I was introduced to the world of edtech at school.
As the years went on, the products I used made more and more appearances at home.
Suddenly, they stopped making their way home from school entirely. I started finding learning resources on my own.
Supplemental learning companies stand behind the value short interactions have on learning.
Research recommends limited screen time, about 1.5 hours a day for kids ages 6 to 10. It also says educational screen time has the most benefits.
When edtech products make it home and stay there, families create their own learning environments. Edtech companies can lean into their e-commerce base.
The school doesn't have to be the middleman
Kids often use edtech in short spurts. Teachers typically assign a set amount of content as classwork or homework.
If I was really into a particular product, I wanted more spurts. Luckily I was able to get them with one educational video-based company.
My school gave us access to the credentials of one product. With that, I could watch videos for all subjects and take comprehension quizzes anywhere.
This doesn't mean I was binge-watching or burning myself out. It just meant boring car rides could get that much more entertaining.
This was supplemental practice, so my teacher wasn't responsible for overseeing every additional practice session I made or reporting on it.
As a self-motivated kid, I took advantage of the chance to develop my work ethic and become an expert product user.
Of course for required assignments, teachers could make sure we students printed out or screenshotted our proof of completion.
Edtech products empower parental involvement
Bringing edtech home also makes it easier to keep parents in the learning loop and open lines of communication with their kids about their education.
It can also help avoid this:
Asking the dread question: how was your day today?
Rustling through loose printed papers to check kids' work
Peeking over their child's shoulder to see what they're doing online
Parents can view their child's work in full-time by watching them work.
Depending on the product, they can track the kid's learning journey on their own device. Edtech platforms with reports features can help parents keep their kids accountable using metrics like:
Amount of learning time logged
Grades on assignments, quizzes, etc.
Improvement over time
When edtech isn't relying on school district admin and teachers to create purchases, they have e-commerce.
Edtech companies lean into e-commerce
When edtech products find their way home, companies can draw their attention to specific parts of the business.
Like targeting their e-commerce base.
School districts make up a large segment of the purchasing population. But many families homeschool or are looking for extra educational practice outside of the school day.
Marketing features like engagement and reporting mentioned above can help.
It's also smart to offer support for families—usually not tech-trained—who are taking the wheel with 24/7 product access at home.
Channel your edtech kid at home
What it would be like to incorporate using an edtech product into your routine at home?
Maybe you're working toward improving a professional development skill. The one you struggle to make time for, off the side of your desk, during your workday.
Maybe you'll pick a cozy spot to study for 45 minutes. Or find a more "business" setting for a quick 15-minute power session.
The time and place our kids choose to learn outside the classroom are different. It matters.
Think about how you can raise awareness about this as an edtech professional.
And for more posts connecting learning with and working in edtech, subscribe to the Channel Your Edtech blog here.