Duncan and Chopra Are Missing the Point

Elliot: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan just commented that “I now know that not all good ideas come from Washington.” Indeed, some bad ideas come from Washington.
Cathie: Oops;  I see a yellow-dog Democrat in a Democratic-caused snit. This should be good.
Elliot: Is that a gloat I detect?
Cathie: Oh no no. So, what’s got your goat today?
Elliot: Well, here is a quote from an editorial: “Duncan and White House chief technology officer Aneesh Chopra believe that technology can play its most important role in education by tracking student progress to help teachers realize when instruction is working and when it is not. Chopra explained how large retail stores can adjust sale items in response to all sorts of varied data points…”
Cathie: Oh, so a classroom is like the hardware department in Target; great insight.
Elliot: I wonder if Chopra and Duncan ever actually asked teachers if they thought that of all the issues they need to deal with it, tracking student progress is the key one.
Cathie: And, frankly, Duncan and Chopra are undervaluing the role technology can play in K12.
Elliot: I “believe that technology can play its most important role in education by” re-engaging our students in learning. The technology is a hook that helps the students do their school work and when students spend increased time on task, we see increased achievement. No magic; just the impact of technology on student learning.
Cathie: And, we are not saying that teachers don’t need to track student performance. But the focus needs to be on student learning – so the teachers can have something interesting to track!