Why Technology Can't Fix Education | Mary Jo Madda | TEDxChicago

Summary

The speaker, an education journalist, critiques the Silicon Valley narrative that technology alone can revolutionize education. She shares experiences, including a failed experiment where students used devices 90% of the time, leading to poor academic outcomes. Contrasting this, she highlights successful integration of tech in the classroom, emphasizing the crucial role of teachers. The speaker advocates for a balanced approach, combining technology with human interaction, to create optimal learning environments.

Takeaways

• 🍎 The speaker compares the appearance of an apple to the perception of the American public education system, suggesting that appearances can be deceiving when it comes to educational outcomes.
• 📊 American students' performance is evaluated against 71 other countries, indicating a global context for educational standards and achievements.
• 📰 Journalists often focus on teachers as the root cause for educational shortcomings, with headlines like 'rotten apples' and 'crackdown on lazy teachers'.
• 👩‍🏫 The speaker's personal experience as a math and science teacher highlights the existence of excellent teaching practices that are not always recognized.
• 💡 A shift in narrative is observed in Silicon Valley, where technology is seen as the solution to educational challenges, with a belief in the potential of AI and digital tools.
• 🏫 The case of USC hybrid high school in Southern California exemplifies the challenges of implementing technology-heavy educational models, with initial outcomes showing more credit deficiencies among students.
• 📱 The Los Angeles Unified School District's iPad initiative is cited as a cautionary tale, where a lack of teacher input and professional development led to its failure.
• 💼 The speaker's move to Google reflects a personal belief in technology's potential, but also a recognition that it is not a panacea for all educational issues.
• 👨‍🏫 The importance of the teacher factor is emphasized, with teachers being key in asking critical questions and building relationships that technology cannot replicate.
• 🎓 A successful turnaround at the USC hybrid high school is attributed to increased teacher involvement and financial support for educational tools, leading to a 100% graduation and college acceptance rate.
• ❓ The speaker concludes with a call to action, prompting the audience to consider how to best balance technology and human interaction in educational settings.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speaker's talk?

The main theme of the speaker's talk is the relationship between technology and education, specifically questioning whether technology can solve all the problems in the education system.

Why did the speaker choose to focus on Silicon Valley for her education journalism?

The speaker chose to focus on Silicon Valley because it presented a new narrative where technology was seen as the solution to all educational problems, which she wanted to explore.

What was the outcome of the USC hybrid high college prep experiment mentioned in the script?

By the end of the freshman year, 50 percent of the incoming freshman class at USC hybrid high college prep was credit deficient, meaning they were worse off than when they started.

What was the issue with the iPad initiative by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)?

The issue with LAUSD's iPad initiative was that it lacked teacher input in decision-making and provided minimal professional development for teachers on how to incorporate devices into the classroom.

How did Ricardo Elizalde, a public school teacher, use technology to help his students?

Ricardo Elizalde used technology by creating a student project that involved Macs and iMovie to help his students create animated digital shorts, which they dubbed with the English they had learned, boosting their confidence.

What changes were made at the charter school system in Los Angeles that improved the students' performance?

The charter school system brought in a new leader from Chicago who emphasized more consistent teacher-student interaction in the classroom and provided each teacher with $3,000 to spend on technology or software of their choice.

What was the final outcome for the first freshman class at the charter school system after the changes were implemented?

After the changes, 100% of the first freshman class graduated and were accepted into four-year colleges and universities.

What was the speaker's observation about the job posting for an executive director of personalized learning in Chicago Public Schools?

The speaker noted that while over a thousand positions were eliminated from Chicago Public Schools, a high-paying position for an executive director of personalized learning was posted, which was to bring technology into the system.

What is the 'triangular relationship' the speaker supports in education?

The 'triangular relationship' the speaker supports involves the student, the technology, and the teacher, where all three work together for effective learning.

What is the crucial question the speaker wants the audience to consider?

The speaker wants the audience to consider how to balance the utility of technology with the beauty of human nature to create the best learning environments for students.