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Innovate 166
4/16/2014
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Thank you Nashville for a fabulous Summit! Our feet are still dancing; our ears still ringin'. The Music City's many fine admins, teachers, students really rocked our socks off! Next up for us: sunny Scottsdale for the ASU+GSV Education Summit. After that, we're back on home turf for our SF Edtech Meetup, which will be all about college readiness and retention! Yeah, we're ready! Are you?
Edpunk Underground
The Arne Needs You: Just because knowledge is public doesn't mean it's easy to find. The Dept. of Ed issued a formal Request for Information on how APIs can make its data more accessible. Similar to how TurboTax makes filing taxes easier, the gov wants help those researching and applying for colleges and financial aid. In this blog post, senior policy advisor David Soo invites "the best and most creative thinking on specific ways that Department of Education APIs could be used to improve outcomes for students." Here's where you come in.
Achy Breaky Heart: The latest heartache for educators and parents concerned about data security comes in the form of the aptly-named Heartbleed, one of the biggest security vulnerabilities on the web. EdSurge contributor Jessy Irwin offers tips on what edtech entrepreneurs must let their teacher and student users know. She's got more advice for concerned educators over on Mind/Shift.
Privacy Probe: While we're on the subject of security, EdWeek asked two data privacy experts to review the data privacy policies of three of the most popular edtech providers: Edmodo, Khan Academy and Pearson. You may be surprised at who gets the biggest wag of the finger.
Badge It Yourself: There's no shortage of companies creating badging systems for student and adult learning. But this teacher decided to create one herself to meet her school's PD needs. Here's how Laura Fleming, a New Jersey educator for the past 15 years, designed her own wildly successful badging system for professional learning.
Ready SETDA Go: SETDA has opened applications for its second class of its Emerging Private Sector Partners program, which seeks to connect early-stage education ventures with state agencies and district technology coordinators around the U.S. The 230+ members contribute on a broad range of state-level initiatives such as broadband, assessment, data collection, PD and Title I programs. There's a price, of course--see if the program's worth your bucks here.
To the 4.3 Billion: Asia now accounts for 60% of the world population. That's a whole lot of people--and learners. Brainly, a 5-year-old Polish startup that offers a homework Q&A platform and already boasts 23 million users worldwide, is tapping into the region by offering localized versions in Thailand, Indonesia, India and the Phillipines. Meanwhile, EDUKWEST takes a look at five edtech startups that recently graduated from bootcamps and accelerators in the region.
Anagrams for 'RIBS': The U.S. Institute of Education Sciences has, for the past several years, funded the R&D and commercialization of promising, daring edtech projects through the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program. Now the UK has its own version, borrowing the exact same letters: SBRI (Small Business Research Initiative). Applications open May 12; grants up to £80K will be made for Phase I of accepted projects. Check out the competition brief here.
Milken Finalists: The 2014 Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC), one of the oldest and most generous opportunities for early stage education companies, has announced the 12 finalists. They pitch in May to get a slice of the $140K pot and a spot in the Education Design Studio, a $2.1 million incubator and seed fund. Three hail from Philly, another four from Cali. Here's the full list.
Ka'ching!
CrossKnowledge: Acquired by John Wiley & Sons for $175 million in cash; the deal is expected to close May 1. CrossKnowledge is a French company that delivers subscription-based online learning solutions for enterprise and postsecondary schools, which include over 17,000 courses and course management tools for instructors and students. According to the press release the company saw $37 million in revenue in its last fiscal year.
SchoolMessenger: Acquired for an undisclosed sum by West Corporation, a publicly traded, global telecom services provider. Founded in 1999, SchoolMessenger offers a range of voice, text and online tools to help K-12 schools notify parents and students. The press release boasts SchoolMessenger had "revenue of approximately $27 million" in 2013.
Quora: $80 million to Quora in a Series C round led by Tiger Global, with existing investors Benchmark, Matrix Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners and Peter Thiel also chipping in. It last raised $50 million in 2012. The Palo Alto-based company is now valued upwards of $800 million--a hefty sum given that it has no revenue, as the NYTimes reports. Founder Adam D'Angelo lays out here his plans with the bonanza.
Naiku: $1.01 million to Minneapolis-based Naiku from Gopher Angels, a Minnesota investor network; Atlas Capital Partners led the round. Naiku offers an web-based assessment tool that allows teachers to capture and track student progress. BizJournal says the company has good traction with school districts in the Midwest. The company previously raised a $320K angel round in 2011.
Booktrack: $3 million to SF-based Booktrack in an A round led by Sparkbox Venture, with participation from existing investors Valar Ventures and Park Road Associates Ltd. Founded in 2010, the startup previously raised $2 million from investors including Peter Thiel. It is rolling out a classroom product, "Booktrack Classroom," that aims to improve reading and writing skills by having the students interact with ebooks.
Press4Kids: $1 million to NYC-based Press4Kids in a seed round from undisclosed private investors. The startup, founded in 2012, offers a daily news app for kids that delivers Common Core-aligned articles that "combine[s] nonfiction literacy and gamification." More information in the press release.
Flatiron School: $5.5 million to NYC-based Flatiron School in a debut round led by CRV and Matrix Partners with Box Group (a boutique angel fund managed by David Tisch and Adam Rothenberg). Started in Sept. 2012, the school offers 12-week programs "designed to turn you into a web developer." Tuition is $12K. The group has plenty of spunk; the disclosure on the website notes: "ALL YOUR RIGHTS ARE BELONG TO US." Lots of details on TechCrunch.
JumpStart: $13 million to Torrance, CA-based JumpStart in debt financing led by Hercules Technology Growth Capital. Founded in 1991 and formerly known as Knowledge Adventure, the company developed pioneering educational games such as Math Blaster. It recently partnered with DreamWorks Animation to build online learning games with characters from movies like "How To Train Your Dragon." More details in the press release.
3RS: Reports, Research, Results
Little Big planet: Gamers don't play alone, but form communities to collaborate, compete, and share. (Just check out Twitch.) Researchers call these activities the "metagame" and argue they offer excellent examples of "Connected Learning." This study from the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub looks at how best-selling titles like LittleBigPlanet 2 bridge "interest-driven activities with academically relevant goals, civic engagement, and career opportunities."
Galloping for the 'Win': Student engagement begins with teacher engagement. But a recent Gallup report has dire news: nearly 70% of U.S. K-12 teachers are "not engaged in their jobs,"often due to a "lack of autonomy and limited opportunities for collaboration." Based on several large Gallup surveys dating back to 2009, the report offers a comprehensive look at all the factors that can influence how teachers do their job--and how this affects the students.
And Parent Engagement? It's considered the other half of the puzzle when it comes to student achievement. But researchers Keith Robinson and Angel Harris present some contrarian findings in the NYTimes. Parental involvement may be "overrated" and can actually hinder a child's academic performance. "The notion that kids do better in school when their parents are involved does not stack up."
He Said, She Said
Ban 'Digital' Learning: Mary Cullinane, chief content officer for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is a little tired of the D-word. "We've elevated the digital conversation to levels that represent reform-celebrityism...We have forgotten to read the 'under-promise and over-deliver' section of the handbook on effective reform."
Course(ra) to Sustainability: In a Q&A with the NY Times, Coursera CEO Richard Levin explains how today's online learning landscape is different from that in 2000, when he was involved in a failed non-profit on a similar mission. (Here's a recap of AllLearn, a short-lived precursor to today's MOOC providers.) And he proudly proclaims: "I think we [Coursera] can become financially viable certainly within [a] five-year framework."
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Edtech Jobs
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HireEducation can help you land your dream edtech job and is sponsoring EdSurge's job section. They are looking for top-notch salespeople who are experienced in enterprise sales and higher education. Their clients have territories all over the US, so if you're interested email Mark: ma...@hireedu.com.
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Education Product Manager
Wolfram Research Inc.
Wolfram is looking for a strategic, entrepreneurial, and detail-oriented education product manager with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment to take Wolfram technologies to the cutting edge of the education landscape.
Product · Large company · Champaign, IL
Community Lead
Socratic.org
Do you live and breathe Community? Do you want to work for a company where Community is a priority, not an afterthought? Do you want to make learning easier for millions of students around the world? Come join us.
Marketing · Startup · New York, NY
Inside Sales Rep
Testive
Testive is looking for a full-time sales rep. Prior Sales experience is a plus. Passion for learning and constant improvement is a requirement. Exceptional performers will have the chance to help grow a sales organization from an early stage.
Sales · Startup · Boston, MA
Business Development
Clever ★
Clever's on a growth streak! Clever now automates SIS integration for over 15,000 schools and over 100 online learning products. We're looking for an experienced business development team member, up for the challenge of accelerating our growth.
Sales · Startup · San Francisco, CA
Curriculum Development Lead
NoRedInk
Attention language sticklers and grammar nerds: NoRedInk is hiring English curriculum specialists who love playing with words, have great writing skills, and want to wear many hats at a well-funded and fast-growing startup.
Product · Startup · San Francisco, CA
QA Test Lead
BrainPop LLC
The QA Lead will be responsible for coordinating and conducting testing on a project-by-project basis to ensure the optimal user experience for every user regardless of their technical setup and to help make BrainPOP even better.
Engineering · Large company · New York, NY
School Partnership Manager--New York
eSpark Learning
You will be the face of eSpark to our school and district partnerships. You will cultivate relationships with students, teachers, parents and school leadership to ensure high satisfaction with eSpark's product and services.
Customer service · Startup · New York, NY
Manager of School Technology
eSpark Learning
The School Technology team works with our partnerships to ensure the ease of deployment and to make sure that technological difficulties are never getting in the way of student learning.
Edtech Coordinator · Startup · Chicago, IL
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Edtech Events
| For 14 years, education companies have turned to L. Wolfe Communications for high quality, targeted communications, public relations and marketing support. We build creative communications programs by collaborating with clients, particularly those seeking innovative ways to grow and to help learning flourish. Our PR pros are passionate about learning and transforming lives--just like you. |
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SIIA Ed Industry Summit
Did you miss the Early Bird deadline for the Ed Industry Summit in San Francisco? Register by Monday, April 21 to get those savings--using these codes: EISES1 (SIIA member) or EISES2 (non-member)--and start networking!
12-14 May · San Francisco, CA · $1175-1875 · Sponsored
Content in Context
This annual meeting convenes professionals from across the industry and covers exciting technological advances, the business of publishing, policy issues and more.
2-4 Jun · Washington DC · $699-1599 · Sponsored
ASU and GSV Education Innovation Summit: This big "investor" gathering brings together major players from the investment and business communities.
21-23 Apr · Scottsdale, AZ · $550-1695
EdSurge SF Edtech Meetup: Reps from academia, policy, and industry will discuss success and risk factors for community college students, and what role technology might play to increase college readiness and retention. Kudos to our special sponsors Pearson, Edmodo, Vocareum, and the Robin Hood Foundation.
24 Apr · San Francisco, CA · Free
Startup Weekend EDU Phoenix: The 52-hour event is heating up Arizona. Participants receive a scholarship to Tallwave's Venture Blueprint bootcamp.
25-27 Apr · Phoenix, AZ · $20-40
Ladies' Night Out by EdSurge: Mingle, make friends, and connect with educators, researchers and entrepreneurs!
29 Apr · San Francisco, CA · Free
ISTE 2014 - Part idea incubator and part collaborative workspace, this conference and expo brings educators of all types and grade levels together.
27 Jun - 1 Jul · Atlanta, GA · $56-448
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Opportunities
| The Robin Hood Foundation, in partnership with ideas42, is launching The Robin Hood College Success Prize, a ground-breaking $5 million challenge, designed to identify scalable technology solutions to increase 3-year graduation rates of community college students, a major milestone in the ongoing fight against poverty in New York City and beyond. Applications are now being accepted through June 30, 2014. More information here. |
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Seeking ELA Products to Pilot in Chicago Schools
Can your company's edtech product help close the literacy achievement gap for grades PreK-2, 3-5, or 6-8? If so, apply now for LEAP Innovations' Pilot Network.
27 Apr · For startups · Pilots · Sponsored
Kaplan EdTech Accelerator - Thinking about participating in an accelerator? This 3-month NYC-based program offers $170K in funding.
05 May · For startups · $20-170k funding
ISTE Pitchfest 2014 - Edmix is sponsoring the ISTE Pitchfest again this year in Atlanta. All stages of startup businesses are welcome to enter. Note: applications due before the conference!
23 May · For startups · Mentorship, funding
Imagine K12 - applications open for sixth cohort, beginning in September. Applications reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Rolling · For startups · $100k funding
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Thanks TENNESSEE!
Three cheers to all the dedicated educators, entrepreneurs and students who joined us yesterday!
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EdSurge is the leading site & newsletter for educators, entrepreneurs, and investors involved in education technology, bringing perspectives and expertise together for better education outcomes.
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