Hope Springs eternal with the many religious celebrations and warmer weather upon us!  I'm grateful for having had the opportunity last week to attend the CoSN Leadership Summit in Nashville, where district education leaders, CTO’s, CIO’s and edtech leaders gathered to

explore the power of One—the theme of the conference. Be sure to tune into my MindShareTV podcast for a Canadian perspective with Wayne Toms, Executive Director, ECNO (Education Computing Network of Ontario) and former CIO Limestone District School Board, who was in attendance. Wayne provides a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities school districts are facing to optimize digital learning technologies to support teachers, students, and now parents too!

CoSN, while focused on EdTech, made diversity, equity and inclusion priority topics for the Summit. The closing keynote with Dr. Chris Emdin, Chair of Education, USC was fascinating

and inspiring. He challenged our thinking on EdTech, describing its value as being pliability and that ‘good learning is like sole food vs fast food.’

I caught up with my former professor at Pepperdine Univeristy while at CoSN, Dr. Gary Stager, 

always edgy and thought provoking, Dr. Gary Stager, our featured MindShareTV podcast will

not disappoint on his new STEAM inspired book, 20 things to do with a Computer--Forward 50 years. His vision of one-to-one computing came to be a reality 30 plus years later. Dr. Stager provides excellent insights on the evolution of EdTech and the importance of creating learning experiences for students by giving them agency and real-world experiences.

Being back in conference mode is a welcomed change after two years of COVID. I have to say

it was refreshing not be on back-to-back zooms daily. While hand shaking was a bit weird, I value the importance of building relationships in education. The informal learning at

conferences is as powerful as the learning in sessions.

One theme that resonated throughout the CoSN conference is that relationships matter and making people feel valued and heard will solve many challenges we face moving forward in getting back to a sense of normalcy. Also critically important, let’s rediscover the joy of learning which has been lost for much of the past two years. I was also grateful to connect with many of my education and industry colleagues. My curiosity also found me connecting with new and innovative leaders further learning, sharing and expanding my learning community.

Here's a couple of takeaway tips from a Superintendent panel I attended:  One district created

a student tech support service where students garnered awesome experiential learning

repairing computers. It was estimated they managed to complete 95% of the repair work required, saving the district a significant funding. The other interesting tech idea came from an award-winning Superintendent in the Chicago area where they initiated a parent university program. The goal is to give parents the tools to help support their child in with their tech and homework. Two remarkably simple, but impactful initiatives that proved to be a win-win for all.

We're seeing our Canadian colleagues as well getting back in the saddle in Canada with

face-to-face conferences given their power and potential. Speaking of which watch for more details on our 13th Canadian EdTech Leadership Summit – The State of EdTech: Driving Innovation through Evidence-based Research, as plans are unfolding for Montreal, October 20th, co-hosted with McGill University, Faculty of Education. 

For more insight on CoSN 2022 checkout #CoSN2022. 

If you’re wondering about Nashville as a place to visit? It’s a must do trip! I made a special

effort to enjoy it in all its splendor, taking in the Country Music Awards, a Predators hockey game, and yes, the Grand Old Opry too! COVID has taught be to enjoy life more to its fullest. One day I clocked 26K steps while on a self-guided historical and architectural walking tour!

Yes, I continue to subscribe to the notion of healthy mind, healthy body! Although my feet paid the price that day!

I hope you enjoy this month's Top 10 Canadian EdTech Report powered by  MindShare Learning. Be sure to checkout our 'NEW' Dell Technologies Learning Series Blog Post: Dell Technologies & ISTE partner on Digital Literacy Skills Initiative. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me and share your comments, success stories, news, research, and events with us! We love hearing from you! Feel free to call me directly at

416-569-2106, or drop me an email, if we can be of further support to your organization's innovation, or edtech growth plans through our strategic consulting services.

Thank you for the inspiration and kind feedback that motivates our team to provide you with mission critical research and insights to optimize your learning and technology strategy.

Until next time, stay healthy & active and keep the digital learning curve steep! 

About MindShare Learning

MindShare Learning is Canada’s leading EdTech Media & strategy consulting company. We counsel education and technology leaders in understanding the emerging needs of learners to succeed in the 21st Century global knowledge-based digital economy.