What if the measure for buying or using technologies in schools was whether or not it improved our students’ actual lives, not just improved their “education?” Would we spend our treasure to buy Promethian boards? Clicker systems? Closed content or learning management systems? Robo assessment programs? Extensive filtering and blocking programs? Most of the stuff being peddled on the vendor floor?

I know “improve” is a relative term, but what if we saw it as giving students the ability to learn more about whatever they want to learn about? The ability to solve problems that are meaningful to them? The ability to explore and interact with the world as they need or desire? What rewards would we and our kids reap if that was our priority?

I’ve never met a kid who has a Promethian Board in her bedroom. You?