Reflection: Part 2 of Failure to Disrupt (Reich, 2020)
While reading Part II of Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education by Justin Reich, I reflected on the importance of developing the digital literacy skills of students and their families. I also made connections to Reich’s discussion on improvements in computing and the focus of curriculum to the current discussion of ChatGPT.
Developing the Digital Literacies of Students and Their Families
“One promising approach for supporting educational equity for young people is creating new kinds of learning experiences for the adults around them” (163).
I think this is a beautiful approach to addressing what Reich describes as the “digital fault line” (150). This reminded me of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. If you imagine the student in the middle of this model, it makes sense that improving the digital literacy of a student with their family strengthens their support system.
However, assuming these learning experiences take place outside of school and work hours, I am thinking about how the work experiences of family members affect their availability to attend these programs. I imagine attending these programs would be easier if they had shorter work hours (with good pay). Looking back at Bronfenbrenner’s model, improvements in one system influence another. Therefore, I think better working conditions for families will lead to higher attendance in these digital literacy programs.
Advances in Computing: Affects on Education
“Complex communication and unstructured problem solving are domains where for the foreseeable future, human beings will outperform computers” (176).
The fast popularity of ChatGPT has led to public discourse about the concerns artificial intelligence will replace our jobs or that students will use these technologies to cheat. In addressing these continuous changes in technology, Reich said “educators should have a special focus on domains where humans have a comparative advantage” (176).
Since AI technology like ChatGPT is becoming more accessible, it is inevitable that students will use it to complete assignments. Instead of educators putting efforts to stop students from using these tools, learning activities and assessments should be redesigned. In what ways can students authentically demonstrate their understanding of a concept, even when tools like search engines and ChatGPT are available to them?
My biggest takeaway from Failure to Disrupt is the importance of pedagogy and community in education. Practicing new pedagogy and developing a community of educators takes effort, but the benefits are long-lasting. Viewing technology as a quick solution to issues like the “digital fault line” often results in hopes not being realized (150). However, if technology is viewed as a tool that needs continuous evaluation, communities can create change with the use of technology.
