Is Your EdTech Really Effective? Insights with Bart Epstein, CEO of Brains and Motion Education
Technology has revolutionized nearly every aspect of our lives, and education is no exception. The integration of technology in classrooms has brought about significant changes, offering new opportunities and challenges for both students and educators.
In this episode of the Learning Through Technology podcast, Alex and Bob welcome Bart Epstein, CEO of Brains and Motion Education (BAM!), a leading provider of STEM, Arts, and Sports programs for students grades K-8 nationwide. Bart is also the Founder of EdTech Evidence Exchange, a company that helps educators make better-informed decisions about education technology. The genesis of EdTech Evidence Exchange stems from building national consensus on how to measure school implementation environments, building a platform to collect edtech product feedback from tens of thousands of educators, and creating a system to use philanthropy dollars to pay cash stipends to participating educators.
Join us as we discuss the crucial need for evidence-based decision-making in education. Bart shares his frustration with the lack of research in the field. We explore the challenges of gathering data, and Bart proposes solutions such as government regulation and funding, investigative journalism, and company and school pressure. Discover the role of government, companies, and educators in addressing these challenges.
Technology has revolutionized nearly every aspect of our lives, and education is no exception. The integration of technology in classrooms has brought about significant changes, offering new opportunities and challenges for both students and educators.
In this episode of the
Learning Through Technology podcast, Alex and Bob welcome
Bart Epstein, CEO of
Brains and Motion Education (BAM!), a leading provider of STEM, Arts, and Sports programs for students grades K-8 nationwide. Bart is also the Founder of
EdTech Evidence Exchange, a company that helps educators make better-informed decisions about education technology. The genesis of EdTech Evidence Exchange stems from building national consensus on how to measure school implementation environments, building a platform to collect edtech product feedback from tens of thousands of educators, and creating a system to use philanthropy dollars to pay cash stipends to participating educators.
Here are the key touchpoints from the discussion:
- EdTech Efficacy
- Giving teachers a sense of agency in program selection
- How medical research is a model to drive EdTech efficacy
- Bart's journey into education and entrepreneurship
- Introduction to the Ed Tech Evidence Exchange
- Fixing the system for funding research and data collection
- Overview of Brains in Motion Education
- Importance of student motivation and agency in effective education technology
- Importance of being interested in school and accessing resources
Bart Epstein is a respected educator and entrepreneur with decades of experience in the field. He has impacted over twenty million students through his leadership at companies including Tutor.com, the Jefferson Education Accelerator, and The Princeton Review. He served as the General Manager of a Department of Defense education program that supports U.S. military families.
As a professor at the University of Virginia, Bart founded and ran a national nonprofit that teaches schools how to implement complex STEM programs effectively. He writes frequently about the need for investment in education R&D, has presented his work at the White House, and recently published an op-ed with a member of Congress.
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