Thursday, June 20, 2013

The Technology Industry has Utterly Failed Schools

Hillel Aron:

Not only did the iPad receive the highest rating, it was also the cheapest of any device, at $678 per unit – which includes the software, cases and a 3-year warranty. That price represents a discount for the district, since they are buying the tablets in bulk.

This is a case study of the need for "disruptive innovation," which somehow never quite arrives in ed tech.

$678 per unit in 2013? Absurd.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

So strange that even superintendents and school boards are willing to make high-risk, high-cost decisions on little more than a marketing promise, shallow-beliefs about the role of technology in education, and plans that have little more substance than buying stuff.

The technology industry has failed schools at the same time lining their own pockets.

Joel

Anonymous said...

Ah, but you leave out the "value add" of the Pearson curriculum that comes bundled with those babies. I got to play around with a beta last summer, provided by a former NWP teacher turned (very) highly paid Pearson consultant. From what I clicked touched and dragged, I'd say scripted curriculum is what those Pads will be launching in no time quick.

Leroy's Mom said...

Only problem, California will have tests from SBAC, not Pearson (NYS had a preference for Pearson because the curriculum matched the tests.

The ed technologist is me is crying at this horrible tech implementation. Really, it's like getting a great French press, and putting Folgers in it. Why bother?

Sean said...

What are the best per-unit costs on the market?

Say I wanted to do Kindle Fire or Chromebooks. Could I do either for less than a couple hundred per kid?

I know Amplify markets at 300 for the tablet, and then lots more on back end.