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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Free Enterprise Education? - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post

Free Enterprise Education? - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post

Free Enterprise Education?

Walter’s blog archive: http://surfaquarium.com/blog.htm
Mirror site: http://surfaquarium.blogspot.com/2011/07/free-enterprise-education.html


On June 27th I posted the following through my usual social media channels:

“#ISTE Challenge: have deep discussions about education WITHOUT the vendors and their money in the room. Good luck!”

A friend and employee of a major ed tech vendor replied to my posting: “Ouch!”

Me: “Nah its only an ouch if you find you are spending all your time with commercial interests....”

Her: “or if you are technically a vendor.”

Me: “That's a vendors job to talk to educators! I'm simply asking educators to make sure they are making time ASIDE from vendors!”

Commercial companies are no longer being sheepish about crossing the line...it's actually getting rather brazen...how dare I or anyone push back as they try to insert themselves further and deeper into our pockets? In an age of entitlement, even vendors feel entitled! Of COURSE they want to be in the room when you’re having substantive talks about