Talking AI rabbits; Teachers on Clubhouse; A top hat deal

Plus: More than $250M in VC funding for edtech in the past week alone

No. 522 | 02/10/21 | Subscribe to this newsletter This issue is sponsored by Super Bowl weekend is over, but The Weeknd memes will live forever. The Canadian pop star has become, at least for now, the internet's face for feeling dazed and confused, in search of something, perhaps never to be found. What's no longer ambiguous or hard to find these days are education technology companies seeking a big payday. For long, the ranks of publicly traded edtech organizations have been modest. But that's no longer the case. The rumor mill has been swirling with chatter of Coursera and Udemy as the next likely IPO candidates. Companies like Varsity Tutor and Skillsoft are going public through a shortcut of sorts in the form of SPACs. The latest name to emerge? PowerSchool, best known for its student information system used widely in the K-12 market, is reportedly aiming to go public at a $6 billion valuation. EDSURGE RESEARCH SERIES EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ON THE BRINK: In the face of incredible odds and constant stress, early childhood educators are working tirelessly to teach young learners, maintain their businesses, support each other, and engage the families they serve. That's hard work under normal circumstances, and even more challenging during the pandemic. These stories share about the realities of an industry and workforce on the brink. 📰 THE HEADLINES THIS RABBIT TALKS BACK: Can artificial intelligence help children participate with, and not just consume, media? And can AI conversations make shows for preschoolers more educational, especially for those kids least likely to have a grown-up watching with them? That's what experts at a university Digital Learning Lab and PBS KIDS hope to find out—with help from an animated bunny. REMOTE POSSIBILITIES: Remote learning will survive long after the pandemic. Yet teachers report lower confidence in their ability to use edtech effectively. At the same time, states are beefing up their cybersecurity and data privacy efforts. What does this all mean for the education industry? EdSurge columnist Frank Catalano connects the dots. PUT TO THE TEST: The College Board has announced more changes to its AP testing program, a year after the pandemic forced the nonprofit to redesign its decades-old format to accommodate emergency remote learning and unfinished curricula. This year, the AP tests will attempt to "meet students where they are," whether that be in school or at home, on paper or online. Here are the details. JOIN THE CLUB: Clubhouse is the newest invite-only social media app hot among tech stars and influencers. But as Class Tech Tips founder Monica Burns explains, it's catching on with educators too. The voice call app reminds some of 1980s party phone lines, but regular chats on equity, leadership and mental health are inspiring those who have scored an invite. Burns and others share why they're speaking up on Clubhouse. "LEARNING ENGINEERING" can sound esoteric. But many educators are already doing it everyday, as they tweak their craft based on feedback and results. The right tools, complemented with training and support, and help teachers amplify their ability to help students, writes DreamBox Learning CEO Jessie Woolley-Wilson. Here's why it's time to start supporting teachers as learning engineers. Sponsored by Immerse LANGUAGE IMMERSION: "I saw that I could use VR to do some fascinating stuff with English language education," explains Euan Bonner, a lecturer and researcher for the Language, Media and Learning Research Center at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan. Learn why he believes that VR "gets to the heart of the learning needs of English Language Learners in any age group." 💰 KA'CHING! HATS OFF TO … It started with a clicker. Now, it's become a major player in the market for higher-ed digital courseware. What's next for Top Hat? A $130 million investment and a new CEO with a track record for scaling revenue. In the company's effort to compete with traditional publishers, will it become one itself? Other Deals: Brightwheel, a San Francisco-based provider of technology for early education providers, has raised $55 million in a Series C round led by Addition. Other investors include Emerson Collective, GGV Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners. Cialfo, a Singapore-based developer of a college application platform, has raised $15 million in a Series A round led by SIG and Vulcan Capital, and joined by new investors January Capital and Bisk Ventures. Class Technologies, a Washington, D.C.-based developer of education software that integrates with Zoom, has raised $30.75 million in a Series A round co-led by Insight Partners and Owl Ventures. IXL Learning, a San Mateo, Calif.-based digital K-12 instructional content provider, is on a buying spree: Last week, it acquired online tutoring marketplace Wyzant along with the language-learning division of Rosetta Stone, which is owned by Cambium Learning Group. Showbie, an Edmonton, Alberta-based provider of a classroom management app, has raised an additional $7.5 million for its Series A round, which now totals $12.5 million. The new investors include ATB Private Equity. SplashLearn, a San Francisco-based provider of a game-based learning platform for grades K-5, has raised $18 million in a Series C round led by Owl Ventures. Previous backer Accel also invested. Upkey, a Chicago-based provider of online career readiness tools for college students, has raised $2.6 million in a seed round led by S3 Ventures. Weld North Education, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based provider of K-12 digital curriculum, has acquired BookheadEd, an online curriculum developer of brands including StudySync. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The following is a message from our sponsor A Modern Degree for the Modern Learning Environment  Drexel University's online MS in Learning Technologies focuses on key tenets of education technology and design to prepare you for careers in a variety of settings. Taught by Drexel's renowned faculty, this degree is ideal for those interested in game-based learning, instructional design and technology leadership. Learn more. 🎧 ON THE PODCAST TEACHING FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE: A student taking an online course at Concordia University was surprised to learn that the professor teaching his video lectures died two years ago. And his Tweet about the discovery went viral. The situation raises existential questions about what it means to teach. 🗨️ JOIN THE CONVERSATION   Educating Edtech: How are the edtech tools that educators use every day developed? How are educators involved in edtech development? In this webinar, join a panel of teachers, technologists and educators-turned-edtech founders to learn how tech tools are brought to market. Sign up today. Events horizon: ISTE, the parent organization of EdSurge, is moving its annual conference online, June 26-30, 2021. Other events are changing plans as well. See the latest updates in our tracker of U.S. education industry events. 👀 ALSO ON OUR RADAR   EdSurge managing editor Tony Wan recently discussed 2020 U.S. edtech investment trends on a podcast with MarketScale. Chegg made the cover of Forbes last week in a story about its popularity among students looking for a way to cheat on assignments. But it is not the only platform catering to such temptations. (e-Literate) "Remote Learning Isn't Just for Kids." A look at the new online tools and programs serving older adults. (The New York Times) Sponsored by AT&T Applications for the 2021 AT&T Aspire Accelerator are being accepted now through February 16. With millions of students still learning in remote or blended settings, we're looking for ed-tech startups creating solutions to improve online learning experiences inside and outside of the classroom. The 40-plus startups that have participated in the program to date have enriched the lives of more than 45 million students. Apply today. Looking for a job in edtech? You've come to the right place. EdSurge has the leading edtech jobs board in the industry with openings from schools, nonprofits and companies. Post a job | See all jobs   District Partnerships | Goalbook | Multiple Goalbook is hiring for District Partnerships across the country to fuel our growth.  You'll lead efforts to bring Goalbook into school districts and work closely with instructional leaders.   Vice President, Business Development | Shindig | New York or Remote Shindig is looking for a sales leader to help us pioneer the adoption of the Shindig large scale participatory video chat platform for higher education.   Founding Head of Schools | Portal Schools | Los Angeles, CA The Founding Head of School for Portal Schools' new Los Angeles region. This individual will implement the vision and mission of Portal Schools locally and lead the launch of up to eight microschools in the Los Angeles area over the next five years.   Director of Product Management | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | Remote Managing multiple product owners, you will be involved in a variety of digital product development activities. You will help instill Agile product management best practices into an organization that will need coaching and mentoring.   Sales Development Specialist | xSEL Labs | Remote As a Sales Development Specialist at xSEL Labs, you will join our growing Sales team to increase awareness and demand for our product and service offerings.   Data Analyst | ReUp Education | Remote ReUp Education is looking for a Data Analyst to help us better understand the students we work with and how we can best support and serve their re-entry to college.   Events Post an event   •   See all events and meetups   Covid-19 Challenges and Opportunities in K-12 Education | Feb 11 • Online • Free Join us for a two-day webinar on the impacts of Covid-19 on K-12 education. Featuring Sal Khan, RIDE Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green, NYC Chancellor Richard Carranza, CPS CEO Janice Jackson, BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius and many more!   A New Way Forward: Virtual Event Series | May 4-25  • Online • $51 to $250  This virtual series brings together child care professionals to discuss research, policy & practices related to the ECE community in this mid-pandemic world. Join us every Tuesday in May from 11-2 EST to discuss the future of child care.   ISTELive 21 June 26-30 | Online | $51 to $250  Get strategies to help you move from surviving disruption to reimagining learning by joining us to design a new learning landscape! THANKS FOR READING   ➔ Got any feedback? We love hearing from readers. Shoot us a note, critiques, a joke—whatever you've got! ➔ Interested in reaching our readers? Sponsor this newsletter. ➔ Event planners: Feature your in-person or virtual event on our calendar & newsletters. EdSurge covers and connects the people, ideas and technologies that shape the future of learning. We are an independent news and research initiative of the International Society for Technology in Education. International Society for Technology in Education, 621 SW Morrison Street, Suite 800, Portland, Oregon 97205, USA, 800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 503.342.2848 (Int'l) Unsubscribe Manage preferences