Year-End Special Part 1: 2024 Reflections and 2025 Predictions by Alex and Ben

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2024 was an incredible year for EdTech, filled with transformative shifts and groundbreaking innovations!

In this special year-end episode, Alex and Ben dive into the defining trends of the year—from the ESSER funding cliff reshaping K-12 strategies to the rise of AI-powered learning tools. They also look ahead to 2025, making bold predictions about the future of education technology, including the potential of gaming, assessment overhauls, and micro-company innovation.

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming in January, where Alex and Ben will share predictions from thought leaders across the EdTech space to kick off the new year!
✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:43] 🎄 Kicking off the year-end special with reflections on a transformative 2024.
[00:01:38] 📉 ESSER funding cliff and its implications for K-12 EdTech investments.
[00:02:17] 🚀 The Cambrian explosion of AI and its impact on innovation and startups.
[00:04:02] 🤖 AI in K-12 education: challenges, successes, and lessons from the field.
[00:06:24] 🗺️ Big Tech’s growing influence on education and learning models.
[00:08:03] 🎉 Reflecting on EdTech Insiders' major milestones and community highlights.
[00:11:46] 🎮 Predictions for AI-driven gaming and real-time multimodal learning tools.
[00:13:21] 📊 The coming assessment revolution and its transformative potential.
[00:18:55] 🎓 Higher education’s pivot toward career-focused, practical learning models.
[00:23:20] 💼 Workforce learning shifts: upskilling for productivity in a competitive market.
[00:27:02] 🤔 AI agents and their transformative potential in education and beyond.

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Chapters

1. Year-End Special Part 1: 2024 Reflections and 2025 Predictions by Alex and Ben (00:00:00)

2. 🎄 Kicking off the year-end special with reflections on a transformative 2024 (00:01:14)

3. 📉 ESSER funding cliff and its implications for K-12 EdTech investments (00:02:09)

4. 🚀 The Cambrian explosion of AI and its impact on innovation and startups (00:02:48)

5. 🤖 AI in K-12 education: challenges, successes, and lessons from the field (00:04:33)

6. 🗺️ Big Tech’s growing influence on education and learning models (00:06:55)

7. 🎉 Reflecting on EdTech Insiders' major milestones and community highlights (00:08:34)

8. 🎮 Predictions for AI-driven gaming and real-time multimodal learning tools (00:12:17)

9. 📊 The coming assessment revolution and its transformative potential (00:14:15)

10. 🎓 Higher education’s pivot toward career-focused, practical learning models (00:19:49)

11. 💼 Workforce learning shifts: upskilling for productivity in a competitive market (00:24:14)

12. 🤔 AI agents and their transformative potential in education and beyond (00:27:56)