The edtech market is expected to hit around $129 billion in 2020, so naturally, startups and innovators all over the globe are showing increasing interest in the matter.

Edtech companies have the potential to completely transform traditional education structures either by incorporation new skills that are applicable in the digital age or by simplifying or revolutionizing previous methods of teaching.

Airtame was once a small company too. Our wireless screen sharing solution has come on leaps and bounds since our initial launch. We weren’t even going for the education sector to begin with, but have seen how our technology advances the classroom for the better.

With that in mind, we want to shine a light on those innovators in the industry that are also making a difference. Here are some of our favorite, smaller edtech companies and the great work they’re doing for the advancement of modern learning.

Photomath (Croatia)

Mathematical equations can be a tough nut to crack. That’s why Photomath decided to built a “camera calculator” app that provides instant help to every math problem from simple addition to complex calculus challenges.

Photomath uses a mobile phone’s camera to recognize mathematical equations, present a possible solution, and the steps it takes to get there. The camera scans the math problem, even if it’s handwritten, and utilizes text recognition and augmented reality to figure out a way to understand the challenge.

It’s not just a beneficial tool for students; teachers and parents can take advantage of the extra help Photomath presents as well, and sharpen their problem solving skills.

Book Creator (UK)

Book Creator from the United Kingdom is, like many of the best edtech companies, driven by a wonderful and simple idea that fosters creativity in the classroom. They have built a simple app for making ebooks on an iPad (they’re working on cross-platform integrations).

Book Creator is a perfect resource for teachers that want to structure their own material or students that would like to explore their creative side.

It’s easy to update which makes editing a breeze even when a new year is around the corner. It’s an ideal tool for collaboration as it allows several students to create a shared, interactive project – even with students from a completely different school or country.

Book Creator lets the creator incorporate everything from audio, video, text and images.

Kahoot! (Norway)

Kahoot! from Norway focuses on creating playful moments via fun questionnaires. Instead of dreary tests, Kahoot! takes a different approach to those dull moments by offering a game-based learning platform that makes it easy to create, find, and play a lot of fun learning games – no matter the subject, language or device.

We actually mentioned Kahoot! in an earlier article about the best business meeting apps, because it’s suitable for many ages and a fun way to keep students and meeting attendants alike engaged.

Teachers can use it to create small learning games based on multiple choice questions. Students then sign in from whatever device they’re using and use a unique code to access the game and compete against their peers.

Educators could even display the questions on the big screen to encourage social moments and productive discussions. It can be used as an exciting way to start a class or as a more structured teaching tool – it still stays fun and education at the same time.

Ruangguru (Indonesia)

Founded in 2014, Ruangguru’s mission is to provide a complete learning solution for grades six to 12. It’s a subscription-learning, private-tutoring marketplace that offers learning videos founded on a standardized syllabus, course summaries, and practice tests.

It’s a mobile application that really packs a punch with all these different modules bundled in one app, and it also helps students find long-term, private tutors. There’s a chat function with tutoring services from teachers and other qualified people.

Cubetto (UK)

Teaching computer programming to toddlers might not be the first choice for a parent or kindergarten teacher, but it’s nevertheless a great skill that proves valuable in other contexts later in life. Understanding coding will teach kids to know how their digital world and its roadmap is laid out as well as the logic behind it.

That’s what Primo Toys thought, at least. They make educational toys for younger children that teach them valuable lessons while having fun. They’ve designed a real-life game to help with this challenge.

Their game is called Cubetto, which features a robot, maps, blocks, board, and a storybook. Completely without a screen, the robot will navigate the board with some basic programming commands that keep children engaged through stories and maps.

It’s suitable both for home and class use and recommended for children aged 3-6.

3DBear (Finland)

The Finnish edtech company 3DBear is totally futuristic and totally awesome. Through their design tool, students learn how to work with augmented reality in a fun and easy way. 3DBear helps students learn about problem-solving and creative thinking with the help of augmented reality. Models created in AR can also be 3D printed.

While augmented reality isn’t on every school’s curriculum, it’s probably something we will see addressed more and more because it allows students to visualize their creative thinking and learn 21st-century skills.

Nearpod (US)

The US-based edtech company Nearpod want to take the pain and time away from student assessment. Their edtech tool helps teachers create interactive lessons cross-platform, assess students’ work in real-time and get instant feedback.

But more specifically, we would like to highlight Nearpod VR, which allows teachers to create virtual field trips or immersive teaching experiences – all without leaving the classroom.

The Nearpod VR headset works with iPads, Chromebooks, Macs and PCs – so most of the devices that a school is likely to use.

Nearpod offers a variety of virtual reality sessions, or even the ability for the teacher to create their own, and it’s the perfect tool for easy and truly immersive learning. And if a school would like to save costs, Nearpod’s VR services also work with cheaper VR headsets such as Google Cardboard.

Peergrade (Denmark)

The name almost says it all: Peergrade is a Danish startup that encourages peer grading. Peergrade’s founder thought that a single teacher grading an abundance of papers is neither as effective as it could be, nor will it deliver the most satisfactory results.

So he created Peergrade, an electronic platform where uploaded assignments can be reviewed by other students before a teacher gives their final feedback. It makes the task of grading and giving feedback a lot less time-consuming for the teacher, and it also helps give a comprehensive evaluation.

TORSH (USA)

Edtech company TORSH’s founder was born in Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn, where he experienced firsthand how many students fall behind without the proper support. When he founded TORSH, it was with the ambition to give teachers the training they need to make their learning environments safe and supportive.

TORSH is a data platform tool that provides teachers with video-based online communities that can help them improve. More experienced teachers can help mentor teachers with less experience or teachers from regions that are more challenged in the education area.

TORSH facilitates observation, coaching, and feedback. Through video-based observation tools, other educators can take a look at how fellow teachers are doing, they can set up mentor programs or measure the effectiveness of the teaching.

Lexplore (Sweden)

This Swedish edtech company is taking a humane approach to edtech. Lexplore offers a screening method to identify children with dyslexia early on so the right measures can be taken as soon as possible. It’s a simple digital reading ability test that utilizes AI to analyze the results and identify whether or not a child has reading and writing difficulties.

The earlier a reading difficulty is detected, the better the educators (or parents) can tailor their teachings to match the level of the child and make sure they’re not left behind. Lexplore is a prime example of how edtech can not only improve a learning environment but help the individual students too.

Since the test is scored based on AI and eye-tracking, the end results are very accurate and delivered a lot faster than going through educators or physicians.

Edtech companies push education forward

These startups are turning education into collaborative activities that students of all ages and levels can understand and participate in. They’re disrupting traditional learning, and it’s a good thing.

With many bright minds considering how to optimize educating, schools can benefit from more affordable and efficient tools – and better teaching principles for students and teachers all over the world.

Any eye-opening edtech tools or companies we missed on our radar? We’d love to hear from you! Plus, check out the edtech trends we predict you’ll soon see coming to the classroom

The post Edtech companies that are transforming the way we learn appeared first on Airtame.

We are firm believers that technology has a place in the classroom and can be an empowering tool for educators.

What are the rising edtech trends and their use in classrooms? We’ve dug deep and researched the movements on the rise, and here’s how we predict classrooms changing in 2019 and beyond.

Curious for more trends? Check out our predictions of how the contemporary workspace will change in 2019.

Edtech trends

BYOD brings people together

From laptops to tablets, to smartphones and Chromebooks, schools and universities everywhere are embracing a dynamic learning environment, where students bring and use a computational device of their choice.

It’s called BYOD or Bring Your Own Device, and when schools acknowledge that the technological companions are a part of our everyday lives, it becomes easier to implement and use them to the educators’ advantage. Sourcing the best devices would come at an immense cost for schools, so a BYOD environment is a good idea to overcome that hurdle.

We believe more learning environments will increasingly embrace the BYOD trend along with exploratory BYOD-driven projects that let students participate more actively. Our wireless screen sharing solution is platform-agnostic, which means it’s well-suited for these BYOD environments too.

Freedom to roam

A more mobile environment is a more dynamic environment, and going wireless is one step educators can take towards a more dynamic learning space. Educators can operate their laptop or tablet from anywhere in the room with wireless AV gear, like Airtame.

In a more dynamic environment, educators become more flexible, allowing them to instruct to the class and help individual students at the same time. It’s an area we’re definitely going to see more schools exploring in the coming year.

Safety through signage

Ensuring a safe and secure campus is no easy task, but digital signage may be the answer. Digital signage will enable instructors to update emergency alerts in real-time. Emergency messages could include wayfinding, information updates, and procedures.

Good thing is that many schools might not even have to invest in a lot of new gear to reap the benefits. If the school is already outfitted with displays in critical areas, it’s only a matter of acquiring the right software.

Smart classrooms become smarter

Previously, chalkboards were an integral part of the traditional classroom. Today, interactive whiteboards are the new standard along with a list of other smart solutions. These smart solutions give educators a lot more freedom – and probably also time.

We’re at a point now where teachers can do automated attendance, share content instantly with students, and not have to stay tethered to the front of the classroom. It brings about more interaction, not only student to teacher but student to student as well.

Luckily, many of these smart solutions are becoming more affordable and easy to access even for schools on a tighter budget. Besides that, the evolution of smart technologies for the classrooms is still on the rise, so we will definitely see more of them implemented in 2019.

Teaching trends

The benefits of gamification

A smart classroom puts students at the center and connects them to the space itself via their laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It’s called “active-learning classrooms” (ALC), and more schools are implementing these smart learning spaces.

In an ALC, students are more actively engaged, they participate through discussions and reflections rather than being only passive listeners. ALCs are on the rise, and we think more schools will put an emphasis on that.  

Another way to make the learning environment more active is to introduce gamification. Gamification ensures a certain level of interaction from students and in some cases heightens comprehension rates because the games can be tailored to the individual class or student. Read about more benefits here.

More classrooms are going “green”

The modern classroom not only focuses on edtech and active learning solutions; it’s also sustainable and eco-friendly. Of course, not every classroom will immediately be able to adopt a sustainability program, but there are several things instructors can do to make simple and efficient changes.

It’s called “The three Rs”: reduce, reuse, and recycle. With so many technological advances, reducing waste shouldn’t be so challenging, seeing as we’re already connected to cloud platforms and sharing a lot of content online. A lot of the work that has previously been done on paper can easily be transferred to computers.

The key to implementing a more “green” structure is a supportive administration in the school, and a city-wide infrastructure. Recycling at school becomes easier if students are already recycling at home and ditto for their parents at work.

Robotics and coding are not as alien as they sound

Coding shouldn’t be limited to a special type of learner. Today, everyone can benefit from learning how technology works and how it works with the wider world.

Teaching coding and robotics in the classroom is a brilliant idea that helps stimulate computational thinking.

With our online presence being so dominant in the Digital Age, we believe teaching coding activities, programming, and robotics will help prepare students for the modern, technological world. Coding could soon become a new mandatory ‘language’ in school.

Recognizing the individual

Each student is different, and so is their style of learning and interest in various subjects. Advanced, technology-assisted instructions allow for more personalized learning. Educators already have a good idea what each student’s preferences are like, and with the right tools, they’ll be able to tailor the learning experience to exactly fit the needs and interests of the individual, making learning more fun – and a lot more effective.  

Personalized learning is especially beneficial for special needs students with impairments that would cause them issues in a traditional setting. With adaptive and personalized learning, kids with hearing or visual disabilities, dyslexia or anxiety can have tools to express themselves in a way that’s suitable for them.

Drive learning analytics with AI

AI isn’t a replacement of human intelligence, it’s more a support tool that can be very helpful for instructors. For example, the data collected in classrooms can be used to tailor the learning experience going forward – and what works best with the set of students in front of the instructor.

AI could mean automated grading, which in turn means more time for other things. AI could also mean better and more immediate feedback for students, better research, and a better understanding of each student’s individual need.

Classroom culture trends

Focus on ethics, data, and privacy

Data protection needs to be top of mind in 2019 if it isn’t already. Just as we share data involuntarily all the time, so do students.

It’s not just important for the younger kids in school, older pupils and instructors need to be mindful of how they use their data – and when they’re protected.

The same goes for the online presence we inevitably all have. We think schools will play a more active role in addressing responsible technology use and online behavior.

Collaborative learning

In an ALC, collaborative learning is very much encouraged. It means an environment where students are encouraged to work together to solve problems and reflect on the topics presented.

Through project-based learning, gamification, and sharing content, students can participate more freely. Students can more easily find their own voice in the classroom in a collaborative environment and thereby figure out how they learn best and what they still need some support with.

Learning is for teachers too

It’s no use trying to implement fancy new technologies if the instructors don’t feel comfortable using them, so the right training can make all the difference.

AV gear should support the instructor’s teaching efforts by making their presentations effective and easy to understand. Instructors need to be educated enough that AV tools can be put to good effect.

The right training will strengthen the instructors’ skills in making their teaching process effective, attention-grabbing, and interesting. And if done right, it will foster more collaboration because students will be able to weigh in on the content shown. That’s why, even before looking into AV gear, schools should have a plan for how to prepare their educators.

Smarter classrooms are more inclusive

Each student is unique but most curriculums are not. It’s extremely challenging for an educator to come up with personalized learning tools for each and every student. That’s where the right technology can be of help.

Not only will smart technologies free up time that the teachers can then spend on supporting their students, they also help support students in finding out what their strengths are and how best to apply them throughout their education.

Airtame is such a tool, and it can help encourage many of these trends as it brings both students and teachers together in presenting when and where they want. For the uninitiated, take a look at the opportunities of Airtame in this quick video (or watch the longer Airtame for education demo here).

Did we miss anything? What do you think is in store for edtech trends in the coming year? We speak to hundreds of educational institutions every year, and we’d love to hear from you too.

The post The top classroom and edtech trends in 2019 appeared first on Airtame.

In one of his case studies, he let students attend lectures and then gave them a pop quiz right at the start of the next class. The performance was abysmal. A few weeks later, the results were deteriorating further, which indicated that the students were only retaining a minimal amount of what was taught during the lectures.

The solution to this problem meant a radical change to the traditional methods of teaching, but something that was very much possible. Here is a glimpse into some of the essentials that you need to consider for your classroom next semester.

Active learning methods to replace long lectures

Active learning is a new teaching approach that progresses with a student-centric mindset. In this approach, the teacher wants the students to take back something and probe into it. One of the most effective active learning methods is to divide a problem into subproblems and assign it to several small groups within a class. Occasionally, the teacher should group them back together and also guide them in the right direction.

Another active learning method is One Minute Paper or The Muddiest Point Paper in which the students are given the opportunity to write down the most important points from the day’s session or the least clear point (muddy). The responses can be later addressed in the next class or through online groups.

A popular active learning method is brainstorming where students are encouraged to generate ideas on a certain topic or a particular category. The ideas they pitch are written on a blackboard and all of the ideas, however improbable they may seem, must be noted.

Active learning is not just about handing over responsibilities to the student, it involves a great deal of effort from the teacher’s side as well. The teacher must not only know the content but should also know how to create interactive experiments and challenging scenarios.

Laptops are not the biggest source of distraction in a class, it is boredom and irrelevance. Students tend to stay attentive to topics that grab their attention and has an impact beyond the classroom itself. Teachers should look into changing the way they construct their lectures and incorporate new teaching methodologies to enhance student throughput.

Building a dynamic study environment through tech

The smartphone penetration in Europe was 84% of the total population at the beginning of 2017 and over 23% of the total population is under the age of 24. This opens up a huge potential for bringing flexible and innovative learning methods through technology to a large population of students.

Most of the existing classrooms have a specific set of hardware that the students and teachers are expected to comply with. This creates a lot of cable clutter, confusion, and difficulty for maintenance. But incorporating a device like Airtame into the classroom removes the necessity for cables when it comes to presentations and seminars and eases the maintenance overhead on the IT admins.

It also opens up the entire classrooms to learn collaboratively by allowing every student and teacher to mirror the contents from their device to the monitor independently.

Students nowadays don’t just want to learn about something, but they want to feel the context. This is where some of the most popular gadgets and technologies come into play. Virtual reality headsets can prove to be a boon for teachers as it allows students to virtually experience what is being taught.

Whether it is learning about the solar system, different parts of a car or historical monuments these headsets can elevate the learning experience to a whole new level.

Hands-on learning is crucial

Knowing concepts but failing to understand where to use them renders the knowledge useless. This is a very relevant statement in today’s world wherein students are only taught the high-level outline of concepts but are not encouraged to move deeper into the subject.

Hands-on learning through Arduino kits, 3D printers and more are proven to be better for the students in terms of retention capacity, problem-solving capability and better engagement.

The post The essential teaching tips you need to bring to your classroom next semester appeared first on Airtame.