Estimates predict that by 2020, there will be 20 billion smart devices, telesurgery will be the new normal, and 5G networks and AI will change our world. According to Greg Brantley, the CIO of ISTE, “5G networks and AI are technologies that will change our world”. 30% of people think they use AI today; when in reality, 80% are actually using it.
Since beginning my marketing role at Extreme one year ago, I’ve become immersed in K-12 education. In my position, I get to hear how customers are using technology to improve educational outcomes and further digital transformation of their schools. Attending the ISTE conference in Philadelphia, PA, was another chance to engage with customers about the latest in EdTech and grow my industry expertise. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that works with the global education community to accelerate the use of technology to solve severe problems and inspire innovation. ISTE sets bold visions for education transformation through their specific standards. Their annual conference & expo is one of the world’s most influential EdTech events. Attendees discuss critical topics in education and share best practices for innovating and empowering learning. This year was the organization’s 40th anniversary, and it gathered thousands of educators from across the globe, reaching a record of more than 20,000 participants.
With this being Extreme’s ninth year as an exhibitor, I was right in the middle of the action! We had demos showing first-hand how school districts are improving learning by implementing revolutionary EdTech using our primary and secondary education networking solutions. We also demonstrated our network elements solving educational challenges and improving learning outcomes. We showcased recipes for personalized learning, eSports, online learning, and online testing. Online testing involves large numbers of students simultaneously taking a remotely-served test on a local wireless device. We have heard numerous first-hand experiences of remote servers going down leaving administrators either utterly unaware that there is an issue or guessing at the cause. This often results in the test being re-administered or thrown out entirely. Online testing requires high speed, low latency networking, device management, and network analytics for the best possible test-taking experience. We showcased how Extreme Analytics helps locate the issues that may come up during online testing, and how Extreme Control makes sure that only the right devices and students are connected to the network.
Some of the other exciting innovations demonstrated at our booth were:
It is an exciting time for EdTech and to hear all the experiences from the speakers throughout the week of ISTE 19. The sessions were correlated with the theme of ‘Bold Educators activating change’ and full of stories on how educators do so in their own lives and classrooms. We must continue to invest in our teachers as the link to the future. The need for students to develop these new skills is critical for them to get jobs and establish careers.
More takeaways from ISTE 2019
