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In many ways, 2020 has been THE year of edtech. Technology experienced a meaningful surge in adoption by schools, districts and parents. The industry saw large capital inflows and more edtech “unicorns” than in any other prior year. Mergers and acquisitions are booming. Edtech funds closed larger funds, and top-notch venture capital investors including a16z, Lightspeed and Union Square Ventures have developed investment theses on education.

The education sector is in the midst of significant evolution. Shifting learning behaviors, demand for new skills, and changes to workforce dynamics have motivated a profound digital transformation…

It’s a common refrain among the change-resistant: “We’ve always done it this way.” But in a difficult year, where charting the unknown has become a daily occurrence, it’s a tough argument for a school to make. We’ve never done things this way—meaning it may be the perfect opportunity to do them differently.

These days, it seems my students can’t let a minute go by without checking TikTok and Instagram or responding to their friend’s latest post on Snapchat. Teens’ widespread access to smartphones for …

"There’s an idea among educators that ‘mobile learning’ simply means shifting the completion of work and activities from the journal to the tablet. Of course, that’s part of it, but it’s also selling the practice way shorter than it should be. There are numerous benefits to mobile learning both for the teacher and the students."

"Even when students have devices and internet connections, they must have training to develop the digital skills necessary to make virtual learning a success"

"Information flies by in our social media feeds, pops into our private messages and invades our inboxes. Sometimes I feel like I can’t even keep up. On more than one occasion, I’ve shared something, then had to walk it back. I know better, and yet I still fail to be a critical consumer of information."

"Many schools are beginning to incorporate Edtech into their methods of teaching. There are many advantages to this style of education – for example, many kids find it easier to retain information when it is explained in a video. In this article, we will be discussing what Edtech is and it’s value. We will also help teachers and administrators understand why Edtech can be so beneficial."

They come from different education and career backgrounds, and they work in distant divisions at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. But after only a few minutes of conversation, it’s abundantly clear that Kyra Donovan and Dr. Julie Miles share a passion for learning and a strong conviction that assessment is essential to creating the best educational outcomes for students of all abilities.

Some districts are turning to tutoring to help students who have struggled during distance learning. Studies show intentional tutoring can help students make gains.

"When educators describe their frenzied switch to remote learning in the spring, most talk about being caught off guard. Some mention how little they knew then—about virtual learning, as well as the virus that forced them out of their school buildings. Others shudder at the tight timeframe they were given to completely reconstruct the instructional day. There was no time for preparation or “best practice.” It was an emergency."

"A reader sent me an email asking how they could use digital apps and tools to facilitate active collaboration in their classroom. I thought it was an interesting question, and so I decided to reply in the form of a short blog post. I hope you enjoy my answer. The short answer is yes, active collaboration and participation can be achieved through digital tools. They allow learners to maintain a collaborative environment with their classmates or even learners located across the state, country, or world."

"Through the secure and controlled exchange of data, interoperability establishes a seamless network of communication across distinct technology platforms. Put more simply, systems that are interoperable speak to one another."

Many of us can recall scratchy, static-muddled murmurs of elementary and high school administrators making announcements over the public address system, accepting such antiquated technologies as th…

Our current thinking that huddles groups of students in small rooms in brick buildings is based on problems that are no longer problems.

"It’s no secret that technology fascinates many students. Technology allows students to act independently and control the learning process. Edtech puts active learning in the hands of students, engaging them through multiple modalities: visual, auditory, and tactile. The benefits of including technology in lessons are many. Instruction is customized to the unique needs of every learner, and students get immediate feedback on their progress. Edtech saves both students and their teacher’s time."