A half-dozen or so edtech industry leaders on the near future.
FORWARD LOOK | by Victor Rivero
MUHAMAD CHABIB ALWI
As 2023 hurtles into summer and beyond at the speed of ChatGPT typing up content faster than you can think up new prompts—we’re taking a quick pulse check to ask more than a half dozen edtech industry leaders their thoughts on what the near-term future of learning holds.
“Into 2023 and beyond, we will see the need for—and use of—technology that re-engages students in the learning process through hands-on and real-world activities. Alongside this will be more individualized professional development resources to support teachers.” —John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Science Education
“As AI technology continues to be more accessible and easier to use, the use of AI will soon be a more embedded part of education. This technology will assist students and educators by making opportunities for teaching and learning easier, convenient, and even more personalized.” —Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena
“Into 2023 and beyond, edtech partners need to continue to support creating efficiencies in the classroom and saving teachers time, particularly when teachers are providing instruction to students with such large bandwidths of competencies and proficiencies. This will be challenging for even the most capable educators, however technology can help support them in adequately addressing individual student needs. Products that complement the work of teachers and allow them to differentiate instruction in a more precise manner will be a game-changer.” —Marie Izquierdo, Senior Vice President of Education at Curriculum Associates
‘Products that complement the work of teachers and allow them to differentiate instruction in a more precise manner will be a game-changer.’
“We continue to see a movement of educators out of schools and into edtech companies as they seek other ways to use their skills for the benefit of students. Into 2023 and beyond I believe we will see relationships between K-12 schools and edtech companies strengthen as companies gain embedded educator perspectives on what matters most to administrators and what they truly want to see from their vendors.” —Kate Eberle Walker, CEO of Presence
“The past two years have seen a tremendous amount of new technology implemented in schools and district leaders and technology coordinators must determine the best ways to train staff on the new technologies while avoiding teacher burnout. Edtech companies will need to find innovative ways to support schools and offer training solutions that fit the needs of the educators.” —Remi Del Mar, Senior Product Manager for K-12 projectors at Epson America
“As more edtech tools add accessibility features, students have more opportunities to be creators and demonstrate their understanding in a variety of modalities. The increase of accessibility features and the deepening understanding of Universal Design for Learning will continue to push edtech forward as the essential tool in the classroom.” —Michele Dick, Education Specialist for Wacom
“Coming out of Covid, the investment in technology for schools skyrocketed as they sought to build an environment capable of educating students even in cases of emergency and remote learning. Now that we are back in the classrooms (and workplaces) we are realizing our ability to expand our offerings. We are in a position to look at this new infrastructure as a ‘Yes, And’ concept rather than an ‘Either/Or’. How we leverage these new investments and advancements, however, is going to take some time to understand and plan out. It’s no longer ‘business as usual’ because we have things like remote capabilities and we have the ability to create a shared digital experience that goes beyond the walls of our schools, with the metaverse for education (or eduverse). As we see talented teachers figure out what the next chapter looks like, edtech companies should continue to design products that can exponentially increase the learning capabilities of our schools. 2023 is just the start of that journey, and it’s exciting to be a part of it.” —Chris Klein, Head of Education USA for Avantis Education
‘As we see talented teachers figure out what the next chapter looks like, edtech companies should continue to design products that can exponentially increase the learning capabilities of our schools.’
“Many districts have struggled to attract and retain students since the pandemic, and this challenge will continue to be top-of-mind for education leaders in the near future. Districts need to get creative in their offerings to bring students back and having the right kind of data will play a key role in helping them create offerings that intrigue today’s students and families, which oftentimes revolves around a technology literate society. Choice programs will help districts meet the needs of students, families and the greater business community and identifying trends in their communities can help districts create programs that benefit all.” —Dr. Bridget Jones, Director of Client Support & Success for Scribbles Software
“The future of education will include Artificial Intelligence (AI) and I hope schools will be open to exploring how AI can be utilized to address learning gaps and help teachers personalize instruction for students. I’ve heard educators talk about AI as a potential replacement to teachers, but in education it’s not designed to do that. It can be used to take some of the burden off of teachers while helping them zero in on learning gaps to help students succeed. We need to be curious instead of afraid of AI and here’s an article I suggest reading which speaks to those concerns to further the discussion.” —Dr. Maria Armstrong, Executive Director of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS)
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Victor Rivero is the Editor-in-Chief of EdTech Digest. Write to: victor@edtechdigest.com
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