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GlobalScholar leverages its expertise to focus on 3 core solutions

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Education

SmartBrief is attending ISTE 2012 in San Diego, is a media sponsor for the conference and is providing coverage for educators.

As the evolution of education technology meets the changing expectations of education policymakers, GlobalScholar has adopted a strategy that focuses the firm’s 250 products and features on three key solution areas: Personalized Learning, Educator Effectiveness and Standards-Based Education. SmartBlog on Education caught up with Anthony Cross, senior director of product marketing, on the sidelines of the ISTE 2012 conference in San Diego to learn more about GlobalScholar’s new targeted approach.

  • Cross explained that the new strategy allows GlobalScholar to harness the expertise it has already developed through its Scantron, Pinnacle and Spectrum K12 offerings. “We are in a somewhat unique position in that we have such a board range of products … scanners, assessment products, etc. … What we are able to do is take those and bring them into these broader solution areas. That really sets us apart from a lot of other companies that are out there.”
  • Cross said the decision to focus on Personalized Learning, Educator Effectiveness and Standards-Based Education was no accident. GlobalScholar merged feedback from end-users with cues from public policy initiatives like Race to the Top, as well as others at the state level, and responded to the call for solutions to help satisfy the need for enhancing approaches to education. GlobalScholar also communicated with private groups the like the Gates Foundation and the Dell Foundation to learn what trends those organizations were noticing and initiatives they were leading.
  • Cross noted that he has seen the most interest around the Personalized Education solution. The product features new K-2 assessments that are computer adaptive and also offers state and district level dashboards. “With where technology is today and with where needs are to start individualizing instruction, there is a huge recognition that we have to change from this sort of factory production line approach to teaching to having it much more individualized.”