As schools continue to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are directing their attention towards important issues and challenges that have emerged as significant trends in education. By embracing these trends, educators can enhance the teaching and learning process, foster holistic development, and equip students with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving society. The following trends are actively influencing the field of education: 

Another one of the industry’s biggest events of the year, the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Convention & Exposition, is coming up in just a couple of weeks on February 3–7. With thousands of educators, EdTech leaders, and technology enthusiasts slated to attend, you won’t want to miss TCEA 2020. Being held in Austin, Texas, this year’s conference and expo will offer dozens of opportunities for both professional development and pleasure.

Whether you’re looking to network with some of EdTech’s greatest innovators, discover this year’s best EdTech trends, or gain professional development at the conference, TCEA 2020 will be a valuable opportunity for all who attend.

While so many educators, parents, and even psychologists are concerned regarding how much screen time is appropriate for children, the emerging innovating technology of machine learning and artificial learning has begun to alter educational and institutional tools toward a better future of education.

According to the Artificial Intelligence Market in the US Education Sector report, the expected growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in this sector is 47.7% from 2018 to 2022. However, most experts believe that the presence of qualified and experienced teachers is irreplaceable. Still, there are many advantages AI can bring to teachers’ educational best practices.

With the turn of another new year comes another round of EdTech conferences and expos. First up on the docket for 2020 is the 40th annual Future of Education Technology Conference, better known as FETC, being held this year in warm and sunny Miami, Florida. The conference—held from January 14–17—is right around the corner, and we’re getting excited for all of the opportunities the event has in store.

As the first half of the school year is coming to an end, your life is likely full of grading final papers, administering end-of-course tests, and conducting evaluations. You probably haven’t touched a book for your personal reading pleasure in weeks, if not months. But something exciting is around the corner: winter break! Although your school’s winter break may only be a week or two long, you’ll finally have some downtime when you’re free of your teaching duties so you can actually read a book for fun.

It’s hard to believe that we are closing in on the end of another year—and that the start of a new decade is right around the corner!

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that he was looking for a life change. He wanted a new start in a new place with a new career. He just threw it out there for people to tell him what they thought about his future plans.

Of course, there were some funny and non-serious comments, but there was also a wide variety of serious suggestions. From stand-up comic to running a small business, the ideas were very wide and diverse. My question to him was, “Why not teach?”

As we inch closer to 2020, we can look back at the significant strides and innovations in educational technology and the ways EdTech has redefined traditional education in the first two decades of the 21st century. Technology has become an integral part of the everyday learning process, with students, teachers, parents, and administrators all using important devices and software each day to increase efficiency and improve learning outcomes.

As a busy teacher, it can be hard to find the time to sit down and read teaching blogs, articles, or books for motivation and professional development. Luckily, we live in the golden age of the podcast, making it possible to listen to this same motivational and educational content while you’re doing something else, like commuting to school, organizing your classroom, or making dinner at home.

Because podcasts are easy to record and publish, there’s an extremely rich market of content to choose from. Weeding through all this content can take time, but we’ve done the research for you and found 10 inspiring and interesting podcasts with great reviews and ratings. All of the podcasts on this list are rated 4.5 stars or higher on Apple podcasts, so you know they’ll have great content!

Industry Influencers Leading the Way

As we enter a new school year, we thought it would be interesting to look at the change-makers leading the way in EdTech this year. Previously, we created a comprehensive list of the top 20 influencers in education technology, and earlier this year, we shared 10 more industry leaders. The EdTech industry is constantly growing and changing, so today we're sharing five more innovative influencers making active change to shape education for the future.