School in the time of Coronavirus #2 – EdTech Wants Your School
EdTech Positions Itself for Boom Times
The Ed-tech industry is jumping into the gap left by closed schools during the coronavirus crisis. Many companies are offering temporary free options for students to use while their schools are closed. We can give them credit for offering a service for free during a crisis, but cynicism from past experience forces me to question whether it’s being done based on altruism or whether they are using the crisis to “hook” consumers on their products.
We in Indiana are well acquainted with the failure of virtual charter schools. I understand that everyone is forced into virtual schools right now — everyone except those who have little or no access to the internet — but the forced virtual schooling has only reinforced the importance of face to face relationships between teacher and student.
1: Teacher-student eye contact is important. “Eye contact makes so much difference: if students feel that the teacher is actually talking and engaging with them, they are more likely to engage with the teacher and listen to what they’re saying.”
2: Working at home has too many distractions. It’s hard enough for adults to CONTINUE READING: School in the time of Coronavirus #2 – EdTech Wants Your School | Live Long and Prosper
