The article discusses the challenges and opportunities in using technology to reduce the achievement gap in education, particularly in the K-12 sector. Here are some key points:
- Measuring success: The article highlights the difficulty of measuring the impact of educational technology products on student outcomes. To address this challenge, InnovateNYC is working with Johns Hopkins University to develop a better way to measure the efficacy of new technology in the classroom.
- Reducing the achievement gap: The article notes that students of color now form the majority in US schools, and that reducing the achievement gap is a critical priority. Companies like Kinvolved are developing solutions that target disadvantaged backgrounds and aim to improve attendance and student outcomes.
- System change: The article emphasizes that changing the system will not happen quickly, but it’s essential for achieving significant progress in education technology adoption. This requires system-wide changes, such as adopting new technologies across entire districts or cities.
- The role of technology: While technology is seen as an accelerant, rather than a silver bullet, it can be a powerful tool to support teachers and students. However, its effectiveness depends on careful implementation and evaluation.
- Challenges ahead: The article notes that there are still significant obstacles to overcome, including politics, money, and lack of standardization in measuring success.
Some potential takeaways from the article:
- Educational technology companies should focus on developing solutions that can be scaled up and adopted across entire districts or cities.
- There is a need for better evaluation methods to measure the impact of educational technology products on student outcomes.
- System-wide changes are necessary to achieve significant progress in education technology adoption.
- Technology can be an effective tool to support teachers and students, but its implementation should be carefully planned and evaluated.
Overall, the article provides a nuanced view of the challenges and opportunities in using technology to reduce the achievement gap in education. It highlights the need for careful planning, evaluation, and system-wide changes to achieve significant progress.
