Is Common Core Creating the Code for a Computerized Education System?
Astronomer Stephen Hawking recently raised concerns about the threat artificial intelligence poses to human civilization. But even if we are not all turned into drones by some supermind, major changes are afoot, revealing both a bright and dark side of the technologies we find so addictive.
As teachers, most of us are excited to see our students turned on by the latest technologies. Computers allow students to conduct research on the web, email experts for information, gather images and view videos from around the world. Students can use digital tools to create, rather than simply consume. Students can make their own podcasts, tutorials, or creative projects.
But technology has a darker side as well. I have been reading a book, called Mindless: Why Smarter Machines are Making Dumber Humans, which explores these dimensions of 21st century technology. Author Simon Head describes the ways in which computers are being used to reorganize and manage all sorts of aspects of life and commerce.
American society is now organized for the convenience and profitability of corporations, who, as Gilens and Page recently documented, hold sway over the political process. Those corporations have discovered the extraordinary value of "Computer Business Systems," which allow all sorts of processes to be rendered more efficient.
As I read of the ways these systems work, I began to understand some of the imperatives driving 21st century education "reform."
CBSs are amalgams of different technologies that are pulled together to perform highlyIs Common Core Creating the Code for a Computerized Education System? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: