The Sprout Fund’s Ed-Tech Refinery is supporting partnerships between emerging entrepreneurs and educators at schools, libraries, and museums in the Pittsburgh region. Applications for a new round of partnerships are being accepted through the beginning of March.

A small scene of entrepreneurs in Pittsburgh are creating hands-on educational technology, toys, and games, and in the process are helping to create a cluster of entrepreneurs, designers, and manufacturers that could situate Pittsburgh as a hub of edtech hardware production. The scene is small but seems poised to grow into the type of industry cluster that characterizes maker-oriented Pittsburgh.

A survey from the Software and Information Industry Association found that older teachers were more likely to say they felt ready to use data from digital learning tools while younger teachers rated themselves as less ready. the survey reinforces a key point about meaningful technology integration in classrooms: it’s not just knowing how devices and apps work. If it was, younger teachers might have a leg up on those less familiar with smartphones and tablets. True technology integration comes from a pedagogical foundation that supports hands-on, interest-driven learning—something that takes backing, education, and resources for teachers from all age groups and experience levels.

A recent article finds that meaningful technology integration that transforms how students learn remains an exception rather than the rule. But a number of leading schools in Pittsburgh can serve as models for a brighter future.

History shows us that technology does not always play out in classrooms the way one might predict. But every year, the New Media Consortium gives divining edtech’s future a valiant shot. NMC recently released the preliminary results of its annual Horizon Report, which explores how emerging technologies and trends are intersecting with education, and how lingering challenges will be addressed. This year, makerspaces made it onto the list as an innovation that will be adopted into the mainstream in “one year or less" along with cloud computing, mobile learning and BYOD.

Last month, the federal Office of Educational Technology published “The EdTech Developer's Guide: A Primer for Developers, Startups, and Entrepreneurs,” a free guide written by educators, researchers, and developers. The guide is a Rosetta Stone for entrepreneurs looking to succeed in the über competitive and fast-changing educational technology (edtech) marketplace. Plus, it includes nitty-gritty details on how districts make purchasing decisions, updates on data privacy laws, and other information.

Pittsburgh’s expanding edtech scene continues to form around a small hub of startups popping up in new coworking spaces and tech incubators throughout the city. But several key players in the city’s tech scene have found that listening and collaborating with the people who will use their products—teachers and students—are invaluable in building products that work.

Pennsylvania’s newly won federal grant for early childhood education is aimed at narrowing the school readiness gap—something several Pittsburgh organizations are already hard at work on.

What happens when students become the teachers, and teachers the learners?