Data-Driven or Dystopian? How Schools Can Avoid Choosing the Wrong Technology

Technology has the power to either personalize or depersonalize education.

For context, I have worked with around 100 schools over the past 3 years to help implement technology systems to improve the education experience in the classroom. However, the fact is that more technology doesn’t necessarily equate to better learning outcomes. Unless technology is deployed with careful forethought and precision, it could have negative effects.

The goal of technology in the classroom should be to equip students with the resources to learn.

Unfortunately, this is not the goal of every business in the education technology space.

Systems of Extraction & Systems of Coercion

Two malevolent forms of technology have seeped into the education system.

These technologies are systems of extraction and systems of coercion.

Systems of extraction are ‘rent-seeking’ applications which hold data hostage until they have wrung out every drop of money they possibly can. Instead of giving students and educators uninhibited access to their data, systems of extraction make it difficult and expensive to own, export, and access data.