Future of Education Technology Conference Reveals Winners & Finalists of the Top Ed Tech Products of the Year Awards

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – January 10, 2023 – The Future of Education Technology^® Conference (FETC^®), an intensive, highly collaborative exploration of new technologies, best practices and pressing issues, announced the finalists and winners of the Top Education Technology Products of the Year Awards. The annual competition spotlights the most innovative new solutions on the market that are helping school leaders meet the ever-evolving education technology needs of their districts and schools and will take place during FETC 2023 happening January 23 – 26 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

Working with the conference organizers, the editors of District Administration® conducted a comprehensive evaluation of over 200 submissions, including input from a panel of industry experts and analysts. Winners were chosen from large, medium and small companies in seven categories: Curriculum & Instructional Technology, Future Learning Technology, Information Technology, Learning Environment & Student Support Technology, Management Systems Technology, Upskilling & Credential Technology, and Virtual Learning Technology. The following 21 solutions were named the winners:

21st Century Teacher by The New EdTech Classroom, LLC

This virtual professional development program prepares educators to use technology to create more meaningful, relevant and authentic learning experiences for all learners through engaging, hands-on, personalized learning that can be accessed anytime, from any place. All of the instruction in 21st Century Teacher is delivered via professionally produced videos with embedded checks for understanding and in-app activities. Members can earn digital badges for their accomplishments and access new material as they progress in their skills. newedtechclassroom.com

AI Coach by Edthena

The AI Coach platform uses artificial intelligence to guide teachers to self-reflect and accelerate their professional learning. When working inside the AI Coach platform, teachers have a conversation with the virtual coach named Edie. Edie asks teachers about their professional goals, and then teachers analyze and reflect on videos of their classroom instruction by adding time-stamped comments. As part of their conversation, teachers develop a short-term goal, identify a strategy for change, and commit to a timeline for implementation. edthena.com

AllHere

Founded by Joanna Smith-Griffin, a former public school leader and 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient, AllHere provides scalable, equitable educational coaching and support for families. AllHere’s family support chatbot is available 24/7 by text message to help parents answer wide-ranging questions like “How is my child doing in class?” “What assignments are my child missing?” or “How can I get help with issues around mental health, well-being, transportation, housing, or food services?” allhere.com

Clever IDM

Clever IDM is an automated identity management solution that’s easy to set up and can be added to Clever’s core single sign-on platform. Clever IDM uses the data that school districts already have in Clever from their student information system to automatically provision, update and de-provision user accounts for students, teachers, and staff in Active Directory and Google Workspace. clever.com

Construct 3 by Scirra Ltd

Construct 3 by Scirra Ltd is a state-of-the-art game development software used by small game developers, large organizations (including NASA), and particularly schools. Students can create 2D and 2.5D video games with little or no prior programming knowledge. Game development software is ideal for getting students from a young age engaged in computer science and coding. A wide range of game development programs is available, each with its admirable advantages. construct.net

Get Digital: Safety in the Metaverse by EVERFI

Get Digital: Safety in the Metaverse is a free, digital literacy curriculum designed to provide students with the information they need to safely and confidently navigate the metaverse. Through two online lessons, students learn important digital citizenship skills including recognizing strategies for maintaining privacy in the metaverse. Get Digital’s free curriculum helps students acknowledge the benefits of online communities and resources while guiding them to successfully navigate potential pitfalls. everfi.com

Grey Trunk RFID Fixed Asset Inventory Software

Grey Trunk’s cloud-based asset tracking system makes asset tracking and inventory fast and simple. Eliminate hours of work using RFID and barcode technology to easily find and catalog your assets. Grey Trunk’s asset tracking app has it all—from mobile to web, we have your asset management tracking solution so you can take control of your fixed assets, from laptops, Chromebooks, monitors, and more. greytrunkrfid.com

Jetpacked

Jetpacked is a one-stop shop for students, educators, and families to design, monitor, and celebrate a purposeful, personalized online learning experience using their favorite digital learning programs. Using data aggregated from multiple online applications, Jetpacked helps all parties promote student agency by providing personalized goal recommendations weekly-aligned with yearly growth targets and updated progress daily. Jetpacked transforms the chaos of multiple applications into a personalized, coordinated learning experience. Visit vimeo.com to view Jetpacked’s introduction video

LANGUAGE! Live

This comprehensive literacy intervention program for students in grades 5-12 who are two or more years behind grade level combines two instructional experiences—online and teacher-guided instruction—to reinforce the literacy foundations students need while strategically engaging students with authentic text to accelerate them to grade-level proficiency. https://www.voyagersopris.com/products/reading/language-live/overview

McGraw Hill AR (Augmented Reality)

McGraw Hill AR is an augmented reality app that provides engaging, bite-size experiences that promote deep, conceptual learning. It was created through a partnership between McGraw Hill and Verizon as part of Verizon’s Innovative Learning Initiative, which supports digital equity and inclusion in education. The app is free for all schools and can be used with any curriculum. mheducation.com

Merlyn, the AI-powered digital assistant for education

Merlyn Mind is an AI technology company translating the latest advances in artificial intelligence to improve human productivity with workflow automation. Their first solution is Merlyn, the digital assistant for education, which seamlessly integrates into classrooms and existing edtech tools to automate everyday workflows for teachers so they can focus more time and attention on students. merlynmind.org

MobileMind

MobileMind delivers a comprehensive professional development platform that facilitates district-scaled, sustainable, personalized learning while engaging educators in gamified, self-paced micro-courses. It is the only platform that allows districts to consolidate their PD initiatives from Google Workspace for Education and Microsoft to other technology, compliance, curriculum, new hire training, and more. mobilemind.io

Naviance by PowerSchool

Naviance by PowerSchool is the leading CCLR platform that helps students connect learning to post-secondary paths. With Naviance, schools and districts enable students to discover their strengths and interests, build critical SEL skills, create actionable goals, and find their best-fit path after high school. Naviance provides tools for students and educators in schools and districts of all sizes and settings. powerschool.com

Novel Effect: Bring the Story To Life!

Novel Effect is a mobile app that brings stories to life with interactive music, sound effects, and character voices that follow along as you read aloud from your library of physical books with your students. Learners and listeners are immersed in magical soundscapes, bringing awe and smiles that dramatically enhance the read-aloud experience! noveleffect.com

Otus

Otus is an all-in-one platform that empowers K-12 educators to optimize instruction, planning, and grading by gathering and visualizing student-growth data. Otus makes every step of the learning process more efficient for teachers, administrators, students and families. otus.com

Paper

Paper partners with over 450 school districts across North America to provide over 2.5 million students with an unlimited, 24/7, on-demand Educational Support System featuring virtual tutoring, writing assignment review, career and college support, after school extracurricular programming, and other academic support tools. All of Paper’s services are entirely free for students, helping close equity gaps. paper.co

PowerSchool Unified Insights™ MTSS

PowerSchool Unified Insights™ offers rich analytics that provide educators with the actionable insights they need to improve student outcomes. Unified Insights delivers insights to school, district, and state education agencies with specific solutions for essential student learning (attendance, behavior, and coursework), early warning and intervention, SEL reporting, MTSS, and CCLR, as well as K-12 finance and operations, talent management, enrollment analytics, and location analytics. powerschool.com

RapidIdentity

RapidIdentity is a cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) platform that Identity Automation built specifically for edtech ecosystems. There are three modules of the platform: Lifecycle: Performs full lifecycle management of digital identities. Authentication: Ensures that users who access district systems are who they say they are. Governance: Improves the compliance and auditability of cybersecurity practices. identityautomation.com

ShareTheBoard

ShareTheBoard uses proprietary ML algorithms to identify and digitize handwritten content in real time. This allows educators to keep their historically primary teaching tool—the board—when addressing remote/blended classes. Students enjoy not only legible and unobstructed content (as all obstacles are made to appear transparent), they can even add to the shared surface directly. sharetheboard.com

SwiftGrade

SwiftGrade is a new innovative grading app and website that saves teachers time by grading both online and paper assessments. For handwritten and multiple-choice paper assessments, simply point your camera at a student’s paper to grade it. For online assessments, as soon as students submit an assessment to the student portal, the results are ready. goswiftgrade.com

UNIVERSE by ViewSonic

UNIVERSE by ViewSonic is a software application that provides a virtual 3D environment where teachers can host their daily classes and foster human connection, natural conversation, and group collaboration. Students and teachers are represented by customized avatars which provide a sense of presence and identity. Avatars remove the anxiety of speaking face-to-face and help combat having to always be on camera. Teachers and students can select multiple methods of communication, including natural audio with volume that increases based on the distance to other avatars. universe.viewsonic.io

38 other companies made the cut as finalists for the 2023 awards:

Abre

Abre is K-12’s leading data and administration platform. Developed by two educators tired of not providing their stakeholders with the optimal technology experience, Abre is the most robust EdTech solution connecting what matters most with the Whole Child to students, families, staff, and community partners. Abre helps schools increase student success all while saving money and providing a better-connected experience through full interoperability and tailored experiences. abre.io

Avanti by Solution Tree

Avanti is a learning hub for teachers who are working to ensure high levels of learning for every student. It is a collaborative community created by teachers for teachers and designed to provide relevant, reliable, and personalized professional learning experiences 24/7 on any device. The Avanti catalog houses more than 250 strategy based videos each is about 3-5 minutes in length. Every video comes with an implementation guide, resources, and a self-reflection rubric to help teachers accelerate their core proficiency on that strategy. my-avanti.com

BenQ Board RP03 Series

BenQ Board RP03 integrates single-tap log-in cloud access, screen sharing, split-screen screen recording, and annotation tools in the industry’s only germ-resistant interactive display. Educators and IT staff will enjoy the thoughtful approach to engineering through a display that can quickly and easily become the classroom’s central ecosystem for driving learning and engagement. benq.com

Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT) in Action by 2gnoME

This FFT in Action portal turns teachers’ self-reflection and observations into a personalized learning experience aligned with the Danielson Framework for Teaching. It clarifies strengths within each Domain and Component and matches high-quality resources to individual areas of growth. For principals, district PD and state administrators, the FFT in Action clarifies who needs what kinds of learning, shapes personalized PD learning for every teacher and brings together all other parts of the PD experience aligned to the required Framework. danielsongroup.org

DL30 AI Auto Tracking Distance Learning Camera by AVer Information

The DL30 is a powerful distance learning and classroom lesson capture camera that allows teachers to fully engage with their students. The DL30 enables teachers to fully move around the room while the camera automatically follows. Featuring hands-free AI Auto Tracking, 12X Optical Zoom, PoE+ and USB connectivity. averusa.com

Eduverse Expeditions by Avantis Education

Created by a team of expert teachers, Eduverse Expeditions takes students on virtual field trips in the education metaverse, providing free access to thousands of VR & AR resources such as engaging 360-degree photos and videos, 3D models, educator resources, and lesson plans that allow students to go on adventures, see famous landmarks and cities, and experience different cultures without ever leaving the classroom. eduverse.com

EMC² Learning

Members of the EMC² Learning community become “Engagement Engineers” and enjoy a full year of access to more than 400 individual resources available on demand 24/7. Each resource comes complete with a dynamic combination of self-paced instructional videos, step-by-step lesson walkthroughs, and modification suggestions on how the activity can be scaled and scaffolded for learners of any age. emc2learning.com

eSuite® The Smart Professional Learning Platform for Educators by Engage2Learn

eSuite® helps educators thrive through job-embedded, evidence-based instructional coaching support. The growth-focused coaching and analytics platform is used to transform traditional education professional development, is customizable to meet the needs of the individual educator and is designed to grow educators significantly in a short amount of time. engage2learn.org

Evidence-as-a-Service by LearnPlatform

LearnPlatform’s Evidence-as-a-Service, is a subscription service to provide all edtech solution providers with the necessary evidence to meet both federal evidence requirements outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) market demands, and more effectively serve all students and educators. learnplatform.com

FORXAI Secure Access – SCHOOL SECURITY SOLUTION by Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.

FORXAI Secure Access enables automated, secure point-of-entry workflows that combine facial identification with mask detection, thermal temperature screening and tailgating to secure schools. These workflows utilize an artificial intelligence (AI) rules-based engine designed for various types of government organizations. kmbs.konicaminolta.us

GAB-on!

For students, the relationship between family and school can change the trajectory of their learning outcomes. GAB-on! gets parents engaged in their child’s learning consistently and actively at home, so students are engaged every day at school. Parent engagement in a child’s education improves all the “A’s”: attendance, academic achievement, agency, and aspirations. gab-on.com

identiMetrics Biometric ID Management Platform

The identiMetrics Biometric ID Management Platform is the fastest way to identify students, from kindergarten through graduation. With the touch of a finger, they are identified in about two seconds with 100% accuracy. identiMetrics, the #1 biometric ID provider in K12 education, saves time, ensures accurate records and secure student accounts, and results in accurate and faster government audits. identimetrics.net

iiQ Ticketing

iiQ Ticketing is the toolkit that gets K-12 help requests resolved quickly and effectively. iiQ Ticketing includes an easy-to-use ticket submission portal for teachers, students, and district staff. This portal gives requestors step-by-step instructions for efficient ticket entry and offers customizable issue categories that can be tailored for the unique workflows of K-12 districts. incidentiq.com

IXL

This state-of-the-art assessment suite includes the Real-Time Diagnostic and new universal screener and works in concert with curricula to give educators real-time insight into performance, pinpoint gaps in knowledge and provide specific next steps to help each student grow. ixl.com

Kahoot! EDU

Kahoot!’s most advanced and scalable offering for education, schools and districts can seamlessly onboard staff, equip teachers with tools to engage students in virtual and blended learning, assess learning progress over time with powerful analytics and facilitate seamless collaboration among educators. kahoot.com

KaiBot in Kainundrum – first hybrid robot by Autonomous Works/Kai’s Education

Starting with screen-free coding cards to introduce coding from kindergarten to advancing through using Blockly and Python when paired with the virtual Kainundrum platform, KaiBot interprets and translates the coding cards into machine code instruction by instruction, and then KaiBots CPU executes each instruction before the internal interpreter moves on to translate/scan the next instruction. If KaiBot scans an invalid coding card, the interpreted code will show an error Bug message on the screen as soon as it encounters a problem, making it easier to debug your code. kaiseducation.com

League for Green Leaders by Springbay Studio Ltd.

When students learn by doing, they take agency over climate action and become leaders for our sustainable future. This platform enables Springbay Studio Ltd. to host online competitions multiple times a year worldwide, with high efficiency and curriculum-aligned content. Each competition consists of fun-packed activities to encourage children to make eco-friendly choices, fostering green habits that nurture behavioral change while also addressing the root causes of climate change. leagueforgreenleaders.springbaystudio.org

Learner Engagements Online

Learner Engagements Online™ (LEO) is Tutor.com’s new academic platform, which centralizes 24/7 support services for students, as well as scheduling tools and actionable analytics for institutions. tutor.com

Mackin’s Accessit Library

Mackin’s Accessit Library delivers easy and precise access to a school’s or district’s library catalog and is an essential part of its successful operation. Implementation of Mackin’s Accessit Library creates an environment where the library becomes the trusted hub that connects and integrates a school’s existing systems. Paired with the multiple-award-winning digital content management system, MackinVIA, the combination creates a unique, versatile, and powerful tool. home.mackin.com

Makers Empire

Makers Empire is a market-leading, gamified 3D design software that helps develop children’s spatial reasoning and design thinking skills. Primary, elementary and middle school teachers use Makers Empire to improve student learning outcomes and student engagement in STEM. Makers Empire is the only program worldwide that has been shown by university research to improve students’ spatial reasoning skills, a known predictor of future STEM success. makersempire.com

Monarch by TinyEYE Therapy Services

Monarch is a secure, all-in-one platform that enables therapists to create a therapy plan, schedule sessions, deliver therapy, perform documentation and reporting, and bill for their activities. TinyEYE uses the power of this data to share the most important information with schools and districts so they have instant access to reports and student information and streamlines the monitoring of students’ progress and achievements. Visit youtube.com to view a demo of Monarch.

Pearl, tutor management and efficacy software

Managing large rosters of student and tutor data is a nightmare no longer. Our availability management tool makes scheduling a breeze. Send reminders via text and email to drive attendance. Tutors will love using our purpose-built online classrooms with multiple whiteboards. Pearl offers robust and partner-first features for districts, states and enterprise tutoring solution providers including individual profiles for administrators, tutors, parents, and teachers. tutorwithpearl.com

RUCKUS Analytics

RUCKUS Analytics is an AI/ML-driven network analytics and assurance solution. It provides network analytics and service assurance in an intuitive way so that even unskilled network techs can ensure proper network operation and access for all users. video.commscope.com

Samscloud

Samscloud (Security Alert Messaging Service Cloud) is an intelligent security platform designed for schools and organizations to streamline their emergency response plans and support incident management. samscloud.io

Savvas Realize Learning Management System

The single sign-on platform allows educators to access an array of standards-aligned content, customize materials, monitor student progress, and create lesson plans and activity playlists. Featuring cutting-edge adaptive technology, it provides data-driven insights to help teachers differentiate instruction and personalized, interactive content to foster student engagement, all on one platform. savvas.com

Schoolzilla by Renaissance

Schoolzilla’s data-driven dashboards give educators actionable insights into trends in student attendance and achievement, helping them to identify opportunities to improve outcomes for all learners. Using the information sources schools and districts already have available, Schoolzilla’s dashboards make it easy for educators to act with confidence to accelerate learning and meet school and district goals. renaissance.com

Shmoop Heartbeat

Instead of static surveys or curriculum built for the center, Heartbeat brings recurring cognitive power to your classroom. By giving students 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times/week in the tool they’ll have access to personalized Insights & Actions about themselves to improve and unblock their learning journeys. shmoop.com

Skyward’s Qmlativ Education Management System

Qmlativ, the next generation of Skyward technology, is the epitome of a better SIS and ERP experience. Built to leverage the latest technology, this SQL-based platform combines an enjoyable user interface with preemptive support measures and a focus on the growth and development of every user. Qmlativ consists of the School Business and Student Management Suites, which can be used individually or together. skyward.com

Sown To Grow’s Weekly Emotional Check-In & Concerning Reflection Alerts

Using Sown To Grow’s Weekly Emotional Check-In, students are invited to self-disclose their well-being through emojis and written responses. When an alert is triggered, principals, APs, counselors, and the student’s teacher receive an email and in-app notification. This provides teachers with support in handling heavier moments of student care, creates a team of individuals who can address the needs of students who might have otherwise flown under the radar, and allows counselors/social workers with large caseloads to prioritize their efforts toward the students who need it most. sowntogrow.com

Sphero BOLT Cybersecurity Labs

Developed in collaboration with Information Technology Full Professor and Director of Camp CryptoBot Dr. Pauline Mosley, the Sphero BOLT Cybersecurity Labs bring cybersecurity concepts to life through hands-on learning experiences. BOLT simulates and models concepts that are often hidden deep inside computers, networks, and code so that middle school students can visualize, discuss, and fully understand them. sphero.com

StarrMatica’s Virtual Science Coach Professional Development Partner

StarrMatica’s Virtual Science Coach (K-5) is an online professional development platform that focuses on the two factors that have the greatest impact on the quality of a teacher’s science instruction: science content knowledge and questioning. Funded by a Small Business Innovation Research Grant and developed by university-level experts in collaboration with classroom educators, StarrMatica’s Virtual Science Coach is an innovative online library of “bite-sized” engaging resources designed to meet the time, sustainability, location, and ROI challenges of science professional development for districts of all sizes. starrmatica.com

Teams by Swivl

Teams by Swivl is a video-based software platform that facilitates educator growth and reflection. Supporting mobile and desktop apps, Teams provides next-level reflection and coaching for your whole school or district combining asynchronous video observations, annotation tools for reflection, peer feedback, and structured assessments supported by custom rubrics and frameworks. swivl.com

Tract

Tract is an online community where kids teach kids through multimedia. Through our collection of turnkey project guides, teachers can easily integrate short videos from our library into classwork and turn kids’ media consumption into an enriching, educational experience that supports project-based learning, Genius Hour, social and emotional learning, GATE, and more. Tract enables busy teachers to transform what they teach in the classroom into interactive and fun educational projects led and created by kids. tract.app

TutorMe

TutorMe provides on-demand, synchronous tutoring via our proprietary TutorMe Lesson Space. Students are able to connect with an online tutor through our platform in less than a minute. Our award-winning Lesson Space replicates all the best parts of in-person learning—including face-to-face collaboration through live audio/video chat—while simultaneously empowering learners who feel more confident and productive in a virtual setting. tutorme.com

Unreal Futures: Careers in Animation by Epic Games

Unreal Futures: Careers in Animation is the third installment of the Unreal Engine Careers in Real-Time series. This video-based course takes students behind the scenes to see how interactive 3D and Real-Time rendering are transforming the animation industry. Students hear from industry experts in animation from major studios including Disney and Reel FX. In addition, students will be guided through a series of hands-on activities using Unreal Engine to create their own animations. dev.epicgames.com

VB130 All-in-One Classroom Collaboration Camera by AVer Information

The VB130 is a powerful, all-in-one distance learning and collaboration tool that combines 4K video with clear built-in audio with soundbar and microphone to give your remote students a true in-class experience. The VB130 features advanced AI combining SmartFrame technology with voice tracking to keep the teacher in camera view while focusing on their voice so remote students do not miss any lesson content while engaging both in-class and remote learners equally. averusa.com

Vivensity’s imSparked^© Social and Emotional Learning Program

imSparked^© empowers middle and high school students with engaging, actionable solutions for day-to-day situations. The evidence-based program aligns with the CASEL and WHO Frameworks to support social and emotional learning (SEL). Designed for use in any type of class, club, or advisory group, students learn through a process of introspection and self-discovery with short, engaging multimedia activities that spur meaningful class discussions and real-world experiences. vivensity.com

Voltek Smart Building USB Power Delivery

Voltek manufactures a low-voltage powered USB-C power delivery system that can power today’s laptops with a simple USB-C cable and eliminates the need for bulky AC-to-DC power conversion transformers. Voltek is an easy retrofit for existing areas that lack power for today’s learning devices, as well as a sustainable solution in new construction for delivering power around the classroom or flex learning space. voltekinc.com

“This year, we received a record number of submissions of amazingly innovative ed tech products,” said Lori Capullo, executive editor of District Administration. “I’m very excited to present the awards to the winners, who rose to the top for their inventiveness, originality and problem-solving capacities for educators. These products are a window into the future of ed tech and of K-12 education.”

The Top Ed Tech Products of the Year Awards will take place in the PitchFest Theater in the FETC Expo Hall. The Expo Hall features six tailored theaters offering sessions by real-world practitioners and ed tech company leaders and will also host more than 400 leading solution providers giving attendees the opportunity to view innovative ed tech tools in-person and get hands-on with products they didn’t even realize existed.

The FETC program will feature more than 400 sessions and workshops in 5 distinct tracks: Future of Ed Tech Administrator, Future of Ed Tech Coach, Future of Ed Tech Educator, Future of Ed Tech Information Technology and Future of Ed Tech Library Media Specialist. FETC will kick off with best-selling author and one of the world’s leading technology futurists, Daniel Burrus, and include a STEM Keynote from mathematician, technologist and CEO of Stemettes, Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon. Attendee favorite Tech Share LIVE will also return to the 2023 event featuring education technology visionaries Adam Bellow, Hall Davidson, Leslie Fisher and Kathy Schrock.

Registration for the 2023 Future of Education Technology Conference is open. Professionals can receive Standard Savings of $50.00 off the on-site rate when they register by January 22, 2023. For more information, visit www.FETC.org.

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About the Future of Education Technology^® Conference (FETC^®)