The Tech Edvocate

Top Menu

  • Advertisement
  • Apps
  • Home Page
  • Home Page Five (No Sidebar)
  • Home Page Four
  • Home Page Three
  • Home Page Two
  • Home Tech2
  • Icons [No Sidebar]
  • Left Sidbear Page
  • Lynch Educational Consulting
  • My Account
  • My Speaking Page
  • Newsletter Sign Up Confirmation
  • Newsletter Unsubscription
  • Our Brands
  • Page Example
  • Privacy Policy
  • Protected Content
  • Register
  • Request a Product Review
  • Shop
  • Shortcodes Examples
  • Signup
  • Start Here
    • Governance
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • The Edvocate
  • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
  • Topics
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Pedagogue
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • P-20 Ed Careers

logo

The Tech Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Pedagogue
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • P-20 Ed Careers
  • Product Review of Proximity Learning

  • Product Review of Spore

  • Product Review of Win the White House

  • Product Review of Beast Academy

  • Product Review of Represent Me!

  • Product Review of Argument Wars

  • Product Review of 3-D Slash

  • Product Review of Haiku Deck

  • Product Review of Team Umizoomi Math: Zoom into Numbers HD

  • Product Review of IWitness

Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Startups & BusinessesHigher EducationHigher Education EdTech
Home›Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech›The Dark Side of Edtech Purchasing

The Dark Side of Edtech Purchasing

By Matthew Lynch
April 5, 2018
8181
1
Spread the love

Many schools are heavily researching the need to purchase educational technology for their classrooms. Educators are mostly in agreement that some of these technological advancements can dramatically improve the quality of the education in their classrooms. Purchasing edtech is a major investment that needs to be considered from all angles prior to making an official decision. However, this major purchase could lead to some unscrupulous business practices.

Some schools are now discovering the dark side of the edtech world. Scandals are emerging that demonstrate how districts are accepting kickbacks and bribes in exchange for purchasing a particular product. The New York City Board of Education had a large indictment of six individuals who pocketed millions of dollars in kickbacks from purchasing computers for the local school district. Detroit Public Schools fell victim to a similar kickback scheme just a couple of years ago, resulting in millions of dollars spent in dishonest ways.

The number of schools and officials that buy into edtech for the handsome kickbacks, bribes, and other shady deals is staggering. It robs the school system of funds that could be better spent on other areas related to the students’ academics. In other cases, the administrators may not be purchasing the equipment or software that is truly in the best interest of the students. Teachers may end up having to use software that isn’t designed to match the curriculum solely because the administrator is receiving handsome funds from this business deal.

Edtech holds the power to transform education into a game to gain more money and more power. We must be extremely careful not to take the bait. Purchasing the edtech that meets the academic needs of the students and teachers should be the priority before the cost is even considered.

How can we ensure that our local school district isn’t going to give into the darker side of purchasing edtech?

Each school system needs a much stronger list of checks and balances to help hold administrators to a higher standard when making edtech purchases. You could require multiple people to sign off on each purchase, make checks directly to a specific company, and do random checks to ensure compliance with all of the rules.

However, we should really be checking to ensure that administrators are choosing the edtech that our schools need the most. When they present a plan to buy something specific, there should be a system of checks and balances in place to prove that it is a worthy expenditure of resources. Staff should be asking questions such as:

  • Do the teachers and students like it?
  • What type of impact is the program going to make in the classroom?
  • Who specifically is this program designed for?

The darker side of edtech purchasing could be minimized by greater controls on the entire process. Administrators should be held to a higher standard to prevent the district from paying for a program simply because the principal, superintendent, or other administrative official received a kickback or bribe. This is one area where we need to do better and provide greater accountability for our local schools and universities.

Previous Article

My Vision for the Future of Interactive ...

Next Article

How Artificial Intelligence is Already Transforming Education

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    8 Ways to Improve the EdTech Industry

    October 22, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher EducationHigher Education EdTech

    How to Create Interactive Stories with Google Forms

    July 10, 2018
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    How to Create Learning Technology That Actually Works

    April 14, 2018
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    What Education Leaders Look for in Edtech Product Validation

    January 3, 2018
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechGoogle Classroom

    Google Classroom in the School Library

    March 19, 2018
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Higher Education

    How to Simplify Resource Management in Higher Education

    March 28, 2022
    By Matthew Lynch

1 comment

  1. Getting Edtech and Educational Resources List Approval in Each State in the U.S. - The Tech Edvocate 26 August, 2019 at 05:12 Reply

    […] A pre-approval process has little to do with the quality of your edtech product. It’s all about school safety and protecting taxpayer resources. […]

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • Online Learning & eLearningProduct Reviews

    Product Review of Arc-en-Ciel

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechThe Hechinger Report

    Make a match: How some schools decide what education technology to buy

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    The Voice Assistant Device in Your Classroom

Search

Login & Registration

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Product Review of Proximity Learning

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 20, 2022
  • Product Review of Spore

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 20, 2022
  • Product Review of Win the White House

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 20, 2022
  • Product Review of Beast Academy

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 20, 2022
  • Product Review of Represent Me!

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 20, 2022
  • 20 Top Virtual Reality Apps that are Changing Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 11, 2017
  • 7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 4, 2017
  • Why Mobile Technology Enhances Instruction

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 14, 2016
  • 7 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 5, 2018
  • Digital Literacy is the Most Important Lifelong Learning Tool

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 30, 2017
  • 4 Ways EdTech Companies Can Involve Faculty in Research - WGU Labs | Advancing Innovation in ...
    on
    May 17, 2022

    25 Ways that EdTech Benefits Teachers and Students

    […] EdTech products can ...
  • What is a professional learning network? - What Type Degree
    on
    May 16, 2022

    What is a Personal Learning Network?

    […] What is a ...
  • Digital Branding is Key for Everyone In Education | Edtech Magazine
    on
    May 15, 2022

    Tips To Conduct A Gap Analysis For Your LMS Marketing Strategy

    […] How do you ...
  • 7 Ways to Approach Financial Decluttering in Your Life - Amida Wealth
    on
    May 15, 2022

    The Best External Hard Drives Of 2022: All The Best Options For Backing Up Your Device’s ...

    […] and updating your ...
  • Top 18 g suite for education là gì mới nhất năm 2022 - tophoidap
    on
    May 15, 2022

    What is G Suite for Education?

    […] https://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-is-g-suite-for-education/ […]

EdTech Policy & Reform

  • Adaptive LearningCurriculum & InstructionDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital Age TeachersEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformInstructional Technology

    Exploring New Ideas: Student-Driven Remote Learning

    Spread the loveRemote learning is taking its toll on our students. They miss the social side of school. Not seeing their classmates or teachers is leading to nervousness, anxiety, and ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & Reform

    Implementing Education Technology by Pursuing Technology Education

    Spread the loveTechnology is used for many great things in our world. It’s a powerful tool when used correctly. As such, this powerful tool can be used to transform learning.  ...
  • EdTech Policy & Reform

    How Much Bias Is Okay in Your School?

    Spread the loveThe algorithm has proven itself to be a handy tool when it comes to solving education problems. It’s also not without bias.  You may be wondering how some ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    Edtech Should Complement Good Pedagogy, Not Attempt to Replace It

    Spread the loveThe newest generation of edtech is downright amazing; it’s no wonder that various education stakeholders might be a little excited about its potential to transform education. However, edtech ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age

    Spread the loveWhen even the youngest children are spending the equivalent of a full work day looking at screens, it is perhaps no surprise that parents are wondering how to ...

EdTech Startups & Businesses

  • Digital LeadershipEdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of Collegix

    Spread the love This is a comprehensive ERP solution for colleges and universities that provides modular, totally integrated learners services, finance, HR, and advancement. Collegix provides online and offline workarounds ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of Discovery Education

    Spread the love Discovery Education is a big player in EdTech. The company has established itself as the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for ...
  • EdTech Startups & BusinessesProduct Reviews

    Product Review of AptaFund

    Spread the loveAptaFund is a business management software that provides essential functions to educational institutions, such as web access to educators, parents, and learners. It allows elementary schools and other educational ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Understanding the Fundamentals of a Sales Script in Your Customer Interaction Journey

    Spread the loveSales scripts are crucial to any business and can be the main difference in achieving the set targets. A well-written sales script that factors in customers from different ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyEdTech Startups & BusinessesTeachers

    Top 5 Things to Consider When Designing an LMS

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has changed many things in our world, and education is one of them. More students lean toward using online schooling. Therefore, learning management systems (LMS) are becoming ...

Digital Equity

  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyDigital EquityDigital Literacy

    Teaching Learners Digital Content Creation Skills

    Spread the loveContent curation is nothing new and has always been a coveted skill. It has been this way for hundreds of years — think of art galleries, museums, or ...
  • Digital & Mobile TechnologyDigital EquityEdTech & Innovation

    Promoting Online Access With Hotspots, Laptops, and Planning

    Spread the loveWhen becoming a leader in the field of education, it is important to consider equity. Some students may not have access to devices or the internet from their ...
  • Digital EquityDigital Leadership

    How Can You Assess the Tech Needs of Your Students Outside of School?

    Spread the loveToday, I received an email from the middle school principal in Los Angeles. She explained to me that the school that she ran was in one of the ...
  • Digital Equity

    It Is Time for the Edtech Industry to Stop Denying Its Equity and Race Problem

    Spread the loveThe EdTech industry is dominated by white employees, white leaders, and white entrepreneurs. If you doubt this statement, just attend an Edtech conference. Admittedly, educators and others don’t ...
  • Digital Equity

    How OER Can Help Overcome the Higher Education Equity Barrier

    Spread the loveThe cornerstone of the American dream is the ability to succeed in life regardless of one’s family of origin. And, for most people, that requires a college education. ...

EdTech Futures

  • Adaptive LearningAssistive TechnologyEdTech FuturesInstructional TechnologyTeachers

    Will AI Replace Teachers?

    Spread the loveThrough the years, robots have taken over many jobs. First, they replaced horses and wagons and horses and plows, then they started to replace people. A few examples ...
  • EdTech FuturesHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechUncategorized

    The Future of Higher Education Must Avoid Returning to the Past

    Spread the loveColleges and universities can make higher education safer, smarter, and more accessible through automation and collaboration technologies – if they commit to it. Author: John Hulen, Director of ...
  • EdTech FuturesOnline Learning & eLearning

    IT Trends To Watch As Higher Education Moves Into a New Decade

    Spread the loveEdtech couldn’t have hoped for a better launch into the new decade than the push the industry received from COVID-19. Even the most tech-resistant institutions and individuals have ...
  • EdTech Futures

    4 Emerging EdTech Trends in 2022

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has not only changed education as we know it, but it has forced education technology (EdTech) to up its game. EdTech has been crucial since the start of this ...
  • Adult EducationEdTech & InnovationEdTech FuturesEducation LeadershipEducational LeadershipHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechThe Future of Education

    Education Technology and the Future of Higher Ed Leadership

    Spread the loveEducation Technology (EdTech) has had a more significant impact on education than anyone expected. Now its effects are reaching into the field of higher education. In this article, ...

About Us

Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the PreK-12 and Higher Education EdTech sectors and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

We started this journey back in June 2016, and we plan to continue it for many more years to come. I hope that you will join us in this discussion of the past, present and future of EdTech and lend your own insight to the issues that are discussed.

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact Us

The Tech Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
[email protected]

Follow us

Copyright © 2022 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.