Reflections
What would Focal Ed require to be successful?
Focal Ed would need a few things to get off the ground to be truthful. I think the idea is solid but it doesn’t mean it’s quite ready for investment. For starters, a small team of software engineers would be required to write the program that schools use to link with their existing attendance programs. Database experience would be critical. I’d also need personnel to lead the sales side of the business. This is truthfully where I am the weakest; I tend to thrive in an environment where I am not having to persuade someone of something that they don’t necessarily want. That’s when I would call in the reinforcements. My strengths are more in line with building existing relationships and finding harmony in larger group settings, gathering input from multiple sources, and effective analysis.
Why the idea behind Focal Ed matters
The idea that teachers face a high level of decision fatigue and heavy cognitive load is something that has been on the forefront of my work since I became a teacher. Long has it been my goal to be both the best teacher I can, whilst maintaining an appropriate work-life balance. That includes saving some of my emotional bandwidth and cognitive bandwidth for my family at the end of the day. That is why I believe that a product like Focal Ed would be welcome in the world of K-12 education.
The Process...
The idea of Focal Ed came through the process of my work in the classroom. Those who know me would characterize me as an eternal improver, sometimes to a fault. In teaching I kept noticing a pattern of a select few types of class disruptions. The idea of using a wearable to solve the problem didn’t come until I started working with my Opportunity Forecast group around wearables. During the research for that assignment I had an “aha” moment - and Focal Ed was born.
In the classroom, the relationship is paramount; it is the road that quality teaching and learning travel on. When students arrive to class, the initial contact is so critically important. The difference between a teacher making quality eye-contact and engaging in a short greeting or conversation about something other learning, and having your head buried in your attendance task is big. Starting learning with quality connection is when my best teaching happens, and is backed by research (Schellert et. al, 2014). Having to waste precious time starting a class by policing physical presence is antiquated. Similarly, the number of requests I would get to either go to the bathroom or some other reason was high. Often it would be during the crux of a learning activity or lesson. Streamlining these requests allows the teacher to focus on the lesson and learning until it is appropriate to deal with them.
During the process of working on the venture pitch, I would waver between two ends of a spectrum; some days I’d feel like the venture was in no way feasible given certain constraints (my predisposition for security and certainty), and other days I felt excitement at the prospect of creating a solution out of my own experiences. From start to finish it ended up taking a lot longer than I expected - The more problems I wanted to solve, the more considered the product had to be. Whether it was conceptualizing the idea, thinking about technical workarounds, nd current IT capabilities, pricing structure, or other venture dynamics, it all had to be thorough in order to make it fly.
I’ve never had to think with this kind of lens before, and to be honest it was refreshing. It was when I started doing research for my Opportunity forecast assignment (wearables) that the idea to use my readings about the technology to solve a real-world problem of mine (and so many teachers like me). I actually thought I would be writing a proper APA paper with a pitch video attached until three weeks ago. This format was much more enjoyable and meaningful.
In the classroom, the relationship is paramount; it is the road that quality teaching and learning travel on. When students arrive to class, the initial contact is so critically important. The difference between a teacher making quality eye-contact and engaging in a short greeting or conversation about something other learning, and having your head buried in your attendance task is big. Starting learning with quality connection is when my best teaching happens, and is backed by research (Schellert et. al, 2014). Having to waste precious time starting a class by policing physical presence is antiquated. Similarly, the number of requests I would get to either go to the bathroom or some other reason was high. Often it would be during the crux of a learning activity or lesson. Streamlining these requests allows the teacher to focus on the lesson and learning until it is appropriate to deal with them.
During the process of working on the venture pitch, I would waver between two ends of a spectrum; some days I’d feel like the venture was in no way feasible given certain constraints (my predisposition for security and certainty), and other days I felt excitement at the prospect of creating a solution out of my own experiences. From start to finish it ended up taking a lot longer than I expected - The more problems I wanted to solve, the more considered the product had to be. Whether it was conceptualizing the idea, thinking about technical workarounds, nd current IT capabilities, pricing structure, or other venture dynamics, it all had to be thorough in order to make it fly.
I’ve never had to think with this kind of lens before, and to be honest it was refreshing. It was when I started doing research for my Opportunity forecast assignment (wearables) that the idea to use my readings about the technology to solve a real-world problem of mine (and so many teachers like me). I actually thought I would be writing a proper APA paper with a pitch video attached until three weeks ago. This format was much more enjoyable and meaningful.