EdTech Transparency

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of factors have influenced educational technology adoption over the last two decades. Your complaints aren’t going to overcome most of these factors.

Curriculum is dictated by state standards, and a lot of states have had some version of “21st century skills” that are tied to technology use across the curriculum. These skills can range from keyboarding, to evaluating the validity of online sources, to learning programming languages.

Another driving factor is book publishing. Increasingly, textbooks are available only as interactive PDFs. Whereas schools used to hang onto hard-cover books for 15 years or more, now they must re-license them every school year. Also, school libraries are understaffed and under resourced in many districts, so teachers rely on online resources for research projects.

Accommodating learning differences is another significant driver of ed tech. As one example, offering speech-to-text and typing options can be helpful to children with fine motor challenges and language-based learning disabilities that affect spelling. Schools also rely heavily on audiobook programs like Learning Ally to help children with dyslexia and reading comprehension challenges access grade-level curriculum. There’s also the issue of differentiation. Teachers are expected to provide engaging, accessible lessons to the entire class. Even in private schools where I have taught, ability ranges in classrooms are broad with some children placing below the 10th percentile on standardized tests, while others place at the 99th percentile. As long ago as 2010, I had an administrator tell me “Just put kids on Khan Academy” when I asked him/her how to best accommodate middle school children whose math skills were so weak they didn’t know their addition or multiplication facts. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to use effective direct instruction and help my students. I did have a real time management issue, however, as I tried to prepare kids for pre-algebra and remediate third-grade skills inside of a 45-minute class period with no support from aids or learning specialists.

We’ve had decades of parent complaints about students inattentive students who refuse to use plan books not knowing the homework and parents not having access to grades. Schools have turned to off-the-shelf software, like Google Classroom and Schoology, to solve these issues. For equity schools then issue devices so that families have access to the online information.

No parent complaint about ed tech is going to do away with the factors that influence teacher and administrator reliance on that technology. Nor are individual public schools in charge of contract negotiations and purchasing decisions. If you have an example of a specific harm from technology, raise it with your school board or private school head. If they hear enough feedback, they may take steps to mitigate the more harmful aspects. But if you think you can complain to the point where your school won’t use laptops or Web-based software any longer, that’s an unreasonable expectation.

....and this resigned attitude is how we'll end up with AI schools as the public school experience

+1

Schools are already using it! We toured more than one elementary school that used AI for kids that needed extra support in reading and math. They literally got pulled from class, put on a small room with headphones and their AI program, and done. Schools LOVE EdTech. Parents complaining isn’t going to move the needle. It will take a mass exodus of kids from public school, especially the kids who have parents with means/time to supplement with them to make up for the school’s inferior job (and artificially boost the school’s test scores).

[Anonymous]

Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

That’s why we had free public education. So the kids that don’t have amazing parents capable or willing to spend time teaching them, reading to them, etc. can receive an education that will set them up to he productive members of society. Schools are failing at their mission

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

But this doesn’t matter. The apps aren’t good for any of the kids. They aren’t an effective learning tool, period. The declining numbers don’t lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

My kid has a lot of trouble letting go of screens at home. We don't use a tablet because she couldn't handle it being taken away. We aren't totally screen free - we watch TV and movies - but we definitely limit screens. Have you considered not using screens on a daily or weekly basis in your classroom? If you think they are so harmful, why are you using them so often that you think you can tell what is going on in these kids' homes based on how they interact with screens at school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

My kid has a lot of trouble letting go of screens at home. We don't use a tablet because she couldn't handle it being taken away. We aren't totally screen free - we watch TV and movies - but we definitely limit screens. Have you considered not using screens on a daily or weekly basis in your classroom? If you think they are so harmful, why are you using them so often that you think you can tell what is going on in these kids' homes based on how they interact with screens at school?

We don’t use them that often honestly. But your child should be able to take a multiple choice quiz on reading comp or math fluency without losing their mind when they need to put the computer away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

My kid has a lot of trouble letting go of screens at home. We don't use a tablet because she couldn't handle it being taken away. We aren't totally screen free - we watch TV and movies - but we definitely limit screens. Have you considered not using screens on a daily or weekly basis in your classroom? If you think they are so harmful, why are you using them so often that you think you can tell what is going on in these kids' homes based on how they interact with screens at school?

We don’t use them that often honestly. But your child should be able to take a multiple choice quiz on reading comp or math fluency without losing their mind when they need to put the computer away.

It sounds like you use them more often than on state mandated test days. Why is that?

These are addictive devices and different people handle addictive things differently. That is why some people are more susceptible to drug addiction. Should we start serving alcohol to students in school and assuming those that develop alcohol dependence are being served alcohol at home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

My kid has a lot of trouble letting go of screens at home. We don't use a tablet because she couldn't handle it being taken away. We aren't totally screen free - we watch TV and movies - but we definitely limit screens. Have you considered not using screens on a daily or weekly basis in your classroom? If you think they are so harmful, why are you using them so often that you think you can tell what is going on in these kids' homes based on how they interact with screens at school?

We don’t use them that often honestly. But your child should be able to take a multiple choice quiz on reading comp or math fluency without losing their mind when they need to put the computer away.

It sounds like you use them more often than on state mandated test days. Why is that?

These are addictive devices and different people handle addictive things differently. That is why some people are more susceptible to drug addiction. Should we start serving alcohol to students in school and assuming those that develop alcohol dependence are being served alcohol at home?

You are welcome to become a teacher if you think you can do it better. We are always hiring.

But yes in my grade (3rd) at our school we use them for multiple choice assessments and class projects that involve research and creating presentation slides or typing an essay. I feel zero guilt about any of these uses.

You are free to homeschool and use chalk and slate if you wish.

[Anonymous]

45 minutes daily in my kid’s class. Ridiculous. I refuse to do any homework involving apps and have my kid complete alternate assignments I got from a reading specialist, math workbooks, or may her read two chapters of a book and write a summary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

My kid has a lot of trouble letting go of screens at home. We don't use a tablet because she couldn't handle it being taken away. We aren't totally screen free - we watch TV and movies - but we definitely limit screens. Have you considered not using screens on a daily or weekly basis in your classroom? If you think they are so harmful, why are you using them so often that you think you can tell what is going on in these kids' homes based on how they interact with screens at school?

We don’t use them that often honestly. But your child should be able to take a multiple choice quiz on reading comp or math fluency without losing their mind when they need to put the computer away.

It sounds like you use them more often than on state mandated test days. Why is that?

These are addictive devices and different people handle addictive things differently. That is why some people are more susceptible to drug addiction. Should we start serving alcohol to students in school and assuming those that develop alcohol dependence are being served alcohol at home?

You are welcome to become a teacher if you think you can do it better. We are always hiring.

But yes in my grade (3rd) at our school we use them for multiple choice assessments and class projects that involve research and creating presentation slides or typing an essay. I feel zero guilt about any of these uses.

You are free to homeschool and use chalk and slate if you wish.

Kids shouldn’t be doing tests and assignments on the computer at all- exception would be standardized tests. But otherwise, why are they using them? Serious question. The only “benefit” is perhaps it’s easier for the teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

My kid has a lot of trouble letting go of screens at home. We don't use a tablet because she couldn't handle it being taken away. We aren't totally screen free - we watch TV and movies - but we definitely limit screens. Have you considered not using screens on a daily or weekly basis in your classroom? If you think they are so harmful, why are you using them so often that you think you can tell what is going on in these kids' homes based on how they interact with screens at school?

We don’t use them that often honestly. But your child should be able to take a multiple choice quiz on reading comp or math fluency without losing their mind when they need to put the computer away.

It sounds like you use them more often than on state mandated test days. Why is that?

These are addictive devices and different people handle addictive things differently. That is why some people are more susceptible to drug addiction. Should we start serving alcohol to students in school and assuming those that develop alcohol dependence are being served alcohol at home?

You are welcome to become a teacher if you think you can do it better. We are always hiring.

But yes in my grade (3rd) at our school we use them for multiple choice assessments and class projects that involve research and creating presentation slides or typing an essay. I feel zero guilt about any of these uses.

You are free to homeschool and use chalk and slate if you wish.

How many years did your school system spend "teaching reading" by telling kids to use the pictures to guess words? That changed because of parent advocacy pushing back on gaslighting from school systems. The notion that parents should never ever speak out when they see problems with public education is a ridiculous and self-serving argument intended to make things easier for school admin and staff with zero regard for kids. I fully admit I could be a terrible teacher. I assure you that you would be horrifically bad at my job , which is also important, but if you identified a problem with my work and how it impacted you I would absolutely take it seriously because I am not as insecure as you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

My kid has a lot of trouble letting go of screens at home. We don't use a tablet because she couldn't handle it being taken away. We aren't totally screen free - we watch TV and movies - but we definitely limit screens. Have you considered not using screens on a daily or weekly basis in your classroom? If you think they are so harmful, why are you using them so often that you think you can tell what is going on in these kids' homes based on how they interact with screens at school?

We don’t use them that often honestly. But your child should be able to take a multiple choice quiz on reading comp or math fluency without losing their mind when they need to put the computer away.

It sounds like you use them more often than on state mandated test days. Why is that?

These are addictive devices and different people handle addictive things differently. That is why some people are more susceptible to drug addiction. Should we start serving alcohol to students in school and assuming those that develop alcohol dependence are being served alcohol at home?

You are welcome to become a teacher if you think you can do it better. We are always hiring.

But yes in my grade (3rd) at our school we use them for multiple choice assessments and class projects that involve research and creating presentation slides or typing an essay. I feel zero guilt about any of these uses.

You are free to homeschool and use chalk and slate if you wish.

How many years did your school system spend "teaching reading" by telling kids to use the pictures to guess words? That changed because of parent advocacy pushing back on gaslighting from school systems. The notion that parents should never ever speak out when they see problems with public education is a ridiculous and self-serving argument intended to make things easier for school admin and staff with zero regard for kids. I fully admit I could be a terrible teacher. I assure you that you would be horrifically bad at my job , which is also important, but if you identified a problem with my work and how it impacted you I would absolutely take it seriously because I am not as insecure as you are.

I’m not insecure at all. But I’m just a peon and I’m not paid nearly enough to fight the system.

And as I stated in my original comment, most parents don’t feel the way that you do and they put their kids on screens way more than I do. We don’t give homework (screen or otherwise) and parents can request the Chromebooks be left here. They almost never do. I also rarely get comments or questions about screen time and the kids tell me all about the stuff they do on screens at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don’t care anyway. They send the kids off the kindergarten already screen addicted. At my school we can tell starting in K who has a screen addiction and who has limited to no screen time.

Because of how difficult it is to tear them away from the addictive devices you are exposing them to?

It might surprise you that many students put away their Chromebooks easily when told and don’t try to sneak on them when they aren’t supposed to or use apps they weren’t told to use. Then they are the ones who have clearly been screen-babysat since birth. And they are the ones who don’t have enough sustained focus to read a book for 15 minutes independently. That’s on you.

My kid has a lot of trouble letting go of screens at home. We don't use a tablet because she couldn't handle it being taken away. We aren't totally screen free - we watch TV and movies - but we definitely limit screens. Have you considered not using screens on a daily or weekly basis in your classroom? If you think they are so harmful, why are you using them so often that you think you can tell what is going on in these kids' homes based on how they interact with screens at school?

We don’t use them that often honestly. But your child should be able to take a multiple choice quiz on reading comp or math fluency without losing their mind when they need to put the computer away.

It sounds like you use them more often than on state mandated test days. Why is that?

These are addictive devices and different people handle addictive things differently. That is why some people are more susceptible to drug addiction. Should we start serving alcohol to students in school and assuming those that develop alcohol dependence are being served alcohol at home?

You are welcome to become a teacher if you think you can do it better. We are always hiring.

But yes in my grade (3rd) at our school we use them for multiple choice assessments and class projects that involve research and creating presentation slides or typing an essay. I feel zero guilt about any of these uses.

You are free to homeschool and use chalk and slate if you wish.

How many years did your school system spend "teaching reading" by telling kids to use the pictures to guess words? That changed because of parent advocacy pushing back on gaslighting from school systems. The notion that parents should never ever speak out when they see problems with public education is a ridiculous and self-serving argument intended to make things easier for school admin and staff with zero regard for kids. I fully admit I could be a terrible teacher. I assure you that you would be horrifically bad at my job , which is also important, but if you identified a problem with my work and how it impacted you I would absolutely take it seriously because I am not as insecure as you are.

I’m not insecure at all. But I’m just a peon and I’m not paid nearly enough to fight the system.

And as I stated in my original comment, most parents don’t feel the way that you do and they put their kids on screens way more than I do. We don’t give homework (screen or otherwise) and parents can request the Chromebooks be left here. They almost never do. I also rarely get comments or questions about screen time and the kids tell me all about the stuff they do on screens at home.

Yeah, screens are addictive for everyone, for parents kids and yes teachers. If you really thought they were so harmful for kids you wouldn't expose kids to them in your classroom. Instead you justify harming ALL of your students while you are getting paid to teach them on the basis that some of their parents let them use screens a little too much. Guess what, 3 decades ago kids watched a LOT of TV at home but in schools teachers had to wheel in a TV and get a video cassette to show videos and that means that kids got a better education than they do today.