five human hands on brown surface

Improving Diversity with Objective Skills Assessment

Dave Kearney Black Lives Matter, Careers, Diversity, EdTech, Education, Equity, Inclusion, Learning, Poverty

Black and Brown people have an unconscionable number of barriers between them and high paying jobs. In past articles, I’ve talked about many of the hurdles people of color face just to attain the skills and education necessary for a good job. And major studies have shown that, even with the required skills, terrible biases exist in recruitment and selection …

Inclusion and Diversity: Life-Changing Barriers to Achievement

Dave Kearney Black Lives Matter, Careers, Diversity, EdTech, Education, Equity, Inclusion, Learning, Poverty

Most of us don’t venture into places we don’t belong. We’re uncomfortable in situations where we aren’t accepted as we are, and we tend to seek out others who look, act, and think as we do. We shouldn’t be surprised that women and persons of color don’t seek careers where few people look like them.  If you’re a woman or …

boy sitting on bench while holding a book

Reading by Third Grade – Can Data Science Help?

Dave Kearney Artificial Intelligence, Diversity, EdTech, Education, Equity, Learning, Machine Learning, Poverty

As we’ve discussed in previous articles, our educational system is facing plenty of challenges – but one that doesn’t get enough attention is literacy and its connection to long-term educational success. Research shows that kids who are not reading by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. In fact, kids who …

Can Obstacles to Education Be Overcome with Data Science?

Dave Kearney and Zach Wasilew Artificial Intelligence, Diversity, EdTech, Education, Equity, Learning, Machine Learning, Poverty

Imagine you need to travel from New York to Los Angeles. (Forget Covid-19 for a moment and remember how things used to be.) You probably think you’re a credit card transaction away from putting your butt on a plane — maybe even a direct flight to your destination. No problem, right? Now, let’s take away access to that plane. And …

Using Data Science to Measure Parent Engagement

Dave Kearney and Zach Wasilew Artificial Intelligence, EdTech, Education, Learning, Machine Learning

I was recently on a panel of judges hearing final presentations of a high school senior class in entrepreneurship.  The students had self-selected into teams to develop business plans for new ventures.  Unsurprisingly the teams were divided into the more affluent kids and the disadvantaged kids.  The difference in the resulting business plans was instructive. The more affluent groups had …

Using Data Science to Awaken Curiosity

Dave Kearney and Zach Wasilew Artificial Intelligence, EdTech, Education, Learning, Machine Learning

Have you ever watched someone playing a video game? They generally have a focus and connection that is seemingly unmatched anywhere else in their life. Kids diagnosed with ADHD that would otherwise struggle with distractibility can be entirely and utterly consumed for hours in video games. Although many concerns arise with video games – like addiction and lack of physical …

AI Can Improve Education Outcomes

Dave Kearney and Zach Wasilew Artificial Intelligence, EdTech, Education, Learning, Machine Learning

We will eventually invent a practical, driverless car. People talk about the repercussions of that invention. It will make life more convenient. It will reduce vehicular deaths. It might reduce the number of people owning cars. It might reduce the vehicles on the road and the carbon footprint of cars. It will reduce the need for people whose job it …

Learning Should Not Be This Difficult

Dave Kearney and Zach Wasilew Artificial Intelligence, EdTech, Education, Learning, Machine Learning

Remember, in The Matrix, when Neo learned Kung Fu and Trinity learned to fly a helicopter? They simply uploaded the knowledge through that thingy in the back of their heads right into their brains and… poof! Learning may never be that simple, but we have the expertise and technology to make it easier than it is. Learning On The Conveyor …