EdNet 2009 starts this Sunday in Chicago. This is one of the three most important events of the year* for networking and professional development in the education industry. I’ve been attending since the early 90’s with only a couple of absences. Nelson Heller, EdNet’s founder, has also been a friend…
Special Education appears to be the first K12 market segment seeing the education stimulus dollars flow in volume. At PCI Education we saw our numbers start to move up towards the end of May. By August we were roaring on all cylinders. As a private company we don’t report out…
At 35,000 feet, with a steaming Starbucks and a purring iPod I read my Grandfather’s memoirs last Wednesday. I’d already put in several hours of work when I decided to crack the sheaf of Xeroxed reflections written three years before he passed in 1964. Ninety eight years ago in the…
The Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) is punishing the children’s publishing industry. Go over to Publishers Weekly to read their summary of the disruption caused by the mandate that all products targeted at children under 12 be tested for lead and phthalates. The law was passed in response to…
Are you Twitter curious? For the past few months I’ve been on the fence about Twitter – lurking but minimally engaged. Like all new technologies as people play with it they are discovering what it is best for. Recently I’ve watched as my friend Charlene Blohm has begun leveraging it…
What are the prospects for raising capital for education technology companies in the current financial meltdown? Last week at the SIIA Ed-Tech Business Forum a panel of investors tackled this question. The panelists presented some solid and detailed advice for investors and companies seeking capital during the recession. Key Points:…
This panel is made up of seasoned veterans of the M&A markets for Education Technology companies. They addressed the K12, Higher Education / Post-secondary, and general M&A climate. The panelists are: Moderator Jeff Fromme – Dorsey and Whitney LLP Robin Warner – Managing Director at Van Tulleken Company. K-12 Market…
Great marketing infuses a brand promise into everything a company does. It isn’t about the slogan – it is making the promise come alive for your customers in every small detail. In honor of a Thanksgiving traipse down the tryptophan trail enjoy the images below from the Heart Attack Grill.…
As print and technology products in education blend together the distinctions between textbook publishers and ed-tech providers are blurring in some very interesting ways. A recent report by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press on how on-line and traditional news media are blending together raises some…
Information is expanding exponentially. Applying database concepts to your information diet can mean the difference between overload and sanity, chaos and productivity. Database fluency is mandatory in a digital world. Students and teachers should be practicing and refining this skill so that today’s learners can make the most of the…