Live from Summit 2013: Hour of Power Two
Welcome to Summit 2013’s second Hour of Power networking session. As conference participants continued to power network over snacks and much-appreciated caffeinated beverages, they also got the chance to learn more about some more of the innovative companies helping to drive student achievement.
Live from Summit 2013– Hour of Power One
Welcome to Summit 2013’s first Hour of Power networking session. As conference participants power network over a cup of coffee sharing business cards and discussing the ideas of “frustrated optimist” Thomas Friedman, we were privileged to visit with some of the innovative individuals, organizations and companies helping to usher in the next generation of education […]
Please Touch the Technology
Some innovations just don’t make sense until you actually get your hands on them: Fun dip. Silly putty. Education technology. For this reason, Summit 2013 features 21 different education technology companies and their tools in one room on tablets, phones, laptops, and desktops. Participants can walk around the interactive exhibit, which we designed to mimic an […]
Beyond the Job: Three Reasons All Students Should Code
Understanding how code works is essential for participation in a free society. It illuminates the world, allows for self-expression, and prepares our minds for the future. Many companies are springing up to help us get there, until schools catch up.
Elevating the Educator Voice: Reflections on SXSWedu 2013
Now that I have recovered from the flurry of activity that took place at this year’s SXSWedu conference, I have started to reflect on what I hope to see at next year’s conference as well as what I personally would have done differently. I enjoyed hearing the latest on personalization, data analytics, game-based learning, and the Maker movement and was impressed with the passionate entrepreneurs who went through great lengths to pitch to me. However, I left the conference wishing I had built more connections with educators and school leaders.
Blended Learning at Aspire
Aspire is one of my very favorite networks of public schools. You can walk into any of their 34 schools (serving 12,000 kids) and viscerally feel that these are great schools for kids.
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler” –Einstein
I’ve heard some criticisms that the new generation of teacher tools lack sophistication. Simplicity should not be mistaken for simplistic. Because teaching is so complex, education tools, in particular, have suffered from bloated feature sets, non-intuitive interfaces and an utter lack of simplicity
Welcoming Ellevation to the NewSchools Portfolio
NewSchools Venture Fund is pleased to welcome Ellevation Education to our portfolio!
Ellevation provides a set of tools for teachers and administrators who work with English language learners (ELLs). It saves time and simplifies compliance requirements, so that educators can focus on their most important task—helping ELL students to succeed.
A closer look at K12 edtech venture funding part II
Learners from ages zero to eighteen have a lot to be excited about. In the last 365 days, 74 companies focused on the K12 demographic (both in and out of school) have been funded by venture backers for a total of $427 million[1]. At the Seed Fund, we participated in 13 of these and got […]
‘Tis the season
“If we want America to lead in the 21st century, nothing is more important than giving everyone the best education possible — from the day they start preschool to the day they start their career.” —President Barack Obama We all know that our school system needs help. That our kids are not prepared well in […]