The Future Is EdTech, Here’s Why (Part II)

Why Technology Needs EdTech

The field of technology has often been at odds with traditional education. As a result of modern advances in technology historically being led by a few eccentric geniuses whose capabilities or form of thinking stood out as an anomaly, no real attempts have been made to examine and standardize tech education for one and all. Perhaps, it has always been assumed that the cream will simply rise to the top and be whisked away. Rather than seeking to break down the formula of what creates brilliant minds and trying to replicate it, the tech community continues to stand around, expecting that eventually, someone spectacular will come along—given that enough time has passed.

Unfortunately, this idea lies on a false assumption: that the current educational system is somewhat effective in producing tech talent, albeit in extremely small amounts. Most of the tech geniuses of our time have been disaffected with traditional education, many of them developing their passion for technology through learning in their home and via other external resources. Many of the visionaries who founded the most valuable tech companies in the world were university dropouts, as well. Sure, they may have been intelligent enough to enroll and get accepted into Ivy League Universities, but many dropped out in their first years. Looking back, it ‘s rather apparent that the quality of education at the University level wasn ‘t the key to their success.

What Tech Legends Are Saying

In an article in the LA Times, Founder of Microsoft and Harvard drop-out Bill Gates wrote about this very problem with our educational system, stating that, “[he is] terrified for our workforce of tomorrow.” In the article, Gates goes on to expose our broken education system. “The idea behind the old high school system was that you could train an adequate workforce by sending only a small fraction of students to college and that the other kids either couldn’t do college work or didn’t need to. Sure enough, today only one-third of our students graduate from high school ready for college, work, and citizenship,” says Gates.

Mark Zuckerberg, a fellow Harvard drop-out and founder of Facebook has echoed similar sentiments and believes that placing technology into schools is the solution. “One challenge we’ve seen in education is that there are many brilliant teachers and school leaders who create new kinds of schools based on new models of learning—but those schools usually only serve hundreds of students, while most children still do not have access to them,” said Zuckerberg in an open letter published on Facebook. “There are very few examples of new school models that expand to thousands of schools today. Our hope is that technology can help with this scaling challenge.” In 2017, Zuckerberg and his wife founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, an organization dedicated to leveraging technology to improve learning experiences and outcomes for children.

Similar to Gates and Zuckerberg, Wozniak wasn ‘t molded into the tech genius he is today by the educational system or formal training. In fact, he didn ‘t even complete his degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering until the year he left Apple after he had already created the first commercially successful computer with his own bare hands. Instead, Steve Wozniak has repeatedly stated that he was a “self-taught learner,” who loved tinkering with computers and inherited his interest in technology from his father, an engineer…and from watching Star Trek.

For Wozniak, the skills he developed and his genuine interest in technology were a result of self-motivated learning and early guidance from his father who met the needs that the educational system didn ‘t. However, for the majority of students, they are never exposed to technology and subject matter experts in their own home. They rely on the information they receive in primary schools, universities, and even their job. Therefore, these institutions should be providing children with the tools they need to succeed, not requiring them to go elsewhere should they desire to be successful.

How EdTech Solves the Problem

As we discussed in Part I, the current educational system in America is in desperate need of an overhaul, in terms of both teaching methods and tools. This 100-year-old system may have brought us to the forefront of the global economy in the last century, but other developed nations have surpassed us in education—and developing nations are catching up. If the United States seeks to lead the global economy throughout the rest of this century, we need to ensure that future Americans are provided the cutting-edge resources they need in order to compete on the world stage—and fast. Providing them with anything less would be to deprive them of a brighter future.

One of the greatest benefits that digital technology—and the Internet in particular—has given us is the increased speed at which information can be shared. While updating millions of dusty old textbooks, making bureaucratic attempts at curricular reform, and trying to replace ancient teaching methods in our schools take decades, modern technology enables information to be delivered within less than a second.

Just imagine if every child in the United States had access to interactive coursework that integrated the latest discoveries and advances in technology. Rather than falling asleep while reading from the umpteenth edition of an old textbook, students could be inspired and leave the classroom feeling equipped for the workforce. This would allow them to feel less overwhelmed and anxious when searching for their first job and would enable them to start their professional career with confidence. As for the students with an uncommon passion for technology and an entrepreneurial spirit, EdTech will equip them with the skills set to become the next “Woz” of tomorrow.