Hello and greetings from Surrey, B.C. This is now my 6th MET course and it feels great to be past the half way point. I currently teach at an alternate secondary school in the Surrey school district with ‘at risk’ youth who range from 15 -19 years of age. I have been teaching here for […]
Continue reading Hello and greetings from Surrey, B.C. Posted in: Week 01: IntroductionsStarted Posts Page 4 RSS Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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manny
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melissaayers
Educause: 2011 Top Ten IT Issues Report
For this activity I decided to review the Educause: 2011 Top Ten IT Issues report. Just the title alone hooked me as it reminded me of something a manager told me once. “We do not face problems/issues here instead we have many opportunities and challenges to tackle”. While somewhat cliché I however started reading the […]
Continue reading Educause: 2011 Top Ten IT Issues Report Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace-
kstackhouse
Looking at the “issues” is just as important as looking forward to what is promising. When we as educators, policy makers, and consumers start looking at spending money and time it is good to know what needs to be considered. I skimmed through the list and it was apparent that each of the issues related are similar to those I have heard when asking the IT people about new products. Hopefully reports such as this one can offer viable suggestions for overcoming these issues.
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jameschen
Great post. I enjoyed reading how you compared between the reports in Educause and noted what the company is doing to improve the content of its reports. The interactive graph was also interesting to interact with. I could see how educators, technology specialists and venturers will each be able to relate to the graph differently to help them visualize trends in IT.
James
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kstackhouse
The NMC 2012 Horizon Report
The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition aims to provide an overview of the top trends of today and predict what will be coming on the ‘horizon”. The report was completed with the help of the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative and the EDUCAUSE Program. The use of the report is granted under a Creative Commons […]
Continue reading The NMC 2012 Horizon Report Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace-
tomwhyte1
I find the comment you made in your final paragraph, regarding the speed at which some of these technologies are adopted by districts to be very powerful. For myself, districts are both an educational, political, and legal entity, all of which sometimes bogs down the system creating a delay in the large scale implementation of these services. Conversely, teachers within those districts could implement change more quickly, but might run the risk of creating controversy with either fellow teachers or the district itself, if they adopt unsanctioned technology.
Furthermore, the speed of implementation in some cases is so great, that by the time the technology is adopted, it is usually out of date, which creates further implementation issues for other technology initiatives.
Thoughts?
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jameschen
Great point. It seems that while the advancements in hardware and software may be increasing according to Moore’s law, our educational infrastructure is having a hard time meeting demands. It seems to all come down to funding… Or perhaps it might be the fact that Moore’s law has been turned into More law by the corporate giants through a design for the dumps approach to satisfy consumer demands. Take a look at this video to find out how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW_7i6T_H78
James
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jhodi
I thought that this report gave a great overview of several technologies and broad technological ideas for implementation in education. it also gave excellent examples of the educational use and purposes of such technologies and provided great specific examples of technologies that are in current use or are being developed. I very much agree with you that this was an easy read that provided a lot of information and in the future can be used by educators such as myself to get quick access to ideas in time for the technology to be relevant.
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Eva Ziemsen
I greatly appreciated your review of the NMC Report. I also reviewed it, and felt it was eye-opening. Like you, I started to follow links and started to download apps. Are there any things that you are already using or know that others are using? I’m trying to find a good way to keep track of all the links that I pursue in readings and even categories for new apps. Perhaps there is an app for doing that? I sympathize with your last comments, since many public high schools will likely not adopt many of these things. The same goes for higher ed. However, I do believe that there are elements of this report that can be implemented in small-scale ways, (especially apps).
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kstackhouse
Thanks Eva,
I have used Delicious as one way to track links that I like. I have even created a Google doc for my own use where I copy & paste links and ideas. There are other ways to find similar links as well. You can use Twitter and follow other educators that you know have similar interests or concerns. This may help you as you build your list of resources to check out. The problem is that there is always something new, that is why I think this report and others like it are so important.
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sophiabb
Very good review. I agree that many of us tend to rely on other teachers and ed. tech. specialist for information on the ed. tech. market. This is only natural; other teachers and ed. tech. professionals in our circles are great resources. However, as you have pointed out, reports like this make the search for information easier. It also provides us with additional credible ammunition. As a decision maker, a valid concern in this technologically dynamic environment is purchasing technology now that will become obsolete within the next second. While this report does not solve this concern and this maybe nothing will, it is provides decision makers with a tool that they can consult. Great that it is under a Creative Commons License.
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kstackhouse
Thanks Sophiabb, I think that the investment and length of time the technology will be in use is a major concern for the purchasers in education. The course ETEC 520 is a great course (if you haven’t already taken it) to help one deal with how these decisions are made.
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Lisa Nevoral
After reading your post, I took a closer look at the NMC Report and had to agree that this was an easy-to-read report that could come in very handy for future technological requests. I also thought it was useful how they had created a “Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative Inquiry”section that helped relate the projected technologies to these ideas. I found when reading through some of the research reports or market projections many of the technologies were interesting but I couldn’t always think of a way I could use them in my teaching.
You stated in your last paragraph that many school districts were behind in technology movements. Sometimes, even within a school district you will see a big discrepancy. My middle school is 4 years old and we have a lot of new technology within the building. We have also asked for certain things and have gotten them. A colleague of mine recently moved to a high school within the district and she couldn’t believe how many devices they didn’t have. I guess there are different priorities and use of funds at various schools.
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kstackhouse
Thanks Lisa,
We have the same issue in our district where some schools have and some do not. We also have the problem where we have some schools that have allowed certain products (Apple computers as an example) and other schools being told that they won’t be supported by the same centralized IT department. Very frustrating.I agree that the “Relevance for Teaching, …” section was a nice feature.
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jameschen
Analysis of the Educause: 7 Things You Should Know About report
Selecting one (1) of the reports, review it in sufficient detail to post a concise critical analysis of it in the ETEC522 course blog, focusing on the following general criteria: How, and how much, is it useful and valuable to the broader community of educators, as well as learning technologies specialists and venturers? Upon reviewing […]
Continue reading Analysis of the Educause: 7 Things You Should Know About report Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace-
kstackhouse
I really enjoyed reading the Educause report. Their focus on the educator and practical approach to presenting the information really makes it a tool that one can use to help guide them to useful and effective learning tools. You are right that there is not a lot of data presented…I suppose we are to trust that they have collected the data and analyzed it before presenting the information.
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jameschen
Each of the reports provided in section 2.1 of this module seem to provide information that is targeted to fulfill particular investment needs. I think for reports that do not provide sufficient data to support their claims, it would be best to examine other sources on the same topic before making any sort of investment decisions.
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Paula Poodwan
Hi my fellow teammate,
It is a good idea that Educause reports their finding by answering the 7 essential questions f. I hope they continue with this seven things series format ( I have found 18 of these reports). The readers can quickly skim through their report to find any particular piece of info or just to keep themselves abreast to the latest tech.
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jameschen
Hi Paula,
I think this report and the one by Ambient Insight would be useful as follow-ups after reading reports that have summarized the trend in learning technology. It is too bad that all of the more detailed reports need membership to be accessed, which is nonetheless reasonable for the information and services one receives.
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Mike Rae
Hello from China!
Hey everyone! Very interesting reading about all of you…quite a diverse group. My story is that I am from Richmond (noticed that a couple people teach there) and went to UBC where I studied Geography and International Relations. After about 4 years of work and travel I decided to get into education and have thoroughly […]
Continue reading Hello from China! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
teacherben
Hi Mike! I’m in Hong Kong–not too far away. I’ve been in the area for a while–Beijing before this and Taiwan before that. Has Wuhan been a good experience for you? I just Googled your name and Wuhan out of curiosity (hope that wasn’t prying too much) and it looks as though your school is somehow accredited by the BC Ministry of Education or something like that. What’s that all about?
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mikerae
yah its not a bad deal. they pay BC salary and cost of living is pretty low. we deliver a bc curriculum and at the end of grade 12 the kids get a bc diploma which obviously helps them do post secondary over seas (mostly in Canada). Wuhan is kind of a dump, nothing compared to HK. your gig sounds pretty good too. You guys get holidays off like mainland China? I love the holiday structure, it sucks working over xmas, but it rocks having 5 weeks off in february and january.
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jkotler
Hi Mike,
Interesting story about how you got into education; I actually have a similar one in that I was working as an event planner for a few years but after a while the hardships in the industry got the better of me and I decided to back to education; since then I too have been happy with it.
I am always interested to hear about teachers experiences abroad and would like to hear more about what its been like for you in China.
Julie
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mikerae
Yah Julie, sometimes you just gotta go with what works. Event planning is a very cyclical type of business too. when the economy is down, they tend to throw less parties. It is frustrating with the lack of upside economic rewards in education, but there sure are a lot of other rewards. China is kinda crazy, tonnes of people, tonnes of cars, all that. The language is super tough to pick up compared to other ones. The school I am at is a BC school with about 70 western teachers so I am certainly not lonely over here. I was just back in Canada for the summer which was great and we get a holiday over chinese new year where we gallivant around asia for 5 weeks, which of course is great. Students are very different as a whole compared to Canada, in good ways and bad too.
Im gonna creep on your intro now to learn a little more about you!
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kstackhouse
Hi Mike. That is an interesting story. I did a round about way into education…but all during my undergrad. Started in Science, then Psychology, then a BA in Arts, to then take my BEd at Queen’s. How far are you in the MET program? Best of luck this term.
Ken
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Doug Connery
Hi Mike I too fell into education as one of many side tracks in my career. This is my third time at post secondary: first as a lab tech, second as a remote sensing scientist through geography and now working in education and taking MET as an educational catch-up to the position.
Doug.
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jenbarker
Hi Mike,
I’m Jen and have just begun my first year as an FA at UBC. I was happy to read your story because today when I met my group of Teacher Candidates that I will be supervising they asked if any of last year’s group had been hired. Unfortunately none were… not because of lack of skills but lack of jobs. Our CITE cohort mentioned to them that there are many opportunities abroad so I will be happy to report back to them next week that there are some BC run schools in China that have hired many Westerners. Do you use the BC IRP’s? Best, Jen-
Jonathan
Jen —
I graduated from the CITE cohort! You’ll have to say hello to Steve for me. Catching up with graduates in the past 4-5 years has been a bit depressing. I know there are great candidates going through the program but I know that the hiring rate has been less and less. Those that have been unsuccessful have definitely gone abroad to find other opportunities and have been successful in their endeavours.
— Jonathan
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teacherben
Hi from Hong Kong
My name is Ben Cooperman and I am currently working at an international school in Hong Kong as a Technology Integration specialist. I teach a few Design & Tech classes as well. It’s a pretty fun job, since I get all over the school and have a chance to work with most of the teachers […]
Continue reading Hi from Hong Kong Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
jkotler
Hi Ben,
Sounds like a great job! How long have you been working there? I’m also curious if you have taught anywhere else and if so, how it compares?
Julie
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teacherben
Hi Julie,
This is my second year in Hong Kong. I spent 6 years at a school in Beijing before this and 5 in Taiwan before that. I did a semester at a school in India before that, but negotiated my way out of what was a pretty bad contract and situation there. I taught in Toronto for a couple of years after I finished my teacher training.i have specifically targeted IB schools because, for the most part, I like the structure of their curriculum. It’s one of the better examples of Constructivist pedagogy in practice on a large scale–particularly the approach they take to teaching Technology. i spent most of my career with little ones though. I just made the jump to secondary a few years ago for a change.
Beijing was a good place to live a very comfortable life and save a bunch of money. Hong Kong allows for a better lifestyle (except that you live in a shoebox-sized apartment) but it’s tougher to save.
I have a knack for selecting the sorts of schools where you get to go out on a limb a bit, which is certainly more fun, but it also usually means that they are still working out the kinks and don’t really have their curriculum in order. I always seem to find myself writing curriculum from scratch. Good PD I suppose, but I think I might go for a big school that is better established for my next post. (In fact, I would love to return to Canada at this point, but the job market isn’t looking good from what I hear. Perhaps this course will inspire me to try a different path!)
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kstackhouse
Welcome Ben. It sounds as though your background and approach to teaching will be well suited for this course. Have a great term!
Ken
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Jonathan
Hi Ben —
I vividly recall a conversation with several architects and engineering friends speaking about the upcoming promise of 3D printers. Is your school planning to purchase one? Are you seeing them in more schools?
— Jonathan
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teacherben
My school is dragging its feet over the 3D printer. I put one in the budget for 1200 bucks but they turned it down and asked me to wait a year. I decided to start teaching towards that anyways, so I have students doing a unit where they produce the model and i will get someone else to print it for us. In the meantime, I am also doing a unit where they design and create a model in SketchUp and using a plugin I found, will be able to ‘unfold’ their 3D models flat so they can be printed on paper, cut out and refolded up into 3D paper models. I’m just starting to flesh out the unit, but you are welcome to see it here:
http://wiki.teacherben.net/3d-paper-model-toddler-toy
And I met a guy here in HK that, after trying to build a 3D printer from a kit and getting very frustrated, decided to invent his own, better one. He started his own company and has shared every step of the way on his blog, including the 3D designs. I guess the product will be open source in the end, but I’m not sure. In any case, he figures it should retail for only 350 USD! I will grab one of these as soon as I can.
Here’s the step-by-step of his process:
http://www.makible.com/products/makibox-a6-1and here’s the main site for the product:
http://makibox.com/
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jameschen
Hi Ben, it’s great to see you again! I would love to learn more about your experience teaching with 3D printers and microcontroller boards. Looking forward to the things we’ll be learning together this term!
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Paula Poodwan
Ambient Insight
I chose this report ( althought it is 50 pages long)because Ambient Insight claimed that they are specializing in learning technology. After reading it, I found it to be very informative and a valuable report, especially in the area of e learning and language learning that I have always had a keen interest in. How, […]
Continue reading Ambient Insight Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace -
Peggy Lawson
I’ve quickly become a fan, and thus a future follower, of Educause’s “7 Things You Should Know About . . . “ Learning Technology series . These topic-specific, short briefs give the reader just the highlights – a quick read that provides you with enough information to understand the key ideas or concepts of the […]
Continue reading I’ve quickly become a fan, and thus a fu… Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace-
lullings
I am enjoying these as well. But I am finding that I am wanting a little more. Particularly on number 6. I always want to know the history of who and why something was started and how it developed to where it is now. Then it can move on to where its going. The latter is opinion but the former needs to be fact. I find the development of a company/product lets me understand and form an opinion on whether I agree with where its apparently going.
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Peggy Lawson
Ahh – but that’s the point of the series I believe. Just enough to whet your appetite. If you find yourself wanting more – then it’s up to you to continue your search. I agree these reports are not the best site for a venturer – they do lack depth. Also, I know you didn’t raise this concern (but others might) – I do not consider it a “missing feature” for Educase that they don’t provide links for future readings in their brief reports.. If you are an Educause reader, you will be quite capable of searching on your own.
Peggy
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teacherben
I shied away from these since I am too impatient to download pdf’s but on your recommendation, I just buzzed through a bunch of them. I sent 7 Things you should know about Badges to my principal. Cheers.
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tomwhyte1
Based upon the information you provided, I get the sense that this form of report would be beneficial for experienced technology teachers, allowing them to stay abreast of current trends. And for the general educator, to get both a sense of what the technology is, and potentially hook them into exploring more, especially those topics that interest them.
Thoughts?
Secondly, I noticed teacherben mention that these are strictly pdf’s. I would then recommend using Google Chrome, which easily opens the documents, then allows one to save into their Google Docs account. This recommendation also helps with those teachers who are beginning to explore Google Doc’s and its potential within their classroom, for in our district we have found that this cloud based service runs better on Chrome, than any other browser at this time.
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Peggy Lawson
Tom – I agree these reports would be very useful for the general teacher who might hear the buzzwords (cloud computing??) but knows little about the technology. I can see tossing some of the reports on the staffroom table for some quick & easy reads. Just enough to get some teachers thinking.
Peggy
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Scott
Trends Shaping Education 2010 is the latest biennial book written by the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) and published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Aimed at a broad range of educational stakeholders, the 94 page report presents 27 social, economic, demographic and technological trends which stand to impact education, […]
Continue reading Trends Shaping Education 2010 is the lat… Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace -
Jenny Brown
Greetings from Calgary and ALGC
Hi everyone, I’m Jenny living in Calgary, AB. I am actually a student with the Adult Learning and Global Change Masters and am taking this course as one of my electives (it is going to be a busy fall). This is my second MET course and I am excited to dive in as I really […]
Continue reading Greetings from Calgary and ALGC Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
jhodi
Hi Jenny,
It is nice to meet a fellow Calgarian! Your work sounds very interesting! How nice it is to live so close to the moutains, biking in the summer and skiing in the winter. I also frequently take trips to the mountains for hiking excursions in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.
I look forward to working with you,
Jhodi
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Doug Connery
Hi Jenny and Jhodi:
Hello from another fellow Calgarian. I too live for activities in the mountains both summer and winter. I have never been in a MET course with so many from Calgary, I see there are others as well.
Jenny are you the Jennifer Brown from Health and Public Safety at SAIT from a few years back?
Doug.
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jbrown5
Hi my fellow Calgarians 🙂 It sounds like you are both enjoying the mountains as well.Doug, I am pretty sure that I’m not the Health and Public Safety person from SAIT you are thinking of, the only involvement I have had there was assisting another inspector with a special project (Serving Safer Food) related to their commercial kitchen.
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Suhayl Patel
I’m reposting this as I think it went to the wrong place the first time: Hi, My name is Suhayl Patel and currently reside in Calgary Alberta. This is my 6th course in the MET program and am looking forward to working and learning through out this term. I have never taken a course that […]
Continue reading I’m reposting this as I think it went t… Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
tomwhyte1
Welcome fellow Albertan. Sounds like an interesting role you have in the CBE. Hope we could share some idea’s.
Tom
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supatel
Hi Tom,
This is absoutely an amazing role. A lot of work that I currently do is directly related to new initiatives that we are trying to implement as a board and a lot of it requires us dealing with corporate partners like Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc. I am definitely gaining a more corporate/business experience as opposed to the classroom experience that i’ve had in the past.
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C. Ranson
Hi Suhayl,
I think we were in ETEC 530 together. I haven’t taken a course that is offered from a weblog but have created sites on this weblog in a few other courses. Gives you an opportunity to go back and re-visit some of your old work and look at it with a fresh view and edit.
Catherine
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supatel
I’m almost certain we have take 530 together. Welcome to the course. I look forward to working with you again!
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Ranvir
7 things you should know – navigating the new learning ecosystem
I reviewed the report 7 things you should know about “Navigating the new learning ecosystem” by Educause. The report is concise, objective analysis of the current educational technology environment within Higher Ed and provides key considerations for educators, learning technology specialists and venture capitalists. As an instructional designer and project manager working in the Higher […]
Continue reading 7 things you should know – navigating the new learning ecosystem Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace-
stammik
Thank you for making such a well articulated post Ranvir. The focus on using a LMS as more than an online delivery method for digital versions of stale paper handouts, is spot on. As a teacher in the secondary system, which in my view seems to have one foot in outdated classroom baed curriculum delivery methods and the other foot tentatively stepping into more modern online delivery, I think this report could prove beneficial to those outside of higher education as well.
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Kent Jamieson
Gartner – Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2012
As a layman I found the Garner Newsroom’s article useful in terms of the overall content and concepts found within, but was surprised at its vagueness at the same time. I guess I went into the article with expectations of specific data and insight, but then realized that we can’t really have a solid grasp on innovations […]
Continue reading Gartner – Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2012 Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace-
Peggy Lawson
I too find the Gartner reports quite vague, but I assume their purpose is just to give a very quick overview and description of potentially key innovations. I like the word they used – “disruptive”. For leadership positions in education, and the technical departments that support them, being aware of technologies that are likely to have major impacts can be vital. We might tend to agree that education moves slowly in many ways – but by having some forewarning and knowledge of what may eventually infiltrate schools should be an essential part of a smart educational sytem-level plan, as laying the necessary foundations for such systems is essential – it is often necessary to begin selling the key stakeholders (especially those holding the financial purse), as it may take considerable time and money to provide the necessary technological and pedagical foundations.
Just a thought, but I perhaps one of the reasons education is often so slow to adapt is the paucity of visionaries who can sell these ideas to the necessary stakeholders far enough in advance. Without that lead time, by the time the technologies become mainstream, especially in these times, providing the necessary foundations to support is too late and too costly.
Peggy
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Pat A Son
Hi Kent,
I believe the article was written for the layman and as such is present in the genre a news paper article and therefore it does not have the detail of an academic paper. Once that is taken into account it can be a useful document for educators and venturers. The educator may have to exert some effort to determine which is applicable to education.
Patason
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cunnian
Hello from the island!
Hello, My name is John Cunnian and I am a science and French teacher at an independent IB school on Vancouver Island. This is my 8th course in the MET program and I plan on finishing by August of next year. Between teaching and my Masters program, I am also into running and rock climbing. […]
Continue reading Hello from the island! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
rebecca42
Hey John,
I would love to pick your brain about IB schools. I’ve been interested in them for some time. I’m currently working in a public school in bc, but have always wanted to do more teaching internationally and have heard good things about IB schools in general.
Cheers,
Rebecca -
cunnian
Hi Rebecca,
I just made the move to this school after teaching in the public system for the last 7 years. So far the learning curve (whatever that is) is quite steep, but I can already see the value of it. Please feel free to pick my brain, but maybe wait a couple moths for things to ‘congeal’ in my mind a little more.John
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jenbarker
Hi John,
As a parent of two kids myself, I was wondering if you could share some advice on how you have handled your previous MET classes. Last year I spent one or two nights doing my readings and then on the weekend I attended my six hour Masters class every other Saturday (if you read my intro you will see I wasn’t in MET but another department). The “off” Saturday I would do my Master’s work and spent Sunday with my family. Understanding that this online platform is quite different than attending a class, do you find it is better to do some work each night? Or can I check in each night and then do the majority of work/study/readings on the weekends? I am just a bit worried as this week once I have put my kids to bed and completed necessary work for my daytime job, I have not had much time left. Any advice would be appreciated… Thanks, Jen-
cunnian
I have no real method… I work on it when I have any spare time; usually after the kids are in bed. I usually check in on some postings during the day and kind of mull them over until the evening. The asynchronous nature of this program, to me, makes it much more manageable. That said, there have been many late night along the way. You’ll find a rhythm soon.
Hope that helps!
John
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Eva Ziemsen
New Media Consortium 2012 Horizon Report 1. How, and how much, is it useful and valuable to the broader community of educators, as well as learning technologies specialists and venturers? Upon opening the forty two-page New Media Consortium 2012 Horizon Report, I was immediately engaged and spent a great deal of time reading […]
Continue reading New Media Consortium 2012 Horizon Report Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace-
Kent Jamieson
I recently downloaded NMC’s HZ app. Great info and links to articles and journals, updates, etc. Some links were broken, but a great resource nonetheless. (2.99)
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rebecca42
I was also drawn in immediately when reading and “couldn’t put it down”. It certainly is a resource that could be used by anyone with any interest in this field!
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jenbarker
Hi Eva – Thanks for your very thorough review. I printed and read the K-12 version and thought it was highly credible and valuable. Something I find interesting and controversial is one of the challenges they mention. On page 5 in the K-12 version, they discuss “Critical Challenges” and write that “despite the widespread agreement agreement on its importance, training in digital literacy skills and techniques is rare in teacher education. As a Faculty Advisor in UBC’s newly designed Bachelor of Education program I was surprised and disappointed that the teacher candidates do not have to take a course in digital media literacy. When I inquired about this I was told that it was infused throughout other literacy courses and curriculum classes but I wonder perhaps if it merits its own course. Thoughts anyone? David, do you know if anyone from MET was involved in the creation of the new B.Ed program?
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Pat A Son
Gartner’s 2012 Top Ten Strategic Technologies are as follows: Media Tablets and Beyond Mobile-Centric Applications and Interfaces. Contextual and Social User Experience. Internet of Things. App Stores and Marketplaces. Cloud Computing. Next-Generation Analytics. Big Data. In-Memory Computing. Extreme Low-Energy Servers. (NB. Cloud computing is number 10 in the original list because I find it is […]
Continue reading Gartner’s 2012 Top Ten Strategic Technol… Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace -
rebeccaharrison
Hello from Powell River
Hello all, This is one of my first MET courses and I’m excited to get started. My name is Rebecca and I am writing to you from the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia! I’ve been teaching for about 4 years, 2 of which have been here in Powell River, 1 in Australia and the rest on Pender […]
Continue reading Hello from Powell River Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
jenbarker
Hi Rebecca,
I am glad to see there is another “newbee” to MET in this class. Are you taking any other courses this term? I am also taking ETEC 511, which I haven’t had time to delve into yet. Thank goodness the weekend is fast approaching when I will have more time! I hope you have a had a great first week back at school and are enjoying all of your new roles. Best, Jen-
rebecca42
Hey Jen,
Yes, I am taking 511, 512 and 521. I, too, am looking forward to having more time to devote to the readings now that my bulletin boards are all sorted at the school 😉 Regards, Rebecca-
sonofpat
Hi Rebecca
Welcome to MET and good luck to you with your courses, You seem so well rounded that I have no doubt that you will have fun as you succeed at your MET endeavors.
See you around.
Patason
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jbrown5
We spent a week and a bit on the Sunshine Coast last summer and absolutely loved it, especially Powell River and then our time exploring the waters/marine life in Desolation Sound.
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joeltremblay
Hi there Rebecca,
My uncle and aunt actually teach in Powell River so I’m curious as to how many schools there are up there as if there are as many as I think, it’s possible you might know them? Don and Anne Nelson? Anyways, take care and good luck with the course.
Joel
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Shaun Pepper
Hello from Europe.
Hi, My name is Shaun. I am currently travelling and taking 3 MET courses. This will be my second, third, and fourth courses of the program. I enjoy songwriting, music composition, sports and travel. I will be teaching english in Shanghai starting in October and have previously taught at an Island Pacific School on Bowen […]
Continue reading Hello from Europe. Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
sonofpat
HI Shaun,
All I can say is that this is the right place and time for someone like you.
I look forward to working with you.Patason
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tomwhyte1
Sounds like a busy schedule of learning and traveling (which will most likely expand your understanding of technology and society by viewing it from a more global sense). Can’t wait to reflect on your insights.
Tom
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C. Ranson
Hi Shaun,
You seem to have the right idea, travel & online education is a great combination.
Catherine
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sophiabb
Hello from Surrey, BC
Hi, my name is Sophia and this is my third MET course. I have taught English and business administration at the secondary and post-secondary levels. At present, I am an education and youth services manager with a non-profit organization that provides many services to at-risk youth and the adoption community. I am a Jamaican Canadian […]
Continue reading Hello from Surrey, BC Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
sonofpat
Hi Sophia,
I did my first degree at uwi mona and l loved Jamaica. So it is very nice running into you here.
Patason
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sophiabb
Hi Patason,
Thank you. I did my first degree and first masters there. Ah, fond memories.
Sophia
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Mike Rae
looking for advice
I am just starting the program and was wondering if you guys could recommend how many courses I should take this term. I work as an academic advisor in China, and do a lot of that work after school hours and at lunch. I forsee having a some time during the working day to do […]
Continue reading looking for advice Posted in: General-
jameschen
I’d take 2, for quality over quantity.
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Mike Rae
that’s where I was leaning…thanks James you probably just swung a life decision for me.
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kstackhouse
Two would probably be enough on top of your busy schedule. Good Luck.
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Lisa Nevoral
With your busy schedule, I would take 2 courses. Good luck, Mike.
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Shaun Pepper
I would agree with all the above 2 seems like a good fit. Where in China are you working?
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Mike Rae
Hey Shaun, I am in Wuhan, China working for Maple Leaf Schools, BC accredited, BC salary, China cost of living. Its pretty good, but Im in my third year and I am getting a little China’d out. Not sure where the next move will be though.
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joeltremblay
Hi there Mike,
With a full teaching load I find I’m only able to keep pace with having one course per semester but I’m not as motivated as the rest here I guess 🙂
Good luck and enjoy yourself 🙂 -
Mike Rae
Thanks all, there is a lot of after school/lunch work that comes with Academic Advising, so I forsee having a little extra time between the school hours most weeks. I gotta be at work in front of a computer anyway and facebook and youtube are banned in this country, so I think two will be manageable.
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David Vogt
Empowered Learning
A better way to teach high school math:
Continue reading Empowered Learning Posted in: Pitch Pool-
Peggy Lawson
I felt as if this venture has potential. While about 3x too long for a standard elevator pitch, the four key features of a good pitch (David Shore, BCIC New Ventures) were addressed – (1) the problem you are trying to solve (from several customer vantage points), (2) what are you doing to solve the problem, (3) who are you solving it for, and (4) value/money proposition. The salesman had some sizzle without being irritating. The slide deck helped tell the story without being text heavy or overly distracting.
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jhodi
Hi Peggy,
I also thought that the pitch itself hit a lot of the key features of a good pitch. It was very informative about why this technology is useful, the features of the technology, and their asking price and potential for return. However, what this pitch lacked for me was a good description of why this specific technology is better than any other technology that is similar. I would have liked to know why they think this approach is better than that of others. As well, I just did not like the concept of the technology as it applied to math, but that is from the viewpoint of an educator.
Jhodi
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jhodi
NO, I would not invest in this venture.
This pitch claims to address the consistent problems in education dealing with wasted time teachers spend on paperwork and the disconnect in communication between teachers and parents. The solution to this problem is ‘Empowered Learning’, which pretty much amounts to an online tool that students use to complete their math homework that marks and gives feedback to students immediately. By doing so, problems areas can be addressed and ‘various forms of help’ can be provided. The claimed goal is for students to achieve 100% on their homework each night. Parents can monitor these results from home and track their child’s progress. This also releases the teacher from the administrative tasks and allows them time to focus on individual students. The implementation of this technology into the classroom is in theory seamless- no curriculum changes or teacher training. They are looking for $250 000 to launch a pilot that they will receive feedback from to modify the product and then launch the product.
Overall, at first glance, the pitch seems to have covered quite a few key bases. From an educator’s standpoint, I feel like their pain point is valid; there is some wasted time on paperwork and a disconnect between parents and teachers at times. However, where this pitch falls apart for me is in the solution. I chose to evaluate this pitch because it claimed to be relevant to high school mathematics, which is what I teach. To me, it is not good enough for students to know whether they got a question right or not, it is important for me that they can understand the process and if they get a question wrong, go back and reflect on why. This pitch was very unclear on the ‘various forms of help’ that it would provide to students should they get a question wrong. I have found that it is especially hard for students to show their math work entirely on a computer and therefore, I am skeptical about the ability of this program to give adequate feedback. Furthermore, it is important for parents to see results such as this, but it is also important for them to see classroom results, which leaves me wondering how this program interacts with progress in the classroom and showing parents at home. The next part where the pitch started to fall apart for me was the lack of comparison to other tools similar to this one, of which there are lots of similar tools. This pitch left me wondering why is this product so much better than the others? Lastly, the pitch failed to give a decisive timeline on return for me as an investor. The return is entirely contingent on how well the pilot performs. What if nobody likes the technology and there are very few sales? With everything else in mind, this is not a technology that I look at and think, ‘wow’, this is very interesting and useful with a wide range of applications. Therefore, I would not invest in this technology. -
Ranvir
No, I would not invest in this venture as there are open source and commercial tools available today that can provide the functionality at fraction of the cost. Developing another application from ground up to provide functionality that is mostly available in many LMS systems doesn’t seem to make sense. It would make more sense to extend an existing application or leverage a business intelligence tool to extract analytics rather than spend $250,000 to design a new application. The pitch doesn’t clarify gaps that a competitor is unable to fulfill. Moreover, it is not clear how the application specifically helps students to learn Math better.
The venture pitch is quite long and shows planned features of the application which is not necessary at the initial stage. The pitch mentions target market for math in US is $175 million based on which source? The marketing aspect of the product is missing. Finally, how and when will the venture get a break even or provide return to investor is not mentioned.-
jameschen
I agree with your points on the problems found in this pitch. The numbers seem unrealistic because no sources are provided, and the lack of explaining exactly how this product differs from an updated version of Skinner’s teaching machine, for example, raises some red flags.
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Suhayl Patel
No I would not invest in this venture. Right off the bat, I am one who enjoys listening to new ideas, but only by people whom I am able to see. I usually tune out when it’s done through pictures, graphs, etc. In this pitch, the entire pitch was done like that and I wasn’t able to actually see the person for even a short period of time as he made his pitch.
I rated all four categories rather low
Ceo-Team: Althought he might have had a background in large/small scale software projects, there wasn’t much said about his team. And I don’t think this would be a venture that an be done solo.
Veture Concept: I don’t believe this idea is new and original. A lot of (mathematics) textbook publishers (person, mcgraw hill) have online tools that do the same thing: grade, help, assess, keep track, etc of progress. Even Khan Academy has many of these features and it’s user-friendly and effective.
Marketing: They don’t have the competitive edge to go against the likes of the large publishers or Khan Kcademy (which partners with MS)
Venture Plan: Ther is nothing mentioned about the venture plan which makes me even more reluctant to invest in this.
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Patrick Pichette
No I would not invest in this venture. There are too many alternatives that compete directly with this type of offering and the pitch fails to address how they differentiate themselves from these other popular solutions. On that point alone, there is no chance that I would even contemplate getting additional information as that should have been addressed in his pitch to begin with (especially since it was 3 mins long).
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sophiabb
No, I would not invest in this venture. The pitched failed in endear credibility due to a failure to differentiate itself, no marketing strategy, insubstantial financials and lack of a leadership skills.
The pitch highlighted Empowered Learning as a unique math teaching/learning web based software solution in the high school math market. Is it really unique? This market is proliferated with many competitors who offer same or similar “unique” solutions. The pitch failed to identify how Empowered Learning will really differentiate itself in this market; its unique selling proposition was no different from software that are currently on the market being offered, for example MathTutor and many publishing companies such as Pearson.
The pitch indicated a fairly large US market of $175 million. With a very dotted competitor field, the pitch failed to deliver a marketing strategy of how it would penetrate and secure market space/share.
The pitch identified an ask of $250,000 to pilot, build, measure and adjust. As an investor, I cannot help but wonder is this figure was just pulled from the air. The pitch failed to substantiate the financial need for the ask. It also failed to identify the return on investment.
The team seemed to the CEO only. The CEO might be able to carry a heavy load to pilot, build, measure and adjust. For the company assure the possibility of a going concern, other leadership skills are needed, such as skills in marketing.
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David Vogt
Dybuster
A neural technologies approach to dyslexia:
Continue reading Dybuster Posted in: Pitch Pool-
Colin
Yes I would invest in Dybuster but only with further research into their claims, research and the software. Christian Vogeli gave a good presentation as he presented the problem with current treatments of dyslexia which are inefficiency and cost (pain point). His solution is a program that works with individuals to reduce their writing errors and can be integrated into school programs or for use at home. He validates his claim with statistics of how his program reduces writing errors by 33% compared to 5% with no training. These numbers seems consistent with what I would expect from such a program. The main reason I choose to invest is the marketing and specifically the target markets for this product. In addition to schools I believe parents looking out for the welfare of their children will be the main purchasers and the easiest market to attract and sell to. If they see an alternative to expensive therapy I believe they would definitely try this product. Christian speaks with confidence but I am not completely won over as he does not state his credentials or background in relation to his product. No ask or return were mentioned but I believe that would require further discussions. Overall I believe that Dybuster could be a viable product.
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lullings
Is it a viable product? we have no idea what the product is. Is it web based, does it require hardware or is it just software. What are the contact times needed to achieve the 33% reduction in error?
A good pitch but lacks the depth which I would need to be able to invest. He has 22,000 users and initial investments – what does he value the company at the moment. As in what price per 1% of the company is he offering and how much is he looking for.
He is looking to expand internationally. Is there a plan for that, is he looking to the benelux countries to expand to or is he looking to greater markets like Asia and North America?
He is confident – he has a good product – I have more questions than answers unfortunately.
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tomwhyte1
I agree that there are questions that need to be answered. However, if we just view this as an elevator pitch, has he done enough to want us to ask these questions? Or to be interested enough in the answers that may or may not be given?
For myself, the questions you have raised are important. I also wonder, how easily can the software be adapted to various languages and dialects? What markets are thy specifically focusing on for their expansion? What will this cost? And, for myself, I am interested in hearing more.
Thoughts?
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kstackhouse
Great questions, Lullings. He does seem to know the content is more engaging than the first two presentations. Would we view this one differently otherwise.
There is a plan and a history. He talks about revenues and growth which then leads to why he is talking to this audience. I think I would need to know about the questions you raised before investing…but I think there is enough information to invite him for a Venture Pitch to hear more and to be able to ask the questions necessary.
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jkotler
Yes I would invest in Dybuster because Christian Vogeli, the CEO and founder was quite compelling in presenting the venture concept. More specifically, he first clearly identified the paint point by explaining what dyslexia is and how it negatively affects their learning. Then he presented a direct viable solution to the problem with relevant supporting data, such as a 33% improvement rate in writing, and in doing so differentiated Dybuster from competitors by explaining how they are inefficient and expensive. In addition, Vogeli expressed other benefits like working independent of age and language as well asthe potential use for people with dementia, which allude to its marketability and further expansion.
In considering the venture plan, there is confidence in its low cost, and that they have already secured patents, have a current success rate in Switzerland with 20,000 users and revenue reaching approximately 1 million Swiss francs. Therefore with this data in mind, the possibility for its expansion into a more international market seems favorable despite the lack of information in this pitch on how exactly they plan to move to such a market (which could always be requested).
Finally, in regards to Vogeli’s credibility, while it would have been better to learn more about his credentials and his team, he appeared confident and very knowledgeable thereby convincing me he does possess the necessary capability.
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tomwhyte1
I agree with your statements, however upon reading your analysis, I was reminded that there are different levels of dyslexia, therefore, is this software appropriate for them all. Secondly, specific types of dyslexia are actually beneficial, some rocket scientists have dyslexia.
Therefore, on the surface, this product seems like a good idea. However, upon reflection, are we forcing the student to conform to the traditional practices of school, or should education explore ways to meet the student where they are at? Which of these might Dybusters do? For myself, the name makes me feel they are trying to remove dyslexia from the student…
Thoughts?
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tomwhyte1
Dybuster’s CEO and Founder, Christian Vogeli, through software created with an understanding of Neural Psychology and Computer Science, attempts to improve the reading and writing abilities of those individuals with Dyslexia. Even though, I can add nothing more to the success of this venture, other than a cash infusion, I would still invest in this venture, mainly for the simple fact that the CEO seems genuinely interested in improving the lives of those with Dyslexia. From a financial perspective, I would also invest in this venture, as the Dybuster software claims to provide a 33% improvement in an individuals ability to read and write, through a lost cost solution, where as other attempts to address this concern, are intensely individualistic and expensive, but ultimately ineffective. Furthermore, the market size for Dybusters is significant, as10% of the worlds population has Dyslexia, and this product can be used in schools, private therapists, at home, or for those involved in self-studies. Furthermore, Dybusters has positioned themselves to increase their market share, as the software will soon increase its focus to include Dyscalculia and Adult Dementia. A market share that is also protected by its current patent and future patents. My only real concern with Dybusters is as a potential investor, I am unaware of how this service is being marketed, or where to obtain this software, or how much would be required for an initial investment, and what my potential return on this investment would entail.
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pcollins
Hi Tom,
Did you find that you questioned the validity of the results against other more traditional methods of treatment?
PC-
tomwhyte1
I had to review that portion of the presentation again, and how I am interpreting the information, is that Dybusters use improves writing/reading by 33% when compared to “No Training” (for that is what the slide says). Therefore, I wonder what the results are for individual training, or other similar services.
Nice catch.
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Pat A Son
YES, I would invest in this venture
First the CEO is definitely on top of his game he has done his homework and overcame his limited English skills to make compelling case for one to buy into his venture.
After defining dyslexia and establishing the percentage of the population that suffers from it he goes on to show how the current approach to treating the disorder is expensive and ineffective. He then uses statistical data to show how his product is better. So it is clear that he has identified his pain point and produced an original and viable solution in the form of Dybuster.
By pointing out that over 50 million people in English speaking Germany alone are dyslexic he has shown that there potentially a large market for Dybuster to leverage. By offering a cheaper but effective solution to the competition that can be used by schools, therapist and students can use on their own gives his product the competitive edge. This is further extended by the fact the product transcends age, language and can be used for treating two other disorders. The product seems to be mature enough for the market with the success it is enjoying now. The fact that returning customers increase their licence suggest that it has the potential for sustainable growth over time. -
Patrick Pichette
This venture appears to have some potential. I’m unsure if I would invest in this venture at first glance but my attention was definitely maintained throughout most of his pitch. The CEO provided a clear problem being solved, provided insight on the target market and potential user base, indicated some differentiation compared to current solutions being offered, and showed promise in maintaining the user base through a patent held and patent pending. If the numbers presented and the patents demonstrate a viable business model that can’t be copied easily, I would likely invest in this venture.
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tomwhyte1
I have thought about the patents. In North America, it is good business practice to have patents registered in as many countries as possible, not just one. Therefore, I wonder, how global are these patents? If limited, the prospects of the company is equally, if not more, limited.
Thoughts?
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Patrick Pichette
I agree about the requirement for global patents. Especially when it comes to a solution where the target market is limited locally but large enough from a global perspective. If the patent is only held in his country, then the venture gains additional risk if he is unable to secure the same patents in other countries. I find this pitch one that promises a lot but may fail to deliver. It would require quite a bit of digging to verify the viability of the business on a global scale.
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tomwhyte1
Furthermore, if global patents are an issue, significant capital will be constantly needed to fight potential patent issues in other countries, thereby reducing potential profit, and future viability of the country.
Might it be better, if the patent exists, to license it out to major companies?
Thoughts?
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jameschen
I also wonder about the patent issue, because from the presentation there is only one patent pending in addition to the one that they company already has. But I think it is best practice to start little and expand with solid footing.
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tomwhyte1
I agree to start the company small, but not the number of patents. The more intellectual property one company holds, the better positioned they are in the market place, and better positioned they are to expand their company down the road.
Thoughts?
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jameschen
Sorry for the late response, tomwhyte1. Your point about patents is very valid, but in my opinion such patents would only be useful if the company intends to sell the patented product in those particular countries. I think patents also expire after a certain time period. But if one has plans and enough funds to do so then I don’t see why not 🙂
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tomwhyte1
Yes, it is important to remember that patents do have an expiry date. However, if Dybuster’s is as great as the CEO says it is, and by having limited patents in one country, what stops another country from making a similar product, lets say in North America…
Thoughts?
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pcollins
So many questions! And maybe that’s an integral part of how this pitch is being presented. They leave you wanting more – Specifically perhaps this works with certain personality types. It certainly worked for me. I felt the gentleman presenting did a very good job of identifying the market and the problem that is addressed by dybuster…. namely the cost effectiveness of a product that can be used at home and in school eliminating the cost of one on one therapist time. I did not find the details of the charts effective or appropriate representation of the products effectiveness. I noticed the absence of any mention of a competitor’s product. Perhaps they don’t exist. I would invest in this venture.
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melissaayers
YES, I would invest in this venture.
While on first run through of the pitch I based this yes on mainly gut feeling on the confidence of the speaker and his delivery etc I think after I have watched it a few more times I have more a more rational perspective.
The speaker clearly defines the pain point or market need for this product as well as how it has already been tested and successful in one market. Also how it can be differentiated in terms of cost and availability to traditional therapies. He also identifies that some current customers return and increase their licensing quotas; this is a sign of a good product I believe that meets a real need.
There seems to be the potential of a reasonable size market for this product internationally of his claims are true. Also in terms of business strategy they are also leveraging their knowledge and experience and developing similar products for other applications such as dementia.
As Colin mentioned, I also feel (depending on the price point of the product which unfortunately was not mentioned in the pitch) that the customers could be the parents as well as schools and therapists. This gives a wider customer base than if it were just for schools/therapists.
I found the pitch did leave me with many questions as well. A question others asked related to patent – is their patent just for Switzerland? Or the EU? Or worldwide? How easy would it be to copy/clone the product in other markets? Which market(s) are they going to attempt to enter next? Will they need to modify the product for different markets/culture/languages or can it be delivered as is?Additionally as the product is already released and being used it would have been nice to have a brief live demo of how it works to understand the product a bit better.
In conclusion however despite al l my questions, from this pitch I would definitely be interested to find out more about this product and their business strategy and plan for expansion.
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jameschen
Yes, I would invest in this venture if the business plan provides a viable investment strategy. The market gap/problem (inefficient system, high cost for customers to attain service due to lack of service providers) is met by the unique selling point of the product (“small costs, efficient, always available”). The solution of the product is backed by research study. The provision of information on the proof of concept for additional applications, patents, current investments, grants, revenues, and users increase the reliability of the company in terms of fulfillment.
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visramn
Dybuster
Yes, I would invest in Dybuster. Christian Vogeli was very confident and did a good job of enthusiastically talking about the product. He had good background information that helped to explain the need for this type of product. He made it seem like the product was a necessity and was something that was needed in a society that lacked the capabilities to address the needs conveyed with the pre-existing avenues. This product would be advantageous because it caters to a need in society that has not been taken care of fully as of yet. It reaches out to a market that has not been tapped into with more technical innovative flexible means.
The presenter showed factual and statistical information of success with the product. He also outlined how it is a cost efficient product that can be used across the world due to its flexibility. He went on to talk about future possibilities for the product as well as a list of potential areas for future marketing for the product. The product seems to be pretty easily accessible and versatile. It seems like a realistic venture that could be implemented fairly easily if the right resources are in place. The presenter had a clear vision and a specialized group who the product is catered to.
The only issue that I thought was evident in this video was that the presenter did not really explain how the product is used or how it works. I would need some further information about the technicalities of this product to feel more comfortable in investing it.
I think the presenter was confidence and that he made a strong argument by explaining the need of the product as a foundation to his argument. I felt this drew me in. I do not think this product would require me to add money but maybe I would be able to use my pre-existing knowledge and the knowledge of other educators who have dealt with students with dyslexia to help to understand and enhance this type of product further.
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David Vogt
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Jonathan
No, I would not invest in this venture. It isn’t clear what is unique about Mingle or how it would change the world.
After watching the CEO’s pitch, I am uncertain as to what the exact product that Mingle is selling. It appears to be a global language learning tool that allows students to learn online, but it fails to distinguish itself from other language products (ie. Rosetta Stone). It appears that the CEO is competent and mature and that there is some vision but it isn’t obvious in this short pitch.
It is clear that Mingle is targeting the global market but they were unable to describe who their target market was. In addition, no innovative advantages were provided over traditional programs that may be offline in nature. There was no request for specific funding nor how much return an investor would.
There is a vision in this product but it wasn’t clear to me as an EVA what it was.
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adi
No, I would not invest in this venture. The CEO fails to convey the exact nature of
what she is selling. Is it an e-commerce course or a language course? She does not describe the problem she is addressing, and as a result the solution is not clear. In addition, there’s no mention of how this product is different from what is out there, nor what the market size and share is, or how potential consumers will be reached. In short, her venture concept is not clear. As an EVA, I would not invest in it. -
joeltremblay
I agree with Jonathan. She needs to make it clear exactly what makes her service better than the hundreds, if not thousands of translation services already in existence. After all Translation is one of the oldest skills in existence and her idea is novel, but she doesn’t take pains to differentiate herself from the crowd.
They don’t describe the target market beyond the idea that all people could use help understanding different languages, and unfortunately as mentioned before, don’t explain how they intend their service to be different and more successful than other services. Because heavyweights like Google play in that arena, it might behoove her to attempt any differentiation.
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joeltremblay
NO, I would not invest in this venture
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Mike Rae
No, I would not invest in this venture.
Joel, jon and adel, I agree with you as you have covered most of my criticisms. She even asks the question ‘what makes myngle different?’ and her answer was that it brings something traditional (education) to the masses. This seems like the first minute of a longer pitch rather than an elevator pitch. It also feels like it is about 10 years too late. -
C. Ranson
No, I would not invest in this venture. I agree that it is unclear as to what the venture represents. The founder does mention that Mingle will represent global language learning and that her venture concept is the next step in commerce and targeting the global market, how? It is also unclear how Mingle will make a difference in the world as stated by the founder. Not sure how her venture differs from others and what makes it unique from others ventures and successful.
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Ranvir
No, I would not invest in this venture as it is not clear what Mingle is (product or service) and how and it blends languages and commerce to ‘make the difference’. She briefly mentions that Mingle would bring traditional education to the masses and allow students to study anytime, anywhere. Seems to align with the generic definition if eLearning and sound a bit vague. The pitch fails to clarify the problem area or market gap and advise how the product/ service will resolve that.
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coralk
Although the presenter is passionate about what she is presenting, I was not moved to invest in her venture for the following reasons:
• The pitch was overly-emotional and repetitive
• The presenter didn’t explain the product – she just said that it would bring education to the whole world but she didn’t explain what it is or how it would do this
• She did not outline the potential market for this product – is it for K-12, college, the general public? Would it sell to institutions (B2B) or to individual consumers (B2C)?It is a shame because I looked up the website after the pitch, and the company is very interesting. They have won several awards and they have many well known corporate clients. It is an interesting idea, and if you would like to know what they do (since the pitch didn’t really tell us), this is from their website:
Myngle is a fully integrated and global language learning school, amongst the first players to deliver professional one-on-one language tutoring over the net, and now the global leader in its segment.
Myngle is transforming traditional language education by offering hundreds of professional online teachers and courses in a wide variety of languages. Our fully integrated virtual classroom provides students with an interactive, efficient and convenient way of learning or improving a language. -
jenbarker
No, I would not invest in this venture. Although I like how she is passionate about making a difference, the completeness of her argument just isn’t there. She does provide some information on how there is a market for her company, as well as how it is different than others but needs to explain further. She tries to describe how users around the world can take advantage of her product but I think due to her strong accent which makes it difficult to fully comprehend, it would have been beneficial for her to use a few key slides with some text. This would have helped to convey the explanation of what the product is. I also don’t know who she is marketing too. What is her target audience? I assume it is for adults but coud it also be for children?
I think this product has some potential but based simply on the pitch I would vote no.
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Patrick Pichette
No I would not invest in this venture based on this pitch alone. I would likely need additional information to better understand the business model being pursued. I honestly have no idea what she was even offering as a product during that pitch other than it was a communication related product that allows students to learn anywhere and at anytime. There does appear to be some potential so I may likely ask for additional information but the pitch was not very effective.
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pcollins
Reflecting the sentiments of my classmates, I wouldn’t invest in Mingle. I could not easily distinguish what set it apart from all of the other online language learning tools (babble/speakfish/rosetta). Apart from that I found her pitch to be ultra scripted, and even though she appears to be a competent individual the idea that she was passionate about her product and it’s potential did not come through in her pitch.
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kstackhouse
No, I would not invest in this venture based on this pitch. There were a lot of questions left in my mind after viewing. As an EVA I was not sure of: What I would be asked to contribute, what the market competition looked like, I needed more information on the CEO and her team? There were just too many things not mentioned in gaining my trust and support.
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bryan
No, I would not invest in this venture. The CEO of this company is extremely vague and nondescript with regards to what exactly mingle really does.
The CEO is very unclear about how they will bring this language learning people? It appears as though she’s trying to sell the idea of learning languages over the Internet but she really doesn’t tell us how she can do that. The CEO offers very little in regards to specifics of how she will develop, market, and distribute the learning tool mingle. We know very little from her YouTube presentation about any sort of competitive edge or even a venture plan at all. The CEO doesn’t even specifically state what her market audiences. As an EVA, I would not consider investing at this time.
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jameschen
No, I would not invest in this venture. The presentation is vague because no solid evidence is provided to allow an investor to have a basic understanding of what the venture has to offer. The presenter does not identify the market gap or problem. The only basis for starting this venture is the dream that the presenter has. The presentation does not explain what the product is other than something that will “bring traditional education to the mass online world.” The only reference to the differentiation of the venture is “I believe anybody can make a difference, and Mingle is my difference.”
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David Vogt
Real Simple Edu
A venture about apps for education:
Continue reading Real Simple Edu Posted in: Pitch Pool-
adi
No, I would not invest in this venture. According to David Shore
Perfecting Your Pitch, a good pitch should indicate (1) what the problem is; (2) what the product does to solve it; (3) who it’s going to solve the problem for, and (4) why people will buy it. This pitch only addresses number 3, but all the rest is not clear. David Shore also advises against slides with too much text, or text that the actual person is reading, it distracts and makes it difficult to follow. For these reasons, this pitch was not at all clear, and I would not invest in it. -
Peggy Lawson
I agree adelpaso, but I felt the strongest point was 4 as he did briefly mention that they had some history of success and would thus make money for his buyers, although he did broadly indicate the potential customers. There was very little indication of what the product actually was or did – “educational app” is pretty broad! I would definitely not invest based on this pitch.
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manny
No, I would not invest in this venture based on the information that was given and the lack of confidence through which it was delivered. Upon the introduction, it was very confusing as to what the product was. Am I investing in an educational app development company which designs different apps for use in schools, colleges and businesses or is it a single app that caters to all three. Furthermore, the educational app marketplace is very competitive, what innovative advantage does this company have over others that could maintain its sustainability. The presentation detracts from the message and a demo of the app would have been more suitable. The presenters tone lacks excitement and confidence which may parallel the product in question. Having a 150,000 paying customers is a great start but I don’t see the potential growth and sustainability along with an exit strategy. Based on this presentation, I would not be willing to part with my money. The product may have huge potential, but it wasn’t conveyed in this lackluster presentation.
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jenbarker
Manny, you make some great points. I relate this back to my experience as an educator. When we plan lessons we are told that great lessons include a hook at the beginning that instill excitement in our children and hook them in, ultimately engaging them. I found this pitch boring. When I think of all the outstanding apps in education, they excite me and this pitch could have capitalized on the enthusiasm that already exists in this market.
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manny
Hi Jen, I couldn’t agree with you more! I think that the elevator pitch itself needs to capture the audiences attention in the first couple of seconds or you have lost them completely. A hook is imperative in this scenario as you only have about a minute to pitch your venture. From an EVA/Investors standpoint, they may go through a dozen or so of these pitches a day and quite frankly, this one did not stand out at all and is easily forgettable.
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kstackhouse
I agree with you Manny. It is is difficult to imagine that the company would be hard pressed to cater to all three levels of education. Also, as you mention his presentation was not engaging enough to really grab on to the attention of an EVA. They would probably stop listening pretty quickly. Unfortunately that seems to be the way the business works. It is like a resume, you might have tons of experience but if you have not polished the resume HR people might not even look at it closely enough to find out.
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jenniferschubertubc
It is unclear whether or not this is the CEO talking about his product. The speaker in this pitch is quite an underwhelming presenter. He speaks in an extremely even tone, without a bit of excitement or confidence evident. From this pitch, it is unclear if the CEO has amassed the team and resources needed for success.
The world of the app is continually growing. Custom courses are evolving and being marketed to teach would be developers the skills to take their products from idea to production at a steady rate (at least from what I’ve seen in the US and in London). One thing I find disconcerting about this pitch is just how unspecific it is. It talks about the apps in a very general fashion, but they, nor their capabilities, features, etc., are ever shown. With new and improved apps being released every day, competition is on the rise; therefore I do not find the idea particularly original.
As I mentioned in my review of the Smugmug pitch, I believe that the market size for this product would be a factor that would need constant re-evaluation. With the accessibility of smartphone apps in many different fields, including education, the market size will undoubtedly grow, but will this product be able to keep up with the competition? Also, current numbers as well as projections would need to be reviewed before a sound judgment about success in revenue could be gauged.
I did not hear mention of anything specific to their product that would make it any different than what may already exist out on the market currently. The presenter only mentioned what sort of people buy the apps and the funding that they currently have.
The presentation did include a slide on business success, showing that the project is Angel Funded, cash-flow positive, has 150,000+ paid customers, and has 3 revenue sources (owned and operated, co-branding, and licensing). I still see the overall pitch as being too vague to consider serious investment. Couple that with the monotone presentation, and, as they say on Shark Tank, “I am out.” I would NOT choose to invest in Real Simple Edu (based on this pitch).
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Patrick Pichette
No I would not invest in this venture based on the pitch alone. Once again, I would require additional information in order to understand the product being offered. At this point, I feel the only real knowledge I have is that they offer apps that can be used on multiple devices. How this is leveraged to solve a particular problem is not really attacked so I can’t commit funds without additional details.
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bryan
No, I would not invest in this venture. The CEO doesn’t even really introduce himself or offer any of his credentials, expertise, or experience they would make the confident in his competence running a venture that I would invest my personal money in. What competitive edge or niche market Is simple EDU trying to target? The CEO tells us he has 150,000 customers but doesn’t tell us if their one time customers or repeat patrons of his company. The CEO doesn’t offer any focused specifics on what the marketing plan is as a company or what their venture plan is. This market pitch fails to offer short-term, medium-term, or long-term projections or goals with regards to profit, cash flow, or market capitalization.
What sort of return could and investor expect and how long is the predicted timeframe to acquire this return? At this point there are way too many questions than there are answers that I would not be prepared to invest. This pitch lacks a clear message or even a semblance of why someone would give them their hard-earned money.
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jameschen
No, I would not invest in this venture. The pitch does not identify what the product actually is, what the market gap/problem the product addresses, and the solution it provides. No references about the team, competition, the ask and the return are made. The presenter, however, does provide some detail about the differentiation and marketing aspects of the venture but nothing solid enough to explain what the investor would be investing in.
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Paula Poodwan
Emerging Market Poll
I notice that even after I have logged into the UBC blog site, when I click Poll and then Emerging Market Polls, it sometimes takes me to the class of May 2012’s Emerging Poll. Anybody have the same problem?
Continue reading Emerging Market Poll Posted in: Questions & Answers-
visramn
This happened to me as well. I navigated back to the original link and it went away. Not sure why that is happening.
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C. Ranson
Hi Paula,
Yes, it seems to flip back to May 2012 class. I just keep going back to our site.
Catherine
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David Vogt
Well it worked for me, but may have been a residual dead link. Anyway, I think this is corrected now. Thanks
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kstackhouse 8:23 am on September 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Welcome Manny,
Congrats at being past the half-way point. A class set of iPads, that will be interesting. For some reason in our district the head IT guy really does not like Apple products and it is a fight to get any approved. I do have 6 Macs in my classroom but that is rare. My wife is an OT in the elementary schools and there are times when she will encourage the use of iPads and other devices to improve accessibility to learning. Have a great term.
Ken
manny 8:41 pm on September 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ken,
Macs definitely posit their own set of challenges as they are not friendly when it comes to cross platform applications. I was always more of a PC guy myself but our district seems to be taking the Mac direction right now. I guess it’s all personal preference at the end of the day. iPads are of course new and exciting but also have their limitations. I wish you the best of luck this term and look forward to working with you.
Manny
Colin 8:58 pm on September 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny, I work over at CLC I believe you work at one of the other learning centers in Surrey?
manny 8:48 am on September 8, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Colin,
I’m over at the GLC. It’s nice to have someone who shares similar experiences in the same course. Look forward to working with you and I’m sure our paths will cross soon.
Manny
Jonathan 9:23 pm on September 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny —
Fantastic and exciting opportunity for you to deploy iPads into the classroom. You’ll have to keep me posted on the progress. While I am an Apple guy in my respects, I have found the limitations within the lab (with regards to some of the applications) to be quite frustrating. I’ve used one (personal) in my classroom for a few years, but this year I will have an extra to give to the students as well. What apps have you loaded onto the ipad or how do you plan to use them?
Cheers,
— Jonathan
manny 8:51 am on September 8, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I would agree with you John in that it can become quite frustrating. This biggest problem I face is that it is a personal mobile device and the problem occurs when you try to share it between students in different classes. Furthermore, it is so difficult to find effective educational apps. I would be more than happy to share my list of apps that have worked for me thus far, just send me your email addy and I will compile a list.
Manny
Jonathan 11:34 am on September 8, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Frustrations — I can probably add to it –>
keeping the students on task with the iPad when there is so much to do. They are so comfortable with the platform that they know how to head out to the main screen, play with Photo Booth, and amuse their friends. At the same time is this because the task isn’t interesting enough? I’ll be excited to see what the new iOS feature will be, to allow us to control the experience some more (shudder, sounds so Apple).
Email.. thanks for sending the list along: jtang@sd38.bc.ca
bryan 10:27 am on September 8, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny,
Nice to meet another Surrey teacher! I look forward to working with you.
Bryan