Shaping the Future of EdTech: Jenn Womble on AI, Innovation, and Empowering Educators at Conferences
Welcome to the Exceptional Educators podcast by Franalytics edu, where innovation meets inclusion in education. I'm your cohost, Nisha Srinivasa.
Matt Giovanniello:And I'm Matt Giovanello, CEO and cofounder of Franalytics. At Franalytics, we put special education and English language learners front and center. Our award winning Friendlytics edu platform helps streamline progress monitoring, improve communication and compliance, and offer truly personalized learning to your students' availability.
Nisha Srinivasa:Each episode of our podcast features candid conversations with district and school leaders, classroom changemakers, ed tech founders, and industry executives, all dedicated to transforming learning for each student, especially our learners with unique abilities. With a focus on extraordinary educators and the exceptional students they serve, we explore the latest in special education, accessible technology, and inclusive leadership. In this episode, Exceptional Educators is exceptionally thrilled to welcome Jen Womble. Jen is the conference chair of the Future of Education Technology Conference specializing in developing innovative hands on experiences to engage education and leadership audiences and support them in implementing modern pedagogy infused with technological tools. Jen's passion for emerging education technology to transform learning shines through.
Nisha Srinivasa:And so we are so thrilled to welcome you today, Jen.
Jenn Womble:I'm honored to be here. There's never been a better time to have conversations about exceptional teachers and exceptional education. So thanks for letting me join. Absolutely. We can't wait to
Nisha Srinivasa:hear about all the incredible work that you're doing. Just to start us off, an opening question that we have for you is, in the world of education, what is your why? And so let's start there. Think about what is your why and how did your journey to the world of innovation and education start?
Jenn Womble:Well, that's a very big question, actually. And I think my why has shifted a little bit, and that happens over time. So for eighteen years, I was in the classroom and in the district. And so I would say that my why when I was in the school district was empowering every student and really making sure that they got the very best learning experience every day. That was really powerful to me.
Jenn Womble:Sometimes what's interesting about being in the school system day to day is you don't realize the impact you're having until you're gone. So for the last fifteen years, my goal has been to spread the impact and make sure that every student in every classroom is getting all the resources that they deserve, and that we are evolving technology to serve every student. So we've been talking about things like personalized learning for a very long time. But until the technologies have evolved and we can then train educators and administrators about how to use them, they can actually impact students. Right?
Jenn Womble:So my why has been really about how do we take the very best of technology, how do we serve school districts so that they understand that technology, and actually propel the future forward. So I think at the end of the day, it's always about students. My why has always been about the people learning and that experience. And I think that if that is at the core of your mission at all times, then really your work is a flow of how to make that happen. So the most important thing for me with FETC is that people implement after they leave.
Jenn Womble:So if the part of my why is making sure that people aren't just learning how to do stuff, but they're actually implementing it and impacting students' lives. So I know it's a big ambitious goal, but I think that that would be the best why that I could have.
Matt Giovanniello:I think you are well on your way with implementing that why. And it's amazing, Jen, to hear that even though the specifics of your why have morphed over the years based on the roles that you've taken on, the at the end of the day, keeping students first and empowering educators is still a central tenet to your why, and that part has not changed. And as conference chair of FPTC, you have this incredibly large responsibility. You see the best of the best in ed tech. And so I'm curious with this AI revolution that we're seeing in the past couple of years, even beyond the bubble, even beyond the hype, what responsibility do you see conferences like FETC having into making sure the best of the best continue to shine at conferences within the classroom?
Jenn Womble:You you're exactly right. What we choose and what content we curate to share is really important because that is what's kind of on the menu. Right? This is what's on the menu. This is what we're seeing and hearing.
Jenn Womble:So I do work really hard at and and travel the country to hear people, to see, to reading books all the time, like, what's the latest cutting edge? One of the things that I think is really interesting, and I think the quote is from the founder of Airbnb actually, but great ideas often spark polarization. And so a lot of times in education, we have these great ideas and technologies, but they will spark polarization. We've seen it with AI. When AI first came out, are the kids cheating?
Jenn Womble:What's gonna happen? But if you have what you understand as a lot of diverse ideas and people start thinking about things, we actually do a better job of implementing it. So one of the things I try to do at FETC is bring several different perspectives to using technologies. So and also bring it to several different roles. So cybersecurity for your IT leader means something different than cybersecurity for your classroom leader.
Jenn Womble:So we need to make sure that we're showing each different role, how these different things can impact them, and then also giving some diverse perspectives of it. Maybe some things that aren't quite as popular, some different voices need to be heard. We need to make sure that we're really thinking about it. We get one chance to work with a student in a school year, so we need to make sure we're doing the very best that we can. So the AI conversation is, of course, very hot right now, but in reality, teachers have been using it.
Jenn Womble:It has been making them more effective for a couple years now. Many of the tools that they love, the Canva, Adobe, Padlet, they've had AI in them. So if we just make them comfortable and teach them how to leverage these tools, the most exciting thing for me is the actual ability that we could help kids personalize learning, and then also we could provide tutoring. This idea of this one on one tutoring, not just for students, not just for special students, also for teachers. Teachers need coaching and tutoring.
Jenn Womble:Administrators need coaching and tutoring. So this idea that we could be exploring AI in different ways in the classroom is really exciting. Now we need some safeguards, but we need those conversations. So I think at FATC, it's important for me to bring a lot of diverse people to the table, have conversations about technology, where that is just the starting point. That's just the spark that then people are continuing to build on that as they go back to their district and build a policy and a process and implementation plan.
Jenn Womble:That's my hope. I hope that's what's happening.
Matt Giovanniello:I hope so too. It's definitely devil's advocate though, Jen. And I have a not so optimistic counterpoint to this. In fact, it's quite bleak. In 2024, you probably seen the headline that there were $2,400,000,000 invested in the EdTech industry with adventure capital.
Matt Giovanniello:It's the lowest level in ten years. It dropped nearly 90% since its height in 2021, which was coinciding with this AI revolution, coinciding with Srid dollars, coinciding with all this other innovation that helped us reach the outcomes that we're at right now. So to what extent do you see outside influence like Venture Capital contributing to the successes we've seen? And do you think that it is the make or break, the end all be all for the right EdTech company survivings and the the maybe not so perfect ones not? How do we keep the cal quality caliber high with this change in funding landscape?
Jenn Womble:Yeah. It's exactly true. And funding has shifted over time. So in different time periods I mean, I remember in 02/2008, funding dropped too. But also what will happen and and the good thing is is the voices from the school district will become stronger.
Jenn Womble:As they understand the technology more. And I really feel like this has to be the year that districts tackle AI literacy. They've got to empower parents and teachers with why they need these tools and how they can make education move forward. And then when they do that, that voice will be louder and louder and louder for what tools actually work in the classroom and what's productive. Sometimes we're we're disappointed about investment, but sometimes we're waiting for the right thing to come along.
Jenn Womble:Or other companies are busy buying some good ideas up and then morphing them into what will work. So I do think and one of the reasons I really, every year, try to work with Ash at EdTech Week and work with companies is that that relationship between school district leadership and companies is really important, especially in the startup and early years, understanding what their needs are, what problems are they solving for, and creating products that they just can't wait to get. So when you see that, when the districts have a stronger voice going, we need something for CTE. We need something for tutoring. We need something for special ed students.
Jenn Womble:And that voice gets louder and louder. So maybe it's not just about how much is being invested. Maybe it's also about where it's being invested. And if we're using better tools, let's invest in those. Let's make sure that they have accessibility.
Jenn Womble:Let's make sure that they meet every student's need. You know, just today, was talking to somebody, and I said, we don't expect doctors to serve all of their patients at one time. They all need a different prescription. They have a different illness. They have a different this.
Jenn Womble:We don't say, okay. Well, we're gonna give you a 30 this hour, so help all of them at the same time. And we've been doing that to educators. We've been giving them a room full of students who all have different needs and different things with no tools. So now we have this ability to create tools to solve some of these problems and really personalize learning.
Jenn Womble:So until we get to the point where we understand how to use them and leverage them, then we're gonna need them, and we're gonna want them. And we're and you're gonna hear districts crying out for these tools and really making sure that they're safe, they're secure, they're accessible. And those tools are gonna rise to the top, and they're gonna find more investment, I believe.
Nisha Srinivasa:Thank you so much for what you just shared and so much really resonated with me in my work as an educator. And I'm really curious to know, what do you think are the pathways for a district or district leader to really voice and elevate that that might be
Jenn Womble:a need for their school site. Absolutely. And and you're not alone. As ESSER funds started to go away and and and timeline out, a lot of districts are trying to look at what's sustainable on the district, what can they, you know, continue to fund and not fund. Several districts have turned to bond issues to make sure that they're having the funding to support these kind of one to one initiatives or technology initiatives, and some of them are trying some different things.
Jenn Womble:It's also very surprising that people don't understand a majority of your curriculum and school budget is controlled by your state government and your local government. Right? Your local school board and your state government control those things. So you need your voice to be heard. Right?
Jenn Womble:We need our leaders and being true change makers, having conversations with those people making the decisions. But the reality is some states like New Jersey are getting really smart about how the funding is. Unfortunately, because of attendance drops, we see a lot of schools getting less funding because they don't have as many students in school, but they still have as many needs. Right? So some states like New Jersey have shifted funding into more grant based funding.
Jenn Womble:So now school districts have to be a little smarter about how can we write grants and get some other funding for things that we need. Being alert and aware and having relationships with your local politicians and your state politicians is really, really important right now because there are funding sources out there. They just look a little different. I think some districts are taking a hard look at what are their priorities. And teachers need to be and their department heads, they need to be at the table saying, here's what the priorities are for our classroom.
Jenn Womble:Here's what we absolutely have to have. And then that will resonate to the next level and the next level. So, you know, I definitely think one of the things we can do as classroom teachers is make sure that we are providing data to our leaders to empower them to the next level and the next level. If they have that information and it can empower them, the stories are great from our classroom, but let's just give them the numbers. Here's how many kids I have who need this, and here's how I can prove it works.
Jenn Womble:Serve on the committees that are doing funding. Serve on the committees for the technology. Get your, you know, voices heard. Unfortunately, complaining isn't gonna move us forward. We gotta find some creative solutions, and a lot of times, being in some of these tight squeezes creates the best solutions.
Jenn Womble:So we have to be creative more now than ever. But I do think that you're gonna see a move towards more grant writing, more foundations, funding in different ways, filling some gaps, more bonds across the country. We're we're gonna have to be a little bit more creative for a little bit, I think.
Matt Giovanniello:Jen, you took the words right out of my mouth with some initial solutions or suggestions for these schools in a not so hypothetical scenario who will come to you and say, we don't have a grant writer on staff. We barely have educators in our classrooms. We barely have licensed educators in the building. Mhmm. Now you're making me fill out grant applications for something that was in my budget for the past ten fiscal years.
Matt Giovanniello:What do I do? I don't know the first thing that it comes to grants. Who am I going to? How am I getting this delivered on time? And how am I worrying about not doing an RAF reduction in force because all a sudden, I don't have a budget?
Matt Giovanniello:Where do I begin?
Jenn Womble:That's the truth. And it is the absolute truth everywhere. This is something people are scrambling for, but we all have access to generative AI. And so what I will say is that is an incredible source. We're hearing about tons of high school students around the country who are using AI to find scholarships.
Jenn Womble:Schools and districts and classrooms are gonna probably have to do the same thing. They're gonna have to leverage those tools. You don't have to know how to do something. You can learn it on YouTube, and you can use generative AI to help you create these grant packages and collect data. It's not gonna be easy the first go around.
Jenn Womble:There's gonna be a learning curve. But I do think we're gonna have to use some of these resources that are available, we're gonna have to collaborate together. One of the most important things is there are districts across this country and schools across this country doing amazing work. But right now, we don't even know it exists. There are solutions out there for how people are doing this.
Jenn Womble:But we've gotta come together and collaborate in a way where we're sharing information on a broader scale and literally say, how did you do that? How did you get the funding for that LEGO project? Or how did you get the funding for this? And share with each other to empower other school districts and other schools. I do think that the grant writers are in a huge shortage.
Jenn Womble:This is this has been for years. Right? But I think people are gonna have to use some AI tools to try to help with grants. And over time, if those grants are bringing in funding, that can help you get more funding for staffing. That can help you get more funding down the road.
Jenn Womble:But it does feel like one more thing. It feels like another layer of responsibility. So finding a group of like minded people to be on the same team with you, finding some foundations to support you will really be the first step in that.
Nisha Srinivasa:In my in my particular position, grant writing is something that comes up. That to me just really sums it up as something that's practical, powerful, purposeful, very intentional, and really just touches on the spirit of collective learning that's required in the world of education. And so in line with thinking about that collective learning spirit, I know you just recently had the, future of education technology conference. What are some of your takeaways from that time? Any highlights or important moments that you'd like to share with our listeners?
Jenn Womble:Oh, yeah. We might have to take a whole another hour for this one. This is no. It it is it is I'm actually still debriefing from it and still following articles and reflections. I think one of the most amazing things is that with LinkedIn and some social media is that people now feel empowered to share their reflections more than ever.
Jenn Womble:And I learn so much when people are writing reflections from their blogs and from their, you know, the writing that people do about what they've learned, and that feedback is really incredible. So I encourage people to keep that up, because it's really important to those of us designing professional development that we get feedback then. So some of the sparks that have been really exciting for me post event to see is, of course, AI was a major conversation. And some of it is that there are people on all ends of the spectrum. And understanding that there's a lot of beginners in this space.
Jenn Womble:A lot of people who don't understand very much, and who are just trying to get their feet wet, alongside the people who are like advanced super users, and can do all these things, and wear the glasses, and, you know, all these so you have to realize that there's a real wide spectrum. And so the conversations were really focused around AI literacy. We definitely hosted an amazing inclusive summit this year with inclusive leaders. And the conversations around how technology can empower all students is really exciting to me. I think that this is an area where we're gonna see some of the fastest evolution in in ed tech because we are really able to personalize and serve students in ways we never were before.
Jenn Womble:The area that is the most exciting to our IT leaders is definitely cybersecurity. The conversations that people are having around how to protect student data is definitely in line with the AI conversation. The fact that people are talking about walled gardens and know what it is was, I was overwhelmed. I was so excited to hear some conversations in the hallway. My favorite thing to say about a conference is it happens in the hallways.
Jenn Womble:The best conversations tend to happen after people are delivering content, and they're trying to digest it, and they're talking to other people in the hallway and building ideas. That is where you really see change happening. So that was exciting for me. The fastest growing areas this year were definitely esports. A lot of schools and districts are repurposing those old labs that they had, and they're trying to find ways to improve their CTE model.
Jenn Womble:And they're realizing that esports is filling that role really quickly, offering lots of new ways to think about careers, and also engaging students in new ways. Schools are having kids hired as streamers, who would have thought, by Netflix, and and doing things that they never imagined before. So I'm encouraged by that, because I think it's making people see the future of our workforce in a new way that's kind of exciting. We need the best and brightest people coming into education, becoming educators. And what an exciting time.
Jenn Womble:The ed tech that we have in classrooms, I would totally love to go back to the classroom right now. So we need to find ways to encourage and recruit people into this field who are the best and brightest in their schools. I think ed tech could be that spark. Ed tech could be an HR tool to say, hey. You love technology and you love teaching kids.
Jenn Womble:Here's the perfect place for you, and really incite that. But I wanna wanna just kinda say that one of the greatest things is that we don't always know when FETC ends, what the outcomes are gonna be until people go back and implement. So right now, it's kind of the sweet spot for me. So I know what we put on the agenda, but what comes out of it at the end is actually a lot of times more exciting. And I will say some great conversations around implementation, around professional development.
Jenn Womble:We have 3,000,000 teachers in America. How are we gonna make sure they all know how to use AI? Like, this is a huge challenge. Right? These are huge things that we need to have conversations around.
Jenn Womble:So I'm excited to see all those conversations starting up. So that's probably more than you you were asking for. But at the end of the day, it's just a synergy. Like, it's an excitement around education, a professionalism, and that technology can empower people and give them the support they need is really exciting to me.
Matt Giovanniello:I think you unpacked a very busy three and a half days down in Orlando perfectly. And I think if I were to do the same, I would probably say we had a blast together, Jen, and we took a million selfies. But that doesn't really measure any sort of impact other than how fun it looks. But the amount of fun that we had matched the hard hitting conversations, the quantity, and the quality of them. And it also matched all of the other programming that happened, everything from the expo hall to the band to the keynote sessions early, late evening, middle of the day, everything in between.
Matt Giovanniello:And it really was such a an electric conference this year. I've been to FBTC before, but as I said it to you offline, I'll say it here for the record, it really was a special conference. There are a lot of EdTech conferences out there. And clearly, FBTC is standing apart by not only setting the bar high, but making that consistency really well known and having tracks that are unique to every type of person in the ed tech ecosystem that's going. Everyone from startup founders like ours to these more established ed tech companies to inclusion leaders to district leaders, IT leaders, those who are often left out of it.
Matt Giovanniello:And I think to your point of it happens in the hallways, I have a really heartening example that I'd love to share with you now before I move into a little bit of a question about this exactly that happening. There was one session in particular, doctor Joe Phillips of Fulton County Schools, the CIO of the district down in Atlanta, Georgia. He and his son Arden put on a session. Very thought provoking, and it could come across as a little crass to some people of how special education is failing students and how it failed mine. And when I saw that on the agenda, was like, wow.
Matt Giovanniello:I'm glad that this topic is being broached with full force, but you typically don't see something like that. It tends to not get that deep. It tends to not address the root of the problem, and it certainly doesn't get to an answer because the root's never identified. That session was so eye opening to me. And not only was I incredibly proud of Arden and his his speaking confidence there, but the half an hour conversation I had with him afterwards out in the hallway really helped me connect with him, not only as a speaker, but as a person.
Matt Giovanniello:And I'm just so thankful to have met him through a forum like this because I think, traditionally speaking, with his combination of conditions, he would never get the time of day. And it was really amazing to see only did he get the time of day at a very validating conference, but he presented with his DAO, the CIO of a district, and they they tackled the whole suite of issues together. And it really gave a voice to this inclusion track that I think traditionally has been left out. So I guess my question in all of this for you, Jen, is how is the VPC thinking about how to keep that quality caliber high? Who makes the cut?
Matt Giovanniello:How are you recruiting and sourcing for these top tier speakers so that the brand of VPC, as it enters its sixteenth year under your helm, continues to be that conference that people want to go to.
Jenn Womble:I'll say a good example is using Arden. So I actually met Arden in Oregon and heard his story. And, of course, you definitely should follow him. He was an autistic student in school who found his own voice by peer tutoring other students and then leveraging AI and has a beautiful explanation of how AI can empower special needs students in ways that I don't think most people understand, including some of those who are nonverbal, which was an amazing story. Right?
Jenn Womble:And just happens to have a pretty incredible dad that's a CIO. And what's interesting is that I think those stories are the things that are important. I think that hearing voices from different districts that are doing things in new and innovative ways are the things that have to rise to the top and get shared on the national level. We have to be able to take examples of school districts who are trying new things, of classrooms that are trying new things, and that are finding success, and elevate them in a way where their voices are amplified, and then that can be replicated. We have thousands and thousands of classrooms doing phenomenal work.
Jenn Womble:So really, the hard task is finding the things that are meeting the needs of students right now, and then amplifying those voices and saying, here's the example of what works so that we can replicate that. We do have an open RFP. So we do get thousands of applications that way because it's impossible to know all of the great things that are happening all over. We also try to work through our magazine district administration to follow-up on stories around the country that can really be elevated and shared. But, also, I will tell you a couple of inside secret that I don't really share.
Jenn Womble:Like, I'll never hire a keynote that hasn't either been a teacher or have a teacher in their family. I feel like it's really important to come from a space where you understand education to be at our conference and to kinda engage in those conversations. I want people who are passionate about helping revolutionize education and be a part of the solution, not just, you know, being paid speakers on a circuit or something. I want these to be people who are are passionate, who are doing the work, who are really part of the solution. And then we there is an element of fun there.
Jenn Womble:Like, that which is learned in pleasure is never forgotten. So I want speakers who are entertaining, who understand what message is important, but make people want to be there and want to learn more. Superintendents wanna hear from other superintendents. You know, we say at FETC is where superintendents come to talk at tech. And then I don't want them to come by themselves.
Jenn Womble:I want them to bring their CIO or their IT leader so they know what's possible. So but that's really important that we have each of the roles identified and that you're hearing from people that are serving in your role and making a difference. So, really, what I'm looking for are people who are impacting change that when you go and hear from them, you can then go back to your school or district and implement that same change and make an impact.
Nisha Srinivasa:It is so incredibly refreshing to hear the way in which your work is really elevating the voices of those who are in education directly. That's a feeling that we don't feel all that often. That educators, there's so much that impacts us. But what opportunity do we have to share our voices in in acting. Right?
Matt Giovanniello:I am so optimistic by your outlook on this, and I think that it does start at the elementary school level. And I think that the AI tools that these students have exposure to, that I certainly didn't have when I was a kid, are really going to set so many students up for success, including at those pivotal years in early and even to late elementary school. Jen, again, I feel like I'm I need to face the face the music of the other side of this, especially in our world of special education. For students who are struggling from the very beginning and were diagnosing them at elementary or even late elementary school, perhaps a little bit too late, but that's when we're learning that they need all of these supports. What responsibility or role do you see the power of AI, the power of ed tech companies, and the power of educators who now have more than ever before in helping close the gap of achievement for those students who, otherwise, they'll continue to digress even with our most successful students becoming even more successful.
Jenn Womble:Absolutely. And I know we had a great presentation from stages learning and some other groups at FETC talking about the rise in numbers of of autistic students, of ADD students. And actually, the good news is more kids are getting diagnosed and identified, which they, you know, for a long time were not. And I can remember as a classroom teacher being handed a paper, you know, 20 or 30 IEPs for every class period, trying to figure out how to serve all the students. So I really think one of the most important things we can do with AI is leverage these IEPs in ways where we can help teachers take the paperwork down, take that responsibility off, you know, have some ways that they can share some of the assessments and tools that they're using, ways kids are learning and empowering them, but also serving individual students.
Jenn Womble:We never before have been able to give every single kid their own little AI coach or their own little AI teacher. We never let them be able to you know, maybe a student has a processing disorder and can't read a book the same way, but we can put them in school AI, and they can have a conversation with that author. They can have a conversation with the characters in the book. We really have a lot more ways to help kids understand content than ever before. So we need to empower those teachers with the tools that will help alleviate the paperwork.
Jenn Womble:Because let's be honest, we wanna serve every student, but we cannot do all the paperwork necessary. It just can't happen. Right? And so we need that to happen. We need to use AI with students to help individualize this learning and make sure it's personalized.
Jenn Womble:That's the opportunity for us to actually serve every child is so incredible to me right now that that we're on the pinnacle. We're not we're not there yet, but we're getting there. Right? We're getting there. But we need to make sure that that that really happens.
Jenn Womble:I in a perfect world, I would actually love every student had an IEP, that every kid was what was their speciality. I mean, I taught gifted social studies for many years, and that was a really great course. But those kids had all kinds of exceptionalities that weren't always identified in it. Well, how would it be great if we knew more about every student at every level? So, you know, eventually, I think this is gonna empower teachers to know more about students, to be able to share with their families and their community partners, whether it's their counselors or their guidance counselors or social workers.
Jenn Womble:But they all have a community of people who need to be supporting them. And we need to be able to share information with them in a way that's easy to digest, that gives them enough updates, that keeps them up to date. And I think AI, you know, those the AI tools are are getting there. Right? These are the things that could be empowering the teacher, but also that family to support and that network to support them more.
Jenn Womble:So I think that this is actually gonna be an exciting time.
Nisha Srinivasa:Wow. I was just thinking about and reflecting on what you were sharing about how collaboration is really essential and kind of is at the root of how we can continue to support students, which is really, I think, the aim and the mission of what a lot of education and technology is trying to do. Right? And so I'm curious, what do you think are like, what energizes you about potential future collaborations between those who are working in, like, purely the educational sector, those who are working in ed tech, and those who are working technology? Like, where do you see continued areas for collaboration?
Jenn Womble:Yeah. I think the biggest area we all need to really work on is people in school districts having conversations with the products that they're using. Like, we're still not digging in deep enough there. We're still not telling we need people in the schools to say, here's what works with this product. Here's where it could be better.
Jenn Womble:And the folks in the companies need to say, okay. Give us this feedback, and let's continuously improve. And I think that is one of the biggest areas, because as AI technology is coming out, we're we're trying there's some stuff hitting the market before it's probably been as well tested as we'd like. Right? It's it's coming fast and furious.
Jenn Womble:We're getting updates constantly. You it's happening all the time. So those conversations of, like, here's what we're using, you know, in the classroom, and here's what we see working, but here's where we really need some more help. And then we need companies to be listening going, okay. We're in this with you.
Jenn Womble:We need this partnership, and here's how we can modify or help our product get better. It takes a lot. Well, you know, development doesn't just happen overnight. It's not easy. But if those open lines of communication exist, that's that's huge.
Jenn Womble:I think products will get better as more schools are piloting them and as more people are willing to be a little bit experimental. Listen, not every lesson works great. And we can't be embarrassed to say this lesson failed, but here's why this lesson failed, and here's what we need to make it work. And so, you know, we need to be able to have that open dialogue with classroom leaders and with our instructional leaders so that products can get better. We can only improve in education if we're having those.
Jenn Womble:We also need to really elevate the voices of practitioners in a way that's easy to share and digest. And I'm hoping that AI can do this. I hope that best practices, we've been using that term for a long time, but in reality, that they could float to the top, and that people could pick what they are.
Matt Giovanniello:Jen, you touched on so many things in that response just now, and you dropped the magic words p and r, partnerships and relationships, as it relates to the EdTech vendor nomenclature that has traditionally plagued schools and school districts from even thinking about collaborating with EdTech vendors, now calling them perhaps partners in more instances. Where do you see that growing and budding relationship with partnerships and relationships playing a role in the success of these ed tech platforms that are entering schools nowadays?
Jenn Womble:Absolutely. I think I had a little bit of an epiphany a couple years ago. I was standing on the expo floor, and I had a superintendent walk up to me and say, hey. I really love that product over there, but I'm not really sure how our district can afford it or where it could come into the budget cycle or whatever. And then I also had a company come to me and say, hey.
Jenn Womble:We have some people who are interested, but we're not sure where this fits in their budget or where this fits in their, you know, curriculum plan. And so I realized that the conversations that were needed on both sides, on both the corporate side and in the school district side, they really don't know enough about each other. And that that comes through building relationships. Like, you have to ask a lot of questions. You have to figure things out, and you have to learn about solutions, and and kinda also let yourself be a little bit vulnerable.
Jenn Womble:You have to, as a as leader of a district, say, here's where we're trying to improve things. We want our kids to know about more careers. We want our kids to be served in every level. Whatever it is, you've gotta let yourself be a little bit vulnerable. And I know a lot of our leaders are used to being the the people bragging.
Jenn Womble:Right? And and telling all the great stuff about their district. But we have to open ourselves up to saying, here's the solutions we really need. And then companies also have to be willing to listen to those school districts and say, what is it that you really need? Like, sometimes we just build something, and if they build it, they will come.
Jenn Womble:Well, it's not always that way with kids. Right? It's not always that way with teachers, and that you're trying to serve a really diverse population. And the reality is selling to school districts in America is really hard. It's not easy.
Jenn Womble:It is a diverse group of school districts. It is a diverse group of leaders. It is not one person making a decision for an entire group. You've gotta go to a lot of different decision makers at the state and district and school level. So it's really hard on companies.
Jenn Womble:We work really hard on on calling them partners and and including partners and including them in our conversations, because the more they learn about the education system, the better their products are gonna be. And, you know, my goal at the end of the day is that every dollar we think that we're giving to school districts and schools for students, that it gets there. Whether it's a charter school, or, you know, an independent school, a public school, regardless, people really believe that what they're giving, you know, as tax money or tuition or voucher, however it happens in your state, because they're all different. But we all really wanna believe that that money is going to serve students. And so if we are having these relationships and conversations about products and what works and what doesn't work, you're gonna see happier families and happy in in the schools, because they're gonna say, hey.
Jenn Womble:This really works. And are my kids really learning? And then you're also gonna see happier communities because those kids are more prepared for the next step of life, and then the teachers are happier because the products actually work. But I can't say enough about establishing relationships with companies. Whether your district calls up an exhibitor or a vendor or a partner, I hope it's more of a partnership.
Jenn Womble:Because I think that is where we can move forward better together.
Matt Giovanniello:Regardless of the naming convention, I think the spirit of collaboration is more alive and well than it has been in years past, certainly in decades prior, and I hope it continues to head in that direction. Jen, my final question for you as we wrap up today's enlightening episode is a question we ask all of our guests, and it is, what does being an exceptional educator mean to you?
Jenn Womble:I think it, first of all, means having the biggest heart in the world. Because I think that the people who work in this field literally have the biggest hearts. They care about the students. They're willing to do anything for these students. So I think that's definitely, like, number one priority is that they have that empathetic heart and that they are passionate about making sure that every single child is treated equally and fairly.
Jenn Womble:And I think these are probably the kids on the playground then when they were little said, that's not fair. Because they were the ones that saw that everybody needs to be served. And so there are some human characteristics of these exceptional educators that just can't be beat. Right? But I think they're also the most resourceful.
Jenn Womble:They figure out ways that other people have never thought about in how to support students. I see that with them putting on exceptional proms and exceptional sports. All these different activities that they formulate to help these students know that they have an equal space in this world, and they are incredibly resourceful with that. I also will say that of the exceptional educators, they build the best relationships with the community. They know the parents.
Jenn Womble:They are really trying to help and support get more community outreach. So I think, you know, it's the partnerships. It's the love and care, but also their resourcefulness. And it just makes them just such a dedicated member of your team. I can't imagine not having a team without somebody that was an exceptional educator on the team.
Jenn Womble:It's makes it the best.
Nisha Srinivasa:Jen, thank you so much for coming to talk to us today. It was truly such a pleasure. I'm I'm really inspired, and it's making me think a lot about my own role and the ways that I, as an instructional coach, can support the integration of technology throughout the classrooms in the school that I work with and the community that I serve. And so I'm just really touched by everything that you shared. So inspired and really, really thank you so much.
Jenn Womble:Adisha, you're the one that's inspiring. Thank you for the work you're doing day in and day out because we need clones of you. We need more of you. But thank you because you are obviously giving your whole heart to your students and and definitely teaching them in new ways and innovative ways. And for stepping outside your look at what an amazing role model you are to your students for doing a podcast and and doing something above and beyond.
Jenn Womble:So I know your students are inspired too. So thank you.
Matt Giovanniello:To hear your description and definition of an exceptional educator means to you, Jen, you embody so many of those characteristics. So thank you for being just such a a beacon of joy and inspiration, and it was just such a true honor and pleasure to have you on today. Thank you so much for your time and for all of this wisdom, and thank you for joining us today on the Exceptional Educators Podcast. We'll catch you on the next one.
