Ever feel like data around usage of edtech tools in your district/school feels like a ""speed camera"" that tells you when something went wrong or how fast a student was moving but doesn't truly capture the quality of the drive? To truly impact student growth, we must shift our perspective and treat analytics as a real-time Instructional GPS. This session moves beyond simple ""login counts"" to show how data can provide real-time turn-by-turn directions for better teaching and learning and what's on the horizon for this through the rise of generative A.I..
We will explore how to navigate research-based metrics that measure whether an edtech tool is actually helping students learn, not just keeping them busy. We will also look at ""Compass Tools""—qualitative ways for administrators, coaches, and teachers to observe classroom tech use and see if it’s headed in the right direction. Finally, we will look toward the horizon to discuss how the next decade of data will help us predict roadblocks before students hit them, ensuring every learner not only reaches their destination, but continues new journeys.