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Start-Ups
VCs get smart on edtech: VCJ (Reuters)
Here is a startling statistic. As of mid-August, venture capitalists have invested more than $977 million worldwide in education startups year-to-date. Startling because it is well above the $842 million for all of last year and likely by year�s end the figure will exceed the $1.05 billion invested in the sector in 2012, based on data from Thomson Reuters and news reports. Remarkable as well because so far edtech hasn�t proven itself. The space is a bit like cleantech. Only a relatively few companies have scaled to market leaders and fewer still found attractive exits, though the exit pace seems to be improving.
Levebee Can Be Your Child�s Personal Reading Coach (Tech Crunch)
Levebee�s tagline says it all: �Reading Matters.� Levebee is launching today at TechCrunch Disrupt Europe to improve reading comprehension through games and exercises to help with reading disorders including dyslexia in children. The founders have extensive experience in this area and built Levebee after launching reading productivity app Legentas for college students and adults. It was through the development of Legentas the team discovered that young kids were the ones that needed the most help reading. Enter Levebee, a personalized reading coach. Currently, if a child needs help reading, they either go to a specialist or trudge through learn-how-to-read books with a parent.
Industry
How Does Coursera Make Money? (edSurge)
Coursera is an education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide to offer courses online for free. It was started by two Stanford professors in late 2011. In less than three years it has reached 10 million students around the world and raised $85 million in venture capital. Why have VCs invested so much money in the company? How does offering free online courses generate revenue? Many have asked, so we examined Coursera�s different monetization models and offer estimates based on some known numbers.
Will education technology be the next growth sector? (Boston Globe)
Massachusetts� innovation economy is a well-recognized engine for economic growth in the Commonwealth. Its higher ed sector is world renowned, and its K-12 school system leads the United States in student outcomes. Education curriculum and program developers have long thrived here. Now the education technology ecosystem is growing from the convergence of these unique Massachusetts� strengths. It has the potential to provide major growth in jobs to the Commonwealth, and new time-saving or quality-enhancing products and services for learners. The �ecosystem� is home to more than 250 early stage startups, several dozen venture-funded companies and dozens of growth stage companies, many private.
Integration
Maine moves virtual charter school forward (WCSH6)
The Maine Charter School Commission is advancing a plan for a second virtual charter school in the state. The commission voted Wednesday to move the application from Maine Virtual Academy to the next step. It also voted not to advance applications from the Lewiston-Auburn-based Acadia Academy and Sanford-area Inspire ME Academy. The decision to move Maine Virtual Academy forward means the commission will hold an interview with the applicant, host a public hearing, and vote Nov. 13 on whether to enter into contract negotiations with the school. The interview and public hearing are scheduled for Oct. 27 in Augusta. Maine has six charter schools serving almost 900 students. Maine Connections Academy opened this fall as the state's first public virtual charter school.
Schools Pave Their Way to the Cloud (EdTech Magazine)
A teachable moment has arrived. As schools continue to struggle with funding shortages, cloud computing services can drive cost savings and enhanced capabilities often not available onsite. Research from the Current Analysis advisory firm shows that, compared with other industries, educational organizations are twice as likely to adopt public-cloud solutions. Although the trend is clear, technology advocates still must document and explain how cloud-driven savings and efficiencies translate into improved teaching and learning in the classroom. A closer look reveals many solid examples; among them, Indianapolis Public Schools. The district�s ability to deliver a unified cloud that integrates private- and public-cloud deployments offers teachers a centralized, web-based dashboard that provides easy access to email, educational applications and files.
Higher Education
Colleges Offer Hands-On Tech Engagement (EdTech Magazine)
The University of Oklahoma's One University Store may be a technology lover's paradise. OU students and faculty can purchase the latest in computers, software and tech gadgets there, and try out emerging, state-of-the-art technologies such as 103-inch televisions; Google Glass, a wearable computing device that looks like eyeglasses; Oculus Rift, a virtual reality 3D gaming headset; and 3D printers. "Students are getting a glimpse of the future," says David Goodspeed, the university's director of innovation, creativity and marketing for campus stores. "It's part retail store, part technology playground. They can try things out, they can play with them. It's a huge learning opportunity, and it can inspire them."
Why colleges should stop splurging on buildings and start investing in software (Washington Post)
For decades, America�s colleges and universities have been on a massive spending spree, building new dorms, student centers, sports complexes, and academic buildings. Despite all these expenditures, the key metrics are not much better. Graduation rates haven�t increased at the pace of much of Europe and Japan. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the percentage of young Americans who are less educated than their parents exceeds other leading nations. What if the leaders of our colleges and universities had channeled just a fraction of this edifice-complex capital into technology improvements instead?
Google
How Google Glass Apps Showcase the Potential of Wearable Educational Technology (Huffington Post)
Last month Google made its wearable Glass product available to the general public for the first time. While you no longer need to be an invited Google Glass Explorer to play around with the pioneering (albeit unfashionable) platform, you still need $1,500 to get one shipped to you from the Google Play Store. It's unclear whether this high profile focus on wearable computing will come anywhere close to matching the success of Google's Android operating system. Many, including famed tech commentator Robert Scoble, believe that Glass is not ready for prime time and will ultimately sink like Google's once trendy Wave messaging platform. Regardless of whether Google Glass will succeed, wearable technology -- sooner rather than later -- will profoundly impact learning.
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STEMconnector to Host 100 Diverse Corporate Leaders in STEM TownHall (10/22, 2-3PM ET)
 STEMconnector will host an online TownHall on Wednesday, October 22nd from 2:00-3:00PM ET, featuring keynote presentations from honorees in the 100 Diverse Corporate Leaders in STEM publication. Participants will speak about their vision for a more competitive nation, their own journey, and their advice on how to get more women and minorities into STEM education and careers. Released on September 23rd, 100 Diverse Corporate Leaders in STEM follows up on the success of 100 CEO Leaders in STEM (2013) and 100 Women Leaders in STEM (2012). As with previous books, we continue to reflect on the growing importance of women and diversity in this edition. Our hope is to empower not only the influencers of students making a career decision, but also corporations looking to cultivate leaders. To download the publication, click here. Follow the conversation on social media using #100STEMLeaders.
Magic Software and Solmark Team Up to Create Global Leader in Education Technology
 Magic Software, a 24-year, award-winning K12 EdTech company that provides technology and digital learning solutions to clients globally, announced a strategic investment and operating partnership with Solmark, an entrepreneur's equity fund formed by the earlier global executive leadership team of the IT consulting firm, Headstrong. Vimalendu Verma, Founder and CEO of Magic, said "K12 education in large parts of the world is obsolete and broken and digital and mobile are driving its disruption. The partnership with Solmark gives Magic the ability to significantly increase its commitment to Innovation and Product Development. Magic Box, our cloud-based platform will see increased investments as will the development of new products, tools and components to help us deliver highly differentiated products and solutions to our customers. It will also enable the company to dramatically enhance its presence in North America and Europe. The seasoned global executive team of Solmark will assume operating roles to accelerate business growth, both organically and inorganically."
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