Digital Discourse / Ed Tech Industry Summit

Navigating Next

December 19, 2012 By

What IS coming next in the teaching and learning process and in the post-PC world?  And how do we in the industry not just prepare for it – but help build the infrastructure, products and services to support the changes that schools want or need?

We know there is an increased focus on choice and accountability within both K-12 and postsecondary institutions.  This focus drove many of the sessions and conversations at the recent SIIA Ed Tech Business Forum: Doing Business During Seismic Shifts. Speakers and attendees discussed the changes happening in today’s schools, the factors driving these changes, and how they expect even more change in the near future.

The ed tech companies who develop digital products and services for the K-12 and/or postsecondary sectors see many opportunities—and of course challenges—in the coming year and beyond. Just what are those opportunities and challenges – and how well will we address them?  While the program isn’t fully developed, here are some topics that we plan to address:

Support for:

  • personalized learning, via adaptive curricula and authentic assessment, and from micro-courses to “flipped” classrooms
  • the increased emphasis on educator and institutional accountability, from the institutions who want to evaluate teachers, their resources, or programs.
  • data-driven decision-making, especially those institutions who are using learning analytics to facilitate intervention, predict future performance, and improve instructional approaches
  • online and blended learning, especially the new modes for delivering instruction

 Learning more about and working with:

  • government entities and education foundations developing free open education resources and management systems
  • the many organizations developing  technical standards for product development
  • new social learning models which are effecting our traditional distribution channels

To remain successful, education technology companies look ahead and navigate the “next’ that will affect their segment of the marketplace. Since education shifts do not happen overnight, the companies have time to change business models or product development strategies where needed.

We will look at these new business models and development strategies at the Ed Tech Industry Summit on May 5-7 will focus on the opportunities and challenges of ‘Navigating Next’, as well as leverage the fact that we’re in San Francisco. Of course, we also celebrate the work of our Innovation participants, CODiE finalists, and those selected to receive the Ed Tech Impact Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Steering Committee is set to start planning the program and there’s room for a few more ‘worker bees’ who can help SIIA recommend topics, speakers, sponsors, and Innovators,  then help extend the invitations, review the applications, and help us promote the conference. It takes a great deal of work to plan and run this conference and while SIIA has great staff to much of the heavy lifting, we rely on our members to provide the thought leadership, and help guide the content, program, and promotion.

To help companies be successful at “Navigating Next” and adapt to the seismic shifts in education, we will make it a priority at the Ed Tech Industry Summit to help attendees understand where the customers are today and where they’ll be in the future.

Join us in San Francisco on May 5-7!

Karen BillingsKaren Billings is Vice President for the Education Division at SIIA. Follow the SIIA Education Team on Twitter at @SIIAEducation

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Filed Under: Ed Tech Industry Summit, Education

CODiE Awards Judges: A Conversation with the Coordinator

October 31, 2012 By

Nominations have closed for the 2013 CODiE Awards, and I am definitely excited about the variety and caliber of products in this year’s program. I know our judges are looking forward to reviewing the products as well. Our first round review is the core of the CODiE Awards. It is also the portion of the program that gives me the most interaction with the judges and nominees. I am constantly in contact with both groups, ensuring that everyone has a great experience.

What is the first round review?

For the first round review, two judges review each product in each category. For example, products nominated in two categories will be assigned four judges. During this first round, judges participate in product demonstration s given by the nominees. Two options are available for the products demonstrations:

– Live product demonstration: Nominations walk through their product webinar-style with the judges participating as they do the walk-through

– Recorded product demonstration: Nominees may already have a video product demo that can be sent to the judges to watch.

We recommend that the nominees keep the demos to under an hour. If it is a live demo, remember to leave time for Q&A with the judges.

The first round review also includes product access. It’s beneficial for the judges to get a feel for the product on their own, as a supplement to the guided demo. Product access can happen in several forms, including temporary online login information or by sending the physical product to the judge.

I also suggest sending as much additional information as you would like to the judges. This can be additional links to PDF’s, videos, news releases, etc.

Who are the judges?

We take great care in selecting the industry experts who volunteer as judges. Each division reviews every judge application to determine if he/she is qualified. We want to ensure there are no conflicts of interest.

For our software and content categories, the judges consist of industry executives and analysts, members of the media, bloggers, investors, and even some customers.
For our education categories, we use educators and administrators as our judges. They are the users of these products and can best determine what products may work the best in their classrooms.

Judging is a great experience because it gives the customers a chance to review the products and provide feedback that the companies can use to make improvements.

How can you help?

We are still looking for judges in several of our categories in Content, Software, and Education. If you are interested in judging or can recommend a colleague please complete our brief judge application.

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Wendy Tanner Wendy Tanner is CODiE Awards Coordinator. Follow the CODiE Awards on Twitter @CODiEAwards

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Filed Under: All About the Cloud, Cloud Computing, CODiEs, Content, Content Events, Ed Tech Industry Summit, Education, Education Events, Finalists, Information Industry Summit, Mobility, Personalized Learning, Social Media, Software, Software Events, Uncategorized

The Evolving Ed Tech CODiE Awards

October 16, 2012 By

Karen Billings, VP of the Education Division, joined SIIA 10 years ago, and has been involved with the CODiE Awards ever since. She even remembers the very first Education category – the Best Learning Product in 1986. Since then, the number of Education categories has grown at a steady pace, reflecting the advances in the ed tech industry. Karen shares her thoughts on this constantly evolving industry and what’s new in this year’s education CODiE Awards.

Tell us a little about the history of Education categories in the CODiE Awards.

The first year of the CODiE Awards, the one education winner was Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, for the Best Learning Product. It was such a popular product, and I remember later on there were spin-off products, and even one called Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego! It’s interesting because even today, Carmen Sandiego is still a product at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Even after a series of acquisitions and mergers, the company is marketing and selling an updated version of this product, decades later. The point is that a good education product with a good instructional design that changes with the hardware capabilities is going to have longevity and certainly, branding. It’s very possible that the teachers who are buying Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego today could have used the product when they were young. The CODiE Awards are in its 28th year and it’s amazing to think about how the very first education CODiE Award winner is not only in the market, but has her own Facebook page.

Why do educators and administrators judge all of the education categories in the first round of judging?

The Education Division wanted to have educators and administrators review the products in the first round because they are the real experts. They know what other products are out there, and they have probably used a number of different products in their category, so they have the expertise. They are the best judge of what is going to work in the classroom, and that is a big part of what we mean when we say a product is the best.

The Education Division is able to leverage its relationships with the professional associations and online education communities such as edWeb to reach the teachers. We partner with them because they can directly reach out to their members. For example, SIIA cosponsors a games channel on edWeb, so we can reach teachers who are active in the games-for-learning community. That community helps us find those educators who would be the best at judging the games category.

Why do you like having three top awards, for Best PK-12, Best Postsecondary, and Best Overall?

First of all, I think it’s very special to have some very high-level categories where companies don’t nominate but they are recognized. It’s a very special recognition. It’s a way to pull out the best of the best. In some sense we are following other awards programs. In the Oscars, they have lots of awards, but the most exciting one is Best Picture of the Year. We know that the winners have appreciated that award.

Why do so many education companies love to nominate for the CODiE Awards?

The number of products that are out there in the market have grown substantially for over 25 years. It’s followed the growth of technology, as schools have started to move from the use of print materials and transitioned to the use of digital. Twenty-five years ago, using Carmen Sandiego was a very unique and probably isolated event by a few special teachers who were excited about using that Apple II in the classroom. As access to hardware increased, the software market evolved, and professional development supported technology integration, educators and administrators started to see the benefits of using technology. They saw student engagement, and positive results. The market grew, and as the market grew, the CODiE Award nominations grew, the interest grew, and school budgets grew. It has been a consistent, steady growth for 25 years.

Many of the products that were submitted in the first 10 years for the CODiE Awards had been developed by teachers. Teachers themselves then ended up forming companies. Jan Davidson was a Language Arts English teacher. She wrote a program called Reading Blaster for kids to use in her classrooms on an Apple II. She started sharing it with other teachers, and her husband, Bob Davidson, decided that there might be a business in selling that program to other teachers. They formed a company called Davidson & Associates, which was an early member of the then SPA (Software Publishers Association.) I like knowing that some of the educators reviewing this year’s products may be designing a product that could be a CODiE Awards winner in a few years. It could be the next Carmen Sandiego or Oregon Trail!

Which category are you most excited about this year?

I’m always anxious to see who is nominating in brand new categories. This year, our new category is Best Personalized Learning Solution, which evolved from work we have been doing in the Education Division for the last several years. It started with a working group on personalized learning after our Education Board undertook this as a key initiative. Personalized learning is a new market. Legacy companies can incorporate those attributes as they modify their products, and so can the startups who are designing new products. The thing I look forward to most is seeing nominations come in from companies I don’t know yet. There are so many new companies each year, and some are so new I haven’t even heard from them. When I see their nominations come in, I go to their website and find out about them, and it makes me excited about the direction that education technology is taking.

How can small companies compete in the CODiE Awards?

I think that the small companies with brand new products are viewed very positively by judges. The judges like seeing something new. It’s great to see the start-ups getting the same amount of visibility as larger companies when the finalists are announced. And when the SIIA member companies vote in the second round of judging, every company gets the same number of votes in each category, no matter what size they are. When all of the winners are listed on the press release, some will be large companies, some will be small companies. Some will be companies educators will recognize, and some will be totally unknown. Hopefully when people see a winner they’ve never heard of, they will go to their website and check them out.

What makes the education CODiE Awards banquet so special?

We have so much fun at our awards banquet! It’s a very special event for our companies. They enjoy it. It’s another thing to look forward to at the Ed Tech Industry Summit. We held the gala for the 2012 CODiE Awards on the second evening of the conference and will continue the tradition in 2013.

It’s funny, before I worked at SIIA, I worked at various member companies for 15 years. I came to many of the conferences and even spoke at them, but I never attended a CODiE Awards event! I’m not sure why. The first CODiE Awards gala I ever went to was the first year I started working for SIIA in 2002-in fact it was my second day on the job! I discovered how much fun it was, and how special it is. I really have had fun every year since.

Wendy Tanner Wendy Tanner is CODiE Awards Coordinator. Follow the CODiE Awards on Twitter @CODiEAwards

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Filed Under: CODiEs, Ed Tech Industry Summit, Education, Education Events, Uncategorized

You Be the Judge: Call for SIIA CODiE Awards Judges in Ed Tech Categories

September 13, 2012 By

SIIA today announced its call for judges for the 2013 CODiE Awards in Education categories. For the past 27 years, the CODiE Awards have celebrated excellence in the education industry, and finalists and winners have later garnered market share in U.S. classrooms.

The Education Division is looking for educators and administrators to review 3-5 products each between mid-November and late January. Sign up to be a judge at the CODiE Awards web site.

“The educators are the real experts,” said Karen Billings, vice president of the Education Division at SIIA. “They know what other products are out there, and they have probably used a number of different products in their category, so they have the expertise. They are the best judge of what is going to work in the classroom, and that is a big part of what we mean when we say a product is the best.”

This year, there are 22 education categories, which include:

* Best Classroom Management Solution
* Best Corporate Learning/Workforce Development Solution
* Best Cross-Curricular Solution
* Best Education Community Solution
* Best Education Game or Simulation
* Best Education Reference Solution
* Best Educational Use of a Mobile Device
* Best Instructional Solution in Other Curriculum Areas
* Best K-12 Course or Learning Management Solution
* Best K-12 Enterprise Solution
* Best Mathematics Instructional Solution
* Best Personalized Learning Solution
* Best Postsecondary Course or Learning Management Solution
* Best Postsecondary Enterprise Solution
* Best Postsecondary Learning Solution
* Best Professional Learning Solution for Education
* Best Reading/English/ELL Instructional Solution
* Best Science/Health Instructional Solution
* Best Social Sciences Instructional Solution
* Best Solution for Specials Needs Students
* Best Student Assessment Solution
* Best Virtual Learning Solution

For more information on the CODiE Awards, visit http://www.siia.net/codies.

Wendy Tanner Wendy Tanner is CODiE Awards Coordinator. Follow the CODiE Awards on Twitter @CODiEAwards

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Filed Under: CODiEs, Ed Tech Industry Summit, Education Tagged With: , ,

Insights from a CODiE Awards Pro

August 17, 2012 By

Kathy Greenler Sexton joined SIIA in February as our new Vice President and General Manager of the Content Division. The 2013 CODiE Awards will be Kathy’s first time going through the process from start to finish. Kathy adds a unique perspective to the program because of her previous positions at SIIA member organizations as she has previously nominated products for the CODiE Awards and judged them as well. She shares her thoughts on the benefits of nominating, the reason she enjoyed judging, and what it’s like to now be involved in planning the CODiE Awards.

Why did you nominate for the CODiE Awards at your previous companies?

I have participated in the CODiE Awards for years. Nominating my products in the awards competition was always an easy decision because I knew that if my product was named a finalist or winner, it validated my product to customers, investors and across the industry. I always put a lot of effort into figuring out which categories to apply for. Presenting in front of a judge really forced us to be very crisp about how we were presenting our product and company and it helped us tell our story in a stronger way. It ensured that we were thinking about the questions a judge might ask, and it better prepared us for media, analysts, investor and customer presentations. It was always a great experience for me.

Why did you judge the CODiE Awards?

Judging was really the next step. Judging is a great way for anybody who is involved in the industry to learn how different companies approach the same problem in different ways. For example, one company in a given category might approach an issue such as semantic search within their product much differently from another company. They might sell into the same industry and the same target customer, but it’s amazing how much different the products are. From an intellectual standpoint, it’s fascinating. I love seeing the best of the breed and how different companies approach different problems. It helps you think of products and solutions in a new way. The time I invested in judging helped me look at my own products and services in new ways.

How did being a judge help your professional development?

Being a judge helped me get to know individual teams within different companies. It helped me with personal networking and personal branding. I built a lot of wonderful relationships out of my judging experience. You also get to talk to other judges about what makes a product innovative.

What’s the most interesting thing about being a CODiE judge?

It was interesting to see how well–and unfortunately, how not-so-well–some companies present. That has been very educational for me. While most companies have a senior or a very knowledgeable person from the company present, it always astounded me that some companies would go through the process of nominating and then have someone presenting who was “just going through the motions”. What a lost opportunity! Those companies that did well in conveying how their products aligned with judging criteria, explained why it was innovative, and could answer questions articulately – clearly did better in CODiE Awards judging! Seeing how strong companies present has really helped me learn how to be a better presenter myself.

What advice would you give to nominees about conducting their demos?

I always want the companies to put their best foot forward. So my recommendation is to make sure to put a lot of thought into your presentations. As a judge, I would always go in and look at the application, but a good presentation points you to the right places to go. It points you to the innovative and new things. A good presentation also explains who your target customer is, and why you created a product for that customer in the first place. Help the judge understand why you designed your product the way you did, and why it’s the perfect solution for your customers. If you just give a judge access to the application and let them go through it without the benefit of a presentation, you’ve lost that opportunity to highlight why you are unique.

What was the biggest surprise when you went from nominating to judging to working for SIIA and helping shape this year’s CODiE Awards?

I was more familiar with the behind the scenes of the CODiE Awards than most, because I’ve been on the Content Division board for eight years, I’ve submitted nominations, and I’ve judged. There were very few things that could have surprised me walking in. That said, I was really surprised at the level of detail and planning that the SIIA staff puts into the CODiE Awards. It’s essentially a year-round program. The level of detail, coordination and talent from the staff is really amazing to me. When you are on the inside, you see what you need to do to create an industry-leading awards program, and it’s astounding!

How do you feel going into your first cycle as SIIA staff?

Being on the inside, it’s somewhat daunting when you look at all of the categories. You want to make sure everyone is connected to the right categories and competing in the best category for them. You want to find the best judges. This year, we are partnering with FreePint to provide the finalists in five selected categories with buyer reviews. This isn’t part of the judging process, but it’s a value-add we are providing as a test to see if the nominees find it beneficial. If so, we hope to continue and expand the buyer reviews for the finalists in all of our categories. There are so many details to the CODiE Awards, from how to make the awards ceremony special, this year’s CODiE finalist showcase at the Information Industry Summit, to so many other details that make this award unique. There’s a lot going on!

Do you have a favorite category that you’re most excited about?

I’m really interested to see the nominees for Best Editorial Outsourcing Solution. It’s a new category recognizing companies that support the creation of editorial content. A nominee, and ultimate winner, for the Best Editorial Outsourcing Solution could use technology, crowd-sourcing, or even an outsourced solution to create the editorial. There are many different ways different companies are approaching this issue. It will be really interesting to see which companies step up into that category.

Wendy Tanner Wendy Tanner is CODiE Awards Coordinator. Follow the CODiE Awards on Twitter @CODiEAwards

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Filed Under: CODiEs, Content, Content Events, Ed Tech Industry Summit, Education, Information Industry Summit, Software, Software Events, Uncategorized

Behind the Scenes of the CODiE Awards: A Conversation with the Coordinator

August 16, 2012 By

The kickoff of the 2013 SIIA CODiE Awards marks my second year as the awards program coordinator here at SIIA. Since I’ve been through the whole process from start to finish, I wanted to give you an inside look into how I manage each phase of the awards season.

The CODiE Awards are about recognizing excellence, but they’re also about creating and maintaining relationships. Since I’m the person both judges and nominees interact with most, it’s important for me to be available, and make sure the process runs smoothly for everyone. With this blog post, and the ones to follow, I want judges and nominees to get to know me, so they can feel comfortable coming to me when they have questions or concerns, or just want to share their excitement about the CODiE Awards!

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It’s August… and that means nominations are open! That’s right, the CODiE Awards are already in full swing. It’s hard to believe sometimes, especially since the last two awards presentations were just a few months ago in May. It may seem like there’s only a small reprieve after the presentations, but we always get started immediately, planning for the next cycle. One of the first and most important steps we take each year is revisiting all of the categories. We make updates and create new categories based on what’s happening in the content, software and ed tech industries. (This year, there are 27 new and updated categories.)

Once nominations are open, it’s fun to see which company nominates first, and in which category. I get a kick out of telling our president, Ken Wasch, when the first nomination comes in because he can hardly contain his excitement. Nominations usually come in slowly in the first couple weeks of the nomination period, but I receive many emails and phone calls from companies, with questions ranging from process clarification to help determining which category is the best fit for a product. I encourage companies to ask as many questions as they’d like. That’s what I’m here for!

While I enjoy checking out all of the various companies that nominate, I especially enjoy learning about the ed tech companies. I completed my master’s just a year ago, so I’m not far removed from the classroom. I frequently come across products that I wish had been around when I was going through school, especially in middle and high school. Some of the math and science solutions would have come in handy (since those were not my favorite subjects–I suppose that’s why I majored in public relations and Spanish.)

I am also interested in each division’s “social” categories. Software has Best Social Business Solution, in Content there is Best Social Media Platform, and in Education there is Best Education Community Solution. They each target different audiences and serve different purposes, but it’s interesting to see how social media and digital communities are incorporated.

The Best Education Community Solution category is intriguing to me this year, because it focuses on social media solutions geared toward the classroom. The progression of social learning and social networks has been amazing and it’s interesting to see how ed tech companies are creating social communities for the classroom at all levels. I’m very much looking forward to seeing which companies nominate in this category.

Overall, I’m just excited for all of the nominations to come in! With more than 75 categories this year, there will definitely be a large variety of products and solutions. Remember, if you’re looking to judge or nominate, I’m here for you. Ask me anything! It doesn’t even need to be related to the CODiE Awards. Ask me where I’m from (Pennsylvania, if you’re curious), or what brought me to DC (grad school), even my favorite football team (San Diego Chargers)! The CODiE Awards are really about the relationships. I’m here to make sure your CODiE Awards experience is the best it can be.

Wendy Tanner Wendy Tanner is CODiE Awards Coordinator. Follow the CODiE Awards on Twitter @CODiEAwards

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Filed Under: All About the Cloud, CODiEs, Content, Ed Tech Industry Summit, Education, Information Industry Summit, Software, Uncategorized

Nominations Now Open for the 28th Annual SIIA CODiE Awards

August 15, 2012 By

Nominations are now open for the 2013 SIIA CODiE Awards. This year’s CODiE Awards feature 27 new and updated categories, reflecting the dramatic changes in technology and business models impacting the software and information industries.

The CODiE Awards have been the premier award for the software and information industries for 28 years. The awards program has three tracks organized by industry focus: Content, Software and Education.

Highlights of this year’s program:

Content: The Content CODiE Awards showcase the information industry’s finest products, technology and services created by, or for, media, publishers and information services providers.

* Fourteen new and updated categories reflect new technology and business models in the content industry including: Best Crowd Sourced Solution, Best Editorial Outsourcing Solution, Best Semantic Technology Solution and Best Social Media Platform
* The Content CODiE Awards will be presented Jan. 31, 2013 during the Content Division’s annual conference for information industry leaders, the Information Industry Summit

Education: The Education CODiE Awards showcase applications, products and services from developers of educational software, digital content, online learning services, and related technologies across the K-20 sector.

* The new Best Personalized Learning Solution category highlights the major educational shift toward individual, tailored learning plans for students. Three new top-level categories will reward the best of the best of PK-12, postsecondary, and overall education nominees.
* Education winners will be announced in San Francisco on May 6, 2013 during the Ed Tech Industry Summit.

Business: The Software CODiE Awards showcase applications, products and services that are developed by independent software vendors (ISVs) for use in business, government, academic, or other organizational settings.

* Twelve new and updated categories reflect the continued growth and evolution of cloud computing, mobile, big data, and video. Highlights include: Best Cloud Platform as a Service Solution, Best Big Data Solution, Best Mobile Device Application for Consumers, Best Mobile Device Application for Enterprise, and Best Video Tool.
* Software winners will be announced in San Francisco on May 9, 2013 during the software industry’s premier ISV conference, All About the Cloud.

Learn more about the nomination process.

Wendy Tanner Wendy Tanner is CODiE Awards Coordinator. Follow the CODiE Awards on Twitter @CODiEAwards

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Filed Under: All About the Cloud, Cloud Computing, CODiEs, Content, Ed Tech Industry Summit, Education, Education Events, Information Industry Summit, Mobile: Education, Mobility, Personalized Learning, Postsecondary, Social Media, Software, Software Events, Uncategorized
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