The Future of Tech in the Classroom with Andrew Marcinek (205)

Show Notes: During today's interview segment, we chat with Andrew Marcinek, former (and first) Chief Open Education Adviser for the US Department of Education, and current Chief Information Officer at Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts.  In his role at the Department of Education, Andrew focused on accelerating the adoption of open education policies within the Department and across the federal government. As part of this campaign, Andrew organized a White House event that launched a national movement called #GoOpen and brought together EdTech companies, district and state leaders, and nonprofits. His ultimate goal was to increase the curation and sharing of open educational materials by educators throughout the country. Prior to that, he served as Director of Technology, Instructional Technology Specialist, and secondary English teacher in schools in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.   During our discussion, we ask Andrew about his role as Chief Information Officer at Worcester Academy, how the use of technology may be impeding student learning and widening achievement gaps, and what #EdTech may look like in the coming years and decades. Questions and Resources: 1. Recently, research from Finland was published that said that "digital-based curriculum impedes learning" - what kind of balance should teachers seek when utilizing technology in their classrooms? Is there a right/wrong way to do so? 2. In your previous work, you worked to integrate 1:1 technology learning environment for schools. What does a 1:1 classroom look like in an ideal environment and how should school leadership teams go about facilitating this work? 3. With more and more student data being shared and hosted online (e.g., Google Apps for Education), and with your depth of experience as it pertains to implementing technology in schools, what are your concerns for the future of student privacy? What are some things that schools/teachers/families should concern themselves with?