SF EDTECH MEETUP: Thank you to all who showed up for the SF Edtech Meetup on unconventional subjects and life skills! (Photos here.) We got to hear from Mike Fee from EverFi, who shared wry comments (“Two big reasons why college students drop out of school: they drink too much and run out of money. We’re going to stop that,”) and personal insights about how the focus and direction of education companies change when parenthood kicks in. Eduardo Briceno of Mindset Works discussed the importance of instilling a "growth mindset" in students, to enable them to change their beliefs about their own intelligence and potential. Sam Chaudhary of Class Dojo--used by more than 3.5 million teachers and students--shared observations and research that good behavior developed in young kids carries over to adolescence and college--and that not all cultures view behavior issues in the same way. And Jodell Seagrave of Rocket21, a social network for career literacy, reiterated that kids need to be able to see a connection between schools and careers. Everyone agreed on one thing: when it comes to preparing students for college and life, social and emotional issues--the things that schools don’t always cover--are just as important as curriculum and Common Core.
