Is ed tech dead?
Mike Crowley (International School of Brussels) was part of the throng at ISTE ’18, but what he saw caused him to declare the death of ed tech.
The particular feature that pushed him over the edge was Google Forms Locked Mode. This will only be available on school-managed chromebooks, but it does address one of the basic flaws of Google Forms. Google Forms was a great way to created a computer-operated quiz or test (perfect if you just don’t have the time to score a bunch of bubble tests, for some reason), but there was nothing to keep your students from opening another window and browsing the internet for answers.
Source: CURMUDGUCATION: Ed Tech’s Obituary
I think the context of how the Google Forms quiz is being used in the classroom needs to be known before complaining about this new feature. Whenever I use quizzes, I let the students use any resource (except another person). It allows me to test the student’s knowledge by asking questions that require thought and not just regurgitation of facts.
Can edtech be used poorly? Of course it can, especially when a teacher is starting out. But, one of technology’s goal in education should be to allow the student to think and create in ways that previously were impossible. A “bicycle for the mind” if you will:
