Q&A: Zoli Honig, Co-founder of Chalkable
The best way to describe web startup Chalkable is an app store that lists the best education apps from around the web, with a goal of also becoming a full fledged learning management platform that includes grading tools, calendars, attendance tracking, student profiles and analytics.
Co-founder of Chalkable, Zoli Honig, recently took the time to lend us his insights into the education technology industry. Mr. Honig discussed the biggest ed-tech trend, greatest obstacle in adopting technology in education, and the future of the industry.
Check out the Q&A below.
What is the biggest trend in education technology that we should be watching?
In general, edtech is on the cusp of a major revolution. It’s one of the last major tech sectors that haven’t really been disrupted yet. Individualized education is really becoming a hot topic in education, and many people are trying to attack it in different ways. This is an interesting one to keep an eye on.
Definitely would be a MacBook Air with 4G internet access. Access is always the problem. There are so many students in the country who need to wait to use a crappy library computer to do their homework. There are so many amazing digital learning tools available that are just out of reach for so many students.
The Bureaucracy. Selling to schools is really hard. Getting passed the bidding, approvals, multiple meetings, almost makes it not worth doing some small sales to a school. That’s actually one of the main problems we’re trying to solve with chalkable.
Can I say chalkable? Classdojo, Desmos, and Biodigital
Right now, schools that have 1 to 1 iPad programs are on the cutting edge. In 5 years from now, that will be standard.
We’re starting to already see a transition from hardcover textbooks to amazing learning apps. Apps are the future of education. They will be replacing a lot of textbooks over the next 5 years.
