EdCircuit Staff 
Danny Franks 
Table of Contents
Technology is everywhere in the modern classroom. From devices to online edtech programs, students are constantly interacting with technology to enhance their learning. Teachers have built their lesson plans and curricula to meet the investment in technology. However, what happens if that tech is inaccessible due to a lack of reliable, durable, and dependable classroom equipment? Headphones are often a challenge in this regard. Due to normal wear and tear, headphones are a high-cost replacement in a school’s annual tech budget. They are also essential for video conferencing, virtual learning, watching educational videos, etc. How do we solve this challenge?
In this episode of Conference Connections, an interview series with K20 thought leaders, we chat with Danny Franks, Vice President of Marketing and Co-Founder from ThinkWrite Technologies. The edCircuit team caught up with Danny at TCEA 2023. The topic of this discussion was affordable and durable classroom devices.
The Necessity of Reliable Classroom Equipment
At the beginning of this conversation, Danny discusses the history of the organization and their classroom focus. ThinkWrite was born in the classroom of a real need for affordable and durable classroom devices such as headphones. Many teachers know that a major challenge of the modern classroom is reliable tech. With minimum resources available, teachers need to depend on technology to work in accordance with their curriculum. If a pair of headphones is needed for a lesson and that tech is unreliable, it can often derail an entire class worth of learning.
To combat the constant wear and tear on classroom equipment such as headphones, ThinkWrite has designed its tech for longevity. With durability-tested headbands, flip-down microphones, replaceable cables, replaceable ear pads, and more, there is a real focus on providing reliable equipment to teachers so they can depend on their classroom tech. This ‘future proof’ technology is an investment in dependability and fidelity.
Integrating Tech Into the Classroom
In the second half of the conversation, Danny explores the ease of integration for their headsets. Making the jack compatible with USB-A, USB-C, and 3.5, the headsets easily integrate into any classroom device, including iPads, Chromebooks, Windows devices, etc. This is essential as many schools have already invested in technology, such as devices, and need tech that easily fits into what they have.
The reaction from educators has been overwhelmingly positive. The tech is designed for teachers. The modular approach to the headsets means that they can easily fix problems as they arise. Although there may be a higher upfront cost, the overall savings down the road on replacing school-wide headsets is tremendous.
Making Durability a Priority
Overall, this conversation highlights how a company can focus on an issue teachers are facing and directly impact it through savvy design and cost-effective solutions. There is no doubt that this technology will impact the success of edtech programs in the classroom and the financial constraints of investment in everyday classroom equipment.
To learn more about ThinkWrite Technologies, visit their website and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
For more episodes on Conference Connections, visit edCircuit.
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