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Did you miss the 2016 ASU GSV Summit, which the New York Times calls the “must-attend event for education technology investors”? No worries — CER staff has you covered. Here are our top takeaways, from Brenda Hafera, Michelle Tigani, and Ted Allen.

1. Condoleezza Rice Reminds Us Why Education Is Essential

Condoleezza Rice delivered a superb keynote. She asked us to reflect on why an educated populace is so fundamental to maintaining our country’s national and the American Dream. The answer: because America is the experiment in self-government, education is crucial to our ethos. An uneducated populace is unable to govern itself, and therefore fails the demands of republican government. Smart words from a smart lady.

2. The Field of Education Is Ripe for Disruption

Presentations from tech innovators demonstrated how education could be the next Silicon Valley. These entrepreneurs highlighted the disruptive power of technology and its potential to transform this field. While policy initiatives can face pushback from special interest groups, invention and innovation aren’t subject to legislative approval. An idea is able to take root and shatter existing boundaries without asking permission.

3. Why Education Needs More Experimenters

Why is it that every field — from medicine to money — advances by trying new things, yet when it comes to education, all we hear are excuses why X can’t be done, why Y is impossible? This is exactly why ed tech is so important: because it compels us to embrace a mindset of experimentation. After all, progress doesn’t take place in a vacuum; it needs an environment that welcomes rather than rejects innovation.

4. The Essence of Innovation Isn’t What You Think It Is

Last week I met a thousand nerds who didn’t need data to sell their dream to me. Sure, it’s there, behind the code it took to write the app that connects parents to kids’ principals. But the geeks didn’t want to talk about the data; they wanted to hear what works and what doesn’t — and how we can make it better. Each individual I encountered was less concerned with what’s been done before and more concerned with what’s to be done now. To me, that’s innovation.