Every day, technology innovations transform the way people learn and how educators teach. In the last few years, the edtech field has attracted a lot of talented people, all with excellent knowledge bases and ideas. Though the edtech industry has been around for a few decades now, the last few years, in particular, have seen a surge in investment from both school districts and investors.

The education market is currently worth around $5 trillion globally, and it is forecasted that edtech investment alone will reach $252 billion by the year 2020. This growing investment into edtech start-ups has created some exciting changes in the world of education. Naturally, with increasing capital, the number of edtech companies, products, and thought leaders is also growing. In that spirit of change and innovation, we present the Tech Edvocate Awards.

After 4 months of hard work, we’ve narrowed down the year’s top edtech companies, products, people and more. We solicited nominees from readers in June/July and held online voting from June 1, 2018 – August 21, 2018. The nominee’s performance during the online voting period was used to gauge their popularity, but in no way signaled that they would become a finalist or walk away with an award. The finalists and winners were ultimately selected by a panel comprised of two edtech thought leaders, two PreK-12 teachers, one college professor, two K-12 administrators, one college administrator and two PreK-12 parents.  Here are our winners and finalists for 2018. Winners and finalists can access their award seals by clicking here.

 

Best Lesson Planning App or Tool

Winner: ClassFlow

Finalists:

Profile Planner

ActivInspire

Nearpod

Best Assessment App or Tool

Winner: MobyMax

Finalists:

Google Classroom

Evo Social/Emotional by Aperture Education

Best Early Childhood Education App or Tool

Winner: HeadSprout

Finalists:

KIBO – The STEAM Robot Kit for Children 4 – 7

Canticos Los Pollitos (Little Chickies) App

Levar Burton Skybrary Family

MobyMax

Best Literacy App or Tool

Winner: Lexia Core5 Reading

Finalists:

PBS Parents Play and Learn

EssayJack

Microsoft Learning Tools

Raz-Plus

Speare.com

MobyMax

Best Math App or Tool

Winner: MATHia

Finalists:

ABCmouse Mastering Math

Matific

ExploreLearning Reflex

MobyMax

Best STEM/STEAM Education App or Tool

Winner: Vernier Go Direct® Sensors with Graphical Analysis™ 4 @VernierST

Finalists:

KOOV Educator Kit by Sony

FlinnSTEM Powered by IMSA Fusion

WhiteBox Learning

DigitalEd

robots4STEM

Science A-Z

littleBits

ExploreLearning Gizmos

MobyMax

Best Language Learning App or Tool

Winner: Sprig Learning

Finalists:

Languagenut

Voces Digital

 

Best Virtual or Augmented Reality App or Tool

Winner: HoloLAB Champions

Finalists:

DiscoveryVR

Gamar

 

Best Personalized/Adaptive Learning App or Tool

Winner: Nearpod

Finalists:

ABCmouse Mastering Math

AVer CP3Series Interactive Flat Panel

Amplifire

Lexia PowerUp Literacy

StudySmarter

MATHia

Curriculum Associates i-Ready Mathematics and Reading

MobyMax

Best Coding App or Tool

Winner: CoderZ by Intelitek

Finalists:

CodeMonkey

Tynker

 

Best Gamification App or Tool

Winner: Kahoot!

Finalists:

Classcraft

Play Brighter

 

Best Learning Management System

Winner: NEO LMS

Finalists:

Odysseyware

Edsby

 

Best Blended/Flipped Learning App or Tool

Winner: FlinnPREP

Finalists:

ClassFlow

Odysseyware ClassPace

Learnlight

MobyMax

 

Best Assistive Technology App or Tool

Winner: Robots4Autism

Finalists:

Learning Ally

 

Best Parent-Teacher/School Communication App or Tool

Winner: Bloomz

Finalists:

Base Education

Edsby

RYCOR

 

Best Collaboration App or Tool

Winner: Boxlight MimioSpace

Finalists:

Newline Interactive

ADVANCEfeedback by Insight ADVANCE

Project Pals, Inc.

Epson iProjection App

Snowflake MultiTeach® (NUITEQ®)

Best Tutoring/Test Prep App or Tool

Winner: GradeSlam

Finalists:

Learnamic

FlinnPREP

www.winwardacademy.com

StudyLock

Varsity Tutors

 

Best Classroom/Behavior Management App or Tool

Winner: NetSupport School

Finalists:

PBIS Rewards

Impero Education Pro V7

MobyMax

Best Classroom Audio-Visual App or Tool

Winner: ActivPanel

Finalists:

Newline Interacitve

Epson BrightLink 710Ui Interactive Laser Display

Boxlight MimioFrame

 

Best Higher Education Solution

Winner: Study.com

Finalists:

TeamDynamix

CampusLogic

Perceivant

 

Best Learning Analytics/Data Mining App or Tool

Winner: Otus

Finalists:

Edsby

Tableau Software

Best Professional Development App or Tool

Winner: ADVANCEfeedback by Insight ADVANCE

Finalists:

Edthena

 

Best Student Information System (SIS) App or Tool

Winner: Alma

Finalists:

SynergySIS

 

Best Global EdTech Leader

Winner: Dr. Edward Tse

Finalists:

Angela Maiers

Nathaniel A. Davis

 

Best Global EdTech Company

Winner: MobyMax

Finalists:

Promethean

RoboKind

ClassLink

Epson America

GradeSlam

 

Best Global EdTech Startup

Winner: Learnamic

Finalists:

Orange Neurosciences

Yewno

Otus

 

Best K-12 School Leader

Winner: Dr. Adam Hartley, Fenton Area Public Schools, Genesee County, Michigan

Finalists:

Yvonne Mackey-Boyd, River Roads Lutheran School, St. Louis, MO

Shawn Wigg, Director of Mathematics, Duval County Public Schools

Best Higher Education Leader

Winner: Nichole Pinkard, Professor, Depaul University, Chicago, IL

Finalists:         

Anant Agarwal, edx, Cambridge, MA

 

Best School District Technology Coordinator/Director

Winner: Dan Warren, Director of Technology Operation, Central Stores, and Printing Services at Des Moines Public Schools

Finalists:

John Martin, Inter-Lakes School District, Meredith, NH

 

Best K-12 Teacher

Winner: Crystal Avila, Socorro High School, El Paso Texas

Finalists:

Cathy Haskett Morrison, Peel District School Board, Canada

 

Best College/University Professor

Winner: David J. Malan, Harvard University

Finalists:

Nicole Kraft, Ohio State University

 

Best EdTech PR Firm

Winner: PR With Pananche

Finalists:

J Harrison Public Relations Group

Nickel Communications

 

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no shortage of award winners in edtech. With these innovative edtech companies, products and people in mind, it becomes clear that the landscape of education is vast and technology is carving a new path for present and future educators. Well, that does it for the 2nd Annual Tech Edvocate Awards. We will be back, bigger and better in 2019.