Welcome to another edition of The Value Junction. In this special TVJ edition, I’ll be interviewing the founder of KrunchIt, Will Ward.
Will is a social entrepreneur dedicated to cultivating businesses that drive economic mobility and provide equality. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication from Queens University of Charlotte, Will has a professional history marked by a profound commitment to education technology.
Before founding Krunchit.io, his latest Edtech startup company, Will spent nearly a decade collaborating with state and local government agencies, focusing on elevating K–12 school districts and higher education institutions. A product of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, Will has actively contributed to various boards, spearheading sustainable initiatives that foster awareness and create opportunities to enhance economic mobility.
Throughout his impactful journey, Will collaborated with global education technology brands such as Discovery Education, where he played a pivotal role in transforming education by selling dynamic digital instructional content to school systems throughout the United States. This content currently benefits 4.5 million educators and over 45 million students worldwide. His commitment to digital equity is highlighted by the creation of two award-winning programs acknowledged by the Charlotte Area Technology Collaborative (CATC) in collaboration with the Center for Digital Equity and E2D (Eliminate the Digital Divide). These initiatives are designed to bridge the digital gap in the Charlotte Mecklenburg County region. Notably, Will's efforts to improve digital inclusion for his local school system received recognition from the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top initiative during the Obama Administration in 2017.
In 2021, Will embarked on a transformative year-long global journey, immersing himself in diverse cultures that profoundly shaped his perspective. This experience reinforced his commitment to driving social and economic change through education globally. With a clearer vision now, his mission is to empower low-performing schools and emerging school systems worldwide. Utilizing his online school improvement data tool, Krunchit.io, he aims to assist schools in building and sustaining a data-driven culture that enhances student outcomes and fosters economic development for all.
It is my absolute honour to have him as a guest on my newsletter.
What edtech trends are you most excited about right now and why?
I’m excited about the rise of generative AI within the education space. We’ve been living in the information age for quite some time now with the internet being so interwoven into our everyday lives, and I feel that the responsible use of AI further equalizes the playing field by making information that much more accessible. I’m also very excited about data playing such an important role in recognizing trends that impact academic performance. I understand the frustrations data analysis can create, but when it is simplified and made to focus on key areas of learning, it can change the culture within education and inspire instruction geared towards feeding the ecosystems of communities, both economically and culturally, on a global scale.
The education landscape is taking a fascinating turn with AI strolling in, juggling a bag of opportunities and concerns. While we've all become adept at dissecting AI's pros and cons, I wholeheartedly echo Will's sentiment: education might be AI's most transformative act yet. How, you ask? By smashing information barriers and handing the keys to the world's knowledge vault to those previously locked out.
Think about it. Individuals whose wallets couldn't stretch to "quality" education now hold a universe of information in their palms. The catch? They also need the tools to unlock it. Free AI resources are fantastic, but digital shackles like expensive gadgets and internet access remain. So, while AI has knocked down one wall, another stands defiant.
But here's the beauty of this conundrum: it's a call to action, a nudge to bridge the digital divide and ensure everyone gets to play in this knowledge playground. The potential is staggering – imagine rural students collaborating with urban peers on virtual field trips, or AI tutors tailoring lessons to individual learning styles. It's not just about access; it's about equity, fostering a level playing field where potential, not postcode, dictates your educational voyage.
What is one piece of advice you have for teachers new to implementing tech in the classroom?
I would advise them to form a support group with other teachers so that they will have different perspectives and skills around them that will help with their own comfort and development around implementing tech into daily instruction. Intentional collaboration can be a big help in accelerating the learning curve, as well as building unity amongst one another.
Will has hit the nail on the head, again. A study published in 2016 revealed that support groups help teachers improve their beliefs and practices, potentially benefiting student learning and well-being through positive psychology elements.
How can we ensure equity and empowerment as technology becomes more integrated into education?
I believe this has to be treated as a community-wide agenda. Building infrastructure around digital equity with the purpose of providing access to hardware, and connectivity, and developing digital literacy is imperative in paving the road toward economic empowerment. Communal linchpins such as community centers and places of worship can easily act as central points of communication around key objectives. Just having places that can provide education and resources is a huge start; so much can be built from there. I know the impact that community-focused programs can have. As a teen who was raised by a single mother, I was able to receive mentorship from various youth programs that taught me life and leadership skills, as well as college and career readiness. The work that I’ve done in creating community initiatives geared towards digital equity and economic mobility is inspired by the effect that those programs and the mentors within them provided me at an early age. If consistent action is put behind the access, communities can truly thrive.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing edtech today? How can they be overcome?
Technology of any kind has the potential to bring about rapid change in any industry. The best attribute you can have to remain productive is the ability to adapt and the willingness to learn new ways of doing things. That’s usually the biggest challenge for people, including educators. So, when it comes to overcoming this challenge, I believe that educators have to embrace learning new skills around tech. As I said earlier, building support groups amongst each other can go a long way in accelerating the process. Also, making adjustments to their instructional approach can help with their effectiveness in teaching with tech. Focusing more on the role of facilitators and understanding that they are there to help make learning as easy as possible can only help with student outcomes. Educators just have to be willing to embrace being facilitated themselves when it comes to navigating this new and ever-changing world of education and technology.
What is an edtech mistake you see educators make frequently? How can they avoid it?
I would say allowing fear and general uncertainty to create stagnation when it comes to learning new skills is the biggest mistake. We all develop our own comfort zones, especially when we feel that we finally have the hang of something. Being an educator is already one of the most demanding professions out there, so having to break the routine and incorporate something brand new into daily instruction when they may feel that they’ve already developed a winning formula for themselves can be frustrating and scary. Those are reasonable emotions to have, however, an educator allowing apprehension to prevent them from learning new skills doesn’t just hold the educator back, it also stunts the growth of the students depending on the educator for instruction. There may be no avoiding the emotions that come with change, but pushing through that frustration and fear, and supporting one another through the process is how you avoid making that mistake.
How has the role of educators evolved in a classroom where technology is ubiquitous?
I think the evolution has been nuanced. I believe the role of educators still stands on the same foundation, however, with the inclusion of technology over time, there have just been new ways of relaying information to new generations of students who are learning and processing information differently. Becoming facilitators of learning, with the help of tech, has given educators new angles to engage with the minds of students and meet them where they are. With tech making information equally accessible for everyone, I believe having it in the classroom has brought about a new sense of relatability between educators and students. It’s created instances where the classroom has become a more synergetic learning environment, and not as one-sided. Educators can now learn with their students while guiding them and helping them fill in the blanks.
What might a classroom that effectively balances technology with humanity look like?
I don’t think it would look how many people may think. In my opinion, the focus would be more on human interaction and collaboration than technology. Embracing more innovative pedagogical methods that place students in scenarios that require them to work together to maximize their resources and solve problems is something that can maintain the proper balance between humanity and technology. Students have to see firsthand that their greatest resource is each other. Create labs, put them in groups, take a more interdisciplinary approach, and give them real-world problems worth solving. Give them access to some technology, but place the emphasis on actual peer-to-peer teamwork.
What inspires you in the work you do surrounding education technology?
I’ve always just wanted to do work that impacted communities around the world. I grew up with a lot of the same economic disadvantages that I now work to solve, but it was the impactful work of others that not only helped me overcome my circumstances but also inspired me to do the same for others. I feel that edtech is an industry that is at an all-time peak in relevancy and importance when it comes to real-world success. Digital literacy provides foundational skills that are vital in many different industries such as finance, media, politics, and education, just to name a few. I want the work I do in edtech and the imprint that I leave to act as a reflection of what was done for me. I want to provide resources that help to educate, develop, and prepare communities, especially the youth, to turn their dreams into reality.
If you could envision the ultimate edtech tool that doesn't exist yet, what would it be?
I’m actually in the process of creating the edtech tool that I would envision. It’s called Krunch It, and it’s an online school improvement facilitation tool designed to help K–12 administrators build upon their student achievement data. The prevalence of data-based instruction is something that educators have to deal with, and the process of analyzing student achievement data can be a chore. But with Krunchit, we institute a six-step process that fosters ongoing feedback among educators to improve data comprehension, generate insight-based solutions, and support continuous and school improvement goals. The goal of KrunchIt is to create and sustain a data-driven culture. A major difference between Krunch It and other student information system-type resources is that our platform focuses on the “how” rather than the “what” by providing support hubs that guide educators through their student achievement data journey. The platform also cultivates collaboration amongst various levels of education leadership to ensure stability.
If you could add one new mandatory class focused on an important life skill that schools don't normally teach, what would you choose?
My class would center around interdisciplinary projects that focus specifically on student passions and interests. When I was in the 7th grade, I remember being assigned a similar project of picking a topic I was most interested in, learning about it, and presenting my findings to my classmates. I feel that a class tied to this concept would provide students with a concentrated form of college and career preparation because of the direction and information they would receive. The career path students choose to take can be made easier if they’re given the time, space, and guidance to discover who they are through the things they love. As educators, it is our job to help students understand how their interests connect to the subjects that we teach. I am a firm believer that underneath our passion lives our gift to the world. As educators, we cannot allow the status quo to drown out the gifts that live within our students.
That’s all for now. A big thank you to Will for agreeing to do this. I am eternally grateful. I enjoyed his insights and genuinely learned a lot from them. I hope you did too.
Connect with him on LinkedIn: Will Ward
Try KrunchIt.io: KrunchIt.io
Bechem... Brilliant!