The Edtech Paradox

In the wake of the pandemic, classrooms globally have become digital frontiers. But as countries like Sweden begin to pull back from heavy screen-based learning, we have to ask: Are we upgrading our students or dehumanizing them? In this episode, I explore the "EdTech Paradox." From Anita Rampal’s "Trojan Horse" metaphor to Sam Sellar’s "Austerity Curve," this podcast challenges educators to look beneath the sleek glass of the iPad to see who the technology is truly working for.Key Discussion Points· The Binary Dialectic: Is technology a "cognitive exoskeleton" (Stock) or a tool for "mathematizing" student behavior (Polsky)?· The Trojan Horse: Mapping visible benefits (equity/fluency) against invisible risks (dataveillance and vendor lock-in).· The Austerity Curve: How hardware capital risks cannibalizing the human capital of our teaching staff.· Digital Architects: Reclaiming agency through Renee Hobbs’ vision of creation-over-consumption.Featured Scholars & Frameworks· Gregory Stock: The "Posthuman" Upgrade.· Stephanie Polsky: Instrumental Ontology and "Black Code."· Anita Rampal: The Trojan Horse of EdTech.· Sam Sellar: The Austerity Curve and Capitalization.· Haleem et al. (2022): Digital Ecologies and Sustainable Operations.· Renee Hobbs: Digital Literacy and Media Advocacy.