Just as parents and teachers questioned other innovations in education in years past, and the inclusion of other types of technology into educational environments, many are doing so with mobile learning as well. The big question they’re asking: Can mobile apps really improve learning?
Interesting read, but really not much more than what we already discuss here. The teachers have to understand the “why" of something they are doing before they see the need for it.
"Organizations will not change until the people within them are ready to change, and those people have differing attitudes towards change. In a one-to-one program, often the resistance isn’t towards using technology but instead it’s resistance towards change itself."
At the EdTech Austin Meetup on Wednesday evening, we were presented with the month’s Teacher Challenge: What direction do we see technology in classrooms going in the next few years? What are the major devices that will impact the way we learn?
With less than five minutes to collaborate with our neighboring Ed-Tech attendees, there simply wasn’t enough time to tackle such a hefty challenge. We decided to take a deeper dive into the current state of technology in classrooms in order to understand the potential for the future.
Not big news. But there is a lot of development in the education technology space, especially in the United States.
There has been much impetus in recent months to figure out the ways to monetize many of the free education programs (MOOCs, apps, etc). Some of the solutions have ranged from offering quality outsourced digital introductory courses (one time fee), subscription/pay as you go per course, and acting as intermediaries between potential employers and candidates.
A big area to watch in this space will be how ed tech firms begin matching up skilled individuals to jobs/projects that leverage their skills. I believe the success of recruiting and eventual employment endeavor will determine the long-term success and legitimacy of many companies.
value proposition: learn the skills currently in demand
Last week was a wonderful week for education in the city of Austin. TeacherGraph had the privilege of attending two events, Think Tank: Innovations in Education and the first Austin Ed-Tech Meetup.
For many readers, it’s easy to see the ed tech news of multimillion dollar investments, politics and acquisitions. It was refreshing to attend these events, filter out the tech noise, and tune into the core issues educators are currently facing.
Think Tank: Innovations in Education at TASA 2013
The Think Tank was an engaging three hour discussion with Suzi Sosa as a fantastic moderator and a panel of passionate influencers in the education community. The conversation was productive with a discussion that ranged in topics from having student voices to the problems of standardized assessments. Each member of the panel had a mutual understanding of what needed to be done. In fact, many of them had similar philosophies to improving the education system. If there was any discrepancy, it came from finding ways to implement these changes given the number of complexities plaguing the schools.
Highlights
Suzi mentioned that there’s tension between innovation and compliance. She goes on to state that innovation is by nature unpredictable; sometimes there will be failure. Following the statement, the question was prompted: how do schools account for the cost of failure (which can be significantly high in education) and the potential for improvements?
Several of members of panel agreed that there’s one solution: building relationships that develop trust in the teachers and administrators to make the right decisions. According to the panel, we need courageous teachers and school administrators to take risks in the form of innovation. The solutions to problems in education are already being implemented in different areas of the nation.
Takeaway
If there’s one thing to take away from this Think Tank, it’s that these inspiring conversations need to happen more often at the school, district, and state level. By engaging and listening to the voice of change, schools, districts, and communities can learn how to reproduce and scale what’s working for other schools implementing innovation in education.
Austin Ed-Tech Meetup
Topics of discussion
STEM Education, Video Language Tutoring, “Porn” in Education
Highlights
Although still in its infancy, there was already a unique vibe developing. Set at the Capital Factory, the size of the group was not discouragingly small or overwhelmingly large. The environment was intimate enough to have valuable, collaborative conversations.
Takeaway
As a hub for educators, entrepreneurs, ed-tech evangelists, and tech-savvy folks, the meetup was an awesome opportunity to meet local, dedicated individuals in a similar space. Needless to say, we’re proud to see Austin, TX growing its own ed-tech community. We’re excited to see how this meetup develops over next few months.
Innovation in Education thru Conversation
These two events serve as great examples that good conversations spark powerful thoughts and ideas that can lead to inspiration, focus, and innovation. The idea for our app stemmed from conversations just like these with passionate parents and educators. However, if not for these types of discussions, we would be missing out on the unique voices and perspectives that have helped shape our product and vision. For TeacherGraph, we understand the power of parent – teacher communication. By opening up the line for valuable conversations, there’s an opportunity for the exchange of ideas, feedback, and call-to-actions to help students achieve success.
Last Takeaway
Keep the conversations brewing. Who knows, it may lead to fruition – perhaps, innovation.
We generally speak about how much we could teach our younger, former selves the wisdom and knowledge we’ve gained over time. I thought it would be interesting to really dive into what my younger, more naive, equally foolish self could teach me today about running an education startup. Here’s a list of valuable startup lessons from a younger me.
5 Startup Lessons 8 yr-old Me Could Teach me Today:
Join a School Club
Discovering others with shared interests in school was a great networking experience, and forming new professional spheres means doing the same thing. Branching out and looking for new social groups with similar interests & goals is a great way to meet like-minded folks in your area. There are some great opportunities to Meetup and collaborate locally. You never know – your next co-founder could be your high school classmate.
Get an After-school Tutor
Between teachers, mentors, coaches, and parents, you had a large team of supporters in school from the very beginning. These important pillars in your life are filled with great advice, knowledge, and wisdom. It may become less comfortable to ask for assistance as we grow older (we’ll discuss ego a little later), but their experiences can be extremely helpful as challenges appear down the road. It’s okay to seek guidance from this circle of supporters, they want to see you succeed.
Collaboration is Okay, Cheating is Not
There’s a grey area between cheating and collaboration in school, but luckily, real life is nothing like school. Collaboration is a great way to strategically take advantage of your strengths and finding others who are good at what you’re not. This enables you to save time and energy to focus on what you do best. I’m not really advising anyone to overspecialize, but to recognize your role on the team. Communities built around sharing open source code and answering life questions are great examples of collaboration that helps push our ideas and innovation further.
Question Authority
Much to my high expectation Asian father‘s chagrin, I needed to know the reasoning behind every rule in place around the house. Teachers and other figures of authority had difficulties managing my curiosity as well. Startups are notorious for moving fast and being a roller coaster riddled with change & unpredictability. It’s important to understand the spirit behind the work we’re doing. Comprehension of the commander’s intent allows us to adjust on the fly, but still stay focused on the overall mission.
Nobody Cares if You Fail
As I’ve grown older, I’ve discovered that I have subconsciously developed this sense of ego. This very ego has led me to fear failure at the expense of personal growth. Newsflash: nobody cares. The great thing about being young and shooting for the stars is that nobody cares if you fail. Thus, you can operate and execute without fear, hesitancy, or anxiety. These mistakes are a huge part of how we learn as young adults. If we stop making the right kind of mistakes as we grow older out of fear of failure,are we still learning? Keep failing. Fail fast, fail hard, and move on.
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