EdTech Today

As we propel ourselves into the mid-decade of the 2020s, the manufacturing operations all over the world are under significant disruption. Technology advancements, the rise of 5G, the pandemic’s influence, and more recently, decarbonization efforts in the fight against climate change have redefined the landscape. As vast capital shifts into the decarbonization movement, it…

The rise in adolescent suicides is an alarming trend, gaining global attention in recent years. Youth and young adults ages 10-24 comprise 15% of suicide deaths in the United States and are the second leading cause of death amongst this age group. Amidst these grim statistics, the essential role of educational institutions in youth…

Amidst and after the pandemic, there is more pressure on teachers to produce more outputs than inputs; people call for more responsibility and standardization in teaching and learning. This pressure trauma is showcasing itself and putting immense pressure on teachers to perform effectively, leading to burnout, quitting, and losing great people in the field. According…

Dr. Paula Love, Founder of RFP Match, joined Tyler Kern for a refresher on ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) to talk about the latest funding available to help schools. There were plenty of updates and opportunities to share. Since the pandemic, several different COVID relief acts and packages have provided much-needed funds to…

All over the country, volunteers are serving their school districts and communities. Finding them isn’t the only task but managing and maintaining volunteer relationships canquickly become a challenge without the proper tools and resources.. Host Tyler Kern talked to a school official with a lifetime of volunteer experience. Chris Robinson, the Volunteer Program Supervisor for…

Talking about some of the heavier aspects of school safety is not always a pleasant topic to discuss, but it is critical in today’s environment. People need to know how school districts approach educating and training students on maneuvering and, in worst-case scenarios, surviving violent school incidents. Adam Coughran, co-founder of Safer Kids, Inc., and…

The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) was created in 2013 on the heels of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The Security Industry Association (SIA) and the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) collaborated on the formation of PASS, a volunteer organization focused on providing school administrators, school boards, and public safety officials with a…

In this episode of School Safety Today, host Daniel Litwin spoke with Raptor Technology’s SVP of Product and Engineering, Chris Noell, on the importance of cybersecurity in the classroom. Noell spoke about what it means to have best-in-class IT security requirements to reduce the likelihood of new and dangerous cybersecurity breaches impacting educational settings while…

Even before the pandemic, improving student engagement in critical “gateway” math/science courses has presented a long-standing challenge, especially in traditionally underserved communities. In this episode of EdTech Today, Aurora Martinez, VP & General Manager of Math and Science Foundations at Wiley, discusses the diversity gap in tech careers and how we can leverage education to help close it. Aurora addresses the…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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. On this episode of EdTech Today, Levi introduces us to his nascent company’s offering and provides…

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…

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…

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…

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…

As a teacher, administrator, and now designer, David Jakes has always been at the forefront for reimagining the classroom experience. On this episode of EdTech Today, David talks about how this current disruption makes for an opportunity to capitalize on new teacher enthusiasm and wider community acceptance of what “school” means to change the way…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The best education enterprise software should constantly improve, even during a pandemic. For Marcy Daniel, Chief Product Officer at PowerSchool, that means better teacher agency, stronger data protections, and greater parent inclusion. On this episode of EdTech Today, Marcy details the latest launch particulars of  PowerSchool Unified Classroom 2021 and lays out the potential for better experiences for teachers,…

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…

Todd Zipper believes there will always be a place for a bachelor’s degree, but learning doesn’t stop there. In this episode, the president of Wiley Education Services discusses the importance of lifelong learning, the need for career-connected education to bridge the skills gap and predicts a truly hybrid classroom of the future. Wiley Education Services is a leading, global…

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…

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 of EdTech Today, Kerri itemizes the lessons learned during the past…

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…

Yet another cataclysmic shift in education due to COVID is a new appreciation for the role of student mental health. You can’t learn if you are not well. In this episode, Duncan Young, CEO of Effective School Solutions, a leading provider of school-based mental health services, speaks to mental health’s new center stage role and how these…

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…

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,…

As with many aspects of edTech, gaming technologies have been utilized and applied at an incredibly accelerating rate. On this episode of EdTech Today, David McCool 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…

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 but FranklinCovey, a global company specializing in organizational performance improvement, recently announced the acquisition of Strive, a San Francisco-based EdTech startup, which has developed…

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….

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 Education, in conjunction with Tufts University, developed courses for teachers to be inspired by LEGO Education products no matter what…

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…

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, Levine outlines the challenges that lie ahead for post-pandemic issues and, more importantly, the solution to…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The challenges facing schools have never been greater – but it also presents an exciting opportunity. In the premiere episode of Edtech Today, host Kevin Hogan discusses a variety of issues with remote learning legend Sal Kahn and Anne Wintroub, Director of Social Innovation for the AT&T Foundation. In December, AT&T marked its third-annual Pitches…

While Michael Horn know a lot about disruption in education, pandemics weren’t on the list. On this episode of EdTech Today, 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…

Last year’s cancellation of SXSW EDU in March was the first shocking wake-up call to the madness of the pandemic. This year’s virtual event (March 9-11) with keynote Oprah Winfrey will be a bellwether for what in-person industry powwows may look like in the future. In this episode of EdTech Today, SXSW EDU executive producers…

Before the pandemic, the number one biggest threat to school districts was the compromise of their SIS. Malware, phishing, and ransomware events were rising, and continue to rise, exponentially. In this episode, Rivka Tadjer and Eric Lankford, experts from the K12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX) – a new national non-profit dedicated solely to helping to…

Lupita Knittel believes that before we get back normal, whatever that is, education needs to build a new foundation. Forget curricula and assessments, and metrics, the importance of emotional health, for both students and teachers, needs to be the new priority. On this episode of EdTech Today, host Kevin Hogan sits down with Knittel to…

For William McCallum, CEO and Co-Founder of Illustrative Mathematics, the issue of learning loss has scaled to involve every student, not just a select segment as it was BP (Before Pandemic). In this episode of EdTech Today, he offers insights on how to accomplish this challenge and touches on other new realities including, the future…

Ethan Fieldman may be CEO of the biggest edtech company of which you have never heard. His 10-year-old organization, with no sales or marketing teams, works in partnership with schools, school districts, colleges and universities, state education agencies and others to offer online learning support for more than 1,000,000 students each year. In this episode…

For years before the pandemic (BP), Dr. Monica Burns went from school to school, airport to airport, to help educators make the most of new technologies in the classroom. Now restrained to Zoom calls, she still has a unique perspective of what thousands of teachers are experiencing during this crisis. In this episode of EdTech…

Less than a decade after publishing its first free, openly licensed textbook, OpenStax — Rice University’s educational technology initiative — has saved students $1.2 billion. In this episode of Edtech Today, Kevin Hogan sits down with the Managing Director of OpenStax, Daniel Williamson, to discuss his organization’s efforts to offer openly licensed textbooks integrated with personalized learning…

The pandemic has affected so much in education. But according to Leib Lurie, co-founder of Kids Read Now, one thing will never change—kids reading under the covers with a flashlight. In fact, the current crisis has only made that practice more popular, as long as kids have access to those books. In this episode…

Anthony Salcito doesn’t want things to go back to normal. Rather, he wants things to get better. As VP of Worldwide Education at Microsoft, he has navigated the company’s response to the pandemic across the planet. In this episode of EdTech Today, Anthony examines the new tools and techniques used in this massive beta…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the nation’s economy, with 13.6 million Americans out of work in August 2020. According to McKinsey, even before the current crisis, evolving technologies and new ways of working were disrupting jobs and the skills employees needed to do them. This shift, coupled with a dramatic split in college attendance between higher and…