Ed-Tech needs to be more than "For Profit"

   This week's offering of Google Alert articles made me see educational technology in a new light: it is very important that we, as educators, do not forget that private companies make a lot of money through the educational system, and the technological field is no exception. While technology can be an excellent tool that will enrich a classroom environment when used appropriately, we must always acknowledge that the companies advertising these new developments and proclaiming their benefits may have a profit in mind. While many companies do want the best for students, they are also concerned with the bottom line. This adds a new layer to the evaluation of new technology for the classroom setting, and it something that educators and administrators should keep in mind.

    Jacob Wolinsky, the creator of the hedge-fund and investing website, ValueWalk.com, has a lot of faith in the future profits from the educational technology field. In his article, The Future of Education Technology, Wolinsky (2018) states, "In June 2018, education technology investors enjoyed a record-breaking $9.5 billion in returns. This was a 30-percent spike compared to the previous year, a testament to growth in the field" (para. 3). It is clear that there is a lot of money to be made in the field of educational technology. Based on the fact that thirty million primary and secondary school students use Google Education apps, Wolinsky posits that there will be $93.76 billion dollars in the global ed-tech market by 2020. This illustrates how much money can be made in this field, and in my mind, it shows that educators who make decisions about technology should be even more diligent in their evaluations of which tech to implement.

     I believe that one consideration educators should make when evaluating technology for use in a classroom is the intention of the creator. Leah Skerry and Julia Dexter created an educational application called Squiggle Park, which is described in the article Canadian ed-tech startup Squiggle Park improves literacy through play. Skerry and Dexter initially had the idea to develop the game in order to promote literacy in Canadian pre-kindergarten to grade 2 students. The developers had no idea that their game would become globally popular; "Students as far as Oman, China, India, Vietnam, Brazil and soon Barbados use it to improve their English reading" (2018, para. 5). The game took on new life when it was shown to assist students of all ages and nationalities with their English acquisition. This is clearly an example of technology that was designed to assist students, and that would be beneficial in an ELL classroom. While the creators of Squiggle Park are showing an excellent financial return on their creation, their primary goal in its creation was to educate. It is vital that educators evaluate technological developments with our students in mind, while also remembering that this may not have been the focus of some of the creators. There are many educators out there creating new technologies and using them in innovative ways with the main goal of helping students, and those selecting what types of technology to implement in the classroom setting should mirror this goal.