Ohio EdTech (OETC) Recap

Kevin and Trevor at OETC, unwittingly wearing matching sweaters.

As far as state-level EdTech conferences go, FETC and TCEA are crowd favorites. But I was curious about EdTech in my backyard, so I joined forces with Trevor Minton (Openfield) and spent the day at OETC in Columbus earlier this week.

When attending bigger conferences (BETT, ASU-GSV, ISTE), I'm usually there in support of one or more of my clients, or to network and prospect. I rarely get the chance to just explore the conference as an attendee. OETC gave me that opportunity, and it yielded really great insight into what problems are at the forefront of our market and how companies are working to solve them. Here are some of the highlights:

• Need to build out CTE capabilities in a school or district and need a partner who can help with turnkey solutions? Look to Buckeye Education Systems. They've got decades of experience bridging industry and the classroom, with both high-quality tech and lesson plans.

• Merlyn for Education, whom I first met earlier this year at the Learnovate brunch at BETT UK, has transformed clicker technology into a true digital classroom assistant, creating a curated and thoughtful experience (with guardrails) reminiscent of Alexa or Siri, using relatively low-tech and easy-to-implement tools.

• As expected, AI tools were everywhere, doing almost everything, which can be a bit overwhelming, especially when your staff doesn't have the training to implement them effectively. AI Owl offers professional development for schools and businesses, including platform agnostic best-practices.

• Great conversations with two companies working to ensure that students get the basic skills they need to succeed, and then that they have the support needed to continue that growth. Waterford.org's early learning program is an evidence-based, researched program targeting preK-grade 3 learners, ensuring students begin their academic career on a solid footing (and provide remediation to catch struggling learners early, before they fall behind). And Everyway (formerly TextHelp and n2y) provides lifelong scaffolding and accommodations to ensure equal access to learning materials for all learners.

• Doesn't it feel like Seesaw is everywhere? From a huge presence at BETT UK to a more modest one at OETC, Seesaw has a powerful hold over the early elementary LMS market, and with good reason: teachers love that it was designed with early learners in mind, rather than being a scaled-down version of a platform for older students. It was great to catch up with the Seesaw team to learn more about how their grassroots ("from the classroom up") approach is making huge impacts in the market. As if I needed more proof of their beloved status, the session I attended immediately after visiting their booth was on digital engagement in elementary classrooms, and Seesaw was one of the top choices (along with Edpuzzle, MagicSchool, and Peardeck).

• Finally, if you are an Ohio STEM teacher, don't sleep on Ohio Code Scholar. This grant-funded program provides hardware and curriculum to Ohio schools, giving students opportunities to learn about 3D printing, coding, and robotics. Best part? It's free!

There's something hugely valuable about these smaller shows, which create opportunities for conversations not always possible at some of the larger shows. I look forward to returning to OETC next year (and will coordinate with Trevor in advance to avoid another fashion faux pas).