Six months into his tenure as Discovery Education’s new CEO, I had the opportunity to catch up with Jeremy Cowdrey as he reflected on the state of education post-pandemic and the persistent need for innovations in educational technology. It was a refreshing and spontaneous conversation (not often the case with senior executives) about the accelerated adoption of technology, the change in teachers’ perspectives, and the importance of intentional implementation of ai. I also heard about his neighbor’s technological turn as a teacher and how, while ai has great potential, it will never take you out to lunch! Have a listen.
Cowdrey was most recently CEO of Imagine Learning. Joining the company in 2006, Mr. Cowdrey also served as President, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Director of Regional Partnerships for Imagine Learning. Prior to joining Imagine Learning, Mr. Cowdrey held sales and management positions for several software and education companies, including Scott Foresman Addison Wesley, Pearson and Novell. With over 23 years of experience in educational technology, he is also the first person in his immediate family to graduate from college.
Key takeaways:
- Teacher shortage and budget constraints: Jeremy recognizes the current teacher shortages and tight budgets in school districts and emphasizes the need for impactful partnerships between educational institutions and educational technology companies like Discovery.
- Accelerating technology adoption: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of edtech tools, making remote learning devices and solutions a necessity. Jeremy points out the positive change in teachers’ attitudes towards technology and cites examples of improved teaching capabilities through digital tools.
- Importance of implementation plans: With an increased focus on return on investment, districts are examining educational technology products more critically. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of solid implementation plans that ensure effective use of products to amplify classroom experiences.
- Role of ai in education: Jeremy sees ai as a beneficial tool in education, but emphasizes its inability to replace the personal connection and attention provided by teachers. He advocates for the intentional and measured implementation of ai, considering its potential to reach students where they are in their learning journey.
- Future hopes: Looking ahead, Jeremy hopes for a convergence of educators, technology and policy, with a shared focus on putting students at the center of the educational experience. He envisions continued innovation in the classroom and anticipates more tools to improve the overall impact of education.
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;
n.queue=();t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)(0);
s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,’script’,
‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘6079750752134785’);
fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
