EdTech
Education Technology is a multi-billion dollar sector of companies innovating in both software and hardware for teaching, learning, and running schools, districts, and state and federal education departments. We document some of the most essential technical innovations and companies that support learning, teaching and more.
Go West (to China), Canada, and Take Your Teachers With You
Two great stories surfaced in my Twitter feed today and they speak to the strange and illuminating practices in Chinese education industry. Some if it could be instructional for those of us in the Americas trying to make a business out of teaching. One was a story about Canada…
Common Core, Day 2
It’s the dawn of a new era. America took a big step forward yesterday and you probably missed it. The nation’s governors and state school chiefs released Common Core State Standards to a decidedly mixed buzz—there is something for everyone to criticize. Before the carping, editing and adding reach a…
NCLB a Rousing Failure, and McKinsey Offers Context
"McKinsey & Company found, for example, that if the gap between low-income students and the rest had been narrowed, the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008 would have been $400 billion to $670 billion higher, or 3 to 5 percent of GDP."
CEOShare: My Idea Kicks Off at Dept of Ed Portal
CEOShare: My Idea Kicks Off at Dept of Ed Portal I was surprised this morning to have received a number of invitations to connect and emails about my project idea, which I had listed at the Department of Education’s Innovation Portal. At this stage, it is just an idea,…
New York State Makes it to First Round
New York State Makes it to First Round New York State is one of 16 first-round finalist for federal funds from Race to the Top, the national competition to re-invigorate American education with US$4.3 bln.
Technology is Missing From Nation's Education Narrative
Tom Vander Ark of Revolution Learning and I were speaking recently around corporate interests in education. One bright spot to this corporate interest in social movements is the Pepsi Refresh Project, which presents a broad list of categories to urge consumers / social media savvy constituents to choose where…
Merryl Tisch: More Innovation, Less Political Bullying
I will post a longer article based on my interview with Merryl Tisch, Chancellor, New York State Education Board, Board of Regents in a few days. Here are some of her quotes: Q: What is your vision for online education and technology innovation within mainstream education in the next…
Feds propose to make it harder to fund start ups
There is little public or private investment in innovation. As pointed out this week, federal spending on edu-R&D is a fraction of what they do in other sectors. Private investors—angel, venture, and private equity—are also leery of a fragmented market that is difficult to penetrate. It’s difficult for edu-entrepreneurs…
A new twist to parent involvement–the 'reset' button
“Parent involvement” in education often means “make your kid behave” and “donate to the PTA.” Parent involvement is taking on a serious new role in Los Angles. If more than half of the parents of students in struggling demand change, educational options improve—charter schools are opened in their neighborhood, their…
KIPP has optimized the Standards v1.0 school
Standards and common assessments were introduced 15 years ago. KIPP took the expectations expressed by state tests seriously and made numerous process improvements to the old model of school. At the middle school I visited Monday, 100% of the Kipsters had passed the state math test. This KIPP school…