NewHanoverSchoolsTechnologyPlan219242
The International Space Station orbits the earth from about 254 miles away. Even during devastating hurricanes, if we were to look at the Earth from this vantage point, we would see a vision of a very beautiful and peaceful planet. It is only when we get close that we are able to notice the true devastation that is occurring. The Devil is in the details!
Assistant Superintendent Dawn Brinson has recently released a draft of the school district’s proposed Technology & Digital Learning Plan. After reviewing it, the sole conclusion I can make about it is that is a “254 Mile View.” of their real plan. It lacks details, in a concerted effort to paint a rosy picture and avoid public scrutiny.
Currently, the school district is inviting the community to read the proposed plan and answer a brief survey. A couple of Town Hall meetings on the plan are supposed to be happening soon, but as of now no dates, times, or locations have been set.
However, while the input of stakeholders, such as parents and community leaders, will be considered now, a quick perusal of the plan indicates that only school district employees will be responsible for devising and implementing the details of the overall plan goals:
- Leadership and Vision (LV)
- Human Capacity (HC)
- Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (CI)
- Data Privacy and Cybersecurity (DPS)
- Technology, Infrastructure, and Devices (TI)
I have been a Software Engineer and IT Professional for the last 28 years. As such, I have a healthy respect for the value that technology can bring to our human endeavors. But technology is only a tool and an aide. Despite the “hoopla” over AI, technology can never replace human innovation, and indeed can be dangerous for society if inappropriately used.
After reading this plan, I have a lot of grave concerns over the details of the plan that will be devised without community input. Here are a few examples:
- I am very fearful that the eventual plan is to reduce the number of teachers in our school district and replace them with technology aides, AI, and computer-based learning. If we learned anything during the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned that closing schools and sticking kids in front of computer screens leads to educational disaster. Our students fell way behind and are still suffering from the learning loss they experienced during that time.
- I am also fearful that learning will devolve into a series of memorization tasks, that will inhibit students from truly comprehending the material they are learning. We want to develop the next generation of critical thinkers and true learning comprehension is a necessary component of any critical thinker.
- I am also concerned that our students will not receive a well-rounded education that includes history, literature, civics, and other “soft” subjects that are just as vital to a student’s education as math, science, and basic reading.
- Finally, I am very concerned with the use of AI as a surveillance tool that monitors our students’ online activities even when they are home. The plan seems to be to get a school-issued computer device to every student that is tracked and monitored by Lightspeed AI systems. I believe this will deprive our students of their 4th amendment privacy rights.
Once I am elected to the New Hanover County School Board, I will utilize my technology background and closely monitor the technological and digital activities of our school district. Like all the programs in our school district, I will require our technology efforts to be pro-actively transparent, and to respect the will of parents and our community.
