What You Missed
In this section, you can find descriptions of EdTech events, including a number hosted by mEducation Alliance members and our larger network, held over the last few months. By clicking on the corresponding photos, you can access event recordings.
Past EdTech Events
Remote Learning during COVID-19: Lessons from Today, Principles for Tomorrow
Host: The World Bank
Date: November 18, 2021
Summary: The World Bank launched two reports “Remote Learning During the Global School Lockdown: Multi-Country Lessons” and “Remote Learning during COVID-19: Lessons from Today, Principles for Tomorrow”. These twin reports were developed at different times during the pandemic and are complementary. The first one follows a qualitative research approach to understand the perceptions of education experts from 17 countries regarding the effectiveness of remote and remedial learning programs implemented during COVID-19 school closures. The second one uses mixed-methods to analyze how countries implemented different remote learning strategies, whether or not these strategies were taken-up and what available evidence suggests about the effectiveness of remote learning during this period. It presents lessons that policymakers can draw on as they strive to reimagine learning. The panelists discussed the findings in these reports and what lessons that have been learned about remote learning during the pandemic.
Speakers: Carolina Campos (Chief Executive Officer, Vozes da Educação, Brazil), Rukmini Banerji (Chief Executive Officer, Pratham Education Foundation, India), Fiorella Haim (General Manager, Centro Ceibal, Uruguay), Conrad Sackey (Chair of Teaching Service Commission, Sierra Leone), and Baela Raza Jamil (Chief Executive Officer, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi Public, Pakistan), and Jaime Saavedra (Global Director of Education, The World Bank).
Book Club eCafe - Unlocking the Potential of Puzzle-based Learning: Designing escape rooms and games for the classroom
Host: mEducation Alliance
Date: November 12, 2021
Summary: The mEducation Alliance hosted another great eCafe with our Escape Games for Education Strategic Advisor, Dr. Scott Nicholson, and his co-author, Liz Cable. The two wrote a book on designing escape games for the classroom earlier this year called Unlocking the Potential of Puzzle-based Learning. This was a casual conversation with audience members about topics in the book, as well as what the two authors have been up to since publication.
Speakers: Anthony Bloome (Founder and Executive Director, mEducation Alliance), Dr. Scott Nicholson (Escape Games for Education Strategic Advisor, mEducation Alliance), and Liz Cable (Senior Lecturer in Digital Narratives and Transmedia Production, Leeds Trinity University).
Expanding computer science education for a technologically advancing world
Host: Brookings Institution
Date: October 26, 2021
Summary: The Center for Universal Education (CUE) hosted a virtual event to launch the report “Building skills for life: How to expand and improve computer science education around the world.” After opening remarks from the CEO of Code.org Hadi Partovi about how computer science education changed his life and now the lives of millions of other students and then CUE Co-Director Emiliana Vegas gave a brief presentation on the report’s key findings and policy recommendations. Following this, Brown Center on Education Policy Senior Fellow Mike Hansen moderated a discussion with computer science education experts from around the globe about the benefits of computer science education and why computer science skills are a “new basic skill,” as important as foundational literacy and numeracy to thrive in the 21st century.
Speakers: Hadi Partovi (CEO, Code.org), Emiliana Vegas (Senior fellow and co-director of the Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution), and Michael Hansen (Senior Fellow at the Brown Center on Education Policy and Herman and George R. Brown Chair – Governance Studies, Brookings Institution).
The Future of Digital Literacy Event
Host: Benetech
Date: October 20, 2021
Summary: This was the first session in a three-part series of programs organized by Benetech. Ky Vu, Benetech Advisory Council member, led a conversation with education and industry experts to discuss a future vision of equitable education. The panel specifically examined considerations to ensure equitable access to digital literacy tools for all students, including those with learning differences and disabilities. In the discussion, the panelists explored whether the future of literacy is digitally-centric and whether the implications of those solutions actually lead to accessible solutions.
Speakers: Ky Vu (Benetech Advisory Council member), Millicent Smith (Supervisor of Instructional Services, Lenoir City Schools, TN), Brad Turner (Vice President and General Manager, Global Education and Literacy, Benetech), and Tracy Weeden (President and CEO, Neuhaus Education Center)
Global Math Week
Host: The Global Math Project
Date: October 10, 2021 – October 17, 2021
Summary: In its fifth annual Global Math Week, Founder Dr. James Tanton (and an extraordinary Math Power! contributor) featured a range of exciting math activities. The week was chock full of live lessons in multiple languages on the world’s favorite topic, Exploding Dots, special presentations from invited speakers sharing their math joy, and lots of activity in classrooms across the globe as students and teachers played with the fun of Exploding Dots. (6.9 million students and teachers is the present count.) You can find session recordings/activities HERE including an exciting MATH IS video and invitation to send in your own “MATH IS” poster.
Speakers: Dr. James Tanton, Tom Crawford, Héctor Rosario, Rubén Martinez, Romina Busain, Paulo Rodrigues, Marcos Chacòn, David Poras, Alicia Burdess, Abdón Pari, Alex Box, Ivonne Sánchez, Dr. Raj Shah, Ramón Martinez, Erik von Haren, Julieta Parravicini, Greisy Winicki-Landman, Leobardo Mendoza, Claudia Lara, Sofia Guitérrez, Kiran Bacche, and Chris Smith
World Education Week: School Celebration
Host: T4 Education
Date: October 3, 2021 – October 8, 2021
Summary: World Education Week provided a platform for schools and education organizations to share their stories of success and to come together to advocate for quality education for all. This year’s theme was ‘School Celebration’, where T4 recognized the positive strides schools and education systems have made whilst experiencing challenges throughout the pandemic. During the plenary session, T4 launched the World’s Best School Prizes. See the event page and accompanying video for information about this exciting prize including how schools could win a share of the $250,000 prize.
Plenary Speakers: Vikas Pota (Founder, T4 Education), Folawe Omikunle (CEO, Teach for Nigeria), Arlene Vidal (Camachiles National High School, Philippines), Joao Paulo (Escola Pompilho Guimaraes, Brazil), Prof. Josiah Ajiboye (Chairman of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria), Andreas Schleicher (Director of Education & Skills, OECD, France), Senator Esteban Bullrich (former Minister of Education, Argentina), Kasper Kanstrup (Head of Programme – Vice President, LEGO Foundation), Ben McGinnis (Danesfield School, UK), Sarwat Wafa (Beaconhouse Cantt Campus Multan, Pakistan), Monica Prieto (SEK Dublin International School, Ireland), Dr. Rebecca Winthrop (Co-Director of CUE, Brookings Institution, USA), Andrew Sarazin (CEO, Templeton World Charity Foundation, Bahamas), and Zeljana Radojcic Lukic (Edubalkan, Serbia)
2021 mEducation Alliance Symposium
Host: mEducation Alliance
Date: September 27, 2021 – September 30, 2021
Summary: For our 11th annual Symposia, the mEducation Alliance members and a stellar global cast of EdTech experts featured good practice initiatives and promising research, and convened virtual conversations around EdTech For Accelerating Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) in low-resource, developing country contexts. This year’s symposia featured an FLN Video Showcase, gallery walks, unconference sessions, and much more. During this event, 145+ presenting organizations representing 38 countries showcased their work in a variety of participatory formats including lightning talks, panels, plenary sessions, and virtual exhibits.
Speakers: Visit this link to see presenters for this year’s Symposium! And all session recordings can be found on the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Video Showcase page.
Global LEAD #WatchOurImpact Celebration Event
Host: Global Leadership and Education Advancing Development, YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation, and Generation Unlimited
Date: August 12, 2021
Summary: On International Youth Day, the Global LEAD #WatchOurImpact Dialogue celebrated USAID’s commitment to engage one million young changemakers over the next four years under the Global LEAD Initiative. USAID’s Global Leadership and Education Advancing Development Initiative, YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation, and Generation Unlimited, along with other global partners joined forces to show how youth are using the power of change to make the world a better place.
Speakers: Samantha Power (Administrator, USAID), S. Abida Bhirawasiwi, Ineza Umuhoza Grace, and Chaima Amraoui
The Digital School and mEducation Alliance Cooperate to Implement e-Learning Solutions in Developing Nations
Participants: mEducation Alliance and The Digital School
Date: August 6, 2021
Summary: The Digital School signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the mEducation Alliance to develop innovative e-learning solutions for students in underserved communities. Under the MoU, the Digital School will join mEducation Alliance’s efforts, in partnership with organizations, agencies and donors, to employ cutting-edge technology in education and organize forums, activities and e-learning competitions.
Speakers: Anthony Bloome (Founder and Executive Director, mEducation Alliance) and Dr. Waleed Al-Ali (Advisor, Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives) – Also checkout the Voices Interview with Dr. Waleed Al-Ali HERE.
eCafe with Scott Nicholson - Escape Games in Education
Hosts: mEducation Alliance
Date: July 28, 2021
Summary: During this eCafe, Dr. Scott Nicholson discussed how to integrate Escape Games educational experiences into high and low-tech instructional settings. He provided useful tips for the dos and don’ts of creating quality escape game experiences including describing several of the common mistakes teachers make when trying this approach.
Speakers: Anthony Bloome (Founder and Executive Director, mEducation Alliance) and Dr. Scott Nicholson (Professor of Game Design and Development at Wilfrid Laurier University and mEd Alliance’s Strategic Advisor for Education Escape Games)
Implementing EdTech: A Festival of Voices
Host: EdTech Hub
Date: July 7, 2021
Summary: Participants explored the process and people behind the implementation of EdTech, including discussion on Sandbox methodology and the experiences, challenges and success stories of those who have used it, and what they learnt about people and the application of EdTech as a result. Participants also heard stories regarding the lives, circumstances and perspectives of those using EdTech, and ways in which we can all support EdTech to thrive in different contexts worldwide.
Speakers: Dr. Alison Clark-Wilson (Principal Research Associate, UCL Institute of Education), Asad Rahman (Sandbox Lead), Caspar Groeneveld (Technical Assistance Specialist), Lea Simpson, Alice Carter (Innovation Lead), Miranda Dixon (Community Manager), Sarah Shaikh (Development Director, Deaf Reach Schools), Taiba Yar Baig (Monitoring and Evaluation Associate, Deaf Reach Schools), Ramsha Sajid (Monitoring and Evaluation Associate, Deaf Reach Schools, Pakistan), Michele Boujikian (Consultant, Jusoor Syria), Craig Esbek (Programme Director, Mango Tree Literacy Lab), Tracy Mwaura (Communications Lead, Keep Kenya Learning), and Rebecca Crook (Co-Founder & Executive Director, Metis Collective)
eCafe with Learning Equality
Host: mEducation Alliance
Date: June 30, 2021
Summary: This eCafe included presenters from Learning Equality, an education technology non-profit, committed to enabling all people to realize their right to a quality education, especially the half of the world who lack access to Internet connectivity. Integral to this mission are open educational resources (OER), which enable more powerful ways of learning by giving people the ability to creatively adapt, improve upon, and redistribute a work, expanding its audience and those invested in it.
Speakers: Anthony Bloome (Founder and Executive Director, mEducation Alliance), Shivi Chandra (Global Curriculum Specialist, Learning Equality), Vahid Masrour (Curriculum Operations Specialist, Learning Equality), and Lauren Lichtman (Partnerships Manager, Learning Equality)
An EdTech approach for Latin America: Lessons from the Pandemic and Opportunities Ahead
Host: Inter-American Dialogue and the World Bank
Date: June 30, 2021
Summary: This webinar, organized by the Education Program at the Inter-American Dialogue and the World Bank, presented a new educational technology strategy, Reimagining Human Connections — Technology and Innovation in Education at the World Bank, as well as showcased the experiences of Brazil, Panama, and Uruguay implementing innovative EdTech strategies to address short- and long-term challenges.
Speakers: Jaime Saavedra (Global Director of Education, World Bank), Emanuela Di Gropello (Education Practice Manager, Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank), Ariel Fiszbein (Director, Education Program, Inter-American Dialogue), Robert Hawkins (Senior Education & Technology Policy Specialist and Global Lead for Technology and Innovation in Education, World Bank), Ana Caroline Santos Calazans Vilasboas (Director of Articulation and Support to Basic Education Networks, Ministry of Education, Brazil), Edna Cristina Bonilla Sebá (Secretary, Secretariat of Education, Bogota, Colombia), Leandro Folgar (President, Plan Ceibal, Uruguay), Maruja Gorday De Villalobos (Minister, Ministry of Education, Panamá)
OER: Should EdTech Harness Open Licenses?
Host: Young Africa Works and Co-Creation Hub
Date: June 28, 2021
Summary: The June episode of EdTech Mondays Nigeria discussed the topic “Open Educational Resources (OER): Should EdTech Harness Open Licenses? ” EdTech Mondays is a programme organised by the Mastercard Foundation which gives a platform to facilitate critical conversations on the use of technology for teaching and learning by bringing together key stakeholders, including policymakers, Ed-tech entrepreneurs, teachers, and parents.
Speakers: Joyce Daniels (Social Engineering Practitioner), Kelechi Uchenna (Founder, Nigenius), and Daniel Emenahor (Senior Youth Engagement & Learning Associate, Jobberman)
The ED Games Expo and Building Capacity for EdTech Going Global
Host: U.S. Department of Education
Date: June 1, 2021 – June 5, 2021
Summary: The ED Games Expo is an annual showcase of game-changing innovations in education technology that were developed through more than 40 programs at the US Department of Education and across the federal government. This 8th edition of the Expo, and first virtual, featured demos of more than 160 education learning games and technologies and 35 virtual EdTech events including Master Classes for Educators.
Session Summary: The mEducation Alliance co-hosted a session with the US Department of Commerce named “Building Capacity for EdTech Going Global” (you can find this session on Page 6 of the linked agenda). This session highlighted the Department of Commerce’s programs that provide export assistance for EdTech companies, the mEducation Alliance’s experiences in EdTech provision in low-resource settings, and featured three noteworthy companies with national and international EdTech products.
Session Speakers: Carey Esslinger (Senior Trade Specialist, US Department of Commerce), Anthony Bloome (Founder and Executive Director, mEducation Alliance), Scott Isbrandt (Director of Strategic Initiatives, mEducation Alliance), Lisa Wadors Verne, Ph.D. (Director of Education Research and Development, Benetech Labs), Matthew Utterbeck (Co-founder, eKitabu), and Sooinn Lee (CEO, Enuma)
Accelerating the EdTech Ecosystem in MENA
Host: Education 4.0 and the World Bank
Date: June 1, 2021 – June 3, 2021
Summary: The Education 4.0 community was launched in June 2021 with 28 selected case studies covering the themes of “Future of Learning”, “Future of Work” and the “Future of MENA Edtech”. The accompanying webinar event featured 350+ participants from Ministries of Education, international EdTech companies, regional and local EdTech players, and development partners. World Bank Global Lead for Technology & Innovation in Education and Sr. Education Specialist Robert Hawkins presented on the World Bank’s EdTech Strategy Paper.
eCafe with Mathigon - Open Education Resources for Numeracy
Host: mEducation Alliance
Date: May 27, 2021
Summary: This Math Power! eCafe featured Philip Legner who spoke about his organization Mathigon and how they are building the “Textbook of the Future” for mathematics. Philip highlighted the virtual manipulatives on the Mathigon site which includes storytelling elements and real-life applications to help learners better grasp abstract concepts. Mathigon is available in 20+ languages and is completely free to use.
Speakers: Anthony Bloome (Founder and Executive Director, mEducation Alliance) and Philip Legner (Founder and CEO of Mathigon)
The Transforming Power of Education in Africa
Host: ProFuturo
Date: May 25, 2021
Summary: On the occasion of Africa Day, ProFuturo hosted “The transforming power of education in Africa,” a dialogue on the challenges and opportunities of education on the African continent. It was co-organised by ProFuturo, Casa África, UNHCR, Empieza Por Educar, Entreculturas, Save the Children and World Vision, with the support of Planeta Futuro and Mundo Negro. The event focused on Africa and the progress that has been made in the field of education in recent years and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the learning of millions of African children.
Speakers: Juan Jaime Martínez (Head of Casa África’s Culture and Education Department), Lola Huete (Director of Planeta Futuro) and Enrique Bayo (Director of Mundo Negro), Magdalena Brier (Director General of ProFuturo), Jacqueline Strecker (Connected Education Lead of the UNHCR), Beatriz Morilla (Director General of Empieza Por Educar), Luca Fabris (Coordinator of the Africa and Asia Department of Entreculturas), Andrés Conde (Director General of Save the Children Spain) and Javier Ruiz (Director General of World Vision Spain).
Global Digital Development Forum - Youth Digital Champions: Digitally-engaged youth for community development
Date: May 25, 2021
Event Summary: The 2021 Global Digital Development Forum (GDDF) hosted over 5,000 international development practitioners and technology experts. GDDF attendees had the opportunity to view captivating sessions, network with peers, and learn how to expand their digital development success.
Session Hosts: USAID, IREX, and the mEducation Alliance
Session Summary: Youth Digital Champions: Digitally-engaged youth for community development breakout session was for donors, implementing organizations, practitioners and researchers that want to integrate their digital literacy, youth, and sector development programs together. The roundtable contributors discussed what digital/data literacy skills do youth need to ‘succeed’ as community leaders and elaborated on what is meant by “digitally-engaged” youth, including providing relevant case study examples, particularly from low-resource developing country context.
Session Speakers: Anthony Bloome, (Founder and Executive Director, mEducation Alliance), Mike McCabe (Agency Youth Advisor, USAID), Rachel Surkin (Youth Excel Consortia Lead, IREX), Hamza Arsbi (Youth Excel Lead, Tech Tribes), and Jeanne Bovine Ishemaryayo (CEO, Calm Geek, Ltd.)
Teacher Tech Summit
Host: T4
Date: April 17, 2021
Summary: The T4 2021 Teacher Tech Summit focused on themes of designing learning for hybrid environments, engaging learners online, creating good digital content, assessing learning online, and ensuring no one is left behind in online learning. This summit was meant want to provide teachers with a platform to share their expertise and practical experiences using educational technology, with a global audience. You can find information on the 2022 Teacher Tech Summit HERE.
Speakers: Vikas Pota (Founder, T4 Education), Ross Morrison McGill (Teacher Toolkit), Matthew Granados (Swiss Cottage School), Theresa Martus (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library), Carla Aerts (Refracted!), Sara Hennessy (Cambridge University), Michael Hernandez (Teacher & National Geographic Advisory Council), Elissa Aoun (St. Joseph School), Lama Nassif (St. Joseph School), Panchali (Avanti Fellows), Johan Skoghäll (LBS Jönköping), Claudio Zavala (Teacher & Adobe Education Leader), Grace Amoka (LGEA Kurmin Mashi), Andrew Sutherland (Quizlet), Edward Kaawah (Alperton Community School), Selene Estaris (Xavier School), Alberto & Mario Herraez Velazquez (Canyon Creek Elementary School), Andrew Jack (Financial Times), Andreas Schleicher (OECD), Denis Mizne (Lemann Foundation), Andria Zafirakou (Alperton Community School), Richard Henderson (Lenovo), and Jimmy Rotherham (Feversham Primary Academy).
Virtual Math Power! Festival
Host: mEducation Alliance
Date: March 15, 2021 – March 19, 2021
Summary: Our first of a series of Math Power! Virtual Festivals kicked off the week of March 14th. That week, starting on Pi Day (Sunday, March 14th), we shared pre-recorded content that featured high-quality technology and non-technology-supported initiatives, partnerships, research, and institutions advancing math instruction in formal and informal educational settings, specifically in Africa. Our festival presenters included a mixture of global and local African math champions, policymakers, and educators, with more to be featured in later events.
Presenting Organizations: M-Shule, Shetechtive Uganda, Ubongo, Global Math Project Tanzania, Karismath, mJangale, EduTab, Matica, Shield of Innocence, and Education Above All.
