The EdTech industry and the corporatization of learning has been affecting both my students, and my teaching experiences.
This past November (2021) I received an email informing me that I am almost at the end of my annual $250.00 limit for classroom consumables and resources. What this means is that if I want to do a Christmas gingerbread activity, or if I need materials for a science experiment, or if I want to buy little ceramic flower pots for my students to paint for Mother’s Day, I have to purchase those materials with my own money unless they’re gifted to the class, donated to the class or I ask for the funds. Now, I know a lot of people would argue that $250.00 is a nice chunk of change for classroom consumables and resources, but the fact of the matter is that it’s not nearly enough money for one classroom in one year. I will mention here, that the $250.00 was fundraised by our strong PAC – and it is not their responsibility to fund classroom resources. They work hard organizing a variety of fundraisers to accumulate funds, and they do this because they want the best for their children.
All that aside, I did not go over budget with any of these arts and crafts items, instead, I made a decision to purchase several online literacy tools because they have proven to be valuable to my students learning, and it enhances my Daily 5 literacy program. I find that each year I am faced with the challenge to carefully select which online tools are necessary and which ones simply cost too much. I would love for my students to have a broader online skillset by exploring all kinds of online tools and platforms, but cost is a huge problem.
I’m an elementary school teacher who unfortunately can’t write off my TPT resources, Super Teacher Worksheets, Kahoot subscription, Pobble Subscription, and I could go on here… so while classroom textbooks, and students workbooks have been on the way out for quite some time, I find it incredibly frustrating that there hasn’t been a sufficient replacement for that loss. It’s as if the powers that be are Dr. Jones, trying to quickly replace the little golden statue with a bag of sand without triggering the rolling ball of doom, unfortunately for us that ball of doom has been rolling for quite some time and Dr. Jones is far too late with an adequate replacement for the object already removed. We’re stuck in a limbo between the analogue world of the past and the digital world of today. There needs to be better funding for schools to cover these costs. How else are we supposed to prepare our 21st century learners for the tech driven future?