A most recent report estimated that the United States education system spends about 41 billion dollars per year on educational technology. Yes. That’s Billion with a B. I guess that could seem reasonable when you consider the high price to put a computer in the hands of every student I the country. I mean, our students need computers and they’ve got to keep up with their peers and the rest of the world during the ever-present and always-increasing technology race. But, do they really? And what’s the impact of all that expensive technology on learning? You see, that’s the real tough question that I don’t see anybody ever talking about. The consensus is that we need this tech and that it’s good for students, teachers, and learning. But I see no data to support that general belief. What I know is that educational achievement by any solid measure that we have is stagnant and has been for over 50 years. So I guess what I’m telling you is that someone has spent 41 billion dollars for no results.
The clear message from me to you is that teaching and learning are about teachers and students. Period. You can jazz up that experience in any techy way that you want but the two most vital components of the educational process and great teachers and terrific students. And any educational space can and does have both of those things. I believe that anything can be taught with a marker and a whiteboard. I truly believe that I could teach anyone anything with those two things. I’m not talking about the whiteboard that costs $5,000 and does some fancy things. I’m talking about the one that costs almost nothing and requires a marker that’s about 39 cents. We need to focus on humans if education is going to be what it needs to be for our teachers and students. Teaching and learning are about the amazing things that can happen in social situations when teachers and students come together for the common purpose of growth.
The next time you think about educational spending, remember that 41 billion dollar number. And remember that our true investment must be in people, not stuff. We must empower teachers to be the most powerful educational instrument that has ever been created, which they are. And we must inspire students to leave their screens and grow into the vibrant, energetic, and social beings that we are all called to be. I’ll continue to share my ideas on how all of this is possible in future posts.
Miles O'Shea 