Based on my Twitter feed, it looks like ISTE 2016 is up and running. The tweets are flying in, the keynotes are heating up, and the buzzwords are everywhere. While it was a great experience to attend ISTE last summer, it's just too far away and too expensive to go again. Also...it doesn't look like there's been much updates based on the some of posts I've been seeing. It seems that many of my former contemporaries (they still might be classroom teachers, I'm not sure) are now no longer presenting on ideas and practice, but working as "ambassadors" or "mentors" for specific companies to sell/advertise specific products. Whether it's Google apps, Touchcast, Edmodo, Kahoot, or any similar/new tool, there's tons and tons of corporations selling their "free" software, bribing teachers with "badges" and swap to hoc their wares. I don't think there's anything wrong with any of these tools...but is that really all their is? Still? Is that really all we can hope to become?
I came across an excellent article today by Gary Stager (here) which states that teachers/schools should stop looking for "free" software. While this might yield a fun new tool, what it really does is kill the marketplace for actual programs that might change/improve education. If the corporate/advertiser/data-stealing model is the only thing that's working, all we're ever going to be given as teachers is free, pop-up, dumbed-down, silly software designed to appeal to the masses. Software is just as valid (if not more s0) than pencils, pens, books, and desks...so schools should be willing, able, and eager to pay. Otherwise, we're going to "pay later" in a much different way. (Gary Stager is much more fluent on this topic, so please check out his article to get the full scoop).
I miss ISTE this year...but it also doesn't sound like I'm actually missing anything. Maybe next time...
I came across an excellent article today by Gary Stager (here) which states that teachers/schools should stop looking for "free" software. While this might yield a fun new tool, what it really does is kill the marketplace for actual programs that might change/improve education. If the corporate/advertiser/data-stealing model is the only thing that's working, all we're ever going to be given as teachers is free, pop-up, dumbed-down, silly software designed to appeal to the masses. Software is just as valid (if not more s0) than pencils, pens, books, and desks...so schools should be willing, able, and eager to pay. Otherwise, we're going to "pay later" in a much different way. (Gary Stager is much more fluent on this topic, so please check out his article to get the full scoop).
I miss ISTE this year...but it also doesn't sound like I'm actually missing anything. Maybe next time...
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