9 EdTech Myths Busted – It Isn’t All About iPads, And No, Robots Won’t Steal Your Job
Tim Head puts your technofears to rest with this list of artificially intelligent falsehoods
- by Tim Head
You don’t need to blow your budget on the latest equipment, nor do you need to spend the summer swotting up to become the new Steve Jobs.
If you’re worried about what tech in schools means for you as a teacher, fear not, as Tim Head breaks down some widely held assumptions:
1. It makes you a better teacher
Sitting in a Formula One car won’t make you Lewis Hamilton. Buying a Fender Stratocaster won’t turn you into Jimi Hendrix. Edtech is nothing without pedagogy. Good teachers know how to make the best of any classroom resources, whether these are technology-related or not.
2. It’s just about iPads
Edtech involves any technological advance that aids a classroom task. You could argue that a pencil is edtech, compared to quills and ink wells.
3. You need the latest equipment
While having devices that can access the latest apps allows for enhanced functionality, there are always alternatives. While older devices may seem a bit slow or clunky, that doesn’t mean they have no use. I love giving EYFS pupils older devices to ‘experiment’ with. Manufacturers are very good at creating inbuilt obsolescence so that you buy their updated devices, but before you bin it, see if it can be repurposed for something else. For example, older iPads make good interactive photo frames and still have internet access.
4. You need to spend a fortune
There are expensive options out there when it comes to tablets and interactive whiteboards, but there are also a plethora of smaller companies who produce cheaper products. Think carefully before you buy. I advocate using a single type of device (it doesn’t matter which), rather than a mix-and-match approach.
5. You need to be an expert
It helps if you have a good idea of how to use your equipment, but everyone has to start somewhere. Find one thing that you can use and build up your skills from there. Remember, edtech is only useful if it assists your teaching.
6. It’s folly
I don’t use songs that much in my teaching because I am not comfortable singing in public, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see that they have a use for some people in the classroom. I never force anyone to use edtech they aren’t comfortable with, but I do demonstrate how I use it, so they can make their own mind up.
7. It’s for special occasions
I remember when the very first computers in classrooms were shrouded under a ceremonial cloth, ready to be unveiled for a ten minute session of Granny’s Garden in golden time. Good edtech should be seamless and viewed just like any other device in the classroom. My mantra is, ‘The right tool for the right job.’ iPads are not a replacement for pen and paper, but can complement them if used well.
8. It will replace teachers
Yes, edtech allows children to have a much more personalised learning experience, but I’m deeply sceptical that a computer can spot children’s misconceptions. Neither can it know each student as a person – their likes, dislikes and personal needs – in the same way a teacher does. Why does it need to be a binary choice?
9. Social media has no place in schools
Some schools remain deeply sceptical about social media. However, those who have embraced it have seen its benefit in terms of engaging parents. It also allows teachers to look at what other schools are doing and decide whether it is something they should adopt. Dissemination of ideas is now much faster than the traditional model of ideas filtering down from the DfE to the local authority then finally to schools.
Tim Head is a KS2 phase leader and computing co-ordinator. Find him at nominativedeterminism.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter at @mrheadcomputing.
