What do you like about your role?

We are living in an extraordinary moment of transformation in the global education ecosystem. We are creating new possibilities in a world led by young people of vision. I love the messiness, the chaos, the opportunities that emerge in this wild ride of transformation.

Share three predictions on the future of Edtech.

The key players will be public-private partnerships (like Jefferson Education Accelerator), aggregators and enablers (like EdTechXEurope and StartEd at NYU), and companies that use technology to enhance and expand shared human possibilities (this is our vision at Story2).

Everything that matters in Education will be global, 24/7, on demand and throughout all of life. There will be no physical limits to how, when or where we learn. What matters most is learning how to learn in a way that serves the common good; we have barely begun to tap into that part of our human potential.

In the US things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. The current government will accelerate both creative destruction, which will be good in the long run, but millions of people will suffer first, in the sense that they will move through a fatally flawed education system without the knowledge

What technologies do you believe have the potential to transform the education industry?

• Storytelling (changing the way we communicate).
• AI (extending scope of individual to all of human knowing)
• VR (education no longer limited by place) 

As we are celebrating out 5th anniversary of EdTechXEurope, we are looking at the key trends over the past 5 years in edtech. What would you say have been the key areas of change that are impacting edtech today? Anything unexpected that surprised you? Trends that were overhyped and never met their expected potential?

• MOOCs opened up the possibility of online education.
• Shift to on demand, lifelong education to meet specific needs.
• Workplace as place of education. Corporations leading next wave of human learning and potential building
• In US the fragile, bipartisan alliance around Ed Reform has split apart.

Why is it important for all players in the edtech ecosystem to continuously connect, network and learn from each other?

Anything else is a waste of time and resources.

When you think about joining EdTechXEurope this year, what are you looking forward to? What makes you excited about our event in London?

I lived in London for 2 years, when I was researching my PhD dissertation on 17^th century women poets, so London is like coming home for me. Before leaving the EU, London was effectively the capital of the world. I’m curious to experience what’s happening since Brexit. EdTechXEurope, in particular, has been an expansive ongoing conversation and community for me; I’ve really enjoyed the people and the overall learning about learning.

Join Carol and our 100+ thought leader speakers at EdTechXEurope 2017 on 20 - 21st June 2017 - reserve your place now >> 

Explore the agenda and see all of our confirmed 2017 EdTechXEurope speakers - go to agenda >>