Education Technology - How to choose the best devices for your school classroom.

Technology in the classroom is nothing new when walking around the hallways of any school.  From kindergarten through high school and especially into college you see an increasing number of electronic devices all being used to help increase the students educational experience.

Studies have shown that the utilization of technology in the classroom has helped increase test results and student interaction in classrooms.  For example, University of California Irvine medical school saw their students get 23% higher test scores on their national exams when they were equipped with an Apple iPad.  In addition, Auburn Maine shows that Kindergarten students scored higher on literacy tests when using iPads in the classroom.

So if you are looking to implement technology into the classroom, then of course you want to pick the best device for not only your students, but also your budget.  To help educators out, I have created  some guidelines to look for when choosing what type of device to select, what you should be looking for in regards to a provider, as well as tips to assist you with future planning.

Top considerations when choosing either a laptop device or a tablet device

So if you are looking to implement devices in the classroom, there are few things you are going to want to consider prior to choosing your device.

From Startup Tools to Monkeys In Space - Startups that are making strides!

While looking through Angel List, I always looks for both startups in the entrepreneur world (Yes, entrepreneurs who look to help entrepreneurs) as well as new technology in the web hosting and cloud computing world.

I find entrepreneur industry startups interesting because they are truly looking for new ways to help new companies make their mark on the world.  These entrepreneurs are typically serial entrepreneurs who have started their own companies in the past, and know where the struggles and barriers are. In return these entrepreneurs are now looking for ways to break these barriers for entrepreneurs.

In addition I find new technology in the hosting space interesting because there I believe there is soon going to be a day where "The Cloud" is really no longer a few major data centers such as those at Google or Rackspace, but rather shared and dynamic spaces while also preserving privacy of data.

Below are three companies that I found interesting on Angel List.  These three companies all have incredible products and services, and I believe offer a live glimpse into fields that have barely been developed.

Space Monkey - Beyond the Cloud

Space Monkey interests me because the company I work for is looking to develop a similar product.  With the world trying to benefit from a few hundred major data centers, why not create a community data center to share with everyone?  The cloud only grows, as the users grow.

Foundersuite - Productivity tools for the world's 400M entrepreneurs.

Foundersuite interests me because I have a strong drive to create products that help entrepreneurs.  I am an entrepreneur and I have seen first hand the difficulties of creating a startup and Foundersuite shares the same passion as I do for helping startups reach their dreams.

Vayable - Marketplace for unique experiences

Vayable is an application would have been very helpful while I was recently in New Orleans.  Everything is created by locals, so you know you are getting the full experience when you are at a new location and wish to explore!  This is in theory, the Air Bnb of experiences.

New Hampshire - The Silicon Valley of The White Mountains

Startup Ecosystems are Everywhere

Silicon Valley is the worlds premier location for startups.  Of course, when we think of Silicon Valley we immediately think of buzzwords such as Facebook, Y Combinator, Google, developers who live in mansions, and of course, LOTS and LOTS of venture capital...

However, there has started to be a large change in the way that startups figure out what geographical startup ecosystem they would like to be a part of.  Of course, Silicon Valley is the cream of the crop in regards to a best possible startup ecosystem, but besides the money available and the "vibe" of Silicon Valley, there are other things to consider before packing up your bags and relocating yourself to Southern California.  In fact, there are many places that are highly competitive in regards to providing what Silicon Valley offers all around the world!

The location I would like to point out today is New Hampshire.  New Hampshire's startup scene is starting to boom, and the progress can easily be seen in locations such as Manchester, Portsmouth, Durham, and Nashua.  New Hampshire has a great startup vibe, and also is home to many fabulous education resources, accelerators, and incubators.

New Hampshire is home to many top IT startups such as Dyn, who are all working at creating a much larger startup ecosystem in New Hampshire!

Crowd-Advertising - New Startup "VidFall" is paving the way!

I recently wrote an article on the power of crowdsourcing and how it is easier than ever for someone small to make a large splash in the entrepreneur ecosystem.

There is however, a new way to harness the power of the crowd, and when paired with digital advertising, it is going to be a game changer!

Introducing "Crowd-Advertising".  Crowd Advertising is the theory of utilizing advertising revenue to cover some/all of the costs of products and services. 

In the past, the newspaper industry used advertising revenue to cover the costs of the actual newspaper so that you only have to pay fifty cents for a newspaper.  However, digital media is where there is a much larger audience, and has the ability to have a much bigger impact.

This new Crowd Advertising theory is currently being created by a new startup called VidFall. VidFall is a company that utilizes advertising revenue to lower the costs of everyday products and services based on you as a consumer watching relative video advertisements. 

Crowdsourcing... a startups diamond in the rough that is available to everyone

Everything these days has to do with the idea of "crowdsourcing".  It is an ingenious way for someone small to be able to grow something big with the power of the internet.  Whether you are just looking for more impressions, growing an awareness campaign, to getting your startup off the ground, the use of crowdsourcing over the past few years has taken large leaps.

Through the use of these types of tools found below, anyone has power to harness the internet and go from a small splash in a pond to a tidal wave in days and not years.