Back when I was at school, the biggest ventures into technology were the few computers we’d gather around during ‘IT’ lessons and one or two failed attempts at interactive white boards that frustrated teachers and filled students with glee (so much lesson time got wasted while they figured out how they work!)
But now, students work on iPads and babies know how to unlock their parents’ smartphones to play Candy Crush. So, it’s no wonder than startups are investing in education, calling it “edtech”. Schools are spending £900 million a year on technology education, and it’s evidently worth it with 97% of 15-24 year olds having basic digital skills.
Other edtech ventures include coming up with ways of making pre-existing subjects such as English and Maths more interesting & making learning more innovative.
Kahoot! is an app that teachers can use to create fun learning games quickly and easily to present to their classes. Students then play the games using their own devices!
Rachel Dene Poth, a foreign languages teacher, used the app to encourage students to create their own games. She said, “I have used Kahoot! to transform homework assignments into something more personal: the students design their own game, take over the teacher’s role in the class and review the responses. It is great training for them in a specific content area. Students can quickly create a game using the vocabulary or content material that they need to practice, thus providing a more authentic and personalized way for building language skills.”
Tech Will Save Us is an award winning company that produce make-it-yourself kits and digital tools to encourage kids to make, play, code and invent using technology. They inspire children in 87 countries with their products, and they believe that “diverse, creative and empowered kids and families will save us and technology will be at the heart of how they do this!”
Firefly Learning takes lesson plans and marking online, automates some paperwork, and allows teachers to share resources. With high amounts of stress being one of the biggest contributing factors to the teaching recruitment and retention crisis, this intranet platform connecting teachers, students and parents is being used by more than a million people worldwide.
Preston Manor All Through School found that after using Firefly Learning, there as a 7.8% increase in GCSE performance, 18,000% increase in engagement from both students and teachers, and 50% of the usage was outside of school hours!
Fire Tech Camp is the leading provider of technology education in the UK for kids aged 9-17. They offer holiday camps, afterschool courses, and weekend workshops. They teach coding, making, and digital arts through classes like Video Game Design, Mobile App Design, Robotics, and Digital Music Production.
And these are just some of the edtech startups that are making their way into the world! With kids learning more about digital skills and tech, they’ll be revolutionising technology in no time!
Sources:
http://go.fireflylearning.com/rs/894-DYU-094/images/Case%20study_Preston%20Mannor.pdf