first market is providing feedback on college admissions essays, where their writing coaches will support applicants on more than 50,000 essays this year.“Writing is an increasingly important part of college admissions, a trend expedited by COVID-19 as two-thirds of US colleges are now test-optional or test-blind,” said Liam Pisano, Managing Partner at EduLab Capital Partners. “Prompt partners with high schools and organizations to make admissions essay coaching and feedback accessible, while also building generalizable skills that translate to all writing. They are at the forefront of the next generation of writing assistance, taking on higher-order writing skills in a scalable fashion.”Prompt will use the proceeds of the round to expand its course offerings for remedial English and English learners within and outside of the United States, as well as grow its presence in India, the Middle East, and Asia.Prompt's instruction and feedback focus on higher-order writing skills, such as content, structure, and clarity. This actionable approach results in three out of four Prompt students being accepted to one or more “reach” colleges, where their test scores and GPAs fall below that of the average admitted student.“An important part of writing is understanding your audience, yet most students neglect to consider what admissions officers are looking for – proof the student will be successful in college and beyond,” said Brad Schiller, Prompt's Co-founder and CEO.Beyond admissions, Prompt partners with K-12 and postsecondary institutions to deliver online writing skills courses and asynchronous writing feedback. The company has generated significant student gains in remedial English and Advanced Placement courses.“Writing is structured thinking,” Schiller said. “Unfortunately, the world's education system is not structured to support students in writing. Our analysis shows that only one in ten students exit the U.S. education system with adequate writing skills for the workforce. We're taking research-backed instruction and scaling it in an individualized way across education globally.”

The idea of trial and error (aka failure) used to be a tricky subject in education circles. Now during pandemic times, it has become part of the process whether we like it or not. Al Kingsley, CEO of Netsupport believes that some new aspects of this risk-taking culture should remain, in both industry and the classroom. In this episode of EdTech Today, Al discusses this and several other ideas imparted in his recent book release My Secret #EDTECH Diary.Kingsley looks at educational technology through a wider lens as both executive and education advocate, who has also founded education trusts, served on several school boards. My Secret #EdTech Diary gets readers to think about the past, present, and future role of educational technology and how it influences and shapes our education system.Education technology is nearly ubiquitous in schools but primarily in supportive roles. When the pandemic hit, technology became the only way for learning to continue as students and teachers learned and worked apart from each other. An explosion of questions then arose as school leaders, teachers, and parents then began questioning if the reliance on technology was a bane or benefit to learning. Mr. Kingsley explores these questions and lays a framework for school leaders to plan the technology-learning connection for the future.“Some people think of edtech simply as individual and distinct solutions to single problems they find in the classroom such as how to have a video conference with 30 students,” says Kingsley. “But this is the sea-change moment when we want to expand that view and be strategic in selecting and integrating learning technology. Now is the time to be visionary, and plan where tech fits in, where it doesn't, and solidify its role as a learning product, not just tech for tech's sake.”Kingsley has spent over 30 years working and volunteering in the education sector and this book brings together his knowledge and experience of education technology to share in an easy-to-read conversational format. My Secret #EdTech Diary is not only a commentary on educational technology, it is a helpful guide of tips and suggestions for best practice, suggested questions schools should ask themselves and vendors as they plan for and select solutions. Mr. Kingsley gives advice on co-producing solutions with vendors, and includes practical checklists, guidance in strategic planning, and contributions from trusted peers in the industry.

Nothing about the ongoing attempts to solidify post-pandemic learning will be easy. On this episode of EdTech Today, Maggie Hallbach analyzes the machinations and relationships amongst government, industry, districts, and parents and explains how it is at least possible.Verizon recently released findings from its Look Forward study on how Americans have adapted to life one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and what they think it will look like a year in the future. The study, conducted with Morning Consult, combined with Verizon network data suggests permanent lifestyle changes in the workplace, a sustained larger appetite for streamed content, a comeback for phone calls, and a more equal mix of online and in-person shopping as the new norm.“The pandemic has forced all of us to face challenges we never considered,” says Kyle Malady, Chief Technical Officer at Verizon. “A year into the pandemic, data usage on Verizon networks remains at almost 31% above pre-pandemic levels, a clear indicator that internet consumption and the acceleration of technology adoption are major byproducts of this moment. We've seen the shift to digital jump ahead 5-7 years.”WorkAs companies shifted from in-office to work-from-home, many have invested significant resources into technology to ensure the continued operations of their business. Survey data suggests that many employees who have acclimated to remote work are not in a rush to go back to an office full-time. In fact, half agree that they would consider changing jobs to continue remote or hybrid work.Use of collaboration tools like video conferencing on Verizon's networks, is still a remarkable 2872% above pre-pandemic levels. Traffic across secure networks (VPN) also remains 91% higher than pre-pandemic volumes.Over half of employed adults say they are currently working remotely at least part of the time (54%), nearly twice the share who say they were doing so before the pandemic began (28%).Among those who've worked at least partially remotely at some point in the last year, about 7 in 10 say they would like to be working remotely at least 1-2 days per week a year from now (69%). Just 1 in 4 hope to return to in person work full-time (25%).Remote workers largely say they tend to be more mobile when they're working remotely (75%). 2 in 3 say they plan to take advantage of remote work to travel or work from places other than their home when the pandemic has subsided (67%).Kids and LearningParents are optimistic about their children's return to the classroom next year. One of the lasting impacts of the pandemic on education could be the availability of different options for how children attend school.A large majority (77%) say it is likely that most children will be attending school fully in-person a year from now, and nearly half (49%) expect K-12 students will have the option to attend classes online at least part time even when COVID-19 is no longer a concern.This flexibility may not be well received by everyone though: 58% expect K-12 schools to move classes online during inclement weather, rather than canceling classes. For many, “snow days” may soon be a relic of the past.Parents with children under 18 overwhelmingly express that they have been more lenient with screen time throughout the pandemic (72%), and most say they will keep more relaxed screen time rules even after the pandemic ends (57%).StreamingToday, traffic on major streaming sites is currently 21% above pre-pandemic levels according to Verizon network data, supporting the finding that the nation has a larger appetite for streaming. Discussing TV and streaming content has helped adults connect with friends and family during the pandemic (44%). Those who currently stream content largely anticipate that they will be spending more or the same amount of time that they are now watching content through streaming services a year from now (82%).2 in 3 US adults say that recently they have been spending at least 3 hours per week watching live TV (67%). More than half (59%) say the same about watching content through a streaming service.Nearly half of adults (47%) say they have subscribed to a new streaming service since the start of the pandemic. Most say they have binge watched shows at least once or twice (70%).While there is no final verdict on American's preference to “binge watch” versus watch episodic content, Gen Z prefers to binge (47%).Most US adult households currently subscribe to a cable or satellite television service (62%). Nearly 1 in 4 say they've cut the cord (23%). Among millennials, 1 in 5 say they have never subscribed to a cable or satellite television service (21%).GamingMobile gaming really took off during the pandemic. 46% of respondents report that they have purchased or downloaded a mobile game at least once since the pandemic started; while 36% report doing the same for a computer or console game.Nearly a third of respondents said that they spend 3 or more hours a week playing games on their mobile devices (31%)About a third of adults who've spent time online gaming (32%) and talking to friends or family via video calls (32%) say they were spending more time doing these activities in the early months of the pandemic than they are now, while nearly half say they were spending about the same amount of time as they are now (45% and 46%, respectively).Staying ConnectedNewer technology may get the headlines about record data usage, but the old fashioned telephone call spiked during and after lockdowns. As the pandemic first took hold, Verizon network data showed phone calls increase by 20% as people were connecting more over the phone than in person. That percentage has remained steady with current phone calls coming in at almost 19% above pre-pandemic times. Today the duration of those calls also remains significantly higher, with people talking almost 29% longer on calls.Nearly 1 in 3 adults say they either upgraded or considered upgrading both their home internet bandwidth (32%) and their mobile data plan (32%) within the last year. Younger generations and those who are working remotely are more likely to say so compared to their counterparts.Among adults who use messaging apps, video calls, and social media to communicate, nearly 1 in 3 anticipate they will be using each respective form of communication more a year from now than they are now.The strongest increase in reported usage from before the pandemic to during the pandemic is observed for video calls (21% to 26% for friends; 25% to 31% for immediate family).RetailWhile online, contactless payments and non-traditional shopping experiences were not born of the pandemic, the last year has expanded Americans' familiarity and use of them. Most adults say they were shopping mostly in person pre-pandemic (60%), while just over a third say the same now (37%). Adults surveyed anticipate that a year from now, they will be shopping in person and online equally (42%).1 in 4 adults say they've recently shopped mostly online (24%), while 1 in 3 say they've recently shopped through an equal mix of in person and online (34%).About 1 in 3 adults say they either used or heard about contactless credit cards (36%), contactless mobile payments (33%), and grocery delivery services (38%) for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic.More than 1 in 5 adults anticipate they will be using self-checkout (23%), contactless credit cards (24%), and contactless mobile payments (22%) more a year from now than they are now.Only 16% expect they'll be shopping mostly online a year from today, a 6-point increase from before the pandemic, and an 8-point drop from today.Verizon commissioned this poll conducted by Morning Consult on March 12 to March 14, 2021 among a national sample of 3,000 adults in the United States. The interviews were conducted online and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race, and region.

For Andy Pass, this moment in time is an opportunity to improve everything—from the way the edtech industry works, to the way educational content is created, to the way in which we teach and learn. In this wide-ranging episode, he touches on all these points and more. For example, the company recently posted an example of the changes education publishers should follow. An excerpt is below:Publishers face an uphill battle when it comes to remaining profitable these days. Still, opportunities to maintain and improve profits exist. Per a survey by Gutenberg Technology, 37% of industry leaders believed, “the market will still be interested, and there will be no end for paper textbooks.” That's great news! However, 63% believe the decline in paper textbooks will continue to come. Yet, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital content. Leaders can follow these six strategies to succeed.Educational Publishers can Review Their Digital-First StrategyMany leaders may find their digital-first strategy needs a tune-up. Yes, creating digital learning materials is a revenue generation strategy. Yet, a new line of digital products comes with upfront costs. A cash-strapped publisher may have to weigh costs carefully. With planning, significant costs can be avoided in content development. Digital-first strategies work. Besides that, industry leaders who invested in digital-first strategies posted gains in 2020.Focus on quality, content development rather than quantityTherefore, going digital without a strategy risks creating a lot of low-quality digital content. Low-quality content sullies reputations. Also, poor quality content erodes customer trust. Still, the impulse to create a new line of products to maintain is there. Most importantly, revisions to print materials are costly. Also, houses that design digital-first can then follow up with print. This advantage avoids the high printing costs of revisions. Likewise, the educational institution gets to deliver the latest developments in research to their students.Educational Publishers can Invest in TalentBesides that, creating new content means using new tools. Today's online authoring tools are easier to use than those from days of old. Often instructor-led materials do not convert one-to-one into digital learning materials. Furthermore, most legacy content will need to be reviewed and revised. Educational publishers will need to identify unconscious bias and under-representation in legacy content. Then, teams will need to revise legacy content into new content. Hiring outside consultants to facilitate the process pays off for publishers.Produce Lean WorkflowsMost importantly, content development teams need to look at their workflows. In-house workflows become cluttered. These inefficiencies slow down content development, and revisions get mired in the system. Not only that, these outdated workflows stunt innovation. Again, leaders may find hiring outside facilitators to guide their team through the process to yield better results.Educational Publishers Can Take advantage of Existing OERMoreover, publishers who use free open educational resources (OER) can cut their overhead costs. They can pass this savings on to students. Publishers can shrink costs by adding existing core content topics to their catalogs. However, curated OER content may help publishers navigate the current market. Content development can focus on the creation of new content.Understand how to use Change After a CrisisStill, schools are ripe for change. The pandemic quickly forced some educational institutions into the digital learning world quicker than expected. Despite many barriers, they made it happen. Most importantly, not all educators hated digital life. Not all students failed in online sessions. Many thrived. As a result, publishers have a window of opportunity. Publishers who developed the groundwork pre-crisis were rewarded handsomely for their investment.In sum, the market is changing. Predicting what to do and when to do it is difficult than usual. As a result, leaders must fall back on successful management tools. Setting up a digital strategy, timely or not, is important. Houses cannot risk creating low-quality content. Also, content creation teams need the software tools to do the job. Besides that, leaders can create lean production workflows. Educational publishers have an opportunity to take advantage of the post-pandemic window. The psychological barriers to online education are lower for parents, students, educators, and administrators. Publishers can be aggressive. Lastly, leaders need to invest in the skill development of staff. Together, these priorities can help publishers to remain profitable.

For Michael Huseby, CEO and Chairman of Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.(BNED), navigating a $1.5B operation through the most dramatic upheavals in the history of higher education was a difficult, but ultimately fulfilling, challenge. In this episode, Michael provides a state-of-play for the university systems rocked by the past two years and offers up some steadying and hopeful guidance when it comes to the future.The company's latest research report, COLLEGE 2030™: Transforming the Student Experience. features insights from college students, faculty members and campus administrators, and provides a comprehensive view of the current state of higher education and an exclusive outlook on the decade ahead. “The pandemic did not change the path for higher education, but it did change the speed at which we're traveling on that path,” said Michael P. Huseby, CEO and Chairman, BNED. “Within the next 10 years, we will see a transformation of the student experience – from admissions through graduation – that will ultimately create a better, more inclusive and smarter world.”The Rise of Flexible, Personalized LearningThe pandemic has prompted colleges and universities to revisit traditional methods of teaching and engaging students. And though the abrupt, nationwide switch to online and hybrid learning presented many challenges, it also served to emphasize that students do not all learn in the same way or at the same pace, and that for many, online learning can offer much-needed flexibility. As one community college student explained, “Not everyone is a traditional student with the same amount of time and resources.”While in-person learning will always maintain its value, technology will allow the future of higher education to become more accessible, and more desirable, to students. In fact, 69% of students said more flexibility for attending classes and completing coursework was a key need.“Online learning can be a great tool for extending the flexibility of education, but it can also be a challenge for many students who have limited access to technology or who struggle with learning through a screen,” said Lisa Malat, President of Barnes & Noble College. “As schools continue to invest and improve their digital learning systems, we'll see students have more flexibility in choosing the class formats that work with their schedules and preferred learning styles, opening up possibilities for students who are caregivers or in the workforce.”Enhancing the Value of EducationWhile online offerings are expected to increase options for students in the near future, today, they are raising questions about the value of education. Already under scrutiny before the pandemic, tuition costs have become a source of strain between students and institutions. While about six in 10 of all respondents agreed that schools need to focus more on affordability, agreements broke down when looking at payments. While 94% of all students think schools should charge less for online classes, less than half of faculty (41%) and administrators (43%) say the same.Crossing that divide will require institutions to shift their focus and learning models to where students are most focused today – career development. A majority (84%) of students feel that access to career development services is important to achieving success, and 47% say they want their schools to offer more career planning. Students also recognize the value of rounding out their learning outside of coursework, with 41% pointing to the opportunity to build soft skills as an essential value driver for education. On this, faculty and administrators agree, with many pointing to the expansion of micro-credentialing programs and lifetime learning options as ways to get students there.A Seamless Student ExperienceAs students' academic life becomes more tailored to their personal needs, so will their lives on campus. The pandemic has highlighted just how crucial college services can be to getting a students' education off on the right foot, but it also highlighted how disjointed the delivery of these services can be. Providing students with the practical skills that enable lifelong learning and growth – and enhance the value of education – goes well beyond the classroom. To ensure students' success, it should be on every school's to-do list to develop a “Community of Care” – an umbrella of seamless student support that includes faculty advisers, mental health professionals, success coaches and peer mentors, all acting in a collaborative, integrated manner to guide each student through their college (and life) experience.“Students, above all, want to know that they're being heard. And we're seeing colleges and universities increasingly take that into account as they work to balance the short-term challenges of the pandemic with the long-term needs of higher education growth. No one group can determine what the future of higher education will be – it will take students, faculty and administrators working together to build the new framework for learning in the U.S.,” said Huseby.Download the full report here.Survey MethodologyBarnes & Noble College Insights™ conducted online quantitative surveys 1,438 college students, 323 faculty members (department heads, professors, adjuncts, instructors, and teaching assistants), and 104 administrators (presidents, vice presidents, provosts, CFOs, deans, and other academic leadership) across the U.S. in November 2020 to better understand how each group is reshaping the future of higher education following the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes it accelerated.

While the idea of providing mental health assessment and services for all students was a nice thought for most districts up until March, 2020, it wasn't always a central focus. As with so many other aspects of education post-pandemic, that concept has been turned inside out. On this episode of EdTech Today, Christine Nicodemus, co-founder and COO of Ascend and now Chief Product Officer at Aperture Education, details the news of her company's recent acquisition.Aperture Education, the leading provider of researched-backed social and emotional learning (SEL) assessments for K-12 schools, purchased Charlotte-based Ascend, creator of goal-based student engagement software, last month. The acquisition allows Aperture to expand its SEL offerings for high school by providing districts and out-of-school-time programs with a mobile-friendly software platform to engage students in their own social and emotional learning. The new platform provides students with access to Aperture's DESSA-Student Self-report, which students use to assess their own SEL skills, as well as access to real-time results and goal-based SEL strategies. The acquisition also marks a period of significant growth for Aperture which now serves nearly 1 million students and 42,000 educators in nearly 500 school districts.“Social and emotional learning is a fast-growing segment of the education industry, and the pandemic has created even more urgency around the need for reliable, data-driven SEL programs that engage students, especially in high school. Anyone who has or teaches a high school student knows there are unique challenges in helping students improve their SEL skills – from block scheduling to a lack of dedicated time for teachers and students to focus on SEL, as well as a lack of time to train teachers how to incorporate SEL strategies into their daily instruction,” said Jessica Adamson, CEO of Aperture Education. “Ascend's gamified, goal-setting platform provides the student-engagement piece to help schools get the data they need, and makes it easier to integrate SEL into the school day. Now, with Ascend, we are able to provide an even more well-rounded SEL assessment solution to support students and teachers at the high school level.”Aperture Education, based outside of Charlotte in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is home to the education industry's most well-regarded social and emotional learning assessment, the DESSA. Cited in more than 100 research publications, the DESSA is used by school districts and out-of-school-time organizations to measure students' social and emotional competence in areas such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.Ascend, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, creates gamified SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based) goal-setting software for schools and out-of-school time programs. Its unique enterprise platform connects all stakeholders in a student's personal growth: program administration, student mentors and advocates, and the students themselves.Aperture's new platform, the Aperture Student Portal draws on the strengths of each company. It gives high school students the ability to take the DESSA self-assessment and receive immediate feedback about their personal social and emotional strengths and growth opportunities and lets students set goals and take on gamified challenges related to their social and emotional growth and other areas of their lives. This solution motivates students and gives program administrators data that incorporates student voice.“Aperture is a leader in the SEL assessment industry because of its foundation in research-based tools and together Aperture and Ascend provide a one-stop-shop for SEL assessment, reporting, and strategies for high schools and out-of-school time organizations,” said Christine Nicodemus, co-founder and COO of Ascend. “By having reliable data and understanding students' personal goals, program administrators can make better decisions about their high school SEL programs, how best to support those students and find creative new ways to engage with them.”The company has announced several new company partnerships in the past few years and in March 2021 became the sole recipient of a contract with the Connecticut State Department of Education to provide its SEL assessment statewide.

One of the things that should never go back to normal post-pandemic is traditional professional development. In this episode, Adam Geller, Founder and CEO of Edthena, details how new technologies behaviors give teachers more agency over their professional learning. Is this the end of sit and git?As part of the company's focus on the educator, Edthena last month announced this year's honorees for the Teacher Leader Impact Awards which recognizes the outstanding achievements of teacher leaders nationwide. All nine of the honored educators were nominated by an administrator in their district for making a measurable impact on others and creating positive lasting change.“We were blown away by the truly remarkable accomplishments and contributions of teacher leaders from across the country,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “From supporting students and fellow teachers to spearheading school-wide initiatives, all of the honored educators exemplify true leadership and are so deserving of this recognition.”This year's Teacher Leader Impact Award recipients are:Tasha Jones of Putnam County Charter School System in Eatonton, GADaniel Miller of Fairfax County Public School System in Falls Church, VAStacy Musick of Chambersburg Area School District in Chambersburg, PAMeagan Pryor of Keller Independent School District in Keller, TXDesire Roberts of Nampa School District in Nampa, IDJill Taylor & Holden Rowe of Broken Arrow Public Schools in Broken Arrow, OKMarisa Specht of Griffith Public Schools in Griffith, INAlicia Stevens of Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township in Indianapolis, IN“This year teachers have worked so hard to ensure students feel safe, respected, and have their social and emotional needs met, all while working to meet rigorous academic expectations,” said Alicia Stevens, honored teacher leader from Indiana. “ALL teachers have done a phenomenal job to make this year happen. It is truly an honor to be chosen for this award!”During the nomination process, district-level administrators provided a summary of the nominee's achievements and a description of why the nominee is deserving of this recognition.“Daniel is a lead teacher by nature and creates a learning ecosystem that is second to none. I have never seen anybody who creates community while at the same time topping the charts on test scores,” noted a Fairfax County Public School System administrator in the nomination of Daniel Miller. “There is no doubt he leads with inclusion, equity, and opportunity at the core and that is transformational.”To learn more about the Teacher Leader Impact Award and this year's winners, visit https://teacherleaderimpact.org/.

Todd Zipper believes there will always be a place for a bachelor's degree. But don't think that will ever be enough. In this episode, The president of Wiley Education Services predicts a microverse of education institutions that will continually support lifelong education and points to a truly hybrid classroom of the future.“This pandemic has shed light on the importance of providing flexible, outcomes-focused learning experiences to students, while also proving the dire need for more jobs central to this crisis – specifically those in healthcare and social work,” said Zipper. Wiley Education Services, part of John Wiley and Sons Inc. (NYSE: JW-A) (NYSE: JW-B), recently signed five new university partnerships including University of Montana, New Mexico Highlands University, New York University, Spring Hill College, and – marking further momentum globally – Lebanese American University. Across these five new university partners, Wiley will support 27 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral online programs in a variety of high-demand disciplines like healthcare, social work, business, and computer science. “We look forward to partnering with each of these institutions to build online programs that clear the path to success in today's most vital and in-demand career fields,” says Zipper.Lebanese American University Lebanese American University (LAU), with campuses in Beirut and Byblos, Lebanon, has contracted with Wiley to launch eight graduate programs in business, computer science, engineering, nursing, and education disciplines. LAU will take advantage of a tailored approach with Wiley, utilizing a full suite of online program management services, as well as course development on a fee-for-service basis. “With COVID-19 and an unprecedented monetary and financial crisis in Lebanon, we see our partnership with Wiley as one of our most strategic decisions toward perpetuating LAU's mission in Lebanon and in the Arab world,” said Michel E. Mawad, M.D., President of Lebanese American University.University of MontanaUniversity of Montana (UM) located in Missoula, Montana, has signed with Wiley to launch a Master of Social Work (MSW) program in August 2021. As part of this partnership, UM will receive Wiley's full range of service offerings including market research, marketing, enrollment, instructional design, faculty support, and retention.“Here at UM, we aim to provide students of all types with broad access to a quality education,” Seth Bodnar, President of University of Montana shares. “Our partnership with Wiley allows us to further this goal. We look forward to working with Wiley to reach new students far and wide. Beginning with our online Masters of Social Work program, we are excited to give students access to programs that help our students do good in the world.”New Mexico Highlands UniversityNew Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) in Las Vegas, New Mexico, has tapped Wiley to launch 10 academic programs, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN), business programs, MBA, MSW and others. NMHU will take advantage of Wiley's full suite of offerings including market research, marketing, enrollment, and retention, including clinical placement support. “New Mexico Highlands has been a recognized longtime leader in social and economic mobility for our students, and we're excited to expand our reputation through our partnership with Wiley, offering a new and innovative portfolio of online programs,” stated Sam Minner, President of New Mexico Highlands University. “We are confident our partnership will positively change the lives of many more people across the country.”New York University – Wagner School of Public ServiceNew York University (NYU) Wagner, located in New York City, will engage with Wiley in a fee-for-service partnership to provide enrollment and retention services and customized 24/7 technology support for their online Master of Health Administration program. “NYU Wagner's inaugural online degree program, which launched only two years ago, is excited to enter its next phase,” said David Gastwirth, Director of Online Education of NYU Wagner. “We aim to build on the momentum achieved to date, growing enrollment while also enhancing program quality and impact. By working with Wiley, we are confident that we can recruit the most highly qualified and diverse healthcare professionals into our graduate program and provide them with an exceptional student experience.”Spring Hill CollegeSpring Hill College, located in Mobile, Alabama, has partnered with Wiley to launch 16 undergraduate and graduate programs in business, healthcare, education, and computer science and liberal arts – the first seven of which are launching in Fall 2021. As part of this partnership, Willey will provide a full array of student lifecycle and academic solutions including market research, marketing, enrollment, retention – including clinical placement support – instructional design, faculty support, and faculty development. Additionally, Spring Hill has contracted with Wiley on a fee-for-service basis to manage the redesign of their website. “Spring Hill College continues its focus on implementing new programs, technology, and partnerships that will help ensure success for students after graduation,” said Dr. Joe Lee, President of Spring Hill College. “Our partnership with Wiley brings our online academic programs to a wider audience, including working adults who aren't able to attend our in-person classes. This partnership just made sense as Wiley is as committed as we are to improve course quality, increase student engagement, and keep us true to our mission, culture, and tradition to educate leaders.”Wiley Education Services' continuous growth – coupled with its recent acquisition of training and job placement company mthree and launch of tuition benefits solution Wiley Beyond – demonstrates the company's strategy to deliver innovative, tech-enabled products and services that unlock human potential by enabling the success of the world's learners and professionals.For more information, please visit www.edservices.wiley.com/why-partner.

Never has there been so great of a disruption in education than the past school year. Likewise, never has there been such an opportunity going forward, according to Keith Kreuger, CEO for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). In this episode, Keith follows the money and lays out specific steps the industry can take to ensure that lofty ideas like digital equity and personalized learning turn into practical realities as soon as possible.More than 80 education technology leaders from 37 states this spring virtually for meetings in Washington, D.C. with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Education (ED) policymakers to discuss their COVID-19 pandemic experiences and advocate for actionable policies that support digital learning.This was the second of a two-part 2021 virtual advocacy fly-in and happened just as President Biden announced a more than 40 percent increase in ED base funding as part of his $1.5 trillion budget and schools across the country prepare to utilize the $7.1 billion that was allocated to the FCC for a new Emergency Connectivity Fund in the latest COVID-19 relief package.In the first part during February, participants spoke with Members of Congress and their staff about how to safely transition to a post-pandemic world, connect all students and close the “homework gap,” fund professional development to help educators leverage technology for learning, and protect student data privacy. The conversation continued on Wednesday, April 14, as the group met with the FCC regarding student connectivity needs and talked to senior ED staff about the implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) and annual funding to support digital learning.Key outcomes from these discussions include:Federal leaders learned about state and local strategies and need to connect students to broadband and equip them with learning devices during, and beyond, the pandemic;Summit participants learned about the ED's plans for supporting the implementation of the ARP; andCollaboration among local, state, and federal leaders to meet students' and educators' digital learning needs increased.“We are thrilled to see Congress, the Department of Education and the FCC taking action to help close the homework chasm that students and teachers nationwide continue to face. Our virtual fly-in participants were keen to discuss everything from student data privacy to professional development funding with these key policymakers to help shape edtech policy moving forward and advocate for equitable access to advanced learning technologies,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN.“The American Rescue Plan's investment in the education system and the President's FY22 budget request provide an unprecedented opportunity for leaders and educators to envision a new, post-pandemic era that leverages technology as an essential vehicle for effective learning and equitable supports. ISTE, our partner organizations and virtual fly-in participants look forward to continuing to collaborate with federal policymakers on these issues,” said Ji Soo Song, Senior Policy Advisor at ISTE.“Connecting all students and teachers to digital learning opportunities — no matter where they live — has been, and will remain, a top priority for SETDA's members. Now more than ever, we need strong local-state-federal partnerships focused on closing the digital divide once and for all. Our members deeply appreciate this invaluable annual opportunity to exchange ideas with SETDA's school district and federal partners,” said Julia Fallon, Executive Director of SETDA.“SIIA and our education technology member companies are thrilled to partner with CoSN, ISTE and SEDTA to bring our real-world experiences of the past year to Congress, the Department of Education and the Federal Communications Commission. Throughout the pandemic, our members stepped up to provide the tools to facilitate the rapid switch to distance learning, the transition to hybrid learning and the switch to safe learning in the classroom. We are thankful that policymakers have been so responsive to the needs of learners, educators and edtech providers by passing the American Rescue Plan and other relief bills over the past year. We look forward to continued collaboration as these laws are implemented and we address longstanding inequities exacerbated by the pandemic,” said SIIA President Jeff Joseph.This year's annual summit, led by CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking), ISTE (the International Society for Technology in Education), SETDA (the State Educational Technology Directors Association) and SIIA (the Software & Information Industry Association), took place virtually for the second year in a row due to the impact of COVID-19.

In her career as an educator and administrator in DC Public Schools, Kerri Larkin worked through a variety of challenges that affected that community. In her new role, she intends to take those experiences to a wider population of students. In this episode, Kerri itemizes the lessons learned during the past two school years and divines some best-case scenarios.Lexia Learning, a Cambium Learning Group company, last month announced the appointment of Kerri A. Larkin to the position of Senior Education Advisor, Education Partnerships, effective immediately. Larkin will serve as a thought partner and advisor for school districts across the country as they design and scale specialized academic programs based on student strength and need. She will also serve as an advisor for Lexia team members.“The addition of such a strong special education leader to our team is part of Lexia's ongoing commitment to support the needs of school districts striving to help every student to read, write and speak confidently and proficiently,” said Lexia President Nick Gaehde. “Kerri has demonstrated a clear vision for individual and team development, program execution, strategic planning and student-centered outcomes. Her insights will be invaluable to our company and our customers.”Larkin comes to Lexia from the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) where she served as Senior Deputy Chief of Specialized Instruction for five years. During her tenure, she led the implementation, facilitation and monitoring of special education services for students from age 3 through 22. As a leader in a large urban district, Larkin and her team leveraged DCPS and national data to illuminate the urgency of institutionalized racism within the special education system in order to dramatically decrease its impact on children with IEPs and their families.As a result of Larkin's innovations regarding district staff's strategic collaboration, professional development and investment in evidence-based practice, students with disabilities made double-digit gains in reading and math on the NAEP assessments. In addition, those students also showed regular annual growth in proficiency on both Partnership for the Assessment of College & Career Readiness (PARCC) evaluations and the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA).Previously, Larkin served as the Director of Academic Programs for DCPS' Office of Special Education from 2011 to 2016. Under her, District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS) exam scores increased by 10 points in a single academic year. Between 2011 and 2015, students in fourth grade made the third largest gains in the nation. Students in eighth grade made the fourth largest gains.Before that, Larkin served as a DCPS master educator, a project director for the Literacy Cooperative Partnership at George Washington University, and a teacher at Anacostia High School in Washington, DC.Larkin said, “Every single student, every single day, has the ability to read, write and speak with confidence. I am thrilled to join a team that measures success in student access to evidence-based instruction, a team that is committed to deep, sustainable partnerships with teachers, schools and systems.”

Don't call it COVID loss. For Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates, a better phrase would be "unrealized learning," something that was happening even before the pandemic, especially in underserved communities. In this episode of EdTech Today, he breaks down the data his CA has processed and offers some solutions for students going forward.Curriculum Associates, developer of the i-Ready Assessment suite used by one-quarter of K–8 students across the US, released an analysis of 2020–2021 Diagnostic assessment data in Reading and Mathematics. The data set, which included more than one million students nationwide in Grades K–8, offers the first large-scale look at the impact of the pandemic on grade-level proficiency relative to historical trends, a critical indicator of the impact of the pandemic on the lives and learning of American students. It also provides unprecedented insight into the disparate impact of school closures on Black and Latino students.“In the fall, we released preliminary data suggesting that school shutdowns had exacerbated inequities for students of color and those enrolled in higher-poverty schools,” noted Kristen Huff, vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates and a former senior fellow at the New York Regents Research Fund. “This analysis quantifies the enormity of the challenge by explaining the breadth of unfinished learning in our schools. It sheds light on the troubling reality that students in schools serving low-income and majority–minority student populations have been disproportionately impacted by the lost in-person instructional time.”Key findings from the report include:This school year, students of color are more likely to be remote than their White peers.Majority Black and Latino schools saw the greatest increases in the number of students who are not prepared for the work of their grade in math and reading. For example, in math, the number of underprepared third graders in majority Black and Latino schools saw an increase of 14 percent and 10 percent, respectively, whereas White majority schools saw a comparatively smaller increase of five percent.Declines in reading and math proficiency rates are steepest for students in schools in zip codes where the median household income is below $50,000 annually.Winter reading proficiency rates are down when compared to historical averages, with especially acute declines in early elementary grades (i.e., Grades 1–3). For example, the percentage of first grade students who were prepared to do grade-level work was 36 percent—a decrease of 10 percent when compared to the historical average.Winter math proficiency rates saw even greater declines when compared to historical averages, with losses greater in elementary grades. For example, the number of fourth grade students who were prepared to do grade-level work was 36 percent—a decrease of 16 percent compared to the historical average.“Educators and learners are doing heroic work to address unfinished teaching and learning, but the pandemic's impact on existing inequities is very concerning,” said Tyrone Holmes, executive director of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. “We're sharing this data to create transparency around student learning during the pandemic and provide educators with a clear view of student needs. With the truest-yet picture of the current state of learning, our team is focused on supporting educators with instructional supports to help students access grade-level content and reach grade-level outcomes immediately and equitably.”To read the research report, visit CurriculumAssociates.com/UnfinishedLearning.

The company recently released an updated version of their C.O.P.E. mental health planning framework to help districts implement mental health supports students need due to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had (and continues to have) on student social-emotional health.C.O.P.E. 2.0 incorporates over six months of national mental health data as well as the hands-on experience gleaned from ESS' partnerships with school districts during the fall 2020 semester. The framework includes a re-thinking of the key areas of focus for districts, and a refreshed checklist of actionable items to support student and staff mental health."Children have lost so much to COVID, beloved family members have died, school has been disrupted, and normal and needed activities with friends have been on hold for months and months," said Linda Rosenberg, Executive Director of External Relations, Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, and co-author of the C.O.P.E. framework. "It's imperative that as schools re-open, attention be paid to students' social-emotional needs and ESS' C.O.P.E. 2.0 offers a roadmap to do just that."The C.O.P.E. 2.0 framework is organized around four key domains:Centering school re-openings around mental health services.Organizing support to re-acclimate to the structure of the school environment.Preparing schools to serve a significantly higher number of students with mental health challenges.Equity focused approaches to care.Duncan Young, CEO of ESS, stated, "A growing body of research is highlighting the negative effects of the pandemic on student mental health. These challenges will be even more apparent once schools move to more regular physical schooling, and it's vital that every district build a mental health safety net to support all students. We hope this framework assists districts with this effort."Please click here to read C.O.P.E. 2.0: A Blueprint for Addressing 2021's Mental Health Challenges.

The past 18 months have been one long experiment for Catherine Cahn, CEO of Twig Education. Shifting history courses to a remote platform in a matter of weeks is one thing, but hands-on chemistry labs? In this episode of EdTech Today, Catherine details how they have effectively reinvented the way their curricula and creation tools are produced and delivered as well as what these pivots will mean post-pandemic when it comes to student agency and inclusion.Just this spring, the company announced the launch of Twig Create, a multimedia makerspace for English Language Arts knowledge building and language development. Twig Create gives students in Grades 3-8 the opportunity to use their voices and creativity in reading, writing, listening, and speaking to produce multimedia projects using video, text, audio, and source documents.Through inclusive topic- and standards-aligned tasks, Twig Create's digital features empower students to build knowledge and develop language proficiencies through film and voiceover editing using music, visual and video sources, and text. The Twig Create makerspace encourages students' creative agency in a number of ways:Film allows students who struggle with paper/pen-based reading and writing to access information more readily and communicate ideas in a sequenced manner.English language learners in particular benefit from developing context through film: their comprehension is aided by imagery and visual sentence frames, and their pronunciation by aural guides.Students who lack confidence in sharing ideas with the class can rehearse, record, and re-record their ideas, bolstering their confidence.Through multimedia projects, students assemble language and general knowledge that helps them to become stronger readers, writers, listeners, and speakers.Twig Create includes hundreds of hours of academically produced bite-sized film footage, audio clips, and primary sources that students can edit, clip together, and combine with their own footage, voiceovers, and sources to produce multisource, high-quality film.Students' filmmaking projects are structured around 50-minute lessons included with Twig Create. These lessons are mapped to ELA and ELD/WIDA standards, as well as NGSS, Social Studies, and ISTE standards as appropriate.With Twig Create, students become authors as they actively construct meaning through contextual storytelling that encompasses discussion, presentation, critical thinking, and teamwork.Cahn concluded, “At a time when plans to eradicate learning loss are of utmost priority, Twig Create motivates and encourages students to engage with challenging texts and literacy for life.”Educators can access their invitation to trial Twig Create here.

Microsoft last month announced a new five-year commitment to help bridge the “Disability Divide” the gap in societal inclusion for people with disabilities. Given the impact of the pandemic on people with disabilities, the commitments focus on talent development (employment and education), workplace culture (hiring), and accessible technology. On this episode of EdTech Today, Mike Tholfsen details Microsoft's efforts and speculates the effects post-pandemic.Some of these efforts include:Artificial intelligence (AI) in Microsoft Word will detect and convert to heading styles crucial for blind and low vision readers; new AI for Accessibility Low-Cost Assistive Technology Fund to help those who can't currently afford it, use assistive technology.A new Excel navigation pane designed for screen readers will help people easily discover and navigate objects in a spreadsheet.Expanding Immersive Reader, used by 35 million people every month, to help with the comprehension of PowerPoint slides and notes.In Teams, high-contrast mode can be used to access shared content using PowerPoint Live and live closed captioning for people in the U.S. who are deaf or hard of hearing will reduce eye strain and accommodate light sensitivity with dark mode in Word.New LinkedIn features that include auto-captioning for LinkedIn Live broadcasts, captions for enterprise content, and dark mode later this year.A new background accessibility checker will provide a prompt to fix accessibility issues in content across the core Office apps and Outlook will nudge users to correct accessibility issues.Based on a pilot at the University of Illinois, we're expanding our work to additional colleges and universities to increase graduation rates of students with disabilities in STEM education, reaching universities such as the University of Texas Austin, Georgia Tech, and Florida A&M.Investments in the Urban Airband Initiative to provide affordable broadband, hardware, and software to people with disabilities starting in Los Angeles and New York.New ASL video call capability through Microsoft Stores to enable deaf customers to explore Microsoft products and receive shopping support with a member of our deaf support staff.

As with many aspects of edTech, gaming technologies have been utilized and applied at an incredibly accelerating rate. In this episode, David supplies a state-of-play for gaming and education from the k-12 level through professional learning and handicaps the progress of everything from AR and VR to artificial intelligence.With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many schools to shift to remote or hybrid learning environments, the ability to provide an engaging experience for students of all ages has become critical—especially as students, teachers and parents alike continue to report suffering from Zoom fatigue. By partnering with ReadSpeaker last year, Muzzy Lane can leverage ReadSpeaker's industry-leading text-to-speech capabilities to augment their existing simulation and roleplaying activities, improving both accessibility and immersion.“By coupling ReadSpeaker's text-to-speech capabilities with Muzzy Lane's simulation solutions, students across the country will have access to top-of-the-line remote educational experiences at a time when they are needed most" - David McCool“As a leading provider of remote learning solutions, our focus is always on creating the best possible learning experience for students,” said David McCool, president and CEO of Muzzy Lane. “This partnership with ReadSpeaker enables us to bring our solutions to the next level, as well as improve accessibility—important enhancements as we work to make experiences more lifelike in the age of remote learning.”“Voice-enabled solutions are a key part of remote learning success,” said Kelly McGrath, Chief Academic & Product Development Officer, McGraw Hill. “As a longstanding customer and partner of ReadSpeaker and Muzzy Lane, we are thrilled to see these two companies team up to deliver fully accessible, immersive experiences in a time when they are critically needed.”“By coupling ReadSpeaker's text-to-speech capabilities with Muzzy Lane's simulation solutions, students across the country will have access to top-of-the-line remote educational experiences at a time when they are needed most,” said Matt Muldoon, president, North America of ReadSpeaker. “ReadSpeaker's mission has always been to improve the accessibility of digital solutions, and we are proud to be partnering with an organization that will help us achieve this goal.”

Like it or not, change is inevitable. So why not use it to your advantage? In this episode, Dustin explains how educators can continue to pivot like they have the past 14 months butFranklinCovey, a global company specializing in organizational performance improvement, recently announced the acquisition of Strive, a San Francisco-based EdTech startup, which has developed and markets an innovative, state-of-the-art learning deployment platform.The acquisition accelerates FranklinCovey's ability to help clients predictably achieve employee behavior change at scale through its All Access Pass. Strive's intuitive, social learning platform will enable seamless integration and deployment of FranklinCovey's best-in-class content, services, technology, and metrics to provide highly engaging and impactful learning experiences for maximum impact."We are thrilled to have the Strive team join FranklinCovey, bringing with them their expertise in social learning and platform development,” said Paul Walker, FranklinCovey President and COO. “This acquisition enhances our ability to help our clients address challenges which require a change in human behavior at scale. The combination of our best-in-class content and services in our All Access Pass and the extensive capabilities Strive's platform offers will allow for a seamless, engaging, and impactful user experience. And, additional diagnostics, analytics, and benchmarks will drive learning engagement, completion, and retention, for optimized learner and business outcomes.”"Our mission at Strive is to help people and organizations achieve their potential,” said Will Houghteling, CEO of Strive and now Vice President of Product & Platform at FranklinCovey. “We're thrilled to combine Strive's learning platform with FranklinCovey's unequaled content, solutions, distribution, thought leadership, and reputation to help millions of learners and tens of thousands of teams and organizations realize their potential.”Strive's capabilities will be integrated into FranklinCovey's All Access Pass, which is an annually renewable pass providing passholders with unlimited access to FranklinCovey's entire collection of best-in-class content and solutions. Its core content offerings are now available in 20 plus languages, in more than 160 countries. Passholders can assemble, integrate, and deliver content from 26 areas, in an almost limitless combination through various delivery channels — On Demand, Live-Online, Live-in-Person, and microlearning. Passholders also have exclusive access to an implementation specialist and additional add-on services, such as coaching, to ensure they are unleashing the full scope and power of the All Access Pass to achieve their key business objectives.Since FranklinCovey launched the All Access Pass five years ago, annual subscription and related revenue has grown to nearly $100 million, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing subscription services focused on helping organizations successfully address their most important challenges which require behavioral change at scale. The acquisition of Strive brings new, cutting-edge capabilities that further enhance the value of the All Access Pass and drive increased impact and behavior change for clients.Based in San Francisco, Strive was founded in 2017 by Will Houghteling and joined by co-founders Troy Cosey and Shane Chin in 2018. The company currently works with leading growth-stage and established tech companies to help them develop their emerging leaders. Strive's social learning platform is like Noom or Omada Health for learning — combining content, coaching, community, and analytics to drive lasting behavior change. This expertly designed approach generates substantial results for clients: learning completion rates are dramatically higher than industry averages, and 91 percent of Strive's learners and 100 percent of Strive's customers say they would be disappointed if they could no longer use Strive."FranklinCovey is the world's leader in helping companies address the people problems that matter most. We're excited to add our solution and technology to build on that foundation," said Troy Cosey, co-founder and Vice President, Sales & Customer Success at Strive, now Managing Director at FranklinCovey.

AT&T announced last month it will invest $2 billion over the next 3 years to help address the digital divide. This renewed commitment to the communities they serve combines AT&T's low-cost broadband service offerings with community investment. And it builds on the company's contribution of $1 billion over the last 3 years toward helping the nation's most vulnerable communities."We tip our hat to Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel for her leadership in making the Emergency Broadband Benefit available to more than 30 million households" - John Stankey"We believe that broadband connectivity is essential for all Americans," said John Stankey, CEO, AT&T. "Our broadband networks rose to the challenge of the pandemic in part due to policies that promoted private sector investment in multiple technologies and networks. AT&T is investing in and expanding the reach of our broadband networks while also advocating for effective and sustainable public policies that help close this country's digital divide."In a release, the company explains the details:How will we do this?Expanding affordable broadband through AT&T's low-cost offers and the Emergency Broadband Benefit program administered by the FCCEducation Offers: We continue to offer discounted wireless solutions to more than 135,000 public and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. These offers help keep students and teachers connected in a 1:1 learning model to assist in transforming education beyond when schools reopen. High-speed internet should enable new learning opportunities, not be the barrier to them. That's why we've stepped up our support over the last year to address education inequality for the almost 17 million students, predominately children of color in low-income and rural households, who don't have internet connectivity.Access from AT&T: Introduced 5 years ago, this AT&T-funded program makes the internet more affordable for customers by providing qualifying households with wireline internet service at $10 or less per month. This voluntary offer from AT&T has no contract or installation fee. Plus, it includes in-home Wi-Fi at no additional cost. We are continuing to waive data overages for these customers, and we're keeping the expanded eligibility to qualifying households and those participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start. Hundreds of thousands of Americans enjoy Access from AT&T, and we aim to build upon this voluntary program, partnering with government policymakers to ensure sustainable funding to keep broadband options affordable for qualifying households.Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB): In another move to make the internet more affordable for more people, eligible customers will be able to temporarily reduce their monthly broadband costs by taking advantage of the Federal Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB). This government program administered by the FCC will allow more than 30 million eligible1 households to receive an additional subsidy of up to $50 a month. Those on Tribal lands are eligible for up to $75 per month. The monthly cost of broadband – after applying the Emergency Broadband Benefit – can fall to as low as $0 a month.The EBB can be applied to eligible home internet services like Access from AT&T or AT&T Internet, available within our 21-state wireline footprint. Or it can be applied toward eligible postpaid or prepaid wireless plans at AT&T, AT&T PREPAID and Cricket Wireless, which are available in all 50 states.Once customers verify that they are eligible, we'll apply the benefit to their service until the EBB ends. The uniform program start date is pending an FCC announcement."We tip our hat to Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel for her leadership in making the Emergency Broadband Benefit available to more than 30 million households," Stankey said. "The EBB is a great first step in addressing affordability in the short term. We continue to encourage Congress to work on more permanent solutions with sustainable funding so that all Americans can have access to affordable broadband."Last week, AT&T joined nearly 50 advocacy organizations, companies, and non-profit groups setting out the guiding principles for Congress and the Biden Administration as it debates the specifics for the American Jobs Plan. We urged policy makers to enact sustainable, effective broadband policies that have proven to build the most resilient broadband networks, create jobs and empower opportunities for all Americans.

Will the recent worst of times for US students bring about the best of times in the near future? That is the expectation John Harrington, CEO of Funds for Learning, holds. In this episode, John lays out clear short-term strategies for distributing the FCC's $7 billion fund to help school districts pay for at-home devices and internet connectivity and long-term hopes for digital equity solutions.The Federal Communications Commission last week unanimously adopted final rules to implement the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program. This $7.17 billion program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, will enable schools and libraries to purchase laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, and broadband connectivity for students, school staff, and library patrons in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Far too often, students, teachers, and library patrons lack the access they need to broadband and connected devices. This need has become even more apparent during these unprecedented times,” said Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chairwoman of the FCC. “Between this Emergency Connectivity Fund Program and the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, we are investing more than $10 billion in American students and households.“Far too often, students, teachers, and library patrons lack the access they need to broadband and connected devices. This need has become even more apparent during these unprecedented times" -Jessica RosenworcelThese investments will help more Americans access online education, healthcare, and employment resources. They will help close the Homework Gap for students nationwide and give so many more households the ability to connect, communicate, and more fully participate in modern life.” The Report and Order adopted today establishes the rules and policies governing the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program. The new rules define eligible equipment and services, service locations, eligible uses, and reasonable support amounts for funding provided. It designates the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) as the program administrator with FCC oversight, and leverages the processes and structures used in the ERate program for the benefit of schools and libraries already familiar with the E-Rate program. It also adopts procedures to protect the limited funding from waste, fraud, and abuse. Recent estimates suggest there may be as many as 17 million children struggling without the broadband access they need for remote learning. The Acting Chairwoman has long made closing the Homework Gap a priority during her tenure at the Commission.

If there is one thing that is certain amidst all this uncertainty, physical classrooms will never be the same. In this episode, Grant Woods, VP of Marketing for Aver Information, discusses some of the innovative ways educators and students used their tech during the early days of the pandemic and how the company has developed new tools to improve the new dynamics of anytime, anywhere learning.AVer Information Inc., a provider of video collaboration solutions and education technology solutions, recently announced the launch of the innovative and ground-breaking DL30 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Auto Tracking Distance Learning Camera. Designed specifically for the evolving K-12 distance learning classroom and ever-changing teaching and learning environments, the DL30 boasts advanced AI to automatically detect the teacher's movement in the classroom, allowing them to focus on delivering their curriculum instead of worrying about staying within the camera's view.The AI technology of the DL30 drives two auto tracking modes including Presenter Tracking or Zone Tracking with no need for a camera operator. Presenter Tracking allows the camera to automatically follow the presenter with either full body or half body, or manually track any other specific presenter with a simple click. Since the AI technology focuses on the body rather than the face, the camera recognizes and follows the presenter even if he or she is wearing a PPE mask. Since the DL30 does not rely on voice tracking or the need to wear a lanyard, the teacher is always kept in camera view regardless of any other noise interference or loss of contact with a sensor. Zone Tracking allows automatic and seamless tracking between multiple preset zones to support different learning stations in the classroom. Completely hands-free, the DL30 provides the flexibility for the teacher or presenter to move freely about the room and let the camera do the work.The 12X optical zoom provides a clear and precise image of the teacher regardless of how far he or she is from the camera, allowing remote students to remain engaged with the instructor. When the camera is not in use, Privacy Mode automatically kicks in where the camera head rotates downward 90o into its cradle to ensure privacy in-between classes, conferences or other times privacy is necessary.The included free software allows for video recording, image capture and live streaming, while administrative features allow for the easy maintenance, control, and management of hundreds of cameras from a single location. Compatible with all major video conferencing platforms used for distance learning such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangout, the DL30 will integrate with whichever solution the school is using. Connecting a document camera allows the teacher to display physical objects and material simultaneously during a lesson.“K-12 classrooms have unique environments that typical conference-room type tracking cameras do not address. Since the DL30 was designed specifically for the classroom, it ensures remote students remain engaged as if they were still in school,” says And Teoh, Director of Product Management, K-12 and Pro AV. “The DL30 offers an immersive classroom experience to remote students for the long-term, no matter how the climate changes.”

After one of the most challenging years in the history of the U.S. education system, district leaders from across the country are cautiously optimistic about the future. This finding comes from a new report from Cambium Learning Group, which reveals results from a survey of more than 100 PreK-12 district leaders across the country. In partnership with research firm Hanover Research, the results show that although there were significant challenges, 75 percent of district leaders believe the COVID-19 pandemic has put them in a better position to solve problems than ever before, signaling that the acceleration of digital tools and need to confront equity issues head-on has made the industry more adaptable.After mandated lockdowns caused school closures across the country in early 2020, education leaders were forced to accelerate the adoption of digital tools to keep learning going while students and teachers couldn't physically be in the classroom. The report, “Education in 2021 + Beyond: How District Leaders Envision the New Normal” details how educators handled the pandemic, the challenges and opportunities presented by education technology and what their attitudes are about the future of education coming out of the pandemic.“Education leaders stepped up in 2020 to make the transition to remote and hybrid learning as seamless as possible,” said John Campbell, CEO of Cambium Learning Group. “Although there were significant challenges — and more lie ahead — it's clear that the response to the pandemic showed the world what is possible when it comes to education technology."District leaders from across the country were surveyed about their process of adopting new education technology, their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and their feelings about equity issues and the future of education. Key findings include:Beyond absenteeism, the main concern for district leaders throughout the pandemic is figuring out how to best use technology solutions (46 percent). Managing various technology tools was a challenge for 33% of district leaders. This is understandable, as pivoting from in-person learning to virtual learning requires an entirely new way of teaching—no matter how effective and easy-to-use the technology is.When it comes to technology, issues of equity are at the forefront. District leaders cited student (49 percent) and teacher (38 percent) access to edtech as the biggest challenges of a remote learning environment.District leaders were mostly pleased with their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) gave themselves a “B.”Learning loss will be a huge obstacle coming out of the pandemic, with 52 percent of district leaders stating it will take six months to a year to recover.Despite the challenges, educators believe there is hope ahead— 75 percent believe that as a result of the pandemic, educators are in a better position to solve problems than ever before.“The key finding that the majority of educators are hopeful about the road ahead was gratifying to see,” said James Wilcox, Senior Director at Hanover Research. “Based on experience working with hundreds of school districts across the nation, we know that they have had one of the most challenging years of their career. But the survey result underscores the resilience and forward-looking vision of educators across the nation.”Additional findings from the survey are available in Cambium's report, which can be downloaded here.This report was commissioned by Cambium Learning Group and fielded by independent research firm Hanover Research in January 2021. The responses were generated from a survey of 103 people ages 18+ who live in the United States, working in the education field with job titles that qualified as district leaders or superintendent.

If the past 14 months have been the world, biggest and boldest remote learning beta test, the next 14 months should prove out better tools and techniques for schools going forward. In this episode of EdTech Today, Matt Cole lays out what that means for how Promethean supports their districts.Details from Promethean: The latest round of CARES funding will provide educators with the technology and development tools they will need to continue supporting students as we enter the next phase of education in remote, hybrid, and in-classroom learning environments.For more than 20 years, Promethean has committed to providing schools with the necessary educational technology created for teachers by teachers. This includes our interactive displays, including software and professional development tools educators need to facilitate undisrupted learning through this period of transition and beyond.Seamless Transition to Teach in All EnvironmentsPromethean's ActivPanel Element Series is an interactive display providing an all-in-one solution for hybrid and in-classroom learning, enabling learning experiences with more opportunity for interactivity. The ActivPanel Element series comes preloaded with a suite of premium teaching tools, such as infinite canvas, screen capture, timer, and spinner.Our solutions expand from hardware to software, making sure educators are equipped with technology compatible with in-person, hybrid, and remote settings. ClassFlow and ActivInspire software are included with ActivPanel and allow for undisrupted teaching in all environments.With ClassFlow, a cloud-based teaching software, teachers can build and deliver interactive lessons from any web browser, making lesson preparation easier and providing the opportunity to make lesson delivery more engaging for all students. This includes bringing presentations, documents, image files, videos, and more into a dynamic lesson and further engaging students with interactive polls and quizzes.Additionally, ActivInspire is a collaborative lesson delivery software that provides a suite of tools to create and deliver exciting lessons. Students can also install ActivInspire Personal Edition and share activities for offline interactions. With multi-touch functionality and interactive tools, ActivInspire is designed to drive student engagement at the front of the class.Using CARES II to Invest in EdTechSchool districts can invest in Promethean technology for long-term use in any learning environment with CARES II funding. Beyond being a technology provider, Promethean partners with schools to support professional development for long-term teacher success. A section of the CARES II funding can be spent on professional development to integrate technology and bridge the learning divide, which Promethean has a standing commitment to deliver.We offer high-quality virtual and in-person training to support edtech implementations nationwide. Our professional development platform, Learn Promethean, gives educators access to training, online courses, video tutorials, and more. The portal provides teachers with the resources and support they need to effectively use the technology.As we continue navigating this next phase of education, the investment and prioritization of edtech and professional development is pivotal and is possible through the CARES II Act. See how Promethean can support your school's specific needs by visiting PrometheanCARES.

How do two of the most experienced education technology solutions provider in North America pull off a merger in the midst of a global pandemic? In this episode of EdTech Today, Erez Pikar, CEO of Trox, details this week's announcement of his company's connection with Tierney and speculates on the state of play in North American school districts both near and far term.With over 80 years of collective experience in the education sector and more than 750 talented associates, Trox + Tierney will be primarily focused on providing technology to the K-12 market and addressing some of K-12's most pressing challenges – providing access to learning for students and easing the burden on educators and students when it comes to effectively communicating and collaborating in any setting. The combined organization will be led by Erez Pikar, CEO of Trox. Rob Gag, CEO, Tierney, will lead its sales organization."We were looking for a partner to help us better address the new and future challenges faced by educators and students and Tierney was the ideal choice," said Erez Pikar, CEO, Trox. "As a joint company with unparalleled scale, Trox + Tierney will be able to offer new skills, greater value, and improved purchasing efficiencies to districts and other organizations, as well as access to a larger network of vendors, products, and geographies."Given the complementary geographic footprints between Trox and Tierney, the combined organization can now cover the entire U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada to better serve the education sector. Its comprehensive portfolio of products and services will provide greater selection, service and convenience in support of educators in K-12 and higher ed."Both Trox and Tierney share strong, values-driven cultures, which we will build upon as a unified organization," said Rob Gag, CEO, Tierney. "Our customer-first approach and deep market knowledge will enable us to bring new and innovative services and offerings to market faster, helping our customers better leverage technology to address their toughest challenges."The Trox + Tierney merger combines two formidable and complementary technology portfolios and creates a complete suite of education-specific services, including design and installation, IT asset disposition (ITAD) and product lifecycle management, professional development, and pre- and post-deployment technical support.Pikar said, "Together, we will make the process of operating a district or school considerably easier and enable educators to focus on what they do best – providing all students with an opportunity to succeed."For more information about Trox, visit www.trox.com. For more information about Tierney, visit www.tierney.com.

Many would say that teacher professional development is a luxury during this time of crisis for educators. Esben Stærk believes it is more important than ever. In this episode of EdTech today, he describes how LEGO, in conjunction with Tufts University, developed courses for teachers to be inspired by LEGO products no matter what the current learning scenario may be.LEGO Education this month announced LEGO Education Professional Development, a personalized, competency-based learning program that inspires and actively engages teachers in facilitating playful and hands-on STEAM learning. With a research-based approach, classroom videos, and on-demand flexibility, LEGO Education Professional Development enables teachers to choose courses that fit their interests and schedules, learn best practices, analyze student learning, and directly apply this knowledge in their classrooms.Going beyond traditional product training, LEGO Education Professional Development is built on the LEGO Education Competency-Based Framework for Educators and empowers teachers to practice and facilitate critical concepts needed to drive student learning outcomes. The framework includes four core categories: Pedagogy, STEAM Concepts, 21st Century Skills, and Classroom Management.Esben Stærk, president of LEGO Education, said: “We are excited to offer a new platform to support teachers' professional development and equip them with strategies and skills to make STEAM learning playful. When teachers are truly confident in playful hands-on learning, they deliver more motivating, engaging, and joyful learning experiences. Combine confident teachers and students together and the classroom becomes a place of endless possibilities limited only by their imagination and creativity."LEGO Education worked closely with seasoned classroom practitioners at Tufts University Center for Engineering Education Outreach (CEEO) to ensure the program was designed for the needs of today's educators. Research from Tufts CEEO supported the LEGO Education view that a self-guided, blended program of competency and product training can provide a meaningful experience for educators and accommodate individual interests and learning preferences.The free online program is modular to give teachers flexibility with two kinds of self-guided learning modules: Learning Bursts for quick and focused skills practice and Learning Quests for deeper competency development. This means teachers can pick and choose courses based on the topic or length and aren't required to follow a predetermined order. Teachers observe playful STEAM learning through videos of real classrooms and teacher interviews that help demonstrate the competencies in a variety of learning environments, including in-person, physically distanced, and virtual classrooms."As educators, we must build confidence in ourselves before we can build confidence in our students. LEGO Education Professional Development offers any educator the opportunity to observe and learn from experienced teachers from anywhere. I can brush up on teaching techniques or coding during my lunch break or even from the comfort of my couch. The engaging and relevant courses not only develop teaching skills, but also build confidence using real-world classroom examples and best practices,” said Jennifer Rodabaugh, STEAM Lab Teacher, Picadome Elementary in Lexington, Kentucky.LEGO Education Professional Development will launch in eight languages and feature LEGO Education SPIKE Prime and LEGO Education BricQ Motion product training with additional LEGO Education solutions added throughout the year.

How do you extrapolate insights on pandemic leadership, the role of women in edtech, and the dynamics of Zoom in just over 20 minutes? Listen to Kelli Campbell, President of Discovery Education as she imparts on how Discovery Education continues to reinvent products and services during COVID, how gender disparities in education need to be rectified, and what board meetings may look like in the “new normal.”In her new role as President, Campbell will expand her portfolio and oversee all aspects of Discovery Education's customer lifecycle management operations, as well as manage the recently acquired Mystery Science business. Most recently, Campbell served as the company's President of International and University. In that role she led the development of innovative partnerships with Ministries of Education in Egypt, Chile, and with channel partners worldwide, and oversaw the development of the Discovery Education's Impact Network, whose members offer educators online access to Discovery Education's high-quality graduate-level professional learning content.Previously, Campbell led the creation and launch of the Discovery Education's Techbook line of business. In 2015, Campbell served on the committee that developed President Barack Obama's “Digital Textbook Playbook.” Prior to joining Discovery Education in 2006, she served as Vice President of Marketing & Product Development at Clearvue & SVE. An early pioneer in using cloud-based digital content for instruction, Campbell directed the creation, launch, and distribution of the award-winning PowerMediaPlus.com media-on-demand system.“Throughout my career at Discovery Education, I've had the privilege of seeing firsthand the tremendous impact our digital resources and professional learning can have on teaching and learning,” said Campbell. “I'm excited to work alongside Scott, our Board of Directors, and the rest of the Discovery Education team on our shared mission to prepare all learners for tomorrow by creating innovative classrooms connected to today's world.”Below is an excerpt from a blog post Kelli wrote on LinkedIn last month:Right now, an estimated 76% of K-12 educators in the U.S. are women, according to AASA. The issue isn't that most teachers are women, but rather like far too many industries and sectors, women's leadership isn't reflected in leadership positions. Only 24% of school district's chief officers are women. While the total percent of women superintendents grew from 6.6% to 13.2% since 1990, 87% of men still hold that role within school districts nationwide. The lack of representation of women, particularly women of color, in these leadership levels impacts all of education.Diversity at all levels fosters innovation and stronger, more equitable informed decision making that is reflective of today's students. Women's leadership in education supports the need for ongoing equity and diverse voices in the content, resources, and access provided to teachers and students in the U.S. and around the world.While we need to have more women in leadership positions, reaching that goal cannot (and should not!) follow the old narrative of women ‘leaning in'. Research shows that addressing gender differences in leadership isn't as simple as encouraging women to be more like men. Rather, all genders must identify, practice, and emulate successful leadership styles, which in practice, include many traits commonly associated with women's working styles. In my experience, what makes a good leader are those very traits I see most often in my women colleagues: perseverance, empathy, open-mindedness, grace under pressure, multitasking, and open communication.

As a 25+ year veteran of education technology, Elliott Levine has seen a lot of change. In his new role with Qualcomm, he has the opportunity to affect more change than ever before. In this episode of EdTech Today, Elliott outlines the challenges that lie ahead for post-pandemic issues and, more importantly, the solution to meet those challenges.One aspect of his efforts include Qualcomm Wireless Reach, a program that brings advanced wireless technologies to underserved communities globally. Wireless Reach enriches people's lives through programs that strengthen economic and social development. Since 2006, Wireless Reach has impacted more than 20 million people.Education is a key driver for growth, economic development and the advancement of societies. Wireless technologies can bring high-quality education to all communities, regardless of income status or location. Wireless Reach supports the potential of “always on, always connected” mobile devices to dramatically improve teaching and learning.The Qualcomm Wireless Reach Initiative is part of the corporation's 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report, which reports on the Company's environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in 2020. The report notes the Company has met or exceeded its 2020 goals and unveils 2025 Corporate Responsibility targets which will serve to help drive progress towards the Company's 2030 vision and continue to advance in key ESG areas, including: diversity and inclusion; purposeful innovation; STEM education; supply chain management, greenhouse gas emissions reduction; and product power efficiency.“We have had many successes over the last year despite the unforeseen challenges of 2020. As we continue to work toward our 2030 Vision, I am proud to report we successfully met or exceeded our 2020 corporate responsibility goals,” said Steve Mollenkopf, Chief Executive Officer, Qualcomm Incorporated. “As we look forward, we have established 2025 quantitative targets and are focused on building a more diverse workforce, being a responsible corporate citizen, integrating sustainability into every aspect of our business and using the Company's breakthrough technologies to transform industries, help build a more resilient economy, and catalyze social change for billions of people across the globe.”

Earlier this year, Marcus Kingsley joined SchoolStatus, the K12 edtech company that harnesses student data insight to power teacher conversations. According to company executives, Kingsley excels in the development of strategic alliances with customers to drive sustainable growth and will be leading an established team of Regional Sales Executives, Sales Development Representatives, and Customer Success Managers.“The need for dependable communication tools that serve teachers, administrators, and parents is undeniable right now,” says SchoolStatus founder and CEO Russ Davis. “Communication tools that build relationships between school and home are the foundation for district success in attendance, graduation rates, school climate, and more–particularly with the challenges of remote and hybrid learning. Marcus brings experience that will help us meet school districts' demand for K12 communication tools with integrity.”Before joining SchoolStatus, Kingsley served as both the VP of Sales and Marketing for NetSupport Inc. and as an executive board member for UK based NetSupport Group, a leading global EdTech provider. During his tenure there, Kingsley was responsible for formulating and executing its strategic sales strategy for the Americas, accelerating it to market-leading status in each of the segments in which it operated.Its portfolio of products included one of the most widely utilized Classroom Management solutions, Student Safeguarding, and Mass Alerting & Notification tools. The highly awarded product suite enjoyed an installation footprint exceeding 15 million students, leading to its status as one of the primary EdTech suppliers in the North American market.“I'm extremely excited to be joining SchoolStatus at such a crucial phase in its evolution as it harnesses the growing need for effective data-driven parental engagement tools,” says Kingsley. “Quite possibly there has never been a more pivotal moment where educators need the benefits of having simple, intuitive yet powerful communication tools at their disposal.”“We've seen tremendous, albeit difficult, changes in school districts in the past year. But there has been a lot of innovation as well,” explains Davis. “On one end of the spectrum was an increase in parental involvement with children at home; caregivers had more visibility into the day-to-day educational experience. At the same time, many parents struggled to maintain their jobs, or were not able to be at home with their children who may or may not have had devices or broadband access to participate in remote learning.”While some parents are poised to be more involved than ever before, other parents have been lost. “SchoolStatus helps school districts meet the needs of all their families,” says Davis. “We bring in leaders who look ahead to see what is possible.”“With an exciting roadmap already in place for 2021, SchoolStatus is set to further reinforce its position as the leading platform for data-informed communication,” says Kingsley. “Continuing its unwavering drive to improve parental engagement and communication between the school and the home.”

Chalk up another bit of crazy pandemic business—While McGraw Hill Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Shawn K. Smith and Dr. Dylan Arena, Co-Founder and CEO of Kidaptive, have never met in person, they have still been able to work a major acquisition into the fold of an iconic education brand. In this episode of EdTech Today, the pair details just how you do something like that and trade insights into how personalized learning will continue to evolve.McGraw Hill last announced that it has acquired Kidaptive, Inc., an adaptive learning platform company with industry-leading expertise in learning science, early learning, and data analytics worldwide.Kidaptive's world-class team of learning scientists, psychometricians, data scientists and engineers will join a new Center for Innovation within McGraw Hill's School group, led by Smith, who joined the company in November 2020. The team is focused on developing smarter and lighter student-centered solutions that will power even more personalized learning experiences.“We see tremendous potential in this combination of McGraw Hill's content development expertise, vast curriculum inventory and extensive student interaction data with Kidaptive's ability to pinpoint each student's position on a personal learning journey,” said Sean Ryan, President of McGraw Hill's School group. “This is about delivering precision at scale to the benefit of students, teachers and families.”All Kidaptive employees will be joining McGraw Hill following the acquisition. “The Kidaptive team is thrilled to join McGraw Hill and bring to scale the ideas and innovations we've worked so hard to develop over the last 10 years,” said Arena..“With learning science as our guide, we're continuing to pursue a future where students are able to get the support, content and instruction they need at the moment they need it,” said Smith. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we've seen just how important it is for teachers and students to have access to digital tools that give them personalized, equitable support. This work has never been more urgent.”The acquisition of Kidaptive is one of several McGraw Hill has made since it became an independent company in 2013, with a focus on strengthening the company's capabilities in adaptive and digital learning. Those include ALEKS Corporation in 2013, the LearnSmart technology in 2014 and Redbird Advanced Learning in 2016.

Would this massive shift to remote working and learning have worked without Adobe digital tools like PDFs and Portfolio? The way that Mala Sharma, VP & GM Creative Cloud Product, Marketing and Community at Adobe explains it, we don't think so. In this episode of EdTech Today, Mala details the pandemic moves and methodologies of one of Silicon Valley's most legendary software companies and how she believes that we all can come out of this mess more resilient through creativity.Mala recently expressed these sentiments in a blog post, an excerpt of which is below:COVID-19 and subsequent shelter-at-home orders have not only affected the way teachers teach and students learn in the near term — they have also jump-started an important, longer-term conversation about what is and isn't working in our current education system — a conversation that has been needed for years.And we're presented with a unique opportunity for all invested parties — from educators, academic leaders, and policymakers to parents and, most importantly, the students these institutions support — to use our collective creative minds to reimagine what student success in our education system looks like.Adobe's Education group always strives to have our finger on the pulse of all of these parties — and, given the unprecedented nature of this school year, this past June we reached out to more than 1,000 high school students across the U.S., while many were sheltering at home to gauge their sentiments about school, their plans for the fall, and their feeling about their futures after everything that has happened in 2020.Here is what they told us:While nearly one-third reported they're likely to consider a gap year before college, 90% are still likely to attend a four-year college or university.More than half (57%) now believe that what they learn outside of school is more important in preparing them for their future than what they learn in school. That's a 30% increase from 2016.While the number of students feeling worried, nervous, or scared about the future has increased by 17% compared with 2016, the vast majority (85%) are still optimistic about their futures.Despite unprecedented uncertainties and the rise in their worries, 18% more high school students today have a dream job they're working toward than they did in 2016. What's more, today's dream jobs are in a creatively diverse set of careers, such as the arts, nursing, design, and engineering.Read more about Adobe's Distance Learning initiatives and resources here.

For Doug Roberts, Co-Founder and CEO of The Institute for Education Innovation (IEI), it was go big or go home in 2020 with hosting actual in-person events, with actual school district leaders. With some of his and his team's own use of innovation, they pulled it off. In this episode of EdTech Today, Doug talks about both the pivots they made to survive, as well as the moves education executives continue to make as districts prepare for the fall.IEI Summits bring together instructional leaders, solution providers, and edtech investors to develop effective, sustainable solutions to real-world, right-now issues in K–12 public education.Due to Covid-19, the organization transitioned their summits to regional, hybrid events with virtual and on-site attendees. The health and safety of our members and guests was crucial but work still needed to be done.Doug has worked with leading ed-tech entrepreneurs and district administrators for almost 20 years, developing partnerships that improve outcomes for students and help nascent organizations get their "sea legs."As Founder and President of Educational Solutions Consulting, Doug found that there was a piece of the puzzle missing, a barrier between those who run school districts and those who start companies to help school districts. He partnered with some of the nation's most innovative educational leaders to form IEI to bridge that gap.

There is good reason that Myles Hunter, Co-founder and CEO of TutorMe, was accepted into the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only community for the world's most successful entrepreneurs 45 and younger, this year. His online tutoring solution has not only accelerated during the pandemic but has the potential to further transform higher education. In this episode of EdTechToday, Myles breaks down the model and details how online tutoring can bring benefits for both students and institutions.Myles was selected to join YEC based on his accomplishments as an entrepreneur and proven industry leadership. "I am honored to be selected to join the Young Entrepreneur Council," shared Hunter. "I am looking forward to sharing my experiences and inspiring other young leaders to start their entrepreneurial journey."Scott Gerber, founder of YEC, says, "We are honored to welcome Myles to YEC. Our philosophy is that by curating the very best entrepreneurial minds around and providing them with a space to build meaningful relationships and access more opportunity, our members can further their success and the success of the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem." The company last month announced an integration with Clever, the most widely used single sign-on (SSO) portal in K-12 schools nationwide. COVID-19 introduced K-12 parents and children to the benefits of online tutoring. Likewise, teachers and administrators saw how helpful access to 24/7 online tutoring was when a student needed immediate help."As schools have begun transitioning students back to classrooms, they are continuing to integrate services like TutorMe into their ongoing student support services," said TutorMe Co-founder and CEO Myles Hunter.Through this integration, district and charter schools that use Clever, and that partner with TutorMe to provide their K-12 students with on-demand access to TutorMe's 24/7 online tutoring platform, can do so with single sign-on into their online platforms."Our integration with Clever is part of TutorMe's overarching commitment to make learning as convenient and effective as possible," continued Hunter.

How do you tackle COVID response, the misnomer that is “learning loss,” artificial intelligence, digital platforms and pedagogy, plus Rodney Dangerfield in 25 minutes? In this episode of EdTech Today, Dreambox Learning CEO Jessie Woolley-Wilson addresses all of that and more.DreamBox Learning, the K-8 digital math company that pioneered Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ technology, recently announced new features that will help educators address the challenges they face connecting with students during virtual learning, while also providing ways to deepen engagement with students returning to in-person instruction during the 2020-21 school year. DreamBox's new features were specifically designed to support the variety of learning environments being implemented across the country in the wake of COVID-19—including in-person, all virtual and hybrid models— and focus on meeting students' social-emotional needs while also measuring and ensuring student growth.DreamBox's new capabilities address the most critical learning needs expressed by educators at the moment and provide the tools needed to keep students engaged and motivated to learn. The updates include an embedded direct messaging feature that gives teachers a tool to directly communicate with and encourage students within DreamBox, and also provides students with a simple way to ask questions privately to their teacher. In addition, brand new reports provide educators with a better understanding of their students' daily activity, ongoing growth, and math competency, and new, innovative DreamBox lessons help to improve student understanding of key concepts.“We've heard directly from teachers about the critical need for tools to better connect and engage with their students during remote and hybrid learning,” said Tim Hudson, PhD, Chief Learning Officer of DreamBox Learning. “DreamBox has always been built by teachers for teachers, which is why our new teacher-student messaging feature, interactive word problem lessons, and virtual manipulatives for 2D and 3D geometry topics will help teachers stay connected to students while helping improve their learning. Now more than ever, our goal is to support teachers with resources and tools that meet their needs regardless of the learning environment they're returning to this fall.”New DreamBox features released today help teachers and students with:Meeting Students' Social-Emotional Needs: During school closures, teacher and student communication is even more vital to engage and support students. To foster this important connection and build math confidence, DreamBox now offers an embedded messaging tool for teachers to send custom notes or pre-written messages of encouragement to an individual student or an entire class. Students can use emojis to respond to their teacher's notes or initiate their own conversation with teachers by choosing from pre-written messages such as, “I need more time to be successful at this,” and, “I'm feeling pretty good about this.” Students who use DreamBox in Spanish will automatically see all messages in Spanish, and students with reading difficulties can hear these messages read aloud. This new capability makes it possible for teachers to attend to each student's social and emotional learning needs outside of the classroom while fostering critical thinking, differentiation, and confidence in math.Quick Insights into Student Usage and Growth: This school year, whether they are providing in-person or virtual instruction, a teacher's time is more valuable than ever. DreamBox's updated Insights Dashboard and new reporting help teachers quickly get the insights they need most about daily student usage and growth over time. The new Student Usage Report gives educators clear, daily insights into student activity and learning time in a remote setting while also monitoring math learning progress. District and school administrators will also have access to DreamBox's new Growth Report to clearly see how students using DreamBox are growing in terms of externally calibrated grade level benchmarks. In line with the findings from independent efficacy studies, students completing at least five DreamBox lessons per week grow an average of 1.5 grade levels during a single school year, regardless of whether they start below, at, or above grade level.Math Lessons that Promote Critical Thinking: DreamBox's new and innovative lessons support student understanding of math concepts and build critical thinking skills in ways that no other math software program can. Using a new interactive word problems tool, students have a powerful way to engage in mathematical processes and practices in order to connect words and symbols to equations. DreamBox has also developed a new set of manipulatives and games to build student understanding of perimeter, area, and volume. DreamBox's lessons support sense-making and strong mathematical reasoning by connecting students with these key geometric concepts in ways that can only be achieved in a digital environment.“Partnering with DreamBox helped make remote learning possible in the spring and provided our school with a full view of our students' math learning competency. These new tools will be necessary for continuing in our efforts to address attendance and each student's learning needs,” said Kim Dougherty, a teacher at Crow Creek Tribal School. “After trying the new student-teacher messaging with a few of my own students, I am looking forward to being able to share feedback and motivate students that are struggling within a particular lesson or concept this new school year. The new messaging feature will help me reach out to my students when they are frustrated and encourage them to take on new math concepts together!”Other DreamBox Features Supporting Learning Guardians and StudentsThese new features are just the latest capabilities DreamBox has introduced to help all learning guardians navigate this new school year. Earlier this year, DreamBox accelerated the release of DreamBox Predictive Insights in response to the cancellation of state tests due to COVID-19. As the only elementary digital math program that can predict how students would have performed on state standardized tests without the need for additional testing, DreamBox provides district administrators and educators with important insights into student learning after just a few weeks of using DreamBox.In support of parents and guardians, DreamBox is continuing to offer access to DreamBox's Parent Dashboard for parents and guardians of students with school accounts to create closer connections between home and school. Whether their school decides to continue with online learning or resumes school in-person, parents and guardians can view reports and data about their child's DreamBox use, learning growth, and achievement milestones.DreamBox is used by five million students and 200,000 educators in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico. Through its Intelligent Adaptive Learning technology, DreamBox personalizes the learning experience for students by adapting to students' learning both within and between math lessons, offering students the right lesson at the right time in both English and Spanish.DreamBox continues to introduce new features and capabilities to provide a proven-effective, personalized learning experience serving the unique needs of all students and learning guardians. Independent research conducted by Harvard's Center for Education Policy Research shows that students who use DreamBox for just one hour a week improve their math scores by nearly 60% more than expected growth norms on benchmark and state tests. DreamBox is also the only elementary online math program with the highest rating of “Strong” from Johns Hopkins' EvidenceforESSA.org. To learn more about DreamBox, visit https://www.dreambox.com/.

Anyone else miss crowded trade show floors, hotel lobby bars, and last-minute coffee meetups? In this episode of EdTech Today, edTech industry event veteran Frank Catalano dives into “The List”—his ever-changing tally of in-person education events that suddenly disappeared one year ago this month—and divines when we may once again be brushing elbows, instead of trading Zoom waves, with colleagues.Frank Catalano is a veteran education technology analyst, industry strategy consultant and widely published author. Frank has been a senior executive with Pearson, ProExam and the SchoolMessenger business of West (now Intrado). He also was a consulting senior analyst with MDR's EdNET Insight market research service and the founding director of the EdSurge Intelligence service. Frank is perhaps best known for his lively technology analysis and commentary for a number of media outlets. He currently writes a regular column for the edtech news site EdSurge and previously was a long-running contributor to the tech news site GeekWire. He's active on Twitter as @FrankCatalano.

Anyone else miss crowded trade show floors, hotel lobby bars, and last-minute coffee meetups? In this episode of EdTech Today, edTech industry event veteran Frank Catalano dives into “The List”—his ever-changing tally of in-person education events that suddenly disappeared one year ago this month—and divines when we may once again be brushing elbows, instead of trading Zoom waves, with colleagues.“The tools and techniques have gotten a lot better for online conferences. I give ISTE credit for this. They built their own platform when they were forced to go virtual. They're going that way again this year, and they realized that this can't just be all about Zoom.” - Frank CatalanoFrank Catalano is a veteran education technology analyst, industry strategy consultant and widely published author. Frank has been a senior executive with Pearson, ProExam and the SchoolMessenger business of West (now Intrado). He also was a consulting senior analyst with MDR's EdNET Insight market research service and the founding director of the EdSurge Intelligence service. Frank is perhaps best known for his lively technology analysis and commentary for a number of media outlets. He currently writes a regular column for the edtech news site EdSurge and previously was a long-running contributor to the tech news site GeekWire. He's active on Twitter as @FrankCatalano.

Let's face it. Some things aren't going to go back to normal. That's a good thing, according to Julio Ronchetti, CEO and Founder at NOVVA AI Technology, whose company's platform is aiming to reinvent the college fair experience. In this episode, Julio describes how the pandemic has forced higher ed to comes to terms with its inefficiencies and how ultimately the students will come out better for it.How the company describes their solution:Virtual fair platform:We created one of the most robust and innovative Virtual fair platforms that allow students, parents, high school counselors, and college recruiters to have engaging and meaningful conversations. Our live student virtual fairs and networking events help domestic recruiters achieve their recruitment goals as Gen Z gravitates with ease in the mobile world. Virtual fairs provide them with engaging and immediately beneficial experiences that they appreciate.AI Communication Platform:We created NOVVA's artificial intelligence Communication Platform to provide universities and colleges a powerful tool to shape future outcomes, automate complex processes, and optimize time spent with students. The system also provides behavioral analytics in real-time, tracks the ROI for marketing campaigns, predicts which students are more likely to enroll or drop out, and connects to social media channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, and Facebook Messenger. In short, this platform works to help universities improve their recruitment and retention results and empowers the university personnel.

Students cannot learn while in a state of trauma. Seems obvious now, but it wasn't always when it came to school district structures. In this episode of EdTech Today, EmpowerU Founder and CEO Katie Dorn talks about how the perception of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has been completely transformed during COVID and how if education systems are to recover and thrive, mental health treatments have to be at the forefront.EmpowerU recently announced that the company has secured $1 million in seed funding to launch its highly personalized, tech-powered, social-emotional learning solution nationwide. The funding will fuel EmpowerU's efforts to bring much-needed mental health support to students beyond Minnesota, where more than 1,000 students have already benefited with improved wellbeing, confidence, and hope.This round of financing was led by Capita3, a Twin Cities venture firm with a focus on women-led organizations. Additional investment partners include ECMC and GreatNorth Labs.A recent EdWeek survey indicated that 66% of high school principals are actively searching for effective solutions to battle the escalating levels of student anxiety, avoidance and depression. With EmpowerU, student growth happens one day at a time, one small step at a time through engaging, online skill-building lessons supported by daily 1:1 motivational coaching. This daily blend of support results in significant improvements in emotional wellbeing, school attendance, and grades, while decreasing the need for more costly interventions.EmpowerU coaches are highly trained, empathetic therapists who help students face their obstacles and make the important connection between core concepts in online lessons and the unique challenges in their lives, fueling change.“EmpowerU delivers transformational student support at a fraction of the cost of therapy,” said Katie Dorn, the company's co-founder. “As a licensed school counselor and therapist, I know how desperate educators are for cost-effective tools that actually help students overcome struggle. Although most students are unable to control their barriers, EmpowerU helps them navigate obstacles and come out the other side stronger. Students build hope that despite their difficult circumstances, they can feel better and thrive, today and in the future.”Independent evaluation of EmpowerU showed that:More than 93% of students who complete EmpowerU make a dramatic shift from discouragement and anxiety to improved wellbeing, motivation, and hope.More than 88% of students complete the program, compared to 5-30% completion rates with other programs.More than 98.5% of students would recommend EmpowerU to a friend or classmate.Students can access the EmpowerU portal on any computer or mobile device. The semester-long course can be completed online in only 20 to 30 minutes per weekday. EmpowerU's approach is aligned with CASEL and National Health and Wellness standards, so students who complete all six units of the course can receive a semester wellness credit.

Not even one month into his new role as Chief Strategy Officer at ParentSquare and Chad Stevens has created the first and possibly most important edtech acronym for 2021. In this episode of EdTech Today, Chad drops the particulars of Parent Relationship Management (PRM) and how the present technologies that kept families connected to schools during COVID will only improve as we move past it.Sevens joins ParentSquare from Amazon Web Services where he most recently had the title of Leader, K-12 Education, guiding the team focused on K-12 customer priorities to provide cloud infrastructure and services that support improved academic performance and operations. Stevens had been with Amazon for five years and was an inaugural employee of the AWS K-12 team.In the new Chief Strategy Officer role, Stevens will work closely with ParentSquare's co-founders, CEO Sohit Wadhwa and President Anupama Vaid, to expand ParentSquare's relationships with school districts across the U.S., supplying insights and driving execution based on his extensive knowledge of K-12 institutions and the edtech industry. “We're excited to have Chad—with his depth of experience and strong reputation in education—on the executive team at ParentSquare,” said Wadhwa. “He's been a long-time advocate for the intelligent use of technology in schools, which aligns with ParentSquare's drive to improve parent engagement and communications equity.”Stevens is well known in education and edtech. He serves as a board member of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and sits on the Driving K-12 Innovation Global Advisory Board. He also recently was part of the Washington Remote Learning Taskforce that examined remote learning challenges facing students during the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, and made recommendations to best address them.Prior to Amazon, he was Chief Education Strategist for CDW-G and, among several earlier school roles, was Chief Technology Officer and Principal for the Clear Creek Independent School District in Texas. He has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University.“I've dedicated my career to improving education outcomes for all students,” Stevens said. “Becoming part of ParentSquare is a perfect fit that allows me to get back to my roots as a teacher, Principal and Chief Technology Officer while using my private and public sector experience to impact millions of students, educators and parents.”

While infrastructure may not sound like the sexiest of topics when it comes to reinventing education through IT, it remains the most essential. With the news that Clever, the most widely used digital learning platform in U.S. K-12 schools, recent partnership announcement with Identity Automation, the leader in identity management for education, that talk is about to get more frisky. In this episode of Edtech Today, CEOs Tyler Bosmeny and Jim Harold break down how that can happen."More than ever, district leaders are counting on education technology to work smoothly, all day, every day. Sixty-five percent of districts nationwide have adopted Clever to make learning applications work seamlessly, and increasingly they have asked if we could bring that same power and ease to managing their core identity systems like Active Directory, Microsoft 365, and Google," said Tyler Bosmeny, Chief Executive Officer of Clever. "Now we can help districts connect both IT and curriculum systems quickly, securely, and at a fraction of the cost of alternatives with Clever IDM Enterprise."There has been a 92% increase in use of learning applications in schools within the last year alone, according to Clever data. While Clever seamlessly manages access to learning applications, districts still face a complex problem that threatens the smooth functioning of learning and IT systems—creating and maintaining user information in core identity systems. Student, teacher and staff information is updated constantly, meaning errors can arise at any time, preventing students and staff from accessing the applications they use daily.Now, Clever and Identity Automation have developed a comprehensive, enterprise-level identity management solution for K-12 schools that is affordable and can be implemented in days.Clever IDM Enterprise delivers the following benefits:Automation of repetitive manual processes: This new solution eliminates the delays and errors in account creation that are inevitable with manual processes, giving students faster access to the resources they need and reducing demands on overtaxed IT departments.Data security and privacy: Clever IDM Enterprise helps districts protect student data and mitigate the risk of a data breach by automatically enforcing security policies across each application, protecting sensitive data, and closing security gaps from old user credentials and access rights.Set up takes days – not months: The implementation of technology systems can be time-consuming and costly. For school districts who are rostered with Clever, onboarding Clever IDM Enterprise is quick and easy.Fraction of the cost of other identity management solutions in the market: Because the Clever digital learning platform (including single sign-on, rostering, messaging, and analytics) is always free for districts, they have the option to add Clever IDM Enterprise in order to cover all of their identity management needs for a much lower price than that of other solutions."Clever and Identity Automation provide critical services for us, and this partnership is a gamechanger. A joint offering from these two market leaders can only provide immense benefit for all schools." Dustin Hardin, Chief Technology Officer, Humble Independent School District in Humble, Texas."We have found a like-minded mission-driven partner in Clever," said Jim Harold, Chief Executive Officer of Identity Automation. "We look forward to helping more districts make technology work for them, not against—enabling them to focus their time and attention on what matters most: students. Clever IDM Enterprise will be available for implementation in June.

In this episode, Michael talks about the effects COVID-19 has had on higher education and hopefully the silver linings that can come out of it.Michael Horn speaks and writes about the future of education and works with a portfolio of education organizations to create a world in which all individuals can build their passions and fulfill their potential. He is the author of many books, including Choosing College, and Goodnight Box, a children's story.Michael is a senior strategist at Guild Education, which partners with leading employers and organizations to help offer education and upskilling opportunities to America's workforce. He is also the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, a non-profit think tank.Michael is the author and coauthor of multiple books, white papers, and articles on education, including the award-winning book Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns and the Amazon-bestseller Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools. He serves on the board and advisory boards of a range of education organizations, including the Clayton Christensen Institute, the Robin Hood Learning+Tech Fund, and the LearnLaunch Institute. He also serves as an executive editor at Education Next and is a venture partner at NextGen Venture Partners.Michael was selected as a 2014 Eisenhower Fellow to study innovation in education in Vietnam and Korea, and Tech&Learning magazine named him to its list of the 100 most important people in the creation and advancement of the use of technology in education. Michael holds a BA in history from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

In this episode of EdTech Today, SXSW EDU executive producers Ron Reed and Greg Rosenbaum detail their pivots this past year and share valuable insights for any ed exec who creates, exhibits, or attends edtech events.Keynote sessions convene the SXSW EDU Online community each morning, bringing together powerful voices for discourse on a topic impacting education. This year, the keynote lineup spotlights incredibly timely and important discussions for all education stakeholders.Commencing SXSW EDU Online, as previously announced, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry will lead the opening keynote discussion on the impact of childhood trauma on who we become, the decisions we make, and how healing must start with one question ‘what happened to you?' Ms. Winfrey and Dr. Perry have co-authored a book on the topic, What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, which will be released in April.Newly announced, Kimberly Bryant, Founder and CEO of Black Girls CODE and Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code will be in conversation for Wednesday's keynote discussion on the gender gap in computing and programming, especially in underrepresented groups.On the final day of SXSW EDU Online programming, author Nic Stone and Brittany Hogan, Director of Educational Equity and Diversity at Rockwood School District, will give their individual and collective thoughts and ideas about how diverse literature can change the hearts and minds of students in the keynote, Empathy in Equity: Author and Educator. Join the keynote speakers directly after their session for a live Q&A you won't want to miss.Join Us for SXSW EDU OnlineSecure your pass for SXSW EDU Online, March 9-11, 2021 at the current rate of $139 before passes sell out. SXSW EDU Online also offers group and student discounts.Sign up for the SXSW EDU email update for all the latest news and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

In this episode, experts from the K12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX) – a new national non-profit dedicated solely to helping to protect public and private K-12 schools from cybersecurity threats – detail those issues and offer strategies to combat them.You can join in further conversation next week for a free half-day of virtual presentations and panels on the evolving cybersecurity challenges facing the education sector, and the innovative strategies needed to mitigate them.REGISTER HERE for the complimentary half-day of learning and sharing of best practices/Sessions will include:• An overview and analysis of recent school cybersecurity incidents, based on data from the K-12 Cyber Incident Map• A moderated discussion on incident response, lessons learned, and best practices from education practitioners who have experienced significant cybersecurity attacks and incidents• A panel on best practices including how to work with law enforcement, attorneys, and cyber insurance providers when school cyber attacks occur• Roles for state and federal policymakers in mitigating school cybersecurity risks. Speaker and session details are available on www.k12six.org.About K12 SIXKindergarten Through Twelfth Grade Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX) is a cyber and physical threat intelligence sharing hub for schools, to aid in preventing and mitigating attacks. This non-profit member community is a cost-effective forum for crowdsourcing security information among a vetted, trusted group of professionals with a common interest, using common technology and with supporting, independent analysis from the K12 SIX security staff. K12 SIX is currently recruiting members and sponsors. Please visit www.k12six.org to learn more and to take advantage of a free one-year membership for eligible K-12 organizations for a limited time.

On this episode of EdTech Today, host Kevin Hogan sits down with Knittel to gain insight on how Social Emotional Learning will become a big part of educations future.Her company, 7 Mindsets, the pioneer in delivering social emotional learning (SEL) solutions that include mindsets, equity and multicultural pedagogy, is taking on an expanded role in the SEL delivered by Stride, Inc., one of the nation's leading virtual/online education providers. 7 Mindsets will now provide SEL courses and curriculums, leadership training and teacher professional development throughout the entire Stride, Inc., system for the next three years.7 Mindsets and Stride, Inc., alliance began in 2014. At that time, 7 Mindsets provided services for four schools designed to help struggling students that were on the verge of dropping out. Three years later, Stride, Inc., added 11 more schools to the 7 Mindsets roster. With the expanded partnership, 7 Mindsets is now serving all of Stride Inc.'s schools and over 120,000 students, up from just 27,000 students in 2019.“Stride, Inc., is the largest virtual school organization in the United States, and we are very pleased to be an integral part of their expanding SEL program,” said 7 Mindsets President, Lupita Knittel. “We know that our age-appropriate, culturally-relevant curriculum is not only engaging but as an adaptable, digital curriculum it's the perfect resource for a virtual school environment.”The 7 Mindsets program is a proven, research-based SEL solution that helps districts and schools sustain positive school cultures rooted in relationships. What sets 7 Mindsets apart from other K-12 SEL programs is that it nurtures the mindsets of educators first, and then students, empowering each member of the school community to live a life of purpose, passion, and meaning. The 7 Mindsets program includes a comprehensive web-based curriculum, professional development and ongoing coaching designed to nurture the social emotional health of teachers and provide training needed for everyone to succeed. The curriculum can be configured to work with any school schedule for both on-site and virtual learning.In addition to the web-based curriculum, 7 Mindsets is providing professional development for Stride, Inc.'s 4,000 teachers throughout the country. They are also coaching their leadership team, showing them what to monitor and how to coach the schools' administrators in turn.“One of the things about 7 Mindsets that really impressed us was that they devote time to developing the social emotional competencies of the teachers and to giving administrators tools for continuously providing adult social emotional learning opportunities,” said Faith Shanholtzer, Vice President of Curriculum, Instruction and Strategic Programming in Stride's Office of Teaching and Learning. “Those skills and tools not only help create a great learning culture for our students, but they also empower our educators to stay connected to their work in a deep, meaningful way. Our students learn virtually, but this partnership will ensure that they feel psychologically connected and grounded even during these unprecedented times.”