Education Revolution: Kris Astle Of SMART Technologies On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming Education
An interview with Eden Gold
Invest time in building your network. You don’t have to have all the answers. Spend time networking and help connect people who do have the answers.
The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Kris Astle, Education Strategist at SMART Technologies.
Kris Astle, Education Strategist with SMART Technologies, is an experienced strategist with a demonstrated history of working in the global education landscape. She is skilled in the integration of educational technology, instructional design and strategic planning. Kris has a global understanding of trends, research-based best practices, educational needs and the facilitation of change in the education landscape. She started her career in the classroom, teaching first in Switzerland and then in the US. She has launched both IB and ESL programs in schools she has worked in. She is passionate about meeting both students and teachers where they are and helping them use technology to follow their passions.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
I have always been fascinated by both science and language, and that fascination led me to wanting to understand how we map new languages in our brains. When I began my career in the classroom, I worked as an ESL teacher, specifically helping emerging language speakers learn science.
In my work today, I continue to research how we learn, with a particular focus on the biochemistry of learning and how hormones and neurotransmitters influence our ability to learn. As well, I have a focus on the types of strategies, technologies and content that support the learning process.
I am also interested in non-verbal communication and have been applying my work with wild horses to the improvement of classroom relationships.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The need for education to be flexible, adaptable and personalized to meet the needs of individual students is something I have always pushed for but is very personal for me as a parent.
My daughter is an amazing, compassionate and creative neurodivergent learner. Getting a diagnosis for her (dyscalculia, ADHD and anxiety) was game-changing in helping her change the internal dialogue she had telling her that she was not smart. We have spent a lot of time talking about dopamine and the cravings our body produces when our brain needs it and how to do that in positive ways (like going for a walk) instead of less productive ways (like scrolling social media or eating a sugary snack).
Once she understood how dyscalculia works and what that means for her learning, she was able to develop the skills to advocate for what she needs in the classroom. We have been able to craft an educational experience that works for her. Hearing her say, “Mom, I’m actually really smart even if math gets all turned around in my brain,” is absolutely priceless. We need to make this a reality for more students.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
I am an experienced education strategist with a history of working in classrooms across the globe. My expertise is in the integration of educational technology and instructional design. I have a global understanding of trends, research-based best practices, educational needs and the facilitation of change in the education landscape.
I started my career in the classroom, teaching first in Switzerland and then in the US. I launched ESL programs in schools I worked in. I am passionate about meeting both students and teachers where they are and helping them use technology.
Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?
Access to education. We do a really good job in ensuring every student, regardless of abilities, disabilities and socioeconomic status, has access to education. Post-pandemic we are more aware of the different ways students may want to access that education and we are providing more options for students and their families. This is a trend we need to continue.
Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
I think we need to make sure that students are able to see a pathway to their future through their education. Following the pandemic, students are less likely to come to school engaged and excited to learn. They need to be able to understand how their education will lead to their success later on in life.
Classrooms are not changing at the same rate as the world outside of them. The content students receive at school is not adequately preparing them for the types of jobs that are becoming available to them. In the age of AI, curriculum content needs to be able to adapt to the changing future and workforce students will enter.
Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?
Every student should feel like their classroom experience is preparing them for the future that they want. Students need to be able to access learning in a way that is meaningful to them and share what they have learned in a way that works for them.
SMART is working to ensure that all of our products provide multimodal opportunities for students to share what they know and think. This means that instruction isn’t centered around written language, but provides students other opportunities to consume and share learning, including audio, multimedia, graphics, drawing, symbols and much more.
SMART’s Tool Explorer technology is unique among interactive flat panel offerings and allows learners to use customizable stamps to interact with content on the board. Teachers can choose exactly the images, words, symbols they need for an activity and then students can participate simply by stamping on the board, meaning language is not a barrier to learning. This offers a way for learners who may not communicate in the same way as their peers to contribute to classroom discussion and see themselves in the learning experience.
In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?
Allowing students to participate without relying on spoken or written language means more students have access to more learning opportunities and teachers can assess a specific learning goal or target without the barrier of language.
Traditionally, neurodivergent learners were separated from their peers and given special attention; however we know that part of their success relies on having a connected and collaborative classroom experience. Providing students with a variety of ways to take part in learning leads to better student outcomes.
How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?
We pride ourselves in our ability to offer long term support to our customers. We work to share new learnings and practices with our customers, sharing their experiences through our customer success stories.
We also partner with research firms, like the University of Melbourne, to conduct research on new and emerging education trends. We’re currently working with the University of Melbourne on an initiative to better understand the type of technology that can support better social and educational outcomes for neurodivergent learners.
I also lead the Customer Council at SMART, where we survey a group of education leaders from across North America on emerging technologies, new features, pedagogical approaches and more. We then take their feedback to inform product innovations.
What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?
Product development is always an iterative process and we usually face constraints around time and available staff. We want to ensure that the products we release and stamp our name on are intuitive, robust and meet or exceed the users’ expectations. That requires rigorous research, development and testing.
Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?
Technology is evolving so quickly and we often see solutions to immediate problems without thinking about the long term risks. We spend enough time on devices today that it has altered our dopamine circuits. For younger learners who have never been without constant access to devices, it has changed the way their brains are wired and how they consume information.
With all digital technology, we need to consider benefits and risks. The evolution of AI is a great example of this. It can be a powerful tool to personalize learning and provide access to opportunities a student might otherwise not have had. But we also need to educate our learners about the risks associated with AI, including misuse such as fake images and text.
What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?
- Prioritize relationships, especially in the classroom. Change your focus from what you need to do, to what your students need to connect to this learning and to see how it is meaningful in their own lives and the futures they see for themselves.
- Ask one question at a time of anyone acquiring a new skill. The building blocks are essential and we only know if the smaller skills have been grasped if we assess them in isolation.
- Be curious, ask all the questions. I am well known now as someone who always has questions, but it took me a while to get there.
- Being good is often better than being great.
- Find ways to combine your passions with your work. (For me, this is leaning into the neuroscience of learning and applying it to all aspects of my work. My upcoming presentation, The Wisdom of Wild Horses, takes my personal experiences and connects them with the power of non-verbal communication to improve outcomes for all learners).
- Invest time in building your network. You don’t have to have all the answers. Spend time networking and help connect people who do have the answers.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Failure is a bruise. Not a tattoo.” ~ Jon Sinclair
This one has stuck with me because of its connection to how humans learn and grow. Making a mistake or failing at something helps us identify misinformation or misunderstandings we have stored in our brains and helps us rewire and strengthen our retrieval pathways. That may sometimes come with an embarrassing or painful moment, but it doesn’t last forever and we are wiser for the experience, particularly when we embrace it as part of the learning process. In the classroom, it is important to celebrate both success and failure because we need both to get to the end goal.
One of the lessons I have learned from working with horses is that the word no isn’t an effective way to teach. For example, say I am working with a horse on moving consistently at one speed. If I keep pressure on the horse so it doesn’t slow down, it will only know that when it goes fast I keep pressure on it (which is probably not pleasant for the horse). I need to let the horse make the mistake of slowing down and then provide the correction so that it knows what it is supposed to do. This is no different for our students, our children and ourselves. If we just tell our students not to do something without the context of why, they aren’t learning. When they make the mistake, they can map the new information to what they know and move forward with an improved understanding.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Temple Grandin. I am a follower of her work on mammalian learning and understanding of how animals relate and communicate with each other. There is so much communication that takes place without language. I would enjoy talking to her about the subliminal ways that humans communicate, neurodiversity in humans and other species as well as compassionate animal handling.
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold
Education Revolution: Kris Astle Of SMART Technologies On Innovative Approaches That Are… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.