Do More, Do Better, Do New.
As you lean on technology in new ways, the Value Add of Technology on Teaching framework helps you determine how technology can strengthen instruction, deepen thinking, and ignite new possibilities for students in the age of AI.
Use your edtech with confidence.
As schools enter the age of AI, edtech is everywhere and rapidly evolving. How do you know if it’s creating value?
The question is not whether technology is present: it’s whether it is making a positive difference. That’s why we developed the second edition of the Value Add of Technology on Teaching framework, a practical decision tool for clarifying how technology can improve learning, protect student thinking, and support educator judgment.
Understanding AI-Enabled Pedagogy
Moving from Discrete Digital Tools to Intelligent Instructional Systems
Over the past decade, edtech adoption has accelerated to unprecedented levels. Now, school systems are navigating rapid AI adoption while managing accountability, staffing, and planning for the year ahead.
Educators are experimenting with new tools. Students are encountering AI inside and outside school. But more technology does not automatically lead to better outcomes.
When quantity outpaces quality, schools risk fragmented implementation and superficial use that fails to meaningfully support learning. Without a shared way to judge instructional value, decisions and use can become:
- Fragmented across classrooms and schools
- Driven by efficiency rather than learning quality
- Reactive to trends rather than grounded in teaching
- Focused on tools instead of student thinking
The Value Add of Technology on Teaching responds to these tensions and offers a path forward, rooted in coherent instructional practice. Focusing on the core work of instruction today and the needs of the future, it offers recommendations for effective AI-enabled pedagogy: use of intelligent systems and tools as an integrated partner for teaching.
It marks a fundamental paradigm shift beyond traditional, static educational technology, enabling educators to analyze learning, adjust instruction, and support students more effectively in real time.
The Value Adds
The Value Add framework centers on how technology—including AI—enables teachers to Do More (gain capacity), Do Better (increase effectiveness), or Do New (expand possibilities).
With this lens, educators can assess not just whether a tool exists, but whether it improves instruction, supports student learning, and contributes to professional growth.
How You Can Use the Framework:
- Guide AI planning conversations
- Vet instructional tools
- Support coaching conversations
- Align instructional decisions with strategic priorities
As questions surface while you explore, we would be happy to offer additional support and tailored guidance. Use the button below the form to request a briefing.
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“We heard from teachers that a lot of the focus in the edtech arena was on all the amazing features of technological tools, not necessarily their needs or responsibilities. Chief among the needs was capacity. It already felt like an impossible job and adding tech without explicit connections to teachers’ core work was not going to help.”
Albert Kim, Chief Innovation Officer
Why This, Why Now?
We know leaders and educators are already overwhelmed by the rate of change in the education landscape. What makes the question of edtech integration so urgent?
Simply put, edtech is everywhere. Overuse, underuse, and unintentional use all have a cost. With growing investment, there’s an increased need to think critically about how these tools integrate with and enhance effective instruction.
9,000–11,000+ verified tools
in the edtech marketplace
2,739 distinct tools
used by K-12 districts annually
45-49 unique tools
used by students and teachers per year
80% of districts
prioritizing generative AI implementation
9,000–11,000+ verified tools
in the edtech marketplace
2,739 distinct tools
used by K-12 districts annually
45-49 unique tools
used by students and teachers per year
80% of districts
prioritizing generative AI implementation
“The VATT framework has been our foundational document to get really, really clear on how to stand up and revise the process to narrow [our use of technology].
The framework does a good job of thinking through the different constituents and the different questions for each constituent to ensure that you're not just narrowing to narrow, but you're being intentional, and you're really thinking about the instructional core as the driver of this work.”
The framework does a good job of thinking through the different constituents and the different questions for each constituent to ensure that you're not just narrowing to narrow, but you're being intentional, and you're really thinking about the instructional core as the driver of this work.”
Dr. Simone Wright, CAO at Denver Public Schools
Where the Framework Began: VATT 1.0
The original Value Add of Technology on Teaching was released in April 2023 in response to increased device access, edtech purchases, and technology integration in the aftermath of the pandemic. While generative artificial intelligence has rapdily disrupted the edtech ecosystem, the core tenets still hold.
Related News & Stories
Learn how the Value Add framework is helping school systems make more intentional choices about where to focus their technology efforts.
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