Download a PDF of the key takeaways
On Wednesday, June 5, 2019, Education Week will be hosting its first virtual summit with a dedicated focus on education technology and innovation. The event will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. ET. During this online event, Education Week journalists and guests will staff “discussion rooms” that delve into a set of issues that are very much top-of-mind for ed-tech specialists in schools and districts, entrepreneurs developing new education tools and solutions, and administrators and educators working with these technologies in schools and districts across the country. Some key themes and guiding questions:
Education Week’s newsroom offers you an opportunity to probe and better understand the challenges facing ed-tech leaders and innovators.
In this Online Summit, Education Week journalists and guests will staff online “discussion” rooms on a host of topics, including:
- Why technology is not transforming teaching, with a special look at a nationally representative survey that examines the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of K-12 teachers as they relate to technology-driven innovation.
- How teachers are using technology to engage students, differentiate instruction, assess learning, and communicate with parents.
- What principals are saying are the biggest lessons they have learned about using technology more effectively to improve student learning.
- How cybersecurity nightmares are forcing schools to develop better and more innovative strategies and tactics for protecting against those threats, including exclusive data from a nationally representative survey of district ed-tech leaders.
- How school district leaders are balancing the desire to innovate with the need to effectively maintain the educational technologies already in place.
Event Video
Ed-Tech Leaders & Innovators: In Conversation With Education Week
Agenda
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET | Discussion Rooms Open
Education Week journalists and guests provide practical takeaways on the challenges facing ed-tech leaders and innovators.
Education Week journalists and guests provide practical takeaways on the challenges facing ed-tech leaders and innovators.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Why Technology Is Not Transforming Teaching
Using the results of a nationally representative survey of teachers released this year as a starting point, this discussion will examine teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to the use of technology. The discussion will reveal the extent to which technology-based tools and processes have changed teachers’ day-to-day work, for what purposes teachers are most likely to try new technology tools, and the barriers associated with experimenting with new technologies.
Kevin Bushweller oversees coverage of educational technology and learning environments for Education Week.
Danielle Johnson
Dynamic Learning Project Coaching Fellow,
Barbara Bush Middle Schools, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, Texas
Matt Warnock
Principal,
Barbara Bush Middle Schools, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, Texas
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
How to Better Engage Students, Differentiate Instruction, Assess Learning, and Communicate With Parents
Learn how teachers are using new technologies and processes to raise student engagement, differentiate instruction in sophisticated ways, use more meaningful assessments, and put in place better tools to communicate with parents. This discussion will address the difficulties teachers are having putting these strategies and tactics in place and what it will take to help teachers overcome those barriers.
Sarah Schwartz is a reporter for Education Week who covers curriculum and instruction.
Sophia Garcia-Smith
2nd Grade Teacher,
Orchard Place Elementary School, Des Plaines, Ill.
Robyn Williams
Personalized Learning Lead,
Eagle’s Landing High School, Henry County, Ga.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Why Principals Are the Lynchpins for Ed-Tech Success
Principals build the culture within their schools. Is that a culture of experimentation and innovation or a more cautious environment? As the pace of technological change quickens in schools, the type of culture a school embraces is becoming increasingly important for the success of technology-driven teaching and learning initiatives, professional development, and the use of data. This discussion will show the steps principals are taking to manage all this change.
Sarah Guerrero
Principal,
Northbrook Middle School, Houston, Texas
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Big Threat to Ed-Tech Innovation: Cybersecurity
How cybersecurity nightmares are forcing schools to develop better and more sophisticated strategies and tactics for protecting against those threats. This discussion will feature exclusive data from a nationally representative survey of district ed-tech leaders conducted by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and the Education Week Research Center. It will also feature specific advice for district leaders, principals, and teachers on steps to take to protect their schools.
Benjamin Herold is a contributing writer covering learning environments and ed-tech issues for Education Week.
Douglas A. Levin
President,
EdTech Strategies, LLC
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
How Companies Need to Support Ed-Tech Implementation
Many districts devote big chunks of their budgets to ed-tech products, only to end up disappointed when they don’t deliver results they want – or even worse, when they barely get used in classrooms. We look at the factors that trip up K-12 districts on their way to implementing ed-tech products, and what vendors need to do better, in terms of supporting administrators and teachers with professional development, and easy-to-use and intuitive products.
Sean Cavanagh is the managing editor of EdWeek Market Brief.
Jin-Soo Huh
Executive Director of Academic Innovation,
Distinctive School
Pete Just
Chief Technology Officer,
Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, Indianapolis, Ind.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Beyond Shiny Objects: What Really Works in Ed Tech
Content provided by NewSchools Venture Fund
Many ed tech products have been created in the past decade, but only a small number were developed specifically to address market gaps and meet needs identified by educators. Join Tonika Cheek Clayton for a discussion with three ed tech innovators whose products are more than shiny objects. Find out why their ed tech tools really work.
Many ed tech products have been created in the past decade, but only a small number were developed specifically to address market gaps and meet needs identified by educators. Join Tonika Cheek Clayton for a discussion with three ed tech innovators whose products are more than shiny objects. Find out why their ed tech tools really work.
Tonika Cheek Clayton
Managing Partner,
Ed Tech team at NewSchools Venture Fund
2:30–3:00 p.m. ET
Final Reporter Wrap-up
Ed-Tech Leaders & Innovators: In Conversation With Education Week
Led by the reporters, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the Education Week readers.
Led by the reporters, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the Education Week readers.