Austin, TX (PRWEB) March 29, 2011
CompassLearning, a national leader in personalized education technology solutions for grades K-12, was tapped to help lead the debut of the inaugural education technology conference, SXSWedu, held as part of the 18th annual SXSW Interactive Festival, the premier destination for emerging media.
Eric Loeffel, Chief Executive Officer at CompassLearning, joined industry leaders to discuss the business potential in the education industry. This is the first year that SXSW gathered compelling presentations and panels from the brightest minds in education and emerging technology. The three-day event also featured panels that focused on areas such as digital education, distance learning, video game development, multimedia, and open education resources.
Ron Reed, an educational technology and publishing veteran who helped put together the inaugural event, along with other schooling experts, believe there’s a technology-driven paradigm shift in education akin what’s happened in music and film, which made SXSW a logical platform for educational innovation.
“I think the dramatic changes in business models that we’ve seen in music and film are now occurring in education. There’s a seismic shift as it relates to technology and empowering educators and students,” stated Reed. “It is an opportunity to convene thought leaders to find ways to do things in a better, faster, more efficient, cost effective, and engaging way.”
“Texas is a natural laboratory for education innovation. The timing of the first SXSWedu is especially interesting, given the state’s budget crisis and looming cuts in education,” stated Loeffel. “It was an honor to participate in the inaugural SXSWedu conference and have the opportunity to highlight the importance of K-12 educational technology and digital learning.”
About SXSW- South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) is a private company based in Austin, Texas, with a year-round staff of professionals dedicated to building and delivering conference and festival events for entertainment and related media industry professionals. Since 1987, SXSW has produced the internationally recognized Music and Media Conference & Festival.
About CompassLearning- CompassLearning, the leading provider of personalized education technology solutions, has been helping students excel for more than 40 years. To help students achieve success, CompassLearning products support differentiated instruction, formative assessment, and response to intervention. The company’s flagship product, CompassLearning Odyssey, is based on current and confirmed educational research and is developed in a learning studio of highly qualified curriculum experts working alongside talented animators, scriptwriters, and engineers. From the struggling learner to the student needing a challenge, CompassLearning Odyssey is designed to engage, educate, and inspire. For more information about CompassLearning, visit http://www.compasslearning.com.
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