Why EdTech Usage Doesn’t Equal Impact ft. Dr. Paula Cushanick | My EdTech Life 351

Why EdTech Usage Doesn’t Equal Impact ft. Dr. Paula Cushanick In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Dr. Paula Cushanick, known as Dr. C on TikTok, to unpack one of the most misunderstood ideas in education technology: EdTech usage does NOT equal impact. Districts often measure success through logins, minutes, and usage reports because they’re easy to pull. But Dr. Cushanick’s research and classroom experience tell a very different story. In this conversation, we dig into what actually drives student growth, especially for emergent bilingual learners, and why equity must mean access and effectiveness, not just access alone. Questions We Explore: 1. How should districts really measure EdTech effectiveness? 2. What does meaningful equity look like in digital learning? 3. Why do some students log thousands of minutes with no growth? 4. How can districts support teachers beyond “one-and-done” PD? 5. What are the consequences of bad implementation for students? Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Paula Cushanick 03:21 Dr. Koshanek's Journey in Education 06:21 Research Insights on Technology and Language Acquisition 11:39 The Importance of Intentional Technology Use 16:50 Measuring Implementation Effectiveness 20:20 Consequences of Poor Implementation in the Classroom 24:26 The Importance of Language Output 26:33 Technology's Role in Immediate Feedback 32:21 Misconceptions About Bilingual Learners 36:31 Creating Supportive Educational Systems Sponsors Shoutout Thank you to our sponsors: Book Creator, Eduaide.AI, and Peel Back Education for supporting My EdTech Life. Peel Back Education exists to uncover, share, and amplify powerful, authentic stories from inside classrooms and beyond, helping educators, learners, and the wider community connect meaningfully with the people and ideas shaping education today. Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Support the show Get full access to My EdTech Life at myedtechlife.substack.com/subscribe