Edtech Insiders

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down a pivotal week in EdTech, from AI breakthroughs to Roblox’s education push and the future of personalized learning. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:33] Quizlet report shows 85% of students and nearly 90% of teachers using AI, with different adoption patterns. [00:02:24] International Math Olympiad highlights AI’s reasoning advances, earning a gold medal and raising assessment questions. [00:11:16] OpenAI agents and AI-native browsers signal a major shift in tech workflows and task automation. [00:16:58] Roblox launches a centralized learning hub featuring educational games from Google, Sesame, and others. [00:20:55] Pearson unveils an AI and XR innovation lab, sparking debate on whether incumbents can truly innovate. [00:29:13] U.S. Department of Education outlines new AI funding priorities for instruction, tutoring, and career navigation. [00:36:12] Preply challenges Duolingo with “Better Duo” campaign, framing human vs. AI tutoring as a key market battle. [00:37:31] McGraw Hill IPO and new funding rounds for Honor Education and Galaxy Education mark a busy week in EdTech finance. Plus, special guests: [00:39:50] Brad Carson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-carson-82b8a253/], President of Americans for Responsible Innovation [https://ari.us/] on AI policy and its impact on education. [01:04:44] Ryan Trattner, CTO and Co-Founder of StudyFetch  [https://www.studyfetch.com/]on personalized learning tools and their rapid user growth. 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Vijay Thakkar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijaykumarthakkar/] is a visionary entrepreneur, educator, and the CEO & Co-founder of FotonVR [https://fotonvr.com/]. He’s transforming the way children learn by bringing immersive Virtual Reality experiences into classrooms around the world. With a deep passion for innovation in education, Vijay has pioneered immersive Virtual Reality solutions designed specifically for school learning.  Nisha Panchal [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishapanchal/]is the Head of Global Business Development at fotonVR. With a strong focus on international business development and global expansion, Nisha plays a pivotal role in bringing fotonVR’s innovative classroom technology to schools across the world. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: 1. How VR transforms abstract science concepts into tangible, engaging experiences 2. Why localization and customization are key for global adoption of EdTech 3. Measurable academic improvements linked to immersive learning 4. How VR and AI are merging to create adaptive, real-time educational experiences 5. What the future of globally connected VR classrooms looks like  ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:03:44] Vijay on bringing immersive science experiences to 450+ schools globally [00:06:52] Nisha explains how VR content is localized for different countries and curricula [00:10:14] Entering a leaf: How VR makes photosynthesis unforgettable [00:15:53] Making electricity flow visible: VR helps students see the invisible [00:19:48] Inspiring the next generation: A child decides to be a scientist after a space simulation  [00:23:39] Balancing scientific accuracy with storytelling for maximum engagement [00:28:49] Integrating AI into VR for adaptive, conversational learning experiences [00:32:01] The vision of global multiplayer VR classrooms with real-time collaboration [00:37:26] Tackling the digital divide with government partnerships and mobile AR [00:42:00] Building volcanoes in the classroom: A mixed reality future for immersive teaching  😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Claire Zau [https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairezau/], a Partner and AI Lead at GSV Ventures [https://gsv.ventures/] as they explores the latest developments in education technology, from AI agents to teacher co-pilots, talent wars, and shifts in global AI strategies.  ✨ Episode Highlights  [00:00:00] AI teacher co-pilots evolve into agentic workflows. [00:02:15] OpenAI launches ChatGPT Agent for autonomous tasks. [00:04:24] Meta, Google, and OpenAI escalate AI talent wars. [00:07:38] Privacy guardrails emerge for AI agent actions. [00:10:20] ChatGPT pilots “Study Together” learning mode. [00:14:40] Teens use AI as companions, sparking debate. [00:19:58] AI multiplies both positive and negative behaviors. [00:29:11] Windsurf acquisition saga shows coding disruption. [00:37:18] Teacher AI tools gain value through workflow data. [00:42:48] DeepMind’s rise positions Demis Hassabis as key leader. [00:45:32] Google offers free Gemini AI plan to Indian students. [00:49:39] Meta builds massive AI data centers for digital labor.  Plus, special guests: [00:52:42] Matthew Gasda, a writer and director, on how educators can rethink writing and grading in the AI era. [01:13:30] Marc Graham [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-graham-a13b8831b/], founder of Spark Education AI [https://www.sparkeducation.ai/], on using AI to personalize reading and engage reluctant readers. 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Tammy Wincup [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammywincup/] has served for over 25 years as a business executive at the intersection of technology and education. Tammy is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Securly [https://www.securly.com/], the leading digital safety and wellness company serving over 22,000 K-12 schools globally to keep students safe, secure, and ready to learn.  Before Securly, Tammy was a partner at Rethink Education, an impact venture fund investing in global education technology. For almost a decade, Tammy was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at EVERFI, a leading education technology company. She also served as the President of Revolution Foods and the Founding President of Protocol, a media company covering the intersection of technology and policy. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: 1. Why Securly sees digital safety as a shared responsibility between schools, families, and communities 2. How schools can implement AI without compromising student privacy 3. What real-time data from 40% of U.S. schools reveals about device use, social media, and AI trends 4. Why human-in-the-loop systems matter for student mental health monitoring 5. The emerging role of CTOs as strategy leaders in K-12 districts ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:02:29] Tammy Wincup explains Securly’s mission to protect students across digital environments [00:04:42] How classroom management and device use connect to digital wellness [00:09:20] Phone bans lead to 30% spikes in school device usage [00:14:16] What Securly learns from 40% of U.S. K-12 schools [00:16:08] Why Tammy urges districts: “Don’t block AI — manage it transparently” [00:24:31] Using anonymous trends to flag real student wellness risks [00:34:03] How AI puts school tech leaders back in strategic roles [00:46:20] Tammy’s go-to sources for spotting big edtech shifts  😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI showdowns to immersive learning pilots and funding updates. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:02:00] OpenAI announces $28M K-12 AI training initiative with AFT, UFT, and Microsoft [00:04:34] Gallup-Walton poll reveals 68% of teachers lack AI training despite high usage [00:07:11] OpenAI takes a bottom-up approach as teachers criticize Google’s AI rollout [00:23:41] Meta forms Superintelligence Labs, aggressively hiring AI talent across the industry [00:36:17] Senate blocks AI regulation ban, states retain power to legislate AI in education [00:37:31] Higher Ground Education files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, prompting edtech funding debate [00:42:05] Honor Education raises $38M to enhance asynchronous social learning [00:42:45] Teaching Lab merges with Relay Graduate School of Education to scale AI-aligned PD Plus, special guests: [00:44:17] Josh Reibel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-reibel-5624781/], CEO of Dreamscape Learn [https://www.dreamscapelearn.com/] and Dr. Jennifer Cruz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jencruz11/], Superintendent of the Pendergast Elementary School District [https://www.pesd92.org/] discuss VR and immersive learning with Dreamscape Learn [01:46:15] Eduaide.Ai [https://www.eduaide.ai/] founders Thomas Thompson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-thompson-606b71112/] and Thomas Hummel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-hummel-905ab5294/] on empowering teacherpreneurs with AI 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.