EdTech & Innovation

Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, Assessment, Assistive Technology, Black Boys in Crisis, Bullying,

The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 2: How Edtech Companies Should Start the New School Year

As summer reaches its peak, and fall gears up to make its arrival, students, parents, teachers, and administrators are all preparing for the beginning of a new academic year. So many gains were made last year, and they are eager to build upon that success. When we talk about education stakeholders who are concerned with starting the school year off right, we rarely, if ever, talk about edtech companies. They too are an integral part of the school community, as they provide a valuable service.

So how do edtech companies stay on their “A” games to begin the new school year? Not to worry, we have you covered.

Hello, my name is Dr. Matthew Lynch and welcome to the second episode of The Edvocate Podcast. Today, we will discuss back to school tips that will help your edtech company get off to a running start and sustain that momentum until summer break comes around again.

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Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, Assessment, Assistive Technology, Child Development, Child Development Tech,

Announcing the Winners of the 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards

Every day, technology innovations transform the way people learn and how educators teach. In the last few years, the edtech field has attracted a lot of talented people, all with excellent knowledge bases and ideas. Though the edtech industry has been around for a few decades now, the last few years, in particular, have seen a surge in investment from both school districts and investors.

The education market is currently worth around $5 trillion globally, and it is forecasted that edtech investment alone will reach $252 billion by the year 2020. This growing investment into edtech start-ups has created some exciting changes in the world of education. Naturally, with increasing capital, the number of edtech companies, products, and thought leaders is also growing. In that spirit of change and innovation, we present the Tech Edvocate Awards.

After 4 months of hard work, we’ve narrowed down the year’s top edtech companies, products, people and more. We solicited nominees from readers in June/July and held online voting from June 1, 2018 – August 21, 2018. The nominee’s performance during the online voting period was used to gauge their popularity, but in no way signaled that they would become a finalist or walk away with an award. The finalists and winners were ultimately selected by a panel comprised of two edtech thought leaders, two PreK-12 teachers, one college professor, two K-12 administrators, one college administrator and two PreK-12 parents.  Here are our winners and finalists for 2018. Winners and finalists can access their award seals by clicking here.

 

Best Lesson Planning App or Tool

Winner: ClassFlow

Finalists:

Profile Planner

ActivInspire

Nearpod

Best Assessment App or Tool

Winner: MobyMax

Finalists:

Google Classroom

Evo Social/Emotional by Aperture Education

Best Early Childhood Education App or Tool

Winner: HeadSprout

Finalists:

KIBO – The STEAM Robot Kit for Children 4 – 7

Canticos Los Pollitos (Little Chickies) App

Levar Burton Skybrary Family

MobyMax

Best Literacy App or Tool

Winner: Lexia Core5 Reading

Finalists:

PBS Parents Play and Learn

EssayJack

Microsoft Learning Tools

Raz-Plus

Speare.com

MobyMax

Best Math App or Tool

Winner: MATHia

Finalists:

ABCmouse Mastering Math

Matific

ExploreLearning Reflex

MobyMax

Best STEM/STEAM Education App or Tool

Winner: Vernier Go Direct® Sensors with Graphical Analysis™ 4 @VernierST

Finalists:

KOOV Educator Kit by Sony

FlinnSTEM Powered by IMSA Fusion

WhiteBox Learning

DigitalEd

robots4STEM

Science A-Z

littleBits

ExploreLearning Gizmos

MobyMax

Best Language Learning App or Tool

Winner: Sprig Learning

Finalists:

Languagenut

Voces Digital

 

Best Virtual or Augmented Reality App or Tool

Winner: HoloLAB Champions

Finalists:

DiscoveryVR

Gamar

 

Best Personalized/Adaptive Learning App or Tool

Winner: Nearpod

Finalists:

ABCmouse Mastering Math

AVer CP3Series Interactive Flat Panel

Amplifire

Lexia PowerUp Literacy

StudySmarter

MATHia

Curriculum Associates i-Ready Mathematics and Reading

MobyMax

Best Coding App or Tool

Winner: CoderZ by Intelitek

Finalists:

CodeMonkey

Tynker

 

Best Gamification App or Tool

Winner: Kahoot!

Finalists:

Classcraft

Play Brighter

 

Best Learning Management System

Winner: NEO LMS

Finalists:

Odysseyware

Edsby

 

Best Blended/Flipped Learning App or Tool

Winner: FlinnPREP

Finalists:

ClassFlow

Odysseyware ClassPace

Learnlight

MobyMax

 

Best Assistive Technology App or Tool

Winner: Robots4Autism

Finalists:

Learning Ally

 

Best Parent-Teacher/School Communication App or Tool

Winner: Bloomz

Finalists:

Base Education

Edsby

RYCOR

 

Best Collaboration App or Tool

Winner: Boxlight MimioSpace

Finalists:

Newline Interactive

ADVANCEfeedback by Insight ADVANCE

Project Pals, Inc.

Epson iProjection App

Snowflake MultiTeach® (NUITEQ®)

Best Tutoring/Test Prep App or Tool

Winner: GradeSlam

Finalists:

Learnamic

FlinnPREP

www.winwardacademy.com

StudyLock

Varsity Tutors

 

Best Classroom/Behavior Management App or Tool

Winner: NetSupport School

Finalists:

PBIS Rewards

Impero Education Pro V7

MobyMax

Best Classroom Audio-Visual App or Tool

Winner: ActivPanel

Finalists:

Newline Interacitve

Epson BrightLink 710Ui Interactive Laser Display

Boxlight MimioFrame

 

Best Higher Education Solution

Winner: Study.com

Finalists:

TeamDynamix

CampusLogic

Perceivant

 

Best Learning Analytics/Data Mining App or Tool

Winner: Otus

Finalists:

Edsby

Tableau Software

Best Professional Development App or Tool

Winner: ADVANCEfeedback by Insight ADVANCE

Finalists:

Edthena

 

Best Student Information System (SIS) App or Tool

Winner: Alma

Finalists:

SynergySIS

 

Best Global EdTech Leader

Winner: Dr. Edward Tse

Finalists:

Angela Maiers

Nathaniel A. Davis

 

Best Global EdTech Company

Winner: MobyMax

Finalists:

Promethean

RoboKind

ClassLink

Epson America

GradeSlam

 

Best Global EdTech Startup

Winner: Learnamic

Finalists:

Orange Neurosciences

Yewno

Otus

 

Best K-12 School Leader

Winner: Dr. Adam Hartley, Fenton Area Public Schools, Genesee County, Michigan

Finalists:

Yvonne Mackey-Boyd, River Roads Lutheran School, St. Louis, MO

Shawn Wigg, Director of Mathematics, Duval County Public Schools

Best Higher Education Leader

Winner: Nichole Pinkard, Professor, Depaul University, Chicago, IL

Finalists:         

Anant Agarwal, edx, Cambridge, MA

 

Best School District Technology Coordinator/Director

Winner: Dan Warren, Director of Technology Operation, Central Stores, and Printing Services at Des Moines Public Schools

Finalists:

John Martin, Inter-Lakes School District, Meredith, NH

 

Best K-12 Teacher

Winner: Crystal Avila, Socorro High School, El Paso Texas

Finalists:

Cathy Haskett Morrison, Peel District School Board, Canada

 

Best College/University Professor

Winner: David J. Malan, Harvard University

Finalists:

Nicole Kraft, Ohio State University

 

Best EdTech PR Firm

Winner: PR With Pananche

Finalists:

J Harrison Public Relations Group

Nickel Communications

 

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no shortage of award winners in edtech. With these innovative edtech companies, products and people in mind, it becomes clear that the landscape of education is vast and technology is carving a new path for present and future educators. Well, that does it for the 2nd Annual Tech Edvocate Awards. We will be back, bigger and better in 2019.

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Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, Assistive Technology, Black Boys in Crisis, Bullying, Child Development Tech,

The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 1: 8 Attributes of Successful Digital Age Teachers

Regardless of where you go in the world, teachers are the backbone of the education system. Without quality teachers, school districts cannot provide students with the skills that they need to be successful academically. Without teachers, the next generation will not be able to compete in the global economy. These are sureties, and you will find few people who would disagree.

If you have been studying the field of education closely, as we have, you know that it is undergoing a metamorphosis. Students no longer respond to the teacher-centered pedagogy that our forefathers did. No, today’s students are immersed in a technologically advanced world and possess attention spans that last only a few seconds.

Because of this, today’s teacher needs to add a new skill set to their repertoire to be successful. In this today’s podcast, we will discuss the 8 key attributes that successful digital age teachers possess.

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Matthew Lynch published in Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech, EdTech & Innovation, Higher Education, Higher Education EdTech

Tips for Teaching with Apps

Teaching with apps is not new. We have compiled lists of apps and tech resources that can be used in the classroom and for education outside the classroom. However, we haven’t necessarily offered any tips for successfully using apps for teaching.

Finding, downloading, and having students use apps for learning is one thing. Teaching with apps effectively and making use of the data they track is another task entirely. The goal of using an app in education is not simply to use it because it’s available but to enhance learning and individualized teaching approaches.

We’ve listed some tips as to how you as an educator, or even parent, can optimally teach with apps in an effective way.

1. Set Goals & Expectations

When beginning to teach with apps, it’s important to set goals for student learning and to set guidelines and expectations for how students should use and interact with the app(s). Educators should outline goals about what they want students to learn through the app, how this will coincide with other learning material, and how students should interact with the app.

It’s also essential to set goals with your students so they have something to work towards and can recognize when they achieve the objectives. It’s important, too, that students understand the connection to the broader lesson and application of the learning experience.

2. Adjust the Learning Experience

Perhaps one of the most challenging parts of incorporating teaching with apps is contextualizing the experience and integrating it with other teaching methods. It’s critical that students see the connections between the broader lesson and the specific app activities.

Educators must also find a good way to combine and manage both traditional methods of teaching and technology-based methods. There must be a balance, routine, and a strong policy surrounding the use of apps for learning.

3. Establish a System of Handling Passwords & Login Info

Certainly, with the use of apps by a class full of students, logistics and the handling of information must be considered and organized. Educators should develop a system to enter, store, manage, and retrieve information such as usernames, passwords, issues, etc.

Whether it’s just a simple spreadsheet, another app for storing and managing such information, or some other tool like Google for Education, it will save a lot of headaches to have all the relevant info logged in one, orderly place.

4. Use Them in Conjunction with Books

Apps don’t replace textbooks and novels. It’s still important to teach with books and other resources so make sure you can find a good balance where one resource does not detract from the others.

For example, after introducing or teaching a lesson from a traditional textbook, educators can follow up on a particular topic or application of the lesson through a specific app.

Apps tend to be more activity-based and hone in on a more specific topic or skill, whereas textbooks contain a variety of information on a broad subject and novels offer personal experiences and perspectives. Each is important to the learning process and can be used to gain varied perspectives and different presentations of information about the same subject.

5. Be Aware of Apps that Abuse In-app Purchases

Always vet the apps you use in the classroom before introducing them to students. Some are sub-par, others irrelevant, and some others offer little functionality while trying to get you to purchase more and more.

It’s wise to research, and select apps that limit ads and in-app purchases, specifically because your students shouldn’t be exposed to some of the content nor should they be able to have the option to make an in-app purchase. These are also distracting to students and teachers. Fortunately, there are many resources for finding good apps that have already been approved by other teachers.

6. Self-Directed Learning

Finally, apps are good for self-directed learning. Some students might even know more than you about the technology or app – it’s ok! Let the students teach you, also. Additionally, students can direct their own learning through the use of apps.

Students can be taught by educators in the classroom, and some can take the lesson further by exploring the key points using apps on their own time. After all, andragogy and heutagogy are gaining increasing popularity in education.

7. Do Further Research on Best Practices

Finally, it is said that we should always be learning and improving. Educators should understand and practice this, too. The tips here are only a few to get you started teaching with apps, but it’s highly recommended that you research best practices and tips from other teachers on your own.

Apps are beneficial to teaching, but they must be used carefully and with an organized plan of execution to be effective.

What tips do you have for those just starting to teach with apps? Tell us about them!

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Teachers

My Vision for the Future of Neuroscience in Education

Researchers are uncovering how the human brain functions, learns and stores memory. The implications of this work have the potential to create disruptive change. Still in its infancy, neuroscience has the potential to change how educators approach instruction and learning.

I base my vision for the future of neuroscience in education on cooperative interaction between researchers and teachers. Already neuroscientists cannot study learning and memory without the assistance of educators who are working alongside students, and teachers must consider the implications of neuroscience for their teaching.

In the future, you can expect to see a strong focus on learning and memory, a strengthened partnership between science and education, and improved student achievement.

Learning and memory

We already know that learning takes place as a result of synaptic plasticity, or the ability of nerve cells in the brain to increase or decrease connectivity.

To say that the brain grows more brain cells is a misconception. The brain cannot produce more cells to increase learning and memory. Instead, it strengthens the nerve endings on either side of the synapses, thereby creating a stronger connection. By adding layers of connections, the brain’s memory is reinforced. This process is called plasticity.

The implication for the future of neuroscience in education is that teachers will have to find ways to strengthen synaptic plasticity. It’s unlikely, however, that they will be able to help build these connections with the aid of digital technology.

The science-education partnership 

Medicine and science often lead the way for schools by providing extensive brain theory research. In the future, educators will continue to take their cues from science, and doctors and scientists alike will use the techniques developed by educators to maximize learning and memory.

In the future, educators and science will collaborate on gathering and analyzing research. The science-education partnership will improve learning and memory, and it will likely shorten the learning process and increase memory.

Tech and medical science education go together, and the applications of scientific theory and discovery to educational practice are clear. Researchers have proven the cognitive connection between digital gaming and learning. Learning comes about as a result of edtech games and simulations that incorporate adaptive branching and require higher order thinking skills.

Improved student achievement

According to Scott Bolland, improved engagement comes about when we align learning with brain theory.

That improved engagement is the result of better synaptic plastic, which in turn is developed through digital technology that provides authentic simulation as well as stimulation.

The future of neuroscience in education looks promising because I visualize a future where neuroscience leads instructional practice and instructional practice influences neuroscience.

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Matthew Lynch published in Campus Security, EdTech & Innovation, Higher Education, Trending Topics

3 Ways That Technology Can Boost Campus Security

The need for increased security on college campuses is a growing concern for parents, family members, and loved ones. In the news and media online, you can hear or read about incidents, accidents, and even violent crimes that are taking place on US college campuses. Technology can offer increased security, regardless of the reason for the apparent increase in crime on university campuses. An increase in security on our college campuses should be one benefit of living in the age of growing technology. So, how can we use technology to keep our students safe?

  1. Security Alerts Delivered by Text Messages and Apps:

As a college student once, myself, I remember receiving text messages directly to my “dumb phone” through my college’s optional text message alert system. Even though I attended college without an Android or iPhone, I was able to receive immediate alerts from my university about threats on campus. Sometimes the alert was regarding an impending snow storm, and sometimes campus alerts via text message enabled me to be aware of a possible threat to campus security. Technology now has far surpassed the ability to protect its student bodies just through text message alerts. Although university’s security departments can quickly notify entire student populations through a simple text message, now as noted by Meghan Bortez many security apps and gadgets are widely available to students to increase their personal protection and security.

  1. Increased Lighting and Advanced Cameras:

Automatic lighting systems and sensors can be placed across entire university campuses to increase security. Some ways we can increase campus security are actually quite simple. we can protect our students by increasing the amount and quality of security lights. Students will feel more secure when walking back and forth to classes when security lights are distributed throughout the campus. No areas should be left completely in the dark. Neal Raisman author or “10 Steps to Create a More Secure Campus,” comments that increased lighting can not only offer increased protection but, may also decrease the student drop-out rate, because students may feel more secure when walking on campus at night. Also, noted by Meghan Bortez on www.edtechmagazine.com, an increase in the quality, quantity, and placement of cameras on university campuses can discourage petty theft and violent crime.  When crimes do occur, campus security should be able to view camera footage to help identify the perpetrator.

  1. Place Emergency Blue Light Phones Across Campus:

Some campuses are now placing “emergency blue light phone systems,” across their campus. At the University of Florida, police have installed emergency blue light phones across their campus. These “phones” enable you to alert security immediately of a security breach or concern without even placing a phone call. At the press of a bottom on one of these tall blue, highly visible phone systems, students can instantly contact their campus’ security dispatch center. By pressing the button, the dispatch center will also know the student’s location immediately. The dispatch center can send security personnel to that precise location and speak to the student. These emergency blue light phones are an excellent way to increase security on campus and should be put in use on every campus across America to decrease violent crime.

What Else Can We Do?

With the technology that we have available today, there should be no excuses why the students of America are not feeling safe on their own college campuses in the afternoon or at night. University alert systems increased lighting and cameras, and emergency blue light phones or other security systems can immediately increase the security and safety of student bodies. In addition to taking advantage of today’s technology developments, students, faculty, and staff need to work together to put in place effective security systems on their own campuses. Increase communication, collaboration, and inform your student body from orientation to graduation about how to stay safe.

Neal Raisman presents additional simple suggestions that can be used by everyone. For example, universities can offer defense classes and post the university police department and emergency contact information in public spaces. There should be no reason that today’s generation of young adults should fear their safety on their own college campuses with the options that we have available today, provided through technology and university and student collaboration.

 

 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Trending Topics

Can Coding Improve Your Child’s Writing Skills?

There’s a big push in education right now to teach kids how to code. Coding is undoubtedly an important skill that will help students in the job marketplace. It’s an in-demand skill and a useful one. But can coding help students in other areas? Some are now suggesting that coding can help improve students’ writing skills.

Telling a story through code

In many ways, coding is like writing a story. Programmers must go in a sequential order, just like storytellers. Just like writers, programmers first sit down and plan out the story they will tell. What will happen in the beginning, middle, and end?  This is just as important for programmers to know as it is for writers.

Kids can also use coding to create stories. While we may not think of coding as a creative pursuit, it certainly can be. Some of the best video games tell stories. Through coding, students can create their own stories. The best part? These stories are interactive. Just like an old “choose your own adventure” book, the reader (or player) can decide what the character will do next and change the outcome of the story.

Programmers and writers must use words wisely

Good writers use their words wisely. They know how to say something in as few words as possible. This helps keep writing concise, readable, and to the point.

When writing code, good programmers know how to do a lot with just a few lines of code. Excess code can make a program confusing if other programmers need to make changes. Too much unnecessary code can also confuse the computer and lead to unexpected and unwanted outcomes.

When kids practice coding, they get into the habit of eliminating excess. This will make them better communicators and writers. They’ll know how to say a lot in just a few words—an increasingly important skill in a world where attention spans are shrinking.

Coding forces kids to plan ahead

Both writers and programmers have to learn to plan ahead. Most teachers are familiar with the struggle of trying to get students to complete graphic organizers and plan ahead before they start writing. This kind of big-picture organizational thinking is a challenge for kids.

When writing code, students have to know where they’re going. Otherwise, their code will end up a garbled mess that’s hard to make sense of. Programming allows students to practice planning ahead and thinking about the big picture, a skill they’ll definitely need in writing.

In writing and code, there are rules

Another similarity between writing and coding? Both have rules that must be followed. If kids ignore the rules when coding, they’ll end up with a program that doesn’t work. Certain functions must go in a particular order, and programmers have to understand the proper use of each bit of code.

In writing, there are rules, too. While you won’t get an error message if you break the rules of grammar, writers who eschew conventions may find that their work is hard to read. Knowing the parts of speech and understanding sentence structure is a lot like knowing how to write code.

By practicing their coding skills, students can get a sense of how to piece these different parts together. This skill will translate into their writing, making them better writers.

Coding and writing aren’t that different

In many ways, coding and writing and alike. Both require an understanding of the basics as well as the ability to plan ahead and see the big picture. And both coding and writing allow kids to get creative and tell a story in their own unique way.

Have your kids learned to code? If so, what changes have you seen in their writing?

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Matthew Lynch published in 2018 Global Edtech Inflencer's List, Ask An Expert, Assistive Technology, Black Boys in Crisis, Child Development Tech,

The Edvocate’s 2018 EdTech 20: A Ranking of 20 Global Edtech Influencers

Who are the biggest edtech influencers in the world? The Edvocate editorial team has exhaustively researched the movers and shakers of edtech and selected 20 global influencers. To frame our methodology, we decided to define edtech influencer broadly. On this list, you will find administrators, bloggers, journalists, policymakers, researchers, innovators, businessmen, activists, etc. who are transforming the edtech space as we know it.

The influencers that we chose are all active in the area of edtech, doing something influential in 2018, well-known throughout the edtech landscape, and making an impact globally. We are excited to witness how these influencers continue to change the world this year, and we are anxious to see who will stand on the shoulders of these giants, and as a result, make our list next year. Without further ado, here is The Edvocate’s 2018 EdTech 20: A Ranking of 20 Global Edtech Influencers.

 

1. Nathaniel A. Davis

CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors at K12

What His Current Focus Is: Mr. Davis is the CEO of K12, a technology-based education company and leading provider of online curriculum and school programs for students in pre-K through high school. As CEO and Chairman, he focuses on strengthening the K12 organization, its operations, and its academic programs. He is the person responsible for K12’s meteoric rise over the last decade.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Under his helm, K12 is driving innovation and advancing the quality of education by delivering state-of-the-art, digital learning platforms and technology to students and school districts across the globe. K12’s curriculum serves over 2,000 schools and school districts and has delivered millions of courses over the past decade. K12 is a company of educators providing online and blended education solutions to charter schools, public school districts, private schools, and directly to families. The K12 program is offered through more than 70 partner public schools and school districts and public and private schools serving students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

What His Background Is: Mr. Davis received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an MS in Engineering Computer Science at the Moore School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS in Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.

What May Surprise You About Him: With a personal passion for serving children and helping them achieve higher levels of success, Mr. Davis founded the JANDT Foundation to aid minority children in attending private and parochial schools in the Washington, DC area.

Twitter: @K12bloggED

Email: N/A

 

2. Sal Khan

Founder and Executive Director of Khan Academy

What His Current Focus Is: Sal Kahn is an American educator who has founded both an online education platform called the Khan Academy, as well as a physical school, the Khan Lab School.  The Khan Academy is a free service that offers over 6500 video lessons on a range of topics and subjects, through primarily focused on math and science. The Khan Academy’s YouTube page has more than 2.9 million subscribers.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Khan’s goal is to reach as many students as possible, regardless of resources, and so his mission is to make his lessons accessible and free.  Kahn’s videos, therefore, have become vital educational resources for rural African and Asian students.

What His Background Is:  Kahn graduated from MIT with a Bachelor’s of Science in math, electrical engineering, and computer sciences; he then earned an MBA from Harvard.  Kahn worked hedge fund analyst.  As his online tutoring and education videos gained popularity, he quit his hedge fund position in 2009 to shift his focus to crafting and developing his online education endeavors.

What May Surprise You About Him: The Khan Academy began as a way for Kahn to tutor his cousin long-distance.

Twitter: @khanacademy

Email: [email protected]

 

3. Mike Tholfsen

Principal Product Manager on the #MicrosoftEDU Team

What His Current Focus Is: Mike Tholfsen is the Principal Product Manager on the Microsoft Education team. He mainly focuses on OneNote Class and Staff Notebooks, Learning Tools and Microsoft Teams. He has spent over 20 years at Microsoft, helping to shape their education division. Mike works with educators and pupils from all over the world to create products that improve student outcomes. He works tirelessly to promote Microsoft Education and their products. This has resulted in an increased share of the edtech market for Microsoft.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Mike is transforming the edtech space by creating products that 1. Help teachers maximize their productivity; 2. Level the playing field for students from minority groups and those that have special needs; and lastly 3. Take advantage of the power and promise of personalized learning and artificial intelligence.

What His Background Is: Mike has a B.S. in Information Systems from the University of Washington. Although he does not have a background in education, he has worked hard to come up to speed. He has a firm grasp on the intersection of education and technology, as evidenced by the wonderful products that have been released under his watch.

What May Surprise You About Him: Mike’s favorite book is The Fourth Turning, by William Strauss and Neil Howe.

Twitter: @mtholfsen

Email: [email protected]

 

4. Anant Agarwal

Founder and CEO of edX

What His Current Focus Is: Professor Anant Agarwal is currently a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He is also one of the founders and the CEO of edX, a MOOC (massive online open course forum) and non-profit organization.  He created and taught the first edX course – one on circuits and electronics – which boasts an enrollment of over 155,000 students from over 160 countries across the world.  In addition to his work at MIT and on edX, Anant hacks on an online circuit’s lab called WebSim in his free time.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Anant has long been an outspoken advocate of MOOCs, which strive to make education accessible to learners at low or no cost, worldwide.  edX draws courses from the nation’s – and the world’s – leading educational institutions.  They offer many free courses, and students can choose to pay a fee for a certificate.  These fees help continue to fund free classes.

What His Background Is: Anant was born in Mangalore, India in 1959.  He studied at St. Aloysius Mangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.  In addition to edX, Anant has worked on various engineering and computer technology endeavors including Sparcle, Alewife, Virtual Wires, LOUD, Oxygen, and Fugu.

What May Surprise You About Him: According to an interview on Life Hacker, Anant admits to having dabbled in standup comedy in college.  He finds humor to be an essential quality of a strong leader.

Twitter: @agarwaledu

Email: [email protected]

 

5. Daniel Hamburger

CEO of Renaissance

What His Current Focus Is: Daniel is focused on building an organization that delivers powerful student growth data and insights. He believes actionable data is key to personalized learning, and this data is at the heart of Renaissance solutions. Educators can use assessments to understand what each student has mastered, and then place students into the right level of instructional curriculum. Renaissance is also increasing equity and access through its recent acquisition of myON, a provider of digital literacy solutions. By adding myON, Renaissance provides students with unlimited access to more than 13,000 digital books.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Daniel and team have launched Renaissance Flow 360, a solution that drives personalized learning by bridging assessment to instruction. It improves learning outcomes for every student, and provides centralized data on student mastery across multiple educational resources, including the top educational vendors.

What His Background Is: Daniel has nearly 20 years of experience in education. Prior to joining Renaissance in 2017, he was CEO of Adtalem Global Education (formerly DeVry Education), a global provider of educational services. He led Adtalem from 2006 through 2016 and drove its transformation from a domestic, single university to an industry-leading institution serving students around the world and across multiple disciplines.

What May Surprise You About Him: Daniel was brought up in a family that highly valued education, especially varied educational experiences. In fact, their rule was, “You can go to any college you want, as long as it’s Michigan.”

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmhamburger18/ 

Email: [email protected]

 

6. Bill Latham

CEO, MeTEOR Education

What His Current Focus Is: Bill Latham is CEO and senior program designer at MeTEOR Education, a company that inspires and supports communities and their students in creating transformational learning experiences. Focused on the strong interplay between pedagogy and support spaces, Latham is a leading global advocate for the constant, consistent support of best-practice instruction through living classroom environments. He and his team’s designs have led to measurable increases in basic literacy, collaborative learning, and complexity of student tasks at all grade levels. Latham is connected with leading global researchers and academics in the field, employing the latest best practice findings as he leads design work for classrooms, school buildings, and broader school systems.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Bill is a leader in the design and implementation of holistic, high-impact learning experiences and environments, he has consulted with schools, districts, and governmental agencies across the Western Hemisphere on the design, outfitting and implementation of classroom and school environments aligned to critical learning priorities for more than 15 years. He and his team have directly served more than 1,000 schools in the United States alone. Latham is an architect of the human engagement by design methodology. He focuses on the integration of foundational engagement frameworks, technology, furnishings, and space to drive specific-learning 21st Century college and career-ready outcomes. He is the co-author of the book Humanizing the Education Machine: How to Create Schools That Turn Disengaged Kids Into Inspired Learners (Wiley; November 7, 2016).

What His Background Is: Bill holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry and an MBA from the University of Florida.

What May Surprise You About Him: He is active in martial arts and competes at a national level.

Twitter: @BillLatham3

Email: [email protected]

 

7. Arne Bergby

CEO of itslearning

His Current Focus: Arne joined itslearning in 2004. Passionate about education and helping students and teachers succeed, he has led itslearning to be Europe’s largest provider of educational learning platforms. As CEO, his focus is on making the student-centered teaching and learning platform the ideal one stop shop for creating and delivering courses and assessments, managing standards-aligned content, enabling communication and collaboration for teachers, parents and students, and more.

Put another way, itslearning strives to remain at the heart of education. Under Arne’s leadership  itslearning continues to gain market share in the United States as it partners with Houston (TX) Independent School District, Forsyth County (GA) Schools, Fort Worth (TX) Independent School District, Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township (IN) and San Bernardino (CA) City  Unified School District – to name just a few. Designed for teachers and how they want to teach, itslearning is a cloud-based learning platform used by millions of teachers, students, administrators and parents around the world. It can be found at all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, helping teachers make education more inspiring and valuable for today’s students.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Arne is working to transform the education space by overseeing the continuous improvement and rise of itslearning as one of the world’s most robust and popular learning management systems. itslearning has over seven million active users worldwide, mainly in the United States, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Made for today’s classroom, itslearning is one of the most innovative products in the global education sector.

His Background:  Previously, Arne served as managing director of Tieto, one of the largest ICT companies in Europe. Arne received a Master of Management degree from the Norwegian Business School in 1987. He is a member of the Educational Consultants Network, K-12 Assistive Technology Professionals, and is on the Board of Directors of G.C. Rieber.

What May Surprise You About Him:

He’s fiercely competitive. Whatever your game — skiing, running, even cooking — he’s always up for good-natured competition.

Twitter: @ArneBergby

Email: [email protected]

 

8. Todd Brekhus

President of myON at Renaissance Learning

What His Current Focus Is: Todd believes that literacy, student choice, and personalized learning are the three keys to transforming learning for all students. myON’s expansive digital content library and literacy tools, paired with Renaissance’s complementary reading practice and assessment offerings, enables the company to deliver a comprehensive, innovative suite of reading solutions to educators and students worldwide. Todd and his team work to inspire the love of reading and learning by leveling the playing field with unlimited access to books. He is a lifelong advocate of reading and literacy.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Through myON’s literacy ecosystem, Todd and his team offer more than 4 million students instant and unlimited access to more than 13,000 enhanced digital books and daily news articles, real-time assessments, and close reading tools.

What His Background Is: As the President of myON at Renaissance Learning, Todd is focused on product development and providing educators tools to create a personalized learning environment. Before joining the edtech business community, he spent eight years in education as a teacher, department chair, and technology director. He has led successful edtech companies including Capstone Digital, PLATO Learning, Learning Elements, and MCI WorldCom, where he helped develop and implement the Marco Polo program.

What May Surprise You About Him: In high school, Todd was a competitive slalom ski racer.

Twitter: @ToddBrekhus

Email: [email protected]

 

9. Jay King

COO of StudySync®

What His Current Focus Is: Jay is presently focused on serving as the COO of StudySync. Over the past year, Jay has traveled to several districts throughout California, Illinois, and Arizona to meet and learn from StudySync users, including districts in Geneva, Elgin, Huntley, St. Helena, Paradise Valley, and more. Recently, Jay has been instrumental in bringing StudySync’s new production studio to Petaluma, CA, his hometown. As a product of the Petaluma public school education, Jay believes that Petaluma encompasses a small-town culture, with strong community values, which are common throughout the U.S. and indicative of how K-12 education can have such a positive impact on society. The studio will be the site where several media productions are created, including StudySync® TV.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: In 2009, Jay co-founded StudySync with StudySync’s CEO, Robert Romano. Their vision was to leverage technology and social learning to engage students in the great works of literature. As one of the nation’s most highly regarded literacy curriculums, StudySync provides these digitally-connected students with media-rich learning experiences, real-world topics, and a direct read-write connection, while giving teachers flexible digital tools and engaging print resources supporting teaching, differentiation, and standards-based assessment. In 2013 StudySync partnered with McGraw-Hill Education to exclusively distribute StudySync in the k – 12 market. The product has also received numerous prestigious awards including the coveted Innovation Award from the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP).

What His Background Is: Previously, Jay co-founded EdVantage Software, also with Robert Romano, and led the development of several award-winning products. After its acquisition of EdVantage, Jay led Riverdeep’s web development team, winning the prestigious CODiE award. With StudySync, Jay has led the development of StudySync’s ELA and SyncBlast products, which have gained wide acceptance and accolades. Jay has an M.S. in Accounting from Santa Clara University.

What May Surprise You About Him: Jay is a certified sports fanatic. He is probably watching ESPN right now.

Twitter: @johnjking

Email: [email protected]

 

10. Chris Twyman

Co-Founder & CEO of BoomWriter Media

What His Current Focus Is: Chris’s passion is to make sure that edtech doesn’t widen the achievement gap. As an entrepreneur in the education industry, either you target your product at the schools that can afford to pay or you make sure everyone can use it and find a way to fund the business. The latter is a much bigger challenge than the former, but that is the mission of BoomWriter. If it is successful, it will narrow the achievement gap. Chris’s investors understand this mission, and everyone sleeps more soundly because of that.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Many kids don’t like writing, but they do like using their imaginations. BoomWriter allows students to inject imagination into their writing, making it super engaging. Engaged kids produce better work, and better writing impacts all other areas of education.

What His Background Is: Chris has always worked in the technology space. From his start in the UK through to living in Boston, he has worked at large software companies like Sybase, Computer Associates, and Tibco. Before founding BoomWriter, Chris was the founder and CEO of an HR technology start-up. Somewhere in there, he also squeezed in an MBA and is a partner in a small VC fund based in Miami.

What May Surprise You About Him: He has run the Boston Marathon twice and is a paid-up member of the Bigfoot Research Organization.

Twitter: @BoomWriter_

Email:  [email protected]

 

11. Angela Maiers

Founder of Maiers Educational Services, Teacher, Writer

What Her Current Focus Is: With over 25 years of experience in education, Angela Maiers is a strong proponent of helping students feel passionate about learning and schools.  She is the creator of the You Matter Movement and an advocate for the Genius Hour in schools.  The You Matter Movement is centered on helping teachers help students feel seen, recognized, and valued which, in turn, helps them plug into their education.  The Genius Hour is an idea she borrowed from Google’s 20% Time policy for their engineers.  Under this theory, students are given (at least) one class period per week to pursue their passions under the tutelage of a teacher.

How She’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Maiers works to help teachers and students understand and employ the innovative power of technology.  Through Twitter, Instagram, and other social media, Maiers encourages teachers and other adults to send Mattergrams, messages tagged #YouMatter that encourage students and children to recognize their power to impact the world in a positive way.

What Her Background Is: Maiers is an alumna of the University of Iowa.  She received a Bachelor’s in Education.  She also holds a Master’s degree in Education and Curriculum from Drake University.  She has 28 years of teaching experience across a range of grade levels, and her work has impacted over 78,000 American classrooms.

What May Surprise You About Her: Maiers claims that the elementary school job of being the milk carrier is the most important, most coveted of responsibilities, and can be used as a microcosm of viewing your place in the world.

Twitter: @angelamaiers

Email: [email protected]

 

12. Nichole Pinkard

Associate Professor at DePaul University in the College of Computing and Digital Media

What Her Current Focus Is: Pinkard is an Associate Professor at DePaul University in the College of Computing and Digital Media. Her research is focused on the design and use of pedagogical-based social networks, new media literacy learning outcomes, ecological models of learning and developing pathways for urban youth. She is a strong  advocate for digital literacy and believes that it will lead a revolution in the world of education. This is why she founded the Digital Youth Network in 2006. This Network seeks to help educators learn to teach with technology and digital media. It further seeks to ensure that technology is available to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic background.

How She’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Pinkard founded the Digital Youth Network (DYN) in 2006, and she has been creating initiatives that transform the edtech space every since. The DYN model begins with sixth to eighth-grade education and focuses on mandatory in-school media arts classes and optional after-school programs. She was also a co-founder of YOUmedia, a public learning space for teens that immerses students in a context of traditional media to produce new media artifacts like games, videos, and virtual worlds. In April 2010, Pinkard co-founded RemixWorld along with Robert Chang. RemixWorld is a cloud-based social learning network for primary and secondary education, which seeks to safely and securely connect children and adolescents with curriculum, extended learning, and mentorship opportunities.

What Her Background Is: Pinkard holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University, an M.S. in Computer Science from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University.

What May Surprise You About Her: Nothing. We mean that in a good way.

Twitter: @npinkard

Email: Nichole can be contacted via her website: http://digitalyouthnetwork.org/#our-team

 

13. Steven Anderson

Co-founder of #EdChat on Twitter, Education Consultant

What His Current Focus Is: Steven Anderson is an educational expert who focuses on the fusion of technology and social media in pedagogy.  Anderson is a blogger and a former classroom teacher and district technology director.  He hosts the weekly #EdChat on Twitter, which boasts over 1500 participants each week.  Anderson’s #EdChats have earned him the Twitterer of the Year distinction twice.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Anderson works to help teachers meet students in the places where they live: the digital universe.  He travels the country, speaking at schools and conferences about how to safely and appropriately integrate social media in classrooms and how to leverage students’ knowledge of technology to help them learn and grow.

What His Background Is: Anderson is a native of North Carolina, where he still currently resides.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in Middle-Grade Math and Science Education from Western Carolina University and then obtained a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology from East Carolina University.  He was the director of technology at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in Winston-Salem, NC.

What May Surprise You About Him: Anderson is also the author of 3 books geared toward educators and administrators about efficacy in using technology.

Twitter: @web20classroom

Email: [email protected]

 

 14. Rafranz Davis

Executive Director of Professional and Digital Learning for Lufkin ISD

What Her Current Focus Is: As Executive Director of Professional and Digital Learning, Rafranz helps educators to effectively implement digital learning into their classrooms. She is a speaker, blogger, and an edtech advocate who is never afraid to speak truth to any situation. She is a voice for diverse perspectives in edtech, which have been missing since edtech’s inception. She is the author of The Missing Voices in EdTech: Bringing Diversity into EdTech, a book that puts a spotlight on the fact that the education community has failed to consider the viewpoints of people of color in discussions about edtech.

How She’s Transforming the EdTech Space: By advocating for diverse populations in edtech, she is giving a voice to a population that edtech influencers and policy makers have never acknowledged. Because of her, and people like her, discussions around the intersection of edtech and diversity have increased exponentially. Just visit your favorite edtech blog or read the keynote and presentation titles at your favorite conference. Not to mention, when it comes to the implementation of edtech in an educational environment, Rafranz is a trailblazer.

What Her Background Is: Rafranz obtained an associate’s degree from Navarro College and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University–Commerce. Since her undergraduate days, she has devoted her life to helping educators implement technology in educational environments. She was a middle school math teacher before becoming a curricular strategist and technologist.

What May Surprise You About Her: Rafranz is never afraid to call a spade a spade.

Twitter: @rafranzdavis

Email: Rafranz can be contacted via her website: http://rafranzdavis.com/

 

15. Chaks Appalabattula

Founder & CEO of Bloomz, Inc.

What His Current Focus Is: Chaks is focused on continuing the fast growth of the Bloomz app, an easy-to-use parent-teacher communication tool for today’s parents, who are used to communicating through their smartphones. Bloomz has a familiar social media interface that encourages parents to participate in their child’s learning and connect with their teacher through a secure platform. With the launch of their school-wide offering, Chaks has also created a powerful premium subscription for school administrators that includes useful data analytics, premium access for all their members, and unlimited membership and storage.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Chaks has helped bring Bloomz to more than 39,000 schools around the world by combining a social networking experience with a comprehensive set of tools—messaging and media sharing, calendar, signups, and student behavior tracking—in one friendly, easy-to-use app.

What His Background Is: Before creating Bloomz, Chaks applied his computer science and engineering education at companies such as Microsoft, AskMe, and most recently as the vice president of product and partnerships at GlobalScholar, where he focused on building an end-to-end learning platform to connect teachers, students, and administrators. He founded Bloomz, Inc. in January 2014 and serves as the Founder and CEO.

What May Surprise You About Him: Chaks created Bloomz after he and his wife both fell ill and had communication difficulties with his children’s teachers.

Twitter: @achaks

Email: [email protected]

 

16. Marina Umaschi Bers

Co-founder and chief scientist at KinderLab Robotics, Inc., and a professor at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development and the Computer Science Department at Tufts University, where she directs the DevTech research group.

What Her Current Focus Is: Dr. Bers is focused on innovative learning technologies to promote positive youth development. Her research focuses on how technology, such as robotics and programming languages, promotes new ways of thinking and learning in early childhood. With Dr. Bers’ approach, introducing computational thinking in early childhood, students learn to be creators and collaborators with technology and with each other. Her most recent book explores coding as a “new language”, and how it can be presented in a playful context, merging STEM/STEAM and coding with social-emotional learning.

How She’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Dr. Bers developed the KIBO robot kit for children 4–7, which is programmed with wooden blocks without keyboards or screens, and is used in 52 countries. She also co-developed the free ScratchJr programming language with over 9.5M downloads.

What Her Background Is: Dr. Bers did her undergraduate at Buenos Aires University, and received a Master’s degree from Boston University and a Master of Science and PhD from the MIT Media Laboratory, where she studied under Dr. Seymour Papert, world-renowned pioneer in developing the first programming language for children, LOGO. She has received prestigious awards, has written four books, and in 2014 did a TEDx talk titled “Young programmers – think playgrounds, not playpens.”

What May Surprise You About Her: Dr. Bers is from Argentina, has three children, speaks four languages, dances tango, and has worked all over the world.

Twitter: @marinabers

Email: [email protected]

 

17. Vicki Davis

Creator of the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, IT Administrator and Teacher at Westwood Schools

What Her Current Focus Is: Vicki Davis is a current school teacher and blogger. She is also a freelance writer who focuses on professional development for teachers, inspiring them to use technology and build meaningful relationships with their students.  Through her blog and her two books, she reaches hundreds of thousands of teachers, inspiring them to share their trials and triumphs and learn from one another, creating a holistic, wholesome environment to foster student achievement.

How She’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Davis’ blog, the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, has garnered much attention and numerous awards, including the Edublogger Award for Best Teacher Blog.  Her current project, the global collaborative app project MAD About Mattering, encourages students to create “apps that matter” in collaborative environments, applying the skills and knowledge they learn in the classroom to better the world around them.

What Her Background Is: Davis has been a full-time teacher and IT director at a school in Camilla, Georgia since 2002.  She was inspired to begin pursuing professional and teacher development when she began to feel stretched thin – ineffective in the classroom and not as present as she would have liked at home with her children.  Two of her children have learning differences, and she began her educational ministry in hopes to better understand students who learn differently like her own children.

What May Surprise You About Her: Davis and her students have traveled all over the world, including to Qatar, India, China, Hawaii, and UAE to present to teachers worldwide about the impact of technology.

Twitter: @coolcatteacher

Email: Vicki can be contacted via her website: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

 

18. Shelly Sanchez Terrell

Co-founder of #EdChat, Creator of 30 Goals Challenge for Education

What Her Current Focus Is: Shelly Sanchez Terrell is an international speaker and e-learning and digital learning specialist.  She has worked with teachers and taught English language learners in over 20 countries.  She has also been recognized as one of Microsoft’s Heroes for Education for her work promoting teacher-driven professional development and the integration of technology in the classroom.  Terrell offers webinars and online presentations each week to reach out to teachers across the United States and the world.

How She’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Terrell has inspired over 10,000 teachers to transform their classrooms through her 30 Goals Challenge, which guides the teacher to integrate new technology in his or her classroom, avoid the dreaded “teacher burnout,” and reconnect with students.  The Goals Challenge helps teachers set both short- and long-term goals to reinvigorate his or her passion for education.

What Her Background Is: Terrell received her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and her Master’s degree in curriculum instruction ESL from the University of Phoenix.  She worked as an ESOL teacher and social media community manager before shifting her focus to teacher training and outreach.

What May Surprise You About Her: Terrell has not only taught English to language learners in the United States but has taught abroad in Germany and to online learners in Spain as well.

Twitter: @shellterrell

Email: [email protected]

 

19. Eric Sheninger

Award-Winning Former Principal and Author

What His Current Focus Is: Eric is an award-winning former principal who is changing the way that schools think about and also utilize technology. His primary focus is helping schools harness the power of edtech and use it not only to connect with students but also to help them achieve academically. He is an accomplished speaker and author who tweets about all things education.

How He’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Eric is an avid blogger, and his thought-provoking and practical posts shed light on the need for thoughtful technology implementation, more effective learning strategies, and stronger school branding, among other ideas. He is helping schools lead and learn in a digital age. He is responsible for Pillars of Digital Leadership, which is a framework that seeks to transform school cultures.

What His Background Is: Eric is a senior fellow and thought leader on digital leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education. Before that, he was an award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his helm, the school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices in edtech. Sheninger holds two bachelor’s degrees — a B.S. from Salisbury University and a B.S. from University of Maryland Eastern Shore — and a master’s in education from the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

What May Surprise You About Him: Even with his busy schedule, he has found time to write 5 books.

Twitter: @e_sheninger

Email: [email protected]

 

20. Lucy Gray

Education Consultant, Co-founder of the Global Education Conference

What Her Current Focus Is: Lucy Gray is an educational consultant, Apple Distinguished Educator, and Google Certified Teacher.  Gray’s consulting is focused on presenting to teachers and staffs about best practices in technology integration, information literacy, global education initiatives, and harnessing the power of social media.  Currently, Gray is working as an innovation coach, mentoring elementary school teachers to explore and create mobile learning opportunities.

How She’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Gray creates hands-on experiences for teachers, coaching them through the process of creating cultures of creativity and innovation in their schools.  Instead of simply presenting or lecturing, she dives into schools, meeting regularly with their employees to promote positive change.  She also works as a liaison in transitioning schools toward 1:1 technology integration.

What Her Background Is: Gray received her degree in art history and elementary education from Beloit College in 1989, followed by a Master’s degree in technology in education from National-Louis University in 2002.  She has taught in the Chicago Public School system, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, and has worked in various capacities at the University of Chicago.

What May Surprise You About Her: Gray makes all of her consulting presentations available for free on her web page at http://www.lucygrayconsulting.com/presentations.php

Twitter: @elemenous

Email: [email protected]

 

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no shortage of global edtech influencers out there. Who did we forget? Do you have any edtech influencers who you know and follow? Let us know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech, EdTech & Innovation, Education Leadership, Teachers

How to Use Technology to Prevent School Bullying

Every year during October, schools, and organizations all over the world celebrate National Bully Prevention Month. The goal: increase awareness of the effects of bullying on children of all ages, and motivate community stakeholders to collaborate to end all forms of bullying. Over a decade old, National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month was initiated by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in October 2006. Since its start, the event has grown to an entire month of learning and awareness activities, which are designed to help individuals become more aware of the grave consequences of bullying.

Every October, I am approached by organizations looking to bring awareness to this cause. In response, I send out their messages and resources to my social media followers, but that’s about it. Well, this year, I am to stepping my game up. To support National Bully Prevention Month, I decided to author an article aimed at helping schools use edtech solutions to prevent bullying.

Bullying in the era of hyper-connectivity

The proliferation of edtech in schools has given students an entirely new way to connect and communicate. Unfortunately, being able to access the internet also tempts students to peruse inappropriate content, or harass and bully their peers. The irony in this is that although technology is the root cause of a significant number of problems in modern schools, it can also be used to prevent them before they start or solve them once they occur.

To save students from their own curiosity, many schools block access to all websites that are not education related; especially social media sites. This certainly can stop cyberbullying, but it also prevents students from becoming responsible digital citizens. Also, the act of blocking websites is not a perfect science, and the lack of flexibility always causes issues for the teaching and learning process. Ordinarily, sites like Facebook would be flagged as inappropriate and blocked district-wide, but what if they are needed by high schools seniors studying digital marketing?

Overall, blocking social media sites does not stop cyberbullying. The proper response is to educate students about appropriate online behavior and how to be good digital citizens. This approach needs to be coupled with online monitoring, which includes tracking the search terms that students use, what they talk about on social media, as well as the websites that they visit.

How can edtech help schools prevent bullying?

 More than ever, we need innovative ways to keep our student’s safe in today’s hyper-connected world. How can edtech help? Companies like NetSupport are creating software solutions designed to help schools stop bullying events before they start, and respond appropriately to bullying that becomes fully realized. Their award-winning IT Asset Management and Internet Safety solution, NetSupport DNA, helps technicians to track, monitor, and manage IT assets across individual schools and entire districts.

NetSupport DNA contains a “Report a Concern” tool that students can use to quickly and anonymously report any issue that they are encountering to an adult that they trust. With its most recent update, teachers can also use the same tool to report an issue in situations where they are verbally told of a student’s concern. In addition to reporting the issue, students also have access to the contact information for several national support organizations. These organizations can help support students in ways that underfunded school districts cannot. Empowering students to confront bullying can give them the confidence they need to attend school without fear.

School IT administrators can use NetSupport DNA to schedule real-time monitoring and search for exact phrases and keywords in several languages to keep an eye on suspicious activity. Keywords are presented in a word cloud format, along with other intuitions, so school officials can be alerted to recurring themes across groups of students. If keywords or phrases suggest bullying or harassing activity that may place the student in danger, they would be presented in the word cloud. In addition to being presented in the word cloud, the term is also placed into the original context in which it was used.

When an alert is triggered, the system can ascertain the threat level of the phrase and use differing sensitivity levels based on the time and context in which the phrase was used. To document instances of cyberbullying, educators can capture screenshots and video clips of bullying episodes. Teachers can use the word cloud feature as a springboard for discussing the significance of having a positive online footprint. This can help educators prevent cyberbullying and help students gain invaluable digital literacy skills.

NetSupport DNA gives schools the context that they need to piece together the full picture, instead of trying to decipher bits of information. School staff can avoid “false positives” by determining the context of possible matches. If a keyword is triggered and reviews as a false alarm, a “false alarm” note can be added. By looking at a student’s entire journey, not just the end event, schools are able to spot trends and issues that would have ordinarily been overlooked.

Let’s look at a practical example. A student searches for ‘Smith & Wesson,’ which is a company that manufactures firearms. Thankfully, the school IT staff have included phrases and keywords related to various types of firearms into the keyword database. As soon as the student initiates the search, the system is triggered, and the school IT staff are alerted. They inform the principal, who decides to investigate the matter further. She finds out that the student who conducted the search recently reported that they were being bullied by a classmate. The alleged bully had been disciplined, and she thought the issue had been resolved.

She sits down with the bullying victim and asks him about the search. He says it was a mistake and blames it on Google’s autocomplete feature, but who knows what the truth is. The principal sends him back to class and puts together a plan to monitor the situation further. She knows that students who are being bullied and feel like they have no other options may resort to gun violence to protect themselves. We know the story all too well. A student walks into a school with a loaded gun, and tragedy ensues. Edtech apps like NetSupport DNA can help you prevent this from happening.

Conclusion

As educators, we have a professional obligation to make schools and classrooms safe environments for all students. To achieve this, we must actively deliver the message that bullying is wrong in all circumstances and be proactive in preventing it. However, in today’s hyper-connected world, we can’t be everywhere and see everything that happens within our learning environments. Well, not until now.

With technologies like NetSupport DNA, schools can monitor their student’s activity at all times, even if they are on the other side of the classroom. By putting power like this in the hands of educators, we ensure that bullies don’t stand a chance.

 

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