What's in the Box - Education, Technology and AI News and Discussion

Vendors, DMs & Demo Disasters: How Not to Sell to Schools

We get a lot of DMs. And not always about EdTech. In Episode 2, we dive into the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly misguided attempts vendors make to get our attention. We talk: * Conferences where teachers become hostages * GDPR nightmares and curriculum confusion * What vendors should do instead (spoiler: know your audience) * Unsolicited pitches from “Korean fashion designers” A free 20‑minute masterclass in not annoying teachers.

EduTech Asia 2025

In our first episode of What’s in the Box?, James and Jamie dive straight into the world of EdTech with reflections on EDUtech Asia 2025, real talk about automation in schools, and why AI literacy matters more than ever. Jamie shares how he “broke” a room of educators while introducing n8n, and James discusses data sovereignty, reporting workflows, and the realities of AI in the classroom. Along the way, they explore the gap between what vendors think teachers need and what actually works, highlight a few underdog startups from the expo, and take some good-natured detours into Minecraft, broken-glass “resilience training”, and silent-disco seminars. If you’re an educator, EdTech developer, school leader, or just curious about where AI and automation are taking schools, this episode sets the tone for the honest, humorous, and practical conversations to come. Topics include: * EDUtech Asia 2025 reflections * Automation for teachers (n8n, leadership workflows, reporting) * AI hallucinations and the importance of human-in-the-loop * Data ownership and the future of school reporting * What vendors often get wrong about teaching * Underdog startups and analogue surprises * How AI can save time without replacing professional judgement New episodes weekly. Like, subscribe, share — and send us your questions for future discussions.

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