It seems that every year around this time, school districts around the country report not being able to fill all of their open teacher vacancies. Why do these cyclical teacher shortages occur? In this episode of the podcast, we will explore this topic in-depth.
Edtech Companies Are From Mars, Schools Are From Venus
Edtech companies and K-12 schools have many of the same goals. They both want to see new technology implemented in the classroom in a way that makes the learning process more engaging for students and less labor-intensive for teachers. So why are relationships between companies and schools often so distant, even rocky? Here are some of the ways that edtech companies are from Mars and K-12 schools are from Venus…and how to overcome the disconnect. They Have Different Visions If you talk to any educator, he will tell you exactly what he needs to make his classroom more successful. But …
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How to Fix EdTech’s Diversity Problem
There’s one problem in EdTech that just won’t go away—the diversity problem. Or rather, the lack of diversity. This problem has two fronts—gender and race. In fact, the tech industry as a whole is dominated by white men. According to Mashable, White people make up about 83% of tech executives. A similar number of tech executives are men. The gender problem is less pronounced in the EdTech field, but it’s still there. Because education is a female-dominated world, there are more women in leadership roles in EdTech than the rest of the technology industry. Forbes contributor Barbara Kurshan notes that …
What Is the Best Time of the Year to Sell to Schools?
Selling your edtech products directly to schools is a big undertaking. If successful, school and district sales can be the breakthrough for your edtech startup. However, top-down sales are time-consuming and take a lot of investment on the front end. It’s important to understand the process of district purchasing to succeed. One major question posed by edtech entrepreneurs is, when is the best time of the year to sell to schools? Unfortunately, this can be a tricky subject with multiple variables. Here are some tips for determining the right time to approach schools about your edtech offering. Spring Fling The …
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Which Country Is Leading the Edtech Movement?
Technology has the potential to enhance global education, but which country is leading the edtech movement? Let’s look at a few contenders. The United States Currently, many would say that the United States is the leader in edtech. According to the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA), the U.S. edtech market is worth over $8.38 billion dollars. And in 2015, 60% of the money invested in edtech was invested in the United States. The country’s population size, large economy, and tech and innovation hubs such as Silicon Valley contribute to edtech’s success in the United States. The U.S. has pioneered …
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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 …
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To Sell to School Districts, You Have to Understand the Local Politics
Selling an edtech product in a school district means knowing your consumer. To sell to school districts, you have to understand the local politics, and these public affairs vary widely between systems. Isolated or integrated? Districts that work in isolation tend to develop unique processes based on their challenges. They value a different set of priorities. What to do: Learn how to identify the pain points for small districts working in isolation as well as the challenges of the larger education systems working in integration. Create distinctly different pitches for each one. Politics v. pedagogy Sometimes politics supersedes everything else. …
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How Schools Should Measure the Success of EdTech Products
When it comes to new EdTech products, figuring out whether a product is successful or not can be difficult for schools. There are many different ways schools might measure the success of EdTech products, some more valuable than others. Before a school even starts using an EdTech product, they should be thinking about how they can evaluate the success of that product. Administrators should develop a list of goals or targets that they hope to meet with the help of the EdTech product. For example, imagine your school has a new EdTech product that allows students to learn and practice …
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What District Leaders Want from Companies at Conferences
If you are surrounded by your company banner, brochures, products and boxes full of swag, you are probably packing up for an education conference. Armed with the best of what you have to offer, your goal is to sell to district leaders – the administrators who make the decisions for their districts. What do district leaders want from companies at conferences? Let’s start with these four tips. Be ready with specific answers Knowing your product price and hidden costs give district leaders what they want from companies at conferences. While it’s critical that you send company representatives with educational experience …
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How to Pilot Your Edtech Product
Putting together a pilot program for your edtech product may seem like a daunting task, but it can be both manageable and enjoyable if the pilot study is well-planned and well-executed. Better than beta testing Edtech companies routinely beta test products as part of their product development process. The challenge with beta testing is that companies are often working with their MVP – minimum viable product, and the results can be one-sided. Product piloting, on the other hand, offers a give and take. The pilot site benefits from using the product, and you benefit from their feedback. Take these eight …