69传媒

Special Report
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center

Misguided Use of Ed Tech Is a Big Problem. How 69传媒 Can Help Prevent It

By Elizabeth Heubeck 鈥 March 27, 2023 4 min read
Cartoon style illustration of two arrows that missed the target on a laptop screen.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The nation鈥檚 K-12 education sector is heavily invested in educational technology. In 2020 alone, it spent $35.8 billion on technology, mainly to power the massive shift to online learning required during the height of the pandemic, according to data from the , a research institute.

Although the return to in-person learning did prompt declines in the use of some tools such as Zoom, school use of technology when most students and educators were back in classrooms remained significantly higher than it had been prior to the pandemic, according to EdWeek Research Center survey data. That was, in large part, because of the expansion of 1-to-1 computing programs when students were learning in full-time remote or hybrid instruction.

Despite the heavy financial investment and higher usage of technology in the nation鈥檚 K-12 schools, educators are not uniformly satisfied with it.

See Also

Wooden figures with comment clouds above their heads filled with 3 dots like an ellipsis.
iStock/Getty

To find out how K-12 educators feel about the use of technology for teaching and learning, the EdWeek Research Center in December 2022 polled a nationally representative sample of teachers, principals, and district leaders. The survey asked educators: 鈥淲hat is the worst or most misguided use of educational technology you have experienced during your career in K-12 education?鈥

The most common responses were illuminating, given what schools had been through over the past few years. Topping the list was reliance on ed tech or virtual learning to replace teachers/traditional instruction. That was clearly a response to all the remote or hybrid instruction during the big stretch of the pandemic. (See chart below for the other most common responses.)

The most common responses inevitably point to a big-picture problem with the use of educational technology: It is now far more accepted than ever before, but its use is often inappropriate and/or ineffective.

In some ways over the past few years, educators have adjusted their perspectives about technology. For example, in a nationally representative survey of teachers and district leaders in spring 2020, the EdWeek Research Center sought educators鈥 opinions on 1-to-1 computing programs (one device per student, provided by schools). An overwhelming 73 percent of survey respondents agreed with this statement posed by the survey: 鈥淲hen schools reopen, students鈥 increased levels of access to 1-to-1 computing will make high-quality teaching and learning easier.鈥

Even so, there are plenty of critics of 1-to-1 computing these days. For instance, in the open-ended question in the EdWeek Research Center survey about the most misguided uses of technology, nearly 1 of every 5 educators cited giving students devices or using them ineffectively.

That frustration could be influenced by the lack of alignment many ed-tech tools have with schools鈥 top priorities. For example, only about a quarter of the 100 most-used ed-tech tools in classrooms meet Every Student Succeeds Act requirements, according to a new report from , an education technology company that helps districts measure the use and effectiveness of their digital products.

Of course, the reality is that educational technology is now baked into K-12 teaching and learning, despite educators鈥 frustrations with it. But bad and misguided uses of it should be addressed head-on.

How to Make the Most of Ed Tech

  • Appoint an administrator who can assess the educational value of ed-tech tools, not just someone who knows how the technology works.
  • Develop a strategic plan for ed-tech usage within a school district (as opposed to 鈥渙ne-off鈥 purchases) that emphasizes its top teaching and learning priorities.
  • Consider whether the educational technology will facilitate students actively engaging in learning and create instructional opportunities that would not exist without the technology.
  • Clarify expectations for the use of ed tech when introducing it to students, including clear guidance on what is considered inappropriate use of the technology.
  • Include focused professional development as part of adopting new tech products or services, including ongoing support and training.

SOURCES: Annamaria Schrimpf, president, Massachusetts Educational Technology Administrators Association; and Education Week reporting

Ed-tech experts outline advice for how to make digital learning work better

Education Week turned to two ed-tech experts for input on how schools can avoid inappropriate and/or ineffective use of technology for teaching and learning. Here is what they had to say:

Annamaria Schrimpf has held positions related to ed tech for over a quarter century. Currently, she serves as the president of the Massachusetts Educational Technology Administrators Association and the director of educational technology and digital learning at the Shawsheen Valley Career and Technical Regional school district.

When asked about how schools should implement technology thoughtfully into K-12 learning, Schrimpf said it is vital to have someone in a leadership position who is an educator first and a skilled technologist second. That way, they always put teaching and learning first but also understand how technology can help. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really about leadership,鈥 she said. 鈥淗aving a key administrator who can guide conversations [about the use of ed tech] forward is imperative.鈥

While it鈥檚 essential to hire a chief technology officer who knows how to maintain technology and troubleshoot related technical problems, that same leader may not have the educator skills or experience to assess the effectiveness of specific ed-tech platforms. School districts need to identify the person who can operate comfortably in both worlds鈥攊n some cases, that can be the chief academic officer or a curriculum director.

Christine Elgersma, the senior editor of learning content strategy for Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that evaluates the effectiveness of educational technologies, stresses the importance of using ed tech intentionally. 鈥淭here are definitely websites and [ed-tech] games that are getting misused as ways to keep kids occupied,鈥 she said. (One of the most misguided uses of tech cited in the EdWeek Research Center survey was using technology as a 鈥渂abysitter.鈥)

Elgersma recommends that educators ask specific questions before purchasing or adopting ed tech, such as:

  • Why are we using technology at this moment and for this purpose?
  • Is it engaging higher-order thinking skills or allowing for greater participation?
  • What will a child get out of this experience?
  • Was this technology developed with kids鈥 learning in mind?

education week logo subbrand logo RC RGB

Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center鈥檚 work.

A version of this article appeared in the April 05, 2023 edition of Education Week as Misguided Use of Ed Tech Is a Big Problem. How 69传媒 Can Help Prevent It

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Classroom Technology Opinion Has Technology Been Bad for 69传媒 and Learning?
Education technology is supposed to build knowledge. We need to wrestle with the possibility that it might not.
7 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Classroom Technology Opinion Why School Cellphone Bans Are a Bad Idea
We cannot ignore the powerful relationship between students and their phones鈥攁nd what they mean for equity in our most challenged schools.
Brandon Cardet-Hernandez
4 min read
Trendy halftone collage. Hand holding and using cell phone.
Natalya Kosarevich/iStock
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center How Strict Are School Cellphone Policies?
New survey data show that schools are trying a variety of approaches to curb students鈥 cellphone use.
2 min read
Young student using on smartphone in classroom
Leonardo Patrizi/iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center How 69传媒 Are Dodging Cellphone Restrictions
69传媒鈥 efforts to restrict cellphone use have set up a battle of wits between teachers and students.
1 min read
A ninth grader places her cellphone in to a phone holder as she enters class at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
A 9th grader places her cellphone into a holder as she enters class at Delta High School in Delta, Utah, in February. The rural school has a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class.
Rick Bowmer/AP