Minimalist EdTech advocates for critical and informed development and use of educational technologies.

I am a teacher who has used everything from low tech to high tech in the classroom and online, a student of the history of technology, and a believer in the importance of human-centered design.

Technology is about the people, not the stuff.

Discourse around digital technologies in the classroom and in online learning tends to over-represent the stuff. We are told, as teachers, that this technological change is a form of predestined progress, sold the pros without the cons, and overwhelmed by constant newness of ever-emerging technologies. That discourse is loud. It tends to amplify the advocates and boosters, the corporate disrupters and marketers, the promise and the inevitability. While there are of course voices of dissent and advocates of critical use of edtech, we need more such voices. We need practical strategies to engage with new technologies while not being overwhelmed, overworked, or missing the forest for the trees. Particularly in recent years when the pace of technological change seems too much to keep up with, we need time and space to reflect.

These are my reflections. My hope is that it is of use to others, prompts a thought or two about how to use educational technologies responsibly and critically, or invites others to share their thoughts in this direction. In the meantime, welcome to a less noisy corner of the internet.

Origins and Goals

October 2020: This is (and will be) a lot of material that has been kicking around for some time. In practice, it's a perspective that I generally pass on to graduate students when training them to teach. But I've also done a variety of teaching in K-12 and adult learning. In most cases, this site contains material that I find helpful to get out of my mind and into a written form. I thought perhaps some of this might be useful to others. And, if not, then it will sit out here like so many other blogs in the world and gather dust for a bit. Either way, it is a bit of writing, a bit of a side project, and I'll keep going with it for as long as I have something to say. In any case, it feels to me like something that needs to be said now, for all the reasons laid out here: https://minimalistedtech.org/minimal-edtech-statement-of-principles

If this material is useful to others, then I am grateful. If it spurs thinking, agreement or dissent, then I am grateful. If there are mistakes, then these are mine, and I regret them. If you would like to open a discussion about anything on these pages, then I can be reached in multiple ways: https://minimalistedtech.org/contact

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

You can attribute this work by linking to and acknowledging this site, https://minimalistedtech.org and/or any of the contact information provided on the contact page.