What's it gonna take? What's it gonna take to turn the edtech sector into a real and viable industry? The government has asked what it needs to do (see here); the Gates Foundation has underwritten a study asking folks what projects it should undertake. Kim Smith, consultant extraordinaire and cofounder of New Schools Venture Fund, has a freshly drafted paper on lessons learned from round one of the i3 program. One point worth noting: "innovation" and catalyzing change "at scale" are, well, sort of at odds. The best way for the federal government to support early-stage innovation might be indirectly (support the supporters). But everyone would have to agree on some common goals--hardly a simple process. Weigh in: what do you think either the government or nonprofits should be doing to bolster innovation?
