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
  • Examining the Sources of Bias in Education

  • Accommodations for Dysgraphia

  • Product Review of TallySpace

  • Product Review of Talking Points for Parents and Talking Points for Teachers

  • Product Review of Talking Calculator

  • Product Review of TADS Financial Aid Assessment

  • Product Review of TADS Admissions & Enrollment

  • Product Review of Tad Tuition Management

  • Product Review of Tabschool

  • Product Review of Tableau Software

Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTech
Home›Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech›The Harsh Criticism that Edtech Needs to Hear

The Harsh Criticism that Edtech Needs to Hear

By Matthew Lynch
April 4, 2018
9049
1
Spread the love

If you attended elementary school in the 1970s or 1980s, you probably had open classrooms. This meant that there were no walls—except for the chalkboards and cabinets that teachers shoved into position to define the space. The idea was that it would make it easier for teachers to collaborate, although this rarely actually happened. But it meant you could hear pretty much everything that was said in every class around you. It was distracting—and educationally useless. In other words, it was yet another in the long line of well-intentioned but pointless educational trends that had its heyday and then was consigned to the footnotes of history.

In a day when a new tool and app that promises to revolutionize education completely comes along on an almost-daily basis, it can be hard to see past the hype and remember that most educational trends last about as long—and have about as much effect on the wider society—as most fashion trends. There is no solid, empirical reason to believe that this is no longer the case now that students have their own devices.

Rather, emerging educational technology has several significant drawbacks that educators and thought leaders need to understand. As already mentioned, the history of educational trends and educational technology does not suggest that most experiments will work well. Rather, once the wheat is separated from the chaff, we are likely to find that only a few ed tech options have real benefits and thus real staying power.

Second, it’s time to think about opportunity costs. A child who spends twenty minutes selecting fonts and colors for a presentation is not engaging in critical thinking, collaborative learning, or any of the other twenty-first century skills that educators are so intent on developing. Rather, they are just wasting instructional time.

It’s also well past time to think about the opportunity costs of new technology. Even the simplest app or tool requires some professional development, some troubleshooting, and some tech support. All of those resources are finite—in most schools, they are in fact constrained. An edtech tool might be free, but if the staff costs are high, it is no bargain at all.

Finally, educators would do well to remember that technology immersion shapes the brain. They need to be careful that videos and interactives don’t crowd out reading, a skill essential to every child’s future.

In short, it’s time to count the costs of ed tech.

Previous Article

Does Edtech Reduce the Cost of Teaching ...

Next Article

Is Edtech Fueling Anti-Intellectualism?

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education

    Find the Ideal CTO for Your School

    May 13, 2020
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTech

    How a Chatbot Can Help Your School or University

    August 5, 2019
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEducational LeadershipTeachers

    How Edtech will Change School Culture

    May 23, 2019
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Futures

    Why Coding Should Be a Compulsory Subject for Students

    March 21, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Digital LeadershipEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTech

    Careful Tech Vetting Process Key To Safeguarding Student Data

    February 27, 2020
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Higher EducationHigher Education EdTechOnline Learning & eLearning

    5 Edtech Trends That Are Transforming Elearning

    March 14, 2018
    By Matthew Lynch

1 comment

  1. Howard A. Doughty 5 June, 2018 at 13:07 Reply

    Of course – although there are many deeper, broader and harsher criticisms to be made.

    “Technologically mediated education is a weapon of corporate capitalism intended to make us all stupid – all the while nattering on about “critical thinking” that isn’t much about thinking and certainly isn’t critical.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • FeaturedFreshHigher Education

    Why MOOC’s Never Quite Lived up to Their Hype

  • Product ReviewsSchool Leadership

    Product Review of Safe Schools

  • Google ClassroomGoogle Classroom Tips

    How Does Google Classroom Manage Student Data and Privacy?

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

  • Examining the Sources of Bias in Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 29, 2022
  • Accommodations for Dysgraphia

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 29, 2022
  • Product Review of TallySpace

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 28, 2022
  • Product Review of Talking Points for Parents and Talking Points for Teachers

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 28, 2022
  • Product Review of Talking Calculator

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 28, 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
  • Debate Topics for High School Students – The Tech Edvocate – My Blog
    on
    May 28, 2022

    Debate Topics for High School Students

    […] source […]
  • What are the best school apps? - What Type Degree
    on
    May 27, 2022

    13 of the Best Apps for High School Students

    […] 13 of the ...
  • Ahmad Jnab
    on
    May 27, 2022

    Contact Us

    What is the (Home ...
  • 5 Reasons Why an MBA can Boost Your Career - Appeio
    on
    May 26, 2022

    How Distance Learning Fosters Global Collaboration

    […] and distance learning ...
  • 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 ...

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.