Is there an "ed-tech" bubble?

Though we say "no way," Lauren Landry begs to disagree.

She hit hard at what she called the 'ed-tech startup bubble' in an article posted on BostInno yesterday.  Definitely read the whole thing, but here are some highlights and our thoughts.

It seems a lot of ed-tech startups are chasing fads and rainbows.

They should also be looking at the bigger picture. As RecoVend CEO Kyle Judah once said: 

The biggest issue I have with some of the companies I’ve seen lately is that they think cosmetics are enough to solve problems that have plagued education for the last 200 years. 

Responsive websites don’t mean diddly—they’re not helping students learn. The content companies are putting out there is what is helping students learn. So, before creating another edX, Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseWare, Coursera, Udacity, P2PU or Treehouse, entrepreneurs need to evaluate the impact they intend to leave and be honest on whether or not they can actually deliver on that impact in a meaningful way. The stakes are higher in education. Innovate for change, not for investor’s money.

At iMentorCorps, we've decided that really digging into the problem is the way to find out what works.  And it's not easy.  We use technology as a force-multiplier for students, teachers, mentors and, by extension, schools and school systems.  We think our approach--putting technology in its place as a helper and not a substitute for human interaction--is the way to help students.

And that's the goal, after all, is it not?