Google, Grover, and a Gallery of Experts Discuss Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age

The Google-hosted, Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age Forum in Mountain View, CA, focused on the potential of digital media in education. Paula Maylahn, an education industry consultant, attended the day-and-a-half conference virtually and highlighted for AEP the key takeaways.

Yes, another conference on the need for U.S. education reform. So, if you missed this one, you might feel you didn’t miss much. And in some aspects, you’d be right. Familiar ground was covered:

• Technology has the power to transform learning
• Learning happens 24/7
• The current system is resistant to change
• Many innovative programs show great promise
• U.S. students are falling behind globally
• Teacher quality is the problem
• Teacher quality is not the problem
• Etc.

However, there were 2 markedly different aspects about this conference:

How to create a new revenue stream by developing content for interactive whiteboards

SMART Technologies, the inventor of the SMART Board and industry leader with over 64 percent market share in North America, has posted an on-demand webinar to show publishers different ways to create new revenue streams using interactive whiteboards. Here are some highlights from the presentation.

Publishers are facing many challenges in the current education climate, including a decline in print product demand as educators’ needs shift from paper-based to electronic content. Other challenges include:

1. Free content proliferation
2. Changing distribution channels
3. Shorter product cycle times
4. Need for new revenue streams

Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) Proposed Grant Priorities Released

On Oct. 6 Secretary Duncan announced the proposed priorities for the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3). Previewed at the America’s Choice Superintendent’s Symposium in August, i3 will provide $650 million in competitive grants to support local efforts to start or expand research-based innovative programs that help close the achievement gap and improve outcomes for students.

What Works Clearinghouse Issues Report “Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do”

The “What Works Clearinghouse” recently issued a new report, “Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do,” that provides five recommendations for policymakers, educators and administrators to help high schoolers become college-ready academically and raise their college-entrance rate. ACT data released in August, 2009, indicates that from the scores of the high school graduating Class of 2009, there were only 23% who were college-ready to earn at least a grade of “C” or better in freshman college courses based on their ACT test scores in English, math, reading and science. Though a larger percentage of students were considered to be college-ready in individual academic subjects, ACT states that a significant share of high school graduates would need remediation in all four subjects. According to ACT, of high school graduates only 67% were college-ready in English, 53% in reading, 42% in mathematics, and 28% in science.

How can my company succeed in the instructional materials business when so many adoption states are cutting back on spending?

In this new blog series from AEP, “What’s Keeping You Up At Night?, experts offer their advice on the most pressing issues facing the educational publishing industry. AEP members may sign up for a free half-hour consultation with the experts for 30 days after their entry is posted.

The following question was posed to our current featured expert, Mark Grayson of Six Red Marbles.

Q. How can my company succeed in the instructional materials business when so many adoption states are cutting back on spending?

A. California opts for open-source texts! Texas scales back science spending by 50%! To survive these days, you’ll have to throw out decades of conventional wisdom about adoptions. Consider these points:

Look where the money IS, not where it used to be.

There are new opportunities on the tech side, the instructional supplies side, and in other booming markets, from after-school to charters to home-school. Are your offerings integrated with an accountability system so schools can make a case for federal Race to the Top funds? Are there other grants that you can help your customers tap?