I remember when parents were told that kids needed to use calculators in the classroom because it was the newest technology.  Calculators were one of the worst ideas , and has contributed to the lack of math literacy  in America.  Students became dependent on calculators for basic math computation. Ever since then, there has been a push for more technology in the classroom.  They couldn’t be more wrong.

The ones pushing more technology in the classroom, look to profit off of sales from technology.  Don’t get me wrong new computer technology has done a great deal of good for America, but we also have to look at the downside too.  Where are the independent studies that show hand-held devices in a 5th grade classroom improves academic outcomes?  How many more teachers need to tell you that this kind of technology in the classroom does not help students learn?  Not only does it not help them learn, but that it can be a hindrance to learning too?

Bedford required Chromebooks for the students several years ago.  Parents are required to buy a Chromebook for their child with little or no explanation about the many problems that come with this technology.

Recently a data/technology expert shared this on her facebook page:
?Edtech sells devices, Chromebooks, online assessments to schools
?Edtech gives schools “free” online apps
?FBI warns of cyber security risks, harm associated with edtech collecting, profiling student data
?Edtech asks for money from fed government to fix
?Parents still don’t have consent over whether their children’s data are collected, shared, sold or profiled
https://www.ic3.gov/media/2018/180913.aspx

The FBI is warning parents about the dangers of technology used in the classroom.  Why aren’t the schools sharing this information with parents?

Parents who make a living off of technology in Silicon Valley, are rejecting schools that use technology in the classroom.  If school administrators and board members will not protect  children from potential harm then it’s up to parents to protect them.

Edmodo, a U.S. EdTech company was recently purchased by a Chinese firm.  That adds a whole new layer of concern when it comes to where you child’s personal data goes.

“Between the creation of a social rating system and street cameras with facial recognition capabilities, technology reports coming out of China have raised serious concerns for privacy advocates. These concerns are only heightened as Chinese investors turn their attention to the United States education technology space acquiring companies with millions of public school users.
A particularly notable deal this year centers on Edmodo, a cross between a social networking platform and a learning management system for schools that boasts having upwards of 90 million users. Net Dragon, a Chinese gaming company that is building a significant education division, bought Edmodo for a combination of cash and equity valued at $137.5 million earlier this month.”

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-04-24-what-happens-to-student-data-privacy-when-chinese-firms-acquire-u-s-edtech-companies

More and more people are starting to figure out that this profit-making endeavor for the technology industry, has some real negative consequences for children.  Instead of trying to keep up with the Jones’s, parents need to demand education reforms that have a proven track record of success.  The calculator is a useful tool, but not in a child’s classroom.

Ann Marie Banfield began volunteering as Cornerstone’s Education Liaison in 2009. As an education researcher and activist she took her decade long research on education to Concord to lobby on behalf of parental rights and literacy. Working with experts in education from across the country, she offers valuable insight into problems and successes in education. She holds a B.A. in Business Management from Franklin University in Columbus Ohio. Ann Marie and her husband have three children and reside in Hampton, NH.  Prior to that they lived in Bedford for 14 years.