About

Hi. Thanks for reading my blog.

I write because it is such an integral part of my own learning process. This blog is a collection of resources, experiences and stories that represent part of my journey exploring the intersection of education and technology. While I generally cover a variety of edtech startups and topics, I’m particularly interested in blended learning tools, programs supporting STEM education and distribution strategies (which I think of as community building) so startups can get their products to the kids and communities that need it the most. If  you have any suggestions for people or tools I should highlight, please let me know!

About.me

I have always been passionate about how new technologies and approaches can be applied to improve educational outcomes for all types of learners.

I began my career teaching English in Japan on the JET Program which sparked my passion for teaching and learning, and working with educators, students and the broader community. Upon returning from Japan I moved to the Bay Area and spent the next several years at Google, working on Strategic Partnerships for both AdWords and AdSense, and helped build the Online Sales and Operations Team for Google India (Hyderabad and Gurgaon.)

After getting an MA from the  Stanford Graduate School of Ed (POLS ’08), I jumped into the non-profit world and spent the next few years working with Citizen Schools, a national organization focused on STEM education and career/college readiness for first-generation college bound middle schoolers. In the fall of 2011 I began a deeper exploration of the edu-startup world as a consultant with Stellar K12, working on projects with Khan Academy, The Tech Museum of Innovation and mentoring at Imagine K12. Building on my efforts creating the Edtech Handbook, I collaborated with the US Office of Education Technology Ed on the Edtech Developer’s Guide, a primer for software developers, startups and entrepreneurs.

I’ve spent the last ~2 years (2014-2016) building Embark Labs, an education program that empowers K8 educators to teach computational thinking and computer science concepts in a hands-on, collaborative way. Embark Labs has reached over 500 students and 100 teachers through our courses at Google, the Computer History Museum and schools throughout the Bay Area. Our commitment to improving diversity in the tech industry was highlighted in this brief documentary, The Coding Generation.

I blog regularly here on edcrunch, am a contributor to EdSurge and you can follow me on Twitter @Jessie_Arora.