Administrators have taken great strides to leverage technology across districts, to improve student outcomes and to engage students in meaningful ways. What’s in store for 2020, and is the best yet to come?
In this web seminar, three K-12 tech thought leaders and administrators discussed major edtech trends in 2020, as well as key topics that will impact schools and districts of all types and sizes.
Frankie Jackson
Independent Director of Strategic Initiatives
Texas K-12 CTO Council
Education Technology Leader and Success Advocate
Interoperability is a huge topic. In the most simplistic terms, it’s just the act of exchanging information with standards agreed upon in advance.
Technology changes so quickly. So what can we do? First, be proactive. Student learning is all about the systems that support it being more efficient, more compatible, more secure. When we’re talking about interoperability, we don’t work in silos. We must team with K-12 suppliers in developing standards and even data-sharing agreements, with a focus on data privacy and security. Second, reduce the number of software applications in use at any time, so we can get better controls on those standards.
Jeffrey Felix
Former Two-Time California Superintendent of the Year
Academic Advisory Board Member
PowerSchool
It’s important for leaders to remember that going toward an interoperable system, or anything that creates standardization, is going to be a huge cultural change for districts. So it’s important for tech leaders and business leaders in the district to start with creating a set of personal standards for themselves.
Regarding another trend: Know the difference between curriculum and content. Free content is wonderful, but don’t think that it’s curriculum, which includes state and national standards that are aligned with goals and instructional strategies. Curriculum comprises content, but content is not curriculum. Work with your chief academic officer to develop the standards for open educational resources.
Tony Davis
K-12 and Strategic Education Advisor
PowerSchool
Education leaders are looking to use digital content in a way that will improve outcomes for kids, but they have to make sure that they have a clear vetting process so teachers aren’t relying on novel gimmicks. It’s all about effect sizes and making sure that solutions will have a positive impact on student outcomes.
Teachers should not change content to the point that it loses its integrity. Too often in education, we give people permission to have it their way, but when we make significant changes that compromise the intent of the content, then that lesson will not do 
anything to benefit student achievement.
To watch this web seminar in its entirety, please visit DAmag.me/ws112519
