The Tech Shock podcast – EdTech: "Big Tech in a school uniform"?
"That is, I think, one of the big mistakes we made – when many countries rolled out iPads or laptops for everyone in a certain grade without sufficient professional development for teachers, without really having the content and the apps to work on these different devices. [...] it’s hard for parents to know how to support their children if schools aren’t entirely sure how to do it well either.”
The COVID-19 pandemic saw a major pivot to online learning and use of EdTech – which can refer to everything from eBooks and digital whiteboards to Google Classroom and virtual reality tech. As an industry, it's only gone from strength to strength in terms of scope, size and, ultimately, profitability.
But with the UK seeing more of a narrative form around the benefits of childhoods that are 'screen free' and, further abroad, countries like Sweden move back to 'traditional' methods of teaching, some parents and professionals alike are left questioning the impact of EdTech on children.
In this episode, Natalia Kucirkova, Professor of Early Childhood and Development at the University of Stavanger and Director of the International Centre for EdTech Impact, joins Vicki to help unpack use of EdTech in schools, including what 'good' or 'ethical' use of it might look like.