Last month, the NY EdTech Meetup featured four student panelists from high schools across the city for "an evening devoted to Raising Student Voice & Participation in the EdTech Conversation." Participants considered the student perspective in addressing EdTech needs, according to EdSurge.com.

The four students came from high schools that all foster different technological offerings, with some being more advanced than others, but all students agreed that more technology and better use/understanding of it would be good for the future.

"Two of the schools boasted computer labs and racks of laptops, while two others were less fortunate. In one school, iPads had been used previously but were stolen, while in another, tablets were no longer available because they didn’t work," the article said.

As a result, all four students discussed a need for improving access to devices as well as internet, suggesting schools host longer after-school hours to promote more access to students to utilize.

All four of the students said that despite increased reliance on technology for homework and online resources, they still encounter a lot of paper waste as well as still using textbooks, two things they would like to see less of.

Overall, "[t]heir exposure to the broad potential of the technology seemed somewhat limited and perhaps more down to earth than imaginative. With all of the money and energy being poured into EdTech these days, there is certainly more opportunity to dream," the article said.

Read the full article here and comment below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

06/01/2015