As many of us have witnessed, discussion about edtech companies and their relationships with teachers has heated up across the country. Although this issue has been around for a while now, it has recently come to the forefront in many school communities following a New York Times article published a few weeks ago that took a particular stance on the issue.
Over the past few weeks, I have spent some time researching the issue from multiple angles. I quickly discovered how nuanced of an issue this is and how these discussions go well beyond the scope of any one particular "ambassador" program.
As someone who is a stakeholder in these conversations on multiple fronts (including parent of a first grader), I will need some more time to wrap my head around the issue and have further discussion with various members of my PLN. A post including where I stand on this is in the works, just not quite ready to put out there until I hear more perspectives on the issue first hand.
If interested in looking into this issue further, below is a curation of articles and blog posts that I believe represent a range of views on the topic from some of the key voices in the educational technology space.
Silicon Valley Courts Brand-Name Teachers, Raising Ethics Issues [New York Times, 2 Sept 2017]
- This is the article that kicked off the most recent debate on the issue.
Responding to Ethics Concerns About EdTech [Sean Arnold, 2 Sept 2017]
- This is essentially an educator's rebuttal of the NYT article.
The Dilemma of Entrepreneurial Teachers with Brand Names [Larry Cuban, 5 Sept 2017]
- Larry Cuban of Stanford has been an influential writer / researcher in the educational technology space for decades.
Other thoughtful responses and viewpoints on the issue:
Edtech Influencers and the Exploitation of Teacher Voice [Rafranz Davis, 4 Sept 2017]
My Response to Natasha Singer’s New York Times Article [John Bimmerle, 2 Sept 2017]
Inequality, 'Brand Ambassadors,' and the Business of Selling (to) Classrooms [Audrey Watters, 6 Sept 2017]
Some Thoughts on the “Edupreuner” #EdChat [Nicholas Provenzano, 2 Sept 2017]
Open Letter to Ambassadors [Book Creator Blog, 11 Sept 2017]