“Teaching With Tech”
Report by Christina J. Colclough for Education International. Published by Education International, Sept. 2020. ISBN 978-92-95120-04-4 available at https://issuu.com/educationinternational/docs/2020_ei_research_teachingwithtech_eng?fr=sNDk1ZjIzMjc3MDk
About the report
Written for the global trade union federation for teachers' unions across the world, Education International, this report sheds light on the digitalisation of education. Strikingly, teachers' training needs are poorly met, digital divides are growing leaving the already disadvantaged in even more precarious situations and teachers and their unions are not involved in the assessment of digital technologies.
EdTech is a fast growing industry - with all that that entails of a private-sector power grab into the sector. But where does this leave the human rights and privacy rights of educators and learners alike? Who has the responsibility to check whether these digital tools are exacerbating or bridging inequalities? Are they reaching out to rich areas or poor, urban environments or rural? Are educators with their wealth of knowledge, pedagogy and emotions involved in the assessment of these technologies and their impact on learners? Will educators’ jobs change? Become more intensified, demanding?
Digital technologies are not born evil. They are not born good either. It is up to those designing, deploying, and governing them to ensure they are put to a fair, inclusive use.
The survey conducted in June, July and August of 2020 sheds light on the challenges of digitalising education.