Highlander Institute’s Director of Technology Integration, Shawn Rubin, recently penned an opinion article for EdSurge discussing the current disconnect that teachers are facing when they attend edtech centric conferences. Rubin believes that moving more purchasing power into the hands of the teacher could help bring more innovative and practical edtech products into more classrooms.
Excerpt: “Teachers show up at large, industry-driven conferences feeling more than a little like middle school students at their first dance. They want to be there so badly but they are completely confused as to how they fit in and what role they should adopt.
SXSWedu may be a distant memory, but the fallout is definitely something the edtech community needs to unpack. Even before the Twitter-sphere blew up at Bill Gates for not including enough teacher voice in his keynote address, it was felt among some teachers that this conference was not concerned with them aside from a few incredibly powerful Maker opportunities, project-based learning presentations, and tote bags.”
To read the full article, visit the EdSurge website: https://www.edsurge.com/n/2013-04-02-opinion-bridging-the-disconnect-between-teachers-and-the-edtech-industry
Further Reading: You can also read Gates Foundation Deputy Director of Education, Stacey Childress’ article relaying four concrete steps we can take to empower more teachers to use edtech in their classrooms.
