How K-12 Schools Can Build & Maintain Self-Service Data Analytics to Support a Culture of Data Use w/ Matt + Ken

In this episode, Matt Kelsey & Ken Simonds join us on the show as we discuss how K through 12 schools can build, maintain, and extend tools and systems for self-service data analytics to support a culture of data use. Matt is the Director of Technology at the American School of Dubai with over five years of experience working with off-the-shelf data analytic systems, as well as developing in-house dashboards and performing custom statistical analysis, while Ken is a Data Specialists at the American School of Dubai, he spent the last six years as a data engineer and a data analyst at Meta net, also known as Facebook. Matt & Ken start with success skills in data analytics from data collection, cleaning & visualization. We also delve deep into self-data analytics and how educators can leverage the right tools and systems to make a data-driven decision without losing sight of students' individual needs & experiences. Moreover, we discuss the challenges schools face in implementing self-data analytics, the role of AI & machine learning in data analysis, and how to stay up to date with all the trends in data analytics. Tune in for more insights on using data to drive positive change in your school! Timestamps [02:12] Introducing the topic [03:15] What inspired Matt & Ken to pursue a career in data analytics, and how has the journey shaped their perspective in the education industry [07:05] Important skills for success in Data Analytics and how to hone those skills throughout the career [11:02] Technical versus organizational data systems [16:10] How Self-service data analytics can be used to improve student outcomes in K through 12 schools [19:08] Challenges schools face in implementing self-service data analytics and how they can be addressed [20:06] Why data can be tricky [23:17] Role of Artificial Intelligence & Machine learning in data Analysis or manipulation [28:05] How can schools ensure they are using data to inform decision-making without losing sight of the individual needs & experiences of their students [31:50] How to stay up to date with the trends in the field Quotes ●      “Data can be tricky. It can provide much insight when it's analyzed correctly. But there are many easy things that can go wrong in the analysis where that can lead you to the wrong conclusion if you're not careful.”   Let’s Connect Connect with Ken Simonds on; ●      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kensimonds/ Connect with Matt Kelsey on; ●      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbkkelsey/   Connect with Dr. Dana Specker Watts on; ●      Twitter:  https://twitter.com/teachwatts   Connect with Mike Pierre on; ●      Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Ayitis_SigmaMan   More resources ●      Head over to iss.edu/events to see future PD's that ISS is offering for the SY 22-23. ●      Join the Diversity Collaborative platform-https://info.iss.edu/sign-up-diversity-collaborative ●      Please visit inspirecitizens.org to register for the Global Citizenship  ●      Head over to https://www.seniainternational.org/ to check out inclusion education practices for individuals with disabilities and ensure their potential is fully maximized.