Obstructing change with fear
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 05:58AM Potential theft of the device is a reason often cited for schools not engaging in a 1:1 initiative - especially in low-income districts. But just how real is that fear?
From Securely://'s tech brief 1:1 Device Theft in Schools:
Device theft is 1 in 700? It seems to me theft is a manufactured fear created by those who simply want to block change. Were we really concerned about the economic impact of theft on schools, we sure as hell wouldn't let kids take 3 or 4 $125 textbooks home with them each night! (But then again, who in their right mind would want to steal a textbook?)
We as humans don't really understand statistical odds. A superintendent gets on call and she thinks every parent thinks the same way. One wacko tries to carry explosives on to an airplane and we all now take off our shoes before boarding. A couple kids do something stupid on Facebook and it gets banned in an entire school.
The fear mongers are pretty dang good at preventing change.
How do you counter-act them?
Reader Comments (2)
Hello, My name is Alexis Taite I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I do believe that some school systems are afraid of change so they use the excuse of theft to not move forward. It is unfair to the students to not give them the education they deserve. So my argument is that it should not be a choice but mandatory to incorporate technology into the classroom. Students will not be prepared for today's society if technology is not incorporated into the classroom. The old fashion way of teaching is not as effective anymore because children have unlimited access to all sorts of information at the click of a button.
Hi Alexis,
Thanks for your comment. I too believe technology is a critical component of education for all children. Whether is is more or less effective than the "old fashioned" way, depends a good deal on the skill of the teacher and what is being taught.
Good luck with your studies,
Doug