Insights

This year, I looked forward to the 2023 ASU+GSV Summit for many reasons. I was eager to connect with new colleagues, reconnect with old ones, and sit down for fascinating 1-to-1 conversations with an array of edtech thought leaders. I was also excited about the panels on this year’s agenda, and I went into the conference particularly interested in three areas: AI, literacy and assessment – and was blown away by what I learned about each topic. Here are my top three takeaways.

ChatGPT was this year’s “metaverse”

At last year’s ASU+GSV Summit, many were discussing all things “metaverse.” At the same time, there was a palpable sense of confusion and even skepticism about what it was and what it meant for K-12 education. This year, the buzz was all about OpenAI’s ChatGPT and how AI and large language models are already influencing education – with an abundance of perspectives on what it might mean for the future. Many I spoke with said the same thing: “Given how quickly ChatGPT is evolving today, it’s impossible to really understand what AI might enable going forward.” In that respect, there’s still listening and exploring to be done, which I know we’re very excited to continue at Cambium. In fact, my colleague, Kemi Akinsanya-Rose, COO at Cambium, sat down with Alex Sarlin for his Edtech Insiders podcast where they discussed AI in more depth and how we’re approaching it at Cambium.

Literacy isn’t a 2023 emergency – it’s a decades-long challenge requiring sustained effort

While attending an incredible panel featuring my colleague, Lexia President Nick Gaehde, among others, Nick made a pointed and true statement: “The word ‘crisis’ or ‘emergency’ is the word we’ve been using for 40 years and it’s not the right word. It’s a long, sustained effort. The momentum we have now (around the Science of Reading) is something we just have to make sure we don’t lose.” Cambium exists to tackle education’s biggest challenges and no challenge is more significant than ensuring the right of all students to be proficient readers.

The future of assessment is now

Assessment, like much of education, continues to transform, thanks to science and technology. As I attended another panel featuring another Cambium colleague – Steve Kromer, president of Cambium Assessment – I was encouraged to hear about innovation and creative thinking happening, not just at Cambium Assessment, but across the space. In particular, digital through-year assessments represent a future that drives action and growth, which is important not just for increased proficiency, but more equitable proficiency.

ASU+GSV 2023 was another wonderful conference. Even two weeks later, I’m still reflecting on what I learned and discussing with my colleagues the cutting-edge work that’s going on in the edtech world and how we can apply these lessons to take Cambium’s purpose of ensuring all students and teachers feel seen, valued and supported, to the next level.