Technology Overload: Saving Classrooms From Pervasive Tech Run Amok
Robinson Tryon qubit@runcibility.com
Brief Description
Technology can ruin a good classroom if not applied carefully.
Short Abstract
Technology is a major transformative force in education. Used appropriately and non-exclusively, it can enrich traditional methods, but far too often, technology is dumped in the classroom and expected to perform miracles. We must find better ways to integrate technology into schools and improve the technological aptitude of teachers, students, and parents so that they can make informed decisions themselves.
Long Abstract
"It’s 2017, smart phones and tablets are insinuating themselves into every facet of life, kids are absentmindedly falling off cliffs while trying to catch invisible Pokemon, and dumping new technology willy-nilly into classrooms still seems to be a favorite activity of administrators and school boards. Teachers don’t have the background, training, or oversight of the technology that they’re expected to use, and nobody’s listening to them.
As of 2012, the US ranked 35th out of 64 countries in math and 27th in science (PISA). More recent tests show only minor improvement in rankings. With exciting buzz words like “STEM” and “Disruptive” being used to market everything from smart whiteboards to individualized student lessons in educational apps, EdTech is a booming business that exploded 1600% from $500 million in 2011 to a whopping $8.38 billion in 2012.
Teachers tell me they have students who don’t know how to use a computer. There are teachers who receive little to no training in technology c..."