Working Your way out of an EdTech Mess
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Education Opinion

Working Your way out of an EdTech Mess

By Tom Vander Ark — January 04, 2016 4 min read
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Tom Vander Ark
Tom Vander Ark is an education advocate, adviser, and author of Getting Smart: How Personal Digital Learning is Changing the World. He is Founder and Executive Editor of Getting Smart and a partner in Learn Capital.

Last month I read a bunch of district EdTech plans from forward leaning schools and districts. While I appreciate their initiative, there were three common
problems with goals, change strategies, and infrastructure.

With more than a computer for every two students, the country is beyond the halfway point in the #ShiftToDigital, a historic
transition in how people learn. The problems I spotted are different than those faced five years ago reflecting a good deal of progress and some lessons
learned.

Following is a recap of some new problems each addressed with some quick tips and resources.

1. Lacking a narrative. Most plans were just not very inspiring; they lacked vision and a case for change. Plans should answer a basic question, why should
a student, teacher or parent choose this school (or district)?

Some plans talked about preparing “confident, resilient and successful global citizens” and about engaging learners and creating personal learning
pathways. But most goals were formulaic. For example, “4% increase per year in reading scores” (and they meant 4 percentage point increase per year). None
of the documents connected their plans to the purpose of education.

Quick tips:

For more, see:

2. Lacking a coherent change strategy. All of the plans improved student access to technology and discussed blended learning. However, most relied on
individual classroom change and didn’t really facilitate new learning sequences. They were blended classroom plans not blended school plans.

There are three problems with this organic bottom-up approach:


  • Personalized and competency-based learning are a team sport. If we really want students to have personalized learning experiences and individual
    learning trajectories, it requires teams of teachers working with a set of academic agreements supported by systems, schedules and structures.

  • Like students, teachers deserve blended, personalized, and competency-based learning.

  • Getting the most out of apps, platforms, and devices requires agreements among teacher teams.

The alternative to organic isn’t a top down plan crafted by a few “wise men,” it requires a identification and support for teacher leaders, informed school
supports, and processes that lead to sound collective decisions.

Quick tips from leading districts:

For more, see:

3. Reflected an EdTech mess. Five years ago most high schools had a few Windows labs and most districts were trying to figure out how to boost access.
Leaders like Mooresville phased in 1:1 access with $1000 Apple laptops
by dedicating about $250 per year. The iPad craze swept districts in 2012-13, all too often without a well developed plan.

Chromebooks were quietly introduced at FETC in January 2012. At $500 they cost half as much as
the cheapest Apple laptop. Two years later they were $200 and quickly became the device of choice for many districts.

To this rapid device evolution add a patchwork of grants, funding mechanisms, and state testing requirements. It left and EdTech mess in many districts.
Here are three examples from districts in the same region:


  • Abundant mix: The district has placed 7,000 iPads into the hands of every student and teacher in our district. There are 1100 virtual PCs for
    access by students, as well as over 400 laptops for our teachers. Our district has embraced a dual platform for our learning environment with
    virtual PCs in every K‐6 classroom and virtual labs in every school.

  • Scarce mix: 1500 old workstations plus 1600 mobile devices for 8000 students with a plan to be 1:1 in 40% of district classrooms in three years.

  • Crazy mix: Elementary school of 569 students has a few computers in each classroom, a computer lab and a laptop cart, and 156 iPads. Junior high of
    571 students has two Windows computer labs, a laptop cart, 30 iPads, and 37 Surface Pros. High school of 656 students has four windows computer
    labs, 29 Apple MacBooks, 300 iPads, and 185 Chromebooks.

And that’s just devices; add hundreds of user adopted applications and bring-your-own-device and you have super complicated environment to support.
Corporations wouldn’t tolerate this sort of tech mess but often have the ability to quickly change policies and make capital expenditures. EdLeaders that
inherit an tech mess don’t need to fix it overnight but they should make a plan to get all students in a rational high access environment within three
years.

Quick tips:


  • Inventory devices and applications in use. Help schools select a model and platform; shift devices to grades/locations that support model choices.

  • Encourage schools to work with networks. They can simplify choices
    (but may require philanthropic support to join).

  • Work in phases, build agreements and investments that move the school/district toward a 3 year goal of having every student in a coherent high
    access environment.

For more, see:

The opinions expressed in Vander Ark on Innovation are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.