Reflecting on spring: 5 lessons learned to maximize K–3 fall instruction

How fitting that our last day of in-person learning was Friday the 13th. I’m the vice principal at St. Barnabas Elementary School in the Bronx. That day in March I was refilling hand sanitizer when our week-long closure was announced. Like many of us, we scrambled, tossing teacher’s editions into bags and packing as many manipulatives as we could carry, all while lugging chart paper over our shoulders just in case. We didn’t know what was needed, so it all seemed logical to take.

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Thought Industries

Thought Industries has created the world’s first Learning Business Platform. We are on a mission to make online learning a more engaging and interactive experience for consumers, professionals, and the extended enterprise. Today, more than 100+ customers and brands use Thought Industries’ software, services, and support to transform the way they reach, teach and engage audiences.

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Education Technology

Rise of Writing & Self-Publishing Industry: 2022

Article | July 14, 2022

Two Years in Lockdown with Digital Boost, Growing Competition, and Easy Accessibility through the Self-Publishing Platforms, Traditional Publishing is facing a major fallback to keep up with the Trends and the Changes within India. publishing. Many people still prefer publishing a book in an old-fashioned traditional way, but this is certainly not the future. It seems to me that Traditional Publishing is something we’re all going to be working with while also considering other formats that might overpower it or co-exist with it – whether it's Self-Publishing, Hybrid Publishing &/or Audio Publishing (Podcasts). Introduction With Covid-19 and Lockdown, a lot of people shifted their attention to pursue their passion and started writing. In order to Leverage Authority and Build a Brand, a lot of Thought Leaders and Experts, Wrote and Published a Book in a specific Niche. In order to Start with the Writing Career, a ton of Amateur Writers, Wrote and Published their Content in an Anthology. Not to forget, many celebrities also took up the challenge of penning their autobiographies in the form of a Book like Priyanka Chopra Jonas. There were more than 1 Million, New Instagram Writing Accounts created, and over 2.2 Million books Published in 2020 itself. This solidifies the rising demand of The Writing and Publishing Industry. Self Publishing Rise Traditional book publishers were once known as the Titans of the Book Publishing Industry. During the 1970s, there was no such concept as Self-Publishing. Over time, Traditional Publishers gradually started to exploit Authors by offering Lower Royalties and seizing the Author's Publishing Rights. Fast forward to 2005, with the penetration of the Internet and Social Media, things started to speed up. The online Self-Publishing giant Amazon has had a huge impact on the Book-Selling Industry, driving many Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores out of Business. This marked the rise of Self-Publishing Books and the rapid growth of e-Books and Audio Books. Fall of Traditional Publishing There are various reasons why 97% of Writers avoid choosing a Traditional Publisher like: Complex Selection Process, Slow Marketing, Very Less to No Control of the Book, Limited Royalty, Huge Time Investment, Absolutely No Creative & Marketing Control Benefits of Self-Publishing There are various reasons 97% of Writers are choosing Self-Publishing like: Full ownership of Rights and Royalties, Speedy Marketing, No Start-Up Cost, Full Control of the Book, Completely Customizable Full Creative & Marketing Control, Control on Pricing, Complete Freedom, No-One telling You, what you can and cannot Do, Significantly High-Profit Potential, Pitch your Book Straight to the Readers, Publish any Niche Books and become the Expert of that Niche. Firstly the question arises, Who all should Write A Book? Well, Everyone, Business owners Consultants Entrepreneurs Business people C-level executives Financial planners Lawyers Doctors Coaches Anyone can Write and Publish a Book! Why should you write a book? 1 ) You can help others Writing about yourself, your life lessons, your experiences, how you have tackled some of the most traumatic situations, helps other people around the globe deal with the same problem as yours. Each one of us has unique life experiences, worth sharing with the world! 2 ) You become an authority Becoming an author sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. You become an expert in your niche. You gain that credibility and authority that lifts you up from the rest of the crowd. 3 ) Grow your business Writing a book can help grow your business, it can act as the new ‘Business Card’. Imagine, you going to a meeting, and instead of exchanging your business card, you give a copy of your book? Not only the person wouldn’t forget you but also keep the book copy securely with him, which otherwise your business card would have been long lost. 4 ) Recurring passive income Writing a book, and setting it up through a perfect step-by-step system, would allow you to gain recurring passive income, i.e. ‘royalties’, that are transferred every month into your bank account. 5 ) Learning New Skills By writing a book, you not only build credibility but also learn new skills in the entire process of writing and publishing your book. For example, skills like project management, writing, setting goals, planning, accountability, commitment, and many more! 6 ) Ripple Effect and Creates Value One book can create a ripple effect in the world. One book can entirely change the lives of thousands of people around the world. One book can create enormous value and a positive impact on the world. It only takes one book! 7) Our Time here is Finite When we write and publish a book, we leave behind our legacy, our footprints, our life lessons, our value system, and our teachings for generations and generations of people to learn from. We will die one day, but our teachings, morals, and lessons will be forever here in the form of our book. This reason is a huge answer to the ‘Why write a book.’ 8 ) You'll Gain more Knowledge While writing a book, research is a must. Through the complete process of research, you’ll learn more insights, gain more knowledge, and become an expert in that niche. 9 ) Impact beyond Yourself Writing a book is not only about gaining royalties and credibility, No! Your book can generate goodwill, your legacy, and most importantly, itcan help solve problems for people, creating a positive impact on their lives, and helping change their lives forever! It will create an impact greater and beyond yourself! 10 ) Sense of Accomplishment Imagine yourself holding the first copy of your own book. A sense of pride, confidence, and accomplishment. It doesn’t matter if your book is not a best seller or if you become famous, the bigger picture will be that it is your book! You created it! It will forever be something you can call as ‘Yours’, and be proud of! Believe me, the feeling of holding the first copy of my book was beyond amazing! 11 ) You'll Reignite a Passion If writing was your hobby, and in the time's course, you just couldn’t give any time or energy, here is your bright chance to reignite it! Paths to Publishing Your Book As discussed earlier, you are aware of the two paths of publishing, i.e. Traditional Publishing and Self-Publishing. There is one more way of publishing you can opt for! Assisted Self-Publishing Firms that charge fees for various publishing-related services such as Formatting, Cover Design, and Copyediting and help Indie Writers Professionally Self-Publish Their Work is Assisted Self-Publishing. Authors earn all of the royalties and retain full control over Editing and Cover Design and Title. WHRUTS also helps and provides these services. Conclusion Reading has become a part of our daily activities now. Book readership has increased by 30% since the Previous Year and People are routinely searching for new stories to capture their attention, With more writers being seen and heard, it’s no wonder readership is up. Self-Publishing is the future of publishing in a world where everyone can be a Writer.

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Education Technology

How can you use statistics to make sense of the game of cricket?

Article | July 15, 2022

Firstly, statistics take data collected from real-world events, and provide a framework to analyse and present this data in a way that other people can draw conclusions from. For example, data collected about temperatures of countries can help me decide where I want to go on holiday. Data collected about the number of tourists visiting the Trevi fountain in Rome helps me decide when it’s best to visit without having to battle my way through hoards of people. It also tells me the Trevi fountain is a really, really popular tourist destination in Rome. I may start asking myself why this is and then start looking into the history of the Trevi fountain. Statistics can do this.

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Education Technology

How to Counter Teacher Burnout in Education?

Article | October 7, 2022

Teacher burnout has become a massive challenge for many educational institutions. According to the National Education Association, 55% of the teachers surveyed are considering quitting their profession much earlier than planned. Over 600,000 teachers have already quit in the span of 2020 and 2021. Educational institutions must prepare to identify burnout and ensure teachers successfully create an inclusive, engaging learning experience. Recognizing the Signs of Teacher Burnout Laurie Santos, a professor at Yale University and a cognitive scientist, says that burnout has three major symptoms. Being Emotionally Exhausted Emotional exhaustion is when a person feels exhausted and burned out even after a full night’s sleep. Depersonalizing Santos equates depersonalizing with feeling high levels of cynicism towards others. Individuals who are depersonalizing often feel annoyed at people requesting them to doing something that is part of their regular role. This frustration signals burnout. Reduced Personal Efficacy When an individual feels like she isn’t making a difference or she isn’t doing her job well, a sort of disenchantment sets in. To the individual, it may feel like they aren’t being effective at their work, and this is a sign of burnout. How Teachers Can Reduce Burnout Teacher burnout must be treated as a serious issue. Educational institutions and teachers should team up to ensure they don’t undergo burnout. Here are some ways to do that: Don’t Ignore It Organizations must have a system in place so teachers can seek the help they need to treat their burnout symptoms. A lot of teachers tend to ignore negative emotions in order to keep working, but this is the wrong approach. Just as screen time must be regulated for children, teachers need to regulate their workloads. Instead of sweeping it under the rug, acknowledge it and treat it so you can bounce back higher. Don’t Attach Your Identity to Your Job Santos says that burnout is sometimes a result of being unable to separate your identity from your job. This is something that happens a lot with educators. A way to treat it is to spend off time with friends, engage in hobbies unrelated to your profession, or invest more energy in other life roles, like being a parent. To Conclude In the age of remote learning, teachers and educators must be careful not to let their love of teaching hurt their physical and mental health. As a profession, teaching tends to take its toll. When you combine that with teacher shortages and cases of overwork, education becomes a high risk, high turnover industry.

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Education Technology

Metaverse: A New Dimension and Disruption for Education

Article | July 5, 2022

Imagine a virtual world where people socialize and work, and are represented by their virtual avatars. The concept may date back 50 years as part of sci-fi stories. Thanks to advancements in digital technology, it is seeing the light of the day in the form of Metaverse. The concept has been contemplated by many scientists, writers, and artists alike. However, the release of Metaverse proved to be the pinnacle of the many possibilities that digital transformation holds in store. The most exciting part is innovating powerful applications of Metaverse across industries, and Facebook is already on it. Not just employees, but any institution that no longer requires its stakeholders to be present physically, from banking to socialization to education, will discover the biggest opportunity for transformation. Learning in 2-Dimension Online education has received a shot in the arm in the past couple of years, more out of necessity than anything else. From K-12 to higher education, children are affected and protected by online learning in educational institutions. Inclusive online education is the biggest challenge faced by educators. Next, engaging students in an environment that does not employ their full sensory capabilities hampers learning. Despite these challenges, virtual classrooms remained the bastion of academics and learning at a time when many industries came to a standstill. The phase allowed software providers and institutes to identify challenges, assess their needs, and contribute to driving innovation in the edtech space. Thanks to the exponential increase in the demand for better solutions, edtech can now consider moving from a virtual classroom that shoots up screen time to a classroom simulation that is much more immersive, engaging, and effective. Virtual spaces have been around in some form for some time now, especially in the gaming world. With games like Second Life, Minecraft, and The Sims, many children and young adults are already familiar with the use of technology to live and play virtually. Metaverse will only make it easier to transform education completely. Anywhere Classrooms Although both online learning and virtual spaces have been around for a while, the conflux of both will engineer a new dimension and disruption for education. The blurring of physical boundaries and geographies is one of the most significant advantages of the Metaverse.While access to virtual classrooms still remains a big hurdle, the value addition from VR-based classrooms could solidify the case for virtual only classrooms. Compared to reading and lectures, which have a knowledge retention rate of 5% and 10%, respectively, VR has a retention rate of 75%. The high retention rate can encourage educational institutes to redirect their teaching equipment budget to educate more children, say, at the NASA space station or in the Amazon rainforest, all without them having to leave their homes. Anywhere classrooms may just be the detour that education needs to leverage the current landscape and create a powerful transformation for the industry. To Wrap Up Education is heading for a rebranded future with classrooms being replaced by virtual reality in the pursuit of remote learning. Anywhere classrooms will help eliminate virtual walls that are currently nowhere near providing the experience that a real classroom can. With children being well-versed with virtual reality ecosystems, Metaverse will further simplify the seamless adoption of a two-dimensional learning space that offers better education, near hands-on experience, and actionable knowledge.

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Thought Industries

Thought Industries has created the world’s first Learning Business Platform. We are on a mission to make online learning a more engaging and interactive experience for consumers, professionals, and the extended enterprise. Today, more than 100+ customers and brands use Thought Industries’ software, services, and support to transform the way they reach, teach and engage audiences.

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Education Technology

The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) Partners with the National Sheriffs' Association to Provide Tuition Benefits to its Members

Zovio | December 24, 2021

The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) proudly announced today a new education partnership with the National Sheriffs' Association. The new partnership offers 35% off tuition for bachelor's and master's programs for qualifying members of the National Sheriffs' Association and their immediate family members. The program is open to its 22,000 members nationwide, and selection is subject to terms and conditions. "We are extremely pleased to welcome the National Sheriffs' Association to the UAGC family. There is no greater power than the power of education, and we take great pride in helping people strive to learn more. We look forward to watching sheriff department members from across the country discover new opportunities by choosing to continue their lifelong learning journey." University President Paul Pastorek Sheriffs' departments work to serve and protect citizens all around this country every day. The new partnership with UAGC provides a flexible online model and class format conducive to the scheduling demands that go along with working in this vital profession. Coursework can be completed from any location and students are afforded the opportunity to take classes that accommodate their lifestyle and schedule. Students can leverage their employer-sponsored tuition program to start or complete a degree through courses that, depending on the degree level, last five or six weeks which enable them to study at the times that work best for them. The program is managed by Zovio Employer Solutions (ZES), which is an important service provided by Zovio. Zovio Employer Solutions helps more than 1,300 companies and organizations across the country optimize usage of their corporate tuition assistance programs in partnership with the University of Arizona Global Campus. This includes full tuition grants and reduced tuition programs through the University of Arizona Global Campus. "Zovio has and will continue to work strategically with UAGC to explore new pathways to support student success," said Zovio's CEO Randy Hendricks. "In partnership with the University of Arizona Global Campus, Zovio Employer Solutions looks to educate and serve more students, including adult learners seeking to reskill and upskill. We look forward to serving the National Sheriffs' Association." About University of Arizona Global Campus The University of Arizona Global Campus ("Global Campus" or "UAGC") is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona. Global Campus is designed to provide flexible opportunities for working students from diverse backgrounds who seek to gain knowledge and skills that will help them to achieve their life and career goals. Global Campus is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and is one of the nation's most innovative online universities with approximately 35,000 students. UAGC offers more than 50 degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. About Zovio Zovio is an education technology services company that partners with higher education institutions and employers to deliver innovative, personalized solutions to help learners and leaders achieve their aspirations. The Zovio network, including Fullstack Academy and TutorMe, leverages its core strengths to solve priority market needs through education technology services. Using proprietary advanced data analytics, Zovio identifies the most meaningful ways to enhance the learner experience and deliver strong outcomes for higher education institutions, employers, and learners. Zovio's purpose is to help everyone be in a class of their own.

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Education Technology

EdTech Leader VIPKid Expands its Global Education Platform

VIPKid | December 20, 2021

Today, VIPKid, a leading global education technology company, officially released an updated global platform, which will be accessible to students around the world. The global platform represents the company's commitment to achieving its mission to inspire and empower every child for the future. "This is an exciting day for the VIPKid community. Our new global platform will enable us to connect more students around the world with dedicated teachers for immersive and engaging online learning." Cindy Mi, VIPKid Founder and CEO For nearly a decade, VIPKid, which Cindy founded in 2013 and formally launched in 2014, has inspired millions of children through engaging instruction and created enduring human connections spanning vast distances. Now, as the company looks to the future, learnings gleaned over the past eight years uniquely position VIPKid for continued global success. The company's passionate community of online teachers, and experience delivering over 200 million live online classes to over 1 million students, has proven the platform's depth of capabilities and opens up new opportunities for VIPKid to partner with other edtech platforms that offer world-class learning instruction. The new global platform can be accessed in multiple languages, will enable far more students to benefit from VIPKid's award-winning curriculum, and aims to provide online educators with more opportunities to inspire students around the world. Developed by VIPKid's Research Institute and perfected over 8 years, the company's curriculum was meticulously crafted based on in-depth research to personalize learning for each student and has now been updated to serve both global and regional audiences. "Over the last few months, VIPKid's team has worked diligently to expand our global platform and update our curriculum for new audiences," explains Cindy of the company's new transition. "I want to thank all of our internal teams and vast teacher community for sticking with us as we embark on a new journey, and I want to thank them for their commitment to continue achieving VIPKid's mission as we launch our global platform." About VIPKid VIPKid is a global education technology company and a leader in children's online education. Since its founding in 2013 and formal launch in 2014, VIPKid has connected students with experienced online educators for real-time learning. VIPKid's mission is to inspire and empower every child for the future and is committed to unleashing the power of the world's best educators by bringing their world-class learning product to a global audience. VIPKid envisions a global classroom that empowers students and teachers through personalized learning, connects cultures across the world, and ignites a passion for lifelong learning.

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Continuing Education

Learnfully, a Tech-Enabled Personalized Learning Service, Launches to Bring Personalized Learning to Scale

Learnfully | December 13, 2021

Learnfully, a first of its kind personalized learning platform, today announced its initial fundraising and emergence from stealth.With 1 in 5 students diagnosed with learning differences — and countless more dealing with emotional and developmental obstacles, Learnfully empowers all individuals to gain access to the most effective learning approach for them. Learnfully tailors a programming plan to their needs based on the expertise of educators and connects them with proven specialists to provide individual instruction. "For too long our system has overlooked those who learn differently and left them to fend for themselves, instead of emphasizing their strengths and catering to their unique challenges. We're proud to launch Learnfully to bring personalized learning solutions to scale for all learners and empower them to reach their potential." Letha McLaren, CEO & Co-Founder, Learnfully The launch of the Learnfully platform is especially timely given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as many learners are struggling to adapt to a digital environment. In fact, the Brookings institute found that students may make just 70% of the reading gains this year compared to the progress they'd see in a normal school year; this forecast found the gains would be less than 50% for mathematics. While other offerings only tackle tutoring services or an initial assessment, Learnfully takes a holistic approach to every learner. Its assessment includes human insights which complement its groundbreaking technology platform that analyzes information, responses, and measurable impressions to create and maintain each learner's profile and plan. Based on these inputs, Learnfully creates curated learning plans and provides access to specialized professionals, such as educational and behavioral therapists, tutoring services, insights, and instructions. Once a learner begins programming, Learnfully adjusts the educational approach on the fly through its feedback and progress engine, as behaviors and emotions can change rapidly. This helps learners, parents, and educators ensure that both short- and long-term goals are attainable. The result is the only true end-to-end solution — from assessment to instruction — available. "Learnfully seamlessly helped my two kids from assessment to tutoring plan to finding the right instructor," said Joy Leonard, a California parent of two Learnfully learners. "The highly targeted learning sessions have been invaluable, making an enormous impact on my kids' abilities in a short period of time." Learnfully is co-founded by Letha McLaren and Suchi Deshpande. McLaren has more than 20 years of diverse product management, marketing and business leadership experience in the technology and energy industries. Deshpande previously served as a product leader at MuleSoft, Edmodo, Opya and more. "During the pandemic, parents have a front-row seat to their children's education, and many are realizing that they learn differently — and yet they have nowhere to turn for guidance," says Suchi Deshpande. "As a parent of neurodiverse kids, I know firsthand how challenging it is to navigate the educational landscape. Learnfully helps parents seamlessly get the support they need to unlock all learners' potential." Learnfully raised $1.25 million in initial funding. Investors include Amol Deshpande, CEO & Co-Founder of Farmers Business Network, founder of Divergent Investments. Goodwater Capital, Incite.org, Figure Eight Investments and other investors also participated in the round. "Learnfully is a mission-driven start-up focused on providing technology and specialists to children with learning differences," said Swati Mylavarapu, Founder of Incite.org "At Incite, we’re believers in Learnfully’s mission to better outcomes for neurodivergent learners and their families by empowering them with tailored support. Keely and I are proud to support Suchi and Letha in making this important mission central to the company they’re building.” Learnfully is a win-win for educators and learners alike. “Millennial families seek bespoke, digital-first learning solutions where they can access world class experts from the comfort of their homes,” said Diana Anthony, a K-12 teacher turned education investor, and Co-founder and Managing Partner of Figure Eight Investments. “Learnfully is bringing this model to neurodiverse learners and their families, providing them with unprecedented access to the educators and behavioral specialists that can transform their educational experience.” Learnfully offers great benefits to professionals as well: they are matched with a learner that needs their skills and learns best with their teaching style. These learning sessions cater to the educator's schedule, so they can accommodate additional work. Educators, behaviorists, tutors, and therapists can all apply to join the platform. Accepted professionals gain unlimited support services, content resources, and access to an unparalleled educational community. About Learnfully Learnfully is on a mission to ignite learning and unlock the potential of every learner. Based in San Francisco, Learnfully is a tech-enabled personalized learning service, empowering all individuals to gain access to insights into the most effective learning approach and build a programming plan based on the expertise of educators. Through its groundbreaking tech platform, best-in-class learning assessment, and expert educator network, Learnfully delivers true engagement and tangible results for every learner.

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Education Technology

The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) Partners with the National Sheriffs' Association to Provide Tuition Benefits to its Members

Zovio | December 24, 2021

The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) proudly announced today a new education partnership with the National Sheriffs' Association. The new partnership offers 35% off tuition for bachelor's and master's programs for qualifying members of the National Sheriffs' Association and their immediate family members. The program is open to its 22,000 members nationwide, and selection is subject to terms and conditions. "We are extremely pleased to welcome the National Sheriffs' Association to the UAGC family. There is no greater power than the power of education, and we take great pride in helping people strive to learn more. We look forward to watching sheriff department members from across the country discover new opportunities by choosing to continue their lifelong learning journey." University President Paul Pastorek Sheriffs' departments work to serve and protect citizens all around this country every day. The new partnership with UAGC provides a flexible online model and class format conducive to the scheduling demands that go along with working in this vital profession. Coursework can be completed from any location and students are afforded the opportunity to take classes that accommodate their lifestyle and schedule. Students can leverage their employer-sponsored tuition program to start or complete a degree through courses that, depending on the degree level, last five or six weeks which enable them to study at the times that work best for them. The program is managed by Zovio Employer Solutions (ZES), which is an important service provided by Zovio. Zovio Employer Solutions helps more than 1,300 companies and organizations across the country optimize usage of their corporate tuition assistance programs in partnership with the University of Arizona Global Campus. This includes full tuition grants and reduced tuition programs through the University of Arizona Global Campus. "Zovio has and will continue to work strategically with UAGC to explore new pathways to support student success," said Zovio's CEO Randy Hendricks. "In partnership with the University of Arizona Global Campus, Zovio Employer Solutions looks to educate and serve more students, including adult learners seeking to reskill and upskill. We look forward to serving the National Sheriffs' Association." About University of Arizona Global Campus The University of Arizona Global Campus ("Global Campus" or "UAGC") is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona. Global Campus is designed to provide flexible opportunities for working students from diverse backgrounds who seek to gain knowledge and skills that will help them to achieve their life and career goals. Global Campus is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and is one of the nation's most innovative online universities with approximately 35,000 students. UAGC offers more than 50 degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. About Zovio Zovio is an education technology services company that partners with higher education institutions and employers to deliver innovative, personalized solutions to help learners and leaders achieve their aspirations. The Zovio network, including Fullstack Academy and TutorMe, leverages its core strengths to solve priority market needs through education technology services. Using proprietary advanced data analytics, Zovio identifies the most meaningful ways to enhance the learner experience and deliver strong outcomes for higher education institutions, employers, and learners. Zovio's purpose is to help everyone be in a class of their own.

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Education Technology

EdTech Leader VIPKid Expands its Global Education Platform

VIPKid | December 20, 2021

Today, VIPKid, a leading global education technology company, officially released an updated global platform, which will be accessible to students around the world. The global platform represents the company's commitment to achieving its mission to inspire and empower every child for the future. "This is an exciting day for the VIPKid community. Our new global platform will enable us to connect more students around the world with dedicated teachers for immersive and engaging online learning." Cindy Mi, VIPKid Founder and CEO For nearly a decade, VIPKid, which Cindy founded in 2013 and formally launched in 2014, has inspired millions of children through engaging instruction and created enduring human connections spanning vast distances. Now, as the company looks to the future, learnings gleaned over the past eight years uniquely position VIPKid for continued global success. The company's passionate community of online teachers, and experience delivering over 200 million live online classes to over 1 million students, has proven the platform's depth of capabilities and opens up new opportunities for VIPKid to partner with other edtech platforms that offer world-class learning instruction. The new global platform can be accessed in multiple languages, will enable far more students to benefit from VIPKid's award-winning curriculum, and aims to provide online educators with more opportunities to inspire students around the world. Developed by VIPKid's Research Institute and perfected over 8 years, the company's curriculum was meticulously crafted based on in-depth research to personalize learning for each student and has now been updated to serve both global and regional audiences. "Over the last few months, VIPKid's team has worked diligently to expand our global platform and update our curriculum for new audiences," explains Cindy of the company's new transition. "I want to thank all of our internal teams and vast teacher community for sticking with us as we embark on a new journey, and I want to thank them for their commitment to continue achieving VIPKid's mission as we launch our global platform." About VIPKid VIPKid is a global education technology company and a leader in children's online education. Since its founding in 2013 and formal launch in 2014, VIPKid has connected students with experienced online educators for real-time learning. VIPKid's mission is to inspire and empower every child for the future and is committed to unleashing the power of the world's best educators by bringing their world-class learning product to a global audience. VIPKid envisions a global classroom that empowers students and teachers through personalized learning, connects cultures across the world, and ignites a passion for lifelong learning.

Read More

Continuing Education

Learnfully, a Tech-Enabled Personalized Learning Service, Launches to Bring Personalized Learning to Scale

Learnfully | December 13, 2021

Learnfully, a first of its kind personalized learning platform, today announced its initial fundraising and emergence from stealth.With 1 in 5 students diagnosed with learning differences — and countless more dealing with emotional and developmental obstacles, Learnfully empowers all individuals to gain access to the most effective learning approach for them. Learnfully tailors a programming plan to their needs based on the expertise of educators and connects them with proven specialists to provide individual instruction. "For too long our system has overlooked those who learn differently and left them to fend for themselves, instead of emphasizing their strengths and catering to their unique challenges. We're proud to launch Learnfully to bring personalized learning solutions to scale for all learners and empower them to reach their potential." Letha McLaren, CEO & Co-Founder, Learnfully The launch of the Learnfully platform is especially timely given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as many learners are struggling to adapt to a digital environment. In fact, the Brookings institute found that students may make just 70% of the reading gains this year compared to the progress they'd see in a normal school year; this forecast found the gains would be less than 50% for mathematics. While other offerings only tackle tutoring services or an initial assessment, Learnfully takes a holistic approach to every learner. Its assessment includes human insights which complement its groundbreaking technology platform that analyzes information, responses, and measurable impressions to create and maintain each learner's profile and plan. Based on these inputs, Learnfully creates curated learning plans and provides access to specialized professionals, such as educational and behavioral therapists, tutoring services, insights, and instructions. Once a learner begins programming, Learnfully adjusts the educational approach on the fly through its feedback and progress engine, as behaviors and emotions can change rapidly. This helps learners, parents, and educators ensure that both short- and long-term goals are attainable. The result is the only true end-to-end solution — from assessment to instruction — available. "Learnfully seamlessly helped my two kids from assessment to tutoring plan to finding the right instructor," said Joy Leonard, a California parent of two Learnfully learners. "The highly targeted learning sessions have been invaluable, making an enormous impact on my kids' abilities in a short period of time." Learnfully is co-founded by Letha McLaren and Suchi Deshpande. McLaren has more than 20 years of diverse product management, marketing and business leadership experience in the technology and energy industries. Deshpande previously served as a product leader at MuleSoft, Edmodo, Opya and more. "During the pandemic, parents have a front-row seat to their children's education, and many are realizing that they learn differently — and yet they have nowhere to turn for guidance," says Suchi Deshpande. "As a parent of neurodiverse kids, I know firsthand how challenging it is to navigate the educational landscape. Learnfully helps parents seamlessly get the support they need to unlock all learners' potential." Learnfully raised $1.25 million in initial funding. Investors include Amol Deshpande, CEO & Co-Founder of Farmers Business Network, founder of Divergent Investments. Goodwater Capital, Incite.org, Figure Eight Investments and other investors also participated in the round. "Learnfully is a mission-driven start-up focused on providing technology and specialists to children with learning differences," said Swati Mylavarapu, Founder of Incite.org "At Incite, we’re believers in Learnfully’s mission to better outcomes for neurodivergent learners and their families by empowering them with tailored support. Keely and I are proud to support Suchi and Letha in making this important mission central to the company they’re building.” Learnfully is a win-win for educators and learners alike. “Millennial families seek bespoke, digital-first learning solutions where they can access world class experts from the comfort of their homes,” said Diana Anthony, a K-12 teacher turned education investor, and Co-founder and Managing Partner of Figure Eight Investments. “Learnfully is bringing this model to neurodiverse learners and their families, providing them with unprecedented access to the educators and behavioral specialists that can transform their educational experience.” Learnfully offers great benefits to professionals as well: they are matched with a learner that needs their skills and learns best with their teaching style. These learning sessions cater to the educator's schedule, so they can accommodate additional work. Educators, behaviorists, tutors, and therapists can all apply to join the platform. Accepted professionals gain unlimited support services, content resources, and access to an unparalleled educational community. About Learnfully Learnfully is on a mission to ignite learning and unlock the potential of every learner. Based in San Francisco, Learnfully is a tech-enabled personalized learning service, empowering all individuals to gain access to insights into the most effective learning approach and build a programming plan based on the expertise of educators. Through its groundbreaking tech platform, best-in-class learning assessment, and expert educator network, Learnfully delivers true engagement and tangible results for every learner.

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