Most recent public comments by LaTonya Beach https://nowcomment.com/users/80277 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200875?scroll_to=1878987 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200875?scroll_to=1878987 #5. Think about unintended consequences "Research shows that technology use tends to benefit particular students over others – usually those who are already most advantaged (the so-called ‘Matthew Effect’)"(Selwyn, 2017). "The Matthew effect of accumulated advantage, Matthew principle, or Matthew effect for short, is sometimes summarized by the adage " the rich get richer and the poor get poorer " (Matthew Effect, 2020). This is an effect that is alive and well today. As helpful as ed tech is, it is not as accessible for those who really need it. Disadvantaged children are typically behind the curve, and now with this enlightenment, this idea just added salt to an open sore. For those that are not exposed to ed tech, the 'have nots', have no way to truly compete with the 'haves' in this arena. It saddens me. "The Matthew effect plays a role in today's educational system. Students around the United States participate in the SAT every year to then send those scores to the colleges to which they are applying. The distributor of the SAT, the College board, conducted a study based on the income earned by the families of the test takers. The results showed the Matthew effect is prevalent when it comes to a family's economic earnings: "Students from families earning more than $200,000 a year average a combined score of 1,714, while students from families earning under $20,000 a year average a combined score of 1,326."[16] Not only do students with a wealthier family score better, but statistics show that students with parents that have accomplished more in school perform better as well. A student with a parent with a graduate degree, for example, averages 300 points higher on their SAT compared to a student with a parent with only a high school degree" (Matthew Effect, 2020). Matthew Effect.(2020, March 25). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthew_effect&oldid=947248016 Thu, 14 May 2020 13:17:50 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200875?scroll_to=1878856 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200875?scroll_to=1878856 It has been taken for granted, mismanaged, and ethically concerning as a "magical" tool by the commercial industry and politicians alike. I agree with Selwyn and the comments noted below struck me with a "Wow" moment. I wasn't aware or it should have been considered and addressed earlier by the responsible parties involved, but hindsight is 20/20: Are the benefactors really benefiting? #2. Set appropriate expectations "Schools are complex ‘ecosystems’, where there are many confounding factors behind why something happens (or does not happen). Instead, it helps to set broad goals and exhortative targets that relate to appropriate areas of classroom practice. Digital technology might reasonably be expected to give students more convenient opportunities to access curriculum materials, but it would be foolhardy to expect technology to somehow ‘cause’ a 10-point grade improvement over a semester" (Selwyn, 2017). Disadvantaged students will continue to be or be more disadvantaged. #5. Think about unintended consequences "Research shows that technology use tends to benefit particular students over others – usually those who are already most advantaged (the so-called ‘Matthew Effect’). So, which students are likely to gain most from your use of technology, and who else might actually suffer? In the words of the media critic Neil Postman, the most important considerations are not questions of what technology will do, but questions of what technology will undo" (Selwyn, 2017). It has its flaws and these need to be addressed by all stakeholders. #6. Technology use is a collective concern Rather than one person pushing things through, technology works best when teachers work together – talking with each other and getting the whole school community on board in working out what to do. The days are of education technology being a personal passion project for just a few teachers are over. Developing technology use should be a collective responsibility for all staff, students and parents" (Selwyn, 2017) The "experts" are not forthcoming. #7. Beware of over-confident ‘experts’ Unfortunately, this is an area where no one can be completely certain of what will happen. As mentioned previously, every school is a locally specific context. What works in one school might not be applicable to another. It is nigh-on impossible for researchers to ‘prove’ that education technology leads to particular gains, improvements and outcomes. Anyone who is trying to tell you otherwise is either being cavalier with the facts, or else trying to sell you something" (Selwyn, 2017). Wed, 13 May 2020 22:36:41 -0400