EdTech Startup Showcase

Today we're sharing part two of the implementation series from Family Engagement Lab. Co-founders Vidya Sundaram and Elisabeth O'Bryan join us to discuss:When schools launch family engagement initiatives, what typically happens over time?What does it mean to "fail quietly?"What it typically looks like when a strong idea starts to lose momentum in a school systemThe most common (and least visible) reasons these efforts break downWhat do we miss when we treat this as a teacher or family problem instead of a systems problem?Listen to Implementation Series, Part 1: The Missing Instructional LayerLearn more about Family Engagement Lab: https://www.familyengagementlab.orgAbout the guestsVidya Sundaram is co-founder and CEO of Family Engagement Lab. Over her nearly 20-year career in family engagement, Vidya has managed development, research, and strategy for digital resources used by more than half of US families with school-aged children. Before founding Family Engagement Lab, Vidya led research and insights at GreatSchools, championing a test and learn culture across the organization. Vidya also has an extensive background in software engineering and technology project management to engage diverse partners, and implement and study digital programs. She holds a degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA and her MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. Vidya is mom to two kids and proud to be part of a lively multigenerational household.​Elisabeth O'Bryon is co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of Family Engagement Lab. Elisabeth was previously the Director of Research and Evaluation at GreatSchools where she worked to design and implement evaluation projects, with a particular focus on rapid-cycle research approaches. Before GreatSchools, Elisabeth was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence where she contributed to the development and evaluation of school-based social and emotional learning programming for children, teachers, and families. Elisabeth has a doctorate in psychology and experience providing school psychological services to preschool through high school-age students in both English and Spanish. Elisabeth recently co-authored 45 Strategies that Support Young Dual Language Learners, a resource that provides practical, developmentally appropriate strategies for supporting children and families from diverse backgrounds and creating inclusive early childhood classrooms that foster the success of young DLLs. Elisabeth is enjoying the many adventures of parenthood with her husband and sons.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and host of The Authority Podcast. Listen to The Authority at https://authoritypodcast.netLearn about more shows at https://bepodcastnetwork.com

Adrienne Usher, Assistant Superintendent of Bullitt County Public Schools in Kentucky, is today’s guest. She discusses her work to bring engaging project-based learning to her district and more:Profile of a graduate and building key competencies into academicsCreating authentic learning experiences focused on productive collaboration and innovative problem solvingChange management through simple shiftsCollaborative learning and documenting the learning journey with InkwireHow to establish a vision for learning and choose technology that supports it appropriatelyAbout today’s hostBarb Flowers is a certified Life Coach and former Elementary Principal with a PhD in K-12 leadership from Kent State University. She is host of the following podcasts:The Principal’s Handbook — Lessons on communication, time management, overcoming overwhelm, and more, designed to help school leaders become more confident and well-rounded. The Teacher Burnout Podcast — This show explores the complex issue of teacher burnout and shares practical solutions to support your well-being and reignite your passion for education.About today’s guestDr. Adrienne Usher currently serves the students, staff and community as Assistant Superintendent in Bullitt County Public Schools in Kentucky. In her role, she provides direct consultation to the Superintendent and is responsible for overseeing, promoting and implementing curriculum, instruction and assessment programming, PreK-12, alongside district and school leaders while aligning federal, state and local resources to support the instructional vision and mission for the district. Adrienne has experience in both Kentucky and Tennessee, and has served as a teacher, school counselor, instructional coach, principal, and district level administrator prior to her present role.About InkwireIn a world in which generative AI has called into question the value of traditional curriculum and assessments, Inkwire is a platform that engages students in real projects and helps them demonstrate their original thinking & skills through portfolios. Learn more: https://inkwire.co

Joel Backon is the editor-in-chief of Educate AI Magazine, a new platform dedicated to supporting those who seek to enhance learning through artificial intelligence. The Be Podcast Network is collaborating with Educate AI to share podcasts and other content advancing educators’ understanding of AI tools and trends. In this bonus episode, you'll hear about:How Joel got involved with Educate AI and the publication’s “why”Topics covered in the magazine: use cases, opportunities and risks, AI’s evolutionHow educators are discussing their experience with AIThe value Educate AI seeks to provideOpportunities to get involvedAbout today’s guestJoel Backon is the editor-in-chief of Educate AI Magazine. Before joining Educate AI, Joel launched and was the founding editor of Intrepid Ed News, an online education publication that grew to almost 100,000 readers. For most of his career, he was an independent school teacher and administrator, teaching history and government while leading the school’s instructional technology effort, running a dormitory, coaching basketball, and chairing several committees. Immediately following college, Joel spent 15 years in the printing and publishing industries.About today’s hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the BE Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossromano Listen to his other shows:The Authority — deep-dive interviews with the leading minds in leadership, management, education, and personal development.Sideline Sessions — conversations with successful coaches and performance experts from professional, collegiate, and youth sports.

Bonny Lorenzo, an instructional specialist with Connected Class, is today’s guest. Bonny has more than 35 years of teaching and leadership experience at the elementary and high school levels. Integrating classroom technology that doesn’t distract from the learning experienceTailoring instruction to individual student needsUsing technology to give teachers choiceHelping educators balance in-person and virtual learningEducators’ most common professional development needsAbout today’s hostBarb Flowers is a certified Life Coach and an Elementary Principal with a PhD in K-12 leadership from Kent State University. She is host of the following podcasts:The Principal’s Handbook — Lessons on communication, time management, overcoming overwhelm, and more, designed to help school leaders become more confident and well-rounded. The Teacher Burnout Podcast — This show explores the complex issue of teacher burnout and shares practical solutions to support your well-being and reignite your passion for education.About Connected ClassWe build communication between the classroom and home environment through exciting games, strategies, and activities to help students succeed academically. Learn more:www.connectedclass.com https://twitter.com/connectedclass_https://www.instagram.com/connected_classhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/connected-class

Today we’re excited to welcome a new company to the Showcase, Scholar Education, in this conversation with Marlee Strawn, the company’s co-founder and Head of Education.Hear about:Vision and goals of Scholar EducationWho Scholar Education’s solutions are designed to support in schoolsThe challenges the company is solvingMarlee’s career in educationWhat educators are sharing about their experience with the toolHow Marlee got involved with AIAbout Scholar EducationScholar Education is an AI-powered classroom enhancement platform that offers a suite of AI tools designed to deliver a personalized learning environment, with a specific focus on implementing and tracking accommodations for ESE, 504, and ELL students. Learn more at https://www.joinscholar.com or join the teacher waitlist: bit.ly/ScholarWaitlist About today’s guestMarlee Strawn's career started as a high school teacher and reached a significant milestone when she became the founding principal of the top-performing charter high school in the seventh largest district in the nation. Following her successful tenure as principal, Marlee transitioned to a new role in the education technology sector. As the Co-Founder and Head of Education at Scholar Education, Marlee leads the development of an AI-powered classroom enhancement platform designed to eliminate administrative burdens for teachers. She was also recently selected as a 2024 EDSAFE AI Alliance Women in AI Fellow. About today’s hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn. Listen to his other shows:The Authority — deep-dive interviews with the leading minds in leadership, management, education, and personal development.Sideline Sessions — conversations with successful coaches and performance experts from professional, collegiate, and youth sports.

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Mat Barnett, Director of TK-12 Programs Beaumont Unified School District (CA). Mat began his career as a teacher in Anaheim, CA, and also held roles including junior high principal and director of education services in the Fullerton School District.Mat describes his interesting journey to the education field, his approach to coaching and professional development, fostering student ownership of learning, and more. Hear about:Professional learning focused on the entire classroom experienceHelping teachers focus on the things that are most valuableHow Classroom Mosaic enables data-driven coaching in the districtClear communication around the purpose of walkthroughsFeedback from administrators and teachers about purposeful shifts in coachingTechniques to improve relationships between coaches and teachers“You have to have that implementation-level data collecting tool.” Why this is critical for districts and how a tool like Classroom Mosaic supports educators. About today’s hostTanya Sheckley is the Founder and President of UP Academy, a progressive elementary lab school in San Mateo, California. UP Academy is reinventing education by customizing learning for each student, integrating project-based learning throughout its curriculum, and supporting students with disabilities to attend alongside able-bodied students in mixed-age classrooms.Tanya hosts the Rebel Educator podcast, speaks across the country on the future of education, and leads professional development programs for school administrators and educators. Listen to Rebel Educator here: https://re.bepodcast.network/ About Classroom Mosaic:We help K-12 leaders support, develop, and retain their teachers. For over a decade, we've worked with educators worldwide from districts large (100k students) and small (150 students) to transform instructional practice, guide professional development, and impact student learning.We believe every student deserves a great education. And a great education starts with great teachers supported by great leaders. Learn more: classroommosaic.comtwitter.com/ClassroomMosaic linkedin.com/company/classroommosaic/

Christel Reaves, founder and CEO of Connected Class, returns to the show to talk us through strategies for summer learning success. Hear about:The significant challenges posed by the “Summer Slide”Why math and reading are the most critical subject areas for summer learningHow the opportunity cost of time spent re-learning material holds the whole class backSummer learning resources offered by Connected Class that make learning fun for families (Learn more: https://bit.ly/3QSDbyE) How parents support summer learningWhat schools can do to prioritize better summer learning About today’s guestChristel Reaves, founder and CEO of Connected Class, is an enthusiastic educator dedicated to improving learning and equipping educators to succeed. Her passion for ensuring family engagement throughout the learning process is evident and at the core of every product and service provided by Connected Class. She oversees a team of Instructional Specialists to support schools, focusing on helping educators analyze data, develop action plans, implement instructional strategies, and enhance family engagement for improved student achievement. Before Christel was the founder of Connected Class, she was a classroom teacher, county resource educator and district administrator. She worked closely with the state to remove low-performing Title I schools from Intervene status. Over the past 25 years, she has helped many schools improve their student performance and engage families. Learn more: www.connectedclass.comAbout today’s hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossromano Listen to his other shows:The Authority — deep-dive interviews with the leading minds in leadership, management, education, and personal development.Sideline Sessions — conversations with successful coaches and performance experts from professional, collegiate, and youth sports.

In this episode, Aidan Kestigian, a visiting fellow in the Department of Philosophy at Harvard University and the Vice President of Operations and Curriculum for ThinkerAnalytix, shares her insights on using AI to help students critically evaluate information and form better arguments. Hear about:Pedagog.ai’s connection to philosophyHow AI can have a role in moderating disagreements and creating productive discussionGiving students targeted practice in making an argumentUsing AI to make content and exercises grade- and skill-appropriateGiving students the tools to critically evaluate what they’re reading and hearingPersuasive arguments in a disagreementAbout today’s hostTanya Sheckley is the Founder and President of UP Academy, a progressive elementary lab school in San Mateo, California. UP Academy is reinventing education by customizing learning for each student, integrating project-based learning throughout its curriculum, and supporting students with disabilities to attend alongside able-bodied students in mixed-age classrooms.Tanya hosts the Rebel Educator podcast, speaks across the country on the future of education, and leads professional development programs for school administrators and educators. Listen to Rebel Educator here: https://re.bepodcast.network/ About Pedagog.aiPedagog.ai is focused on supporting educators in adapting to the age of artificial intelligence in education. The company offers a variety of professional development options, including books, online courses, webinars, and in-person workshops, to help teachers learn about the latest advancements in AI and education. Their suite of tools is designed with educators in mind, aiming to enhance curriculum development and workflow efficiency through AI technology. They also provide tools tailored for student use, enabling them to engage in assignments that leverage AI capabilities in a classroom setting. Learn more:http://pedagog.ai https://twitter.com/pedagogycloud https://www.instagram.com/pedagogycloud https://facebook.com/pedagogycloud