Making the Most of Technology in the K-12 Classroom

During this first month of school, there is always buzz about the newest technologies and their potential to transform education. As CEO of an education and technology company, this makes me excited, but also makes me cringe to some degree.

While the possibilities for innovation in the classroom might appear endless, often lost in the excitement of having the “latest and greatest” is the true learning impact. Is the application supporting the instructor? Is it actually improving the learning experience? Are students more engaged and seeing better results? This is what we need to focus on when developing digital solutions, instead of the hottest new gadget or latest fad.

More than any whiz-bang-flashy-gizmos, there are a few areas where I see greatest potential for technology impact in K-12 today:

Personalized Learning

Personalized learning is a buzzword that has rightfully remained central to many conversations on K-12 technology applications. Digital Products can be a powerful tool to address the individual stage of each learner, but we need to approach it in the right way. By using adaptive technology to inform instruction more so than content, we can provide teachers with tools to personalize instruction and learning. This includes customizing assignments, activities and assessment in a way that is manageable, while still providing the individualized approach and quality learning experience that enables each student to best succeed.

Social Engagement

Generation Z has grown up in the social media age.  This means they are much more likely to be engaged and knowledgeable about current events at a local, national and global level. I’m keenly aware of this from interactions with my own three boys – two in high school – who often bring up breaking news and trending topics they read about on social media. Bringing rich, engaging, current, informed and critical-thinking driven content to digital products helps to “bring the world into the classroom” in a way that speaks to students’ desire to be socially engaged as part of their education and discuss the pressing topics of today. 

Data-Driven Instruction and Assessment

Data provides immeasurable value for improving the learning experience. Our future will be in learning transparency, pairing access with a scientific understanding of learning. Data-driven insights help us create stronger correlation and alignment in how instruction relates to learning mastery. This will strengthen relationships between students and instructors while also deepening our understanding of how students are taught and how they learn best.

How do you see technology being most useful in today's classrooms?