ISTE13: Edtecher & Educators Mashup

EdCanvas, Showbie, and Smarter Cookie, all Imagine K12 alums, threw a collective “Martini Monday” at ISTE13, featuring specialty branded drinks designed for their early adopters and supportive bloggers. School-based educators mixed it up with young edtech startups, sharing not only the ways they used the tools but also how they were contributing to the larger community by bridging the gap between those making edtech and those educators using the edtech.

There were plenty of education startup teams to choose from. Other Imagine K12 alums in full force included Desmos, Class Dojo, LearnSprout, and Plickers. Not to be left out, the East Coast edtech startup scene knows to show up for a good party: Three Ring, BetaMatch, ShowMe, Common Curriculum, Alchemy and Metryx mingled with the West Coasters and educators from around the US.

Never one to let a good gathering of educators slip by, Edutopia challenged those gathered to create a high-quality lesson in, um five minutes. (With drink in hand?) The results were doubtlessly, ah, engaging.

One possible sign for the edtech ecosystem: if younger edtech companies are sponsoring events together, might we see more startup teams collaborating together to develop more robust systems for schools and teachers? Some of these educators brought startups into their classrooms to observe students, allowed them to listen to teachers, and solicited their help with professional development.

Stay tuned for Imagine K12 Redux on Tuesday night when Class Dojo, Desmos, Educreations, and Remind 101 throw their own bash. Yes, tickets are sold out. But hey -- entrepreneurs are all about breaking the rules. Just sayin!