Technology Could Redefine Learning. Schools Settled for Substitution.

Following the passing of Jerry Mintz of AERO, I found myself thinking again about Class Dismissed, the 2015 documentary I was featured in. Revisiting my interview brought back ideas I shared then and showed me how much my views on technology and learning have stayed the same.

Technology has always had the power to open up learning: connecting young people with courses, experts, peers, and audiences beyond the classroom. Yet schools have often used it to put familiar worksheets and test preparation on a screen. In the SAMR model, that’s Substitution—the lowest level, where technology replaces a tool but leaves the learning task much the same.

The more ambitious possibility is Redefinition: using technology to make new kinds of learning possible. That could mean students pursuing questions they care about, learning with people across distances, and creating work for an audience beyond their teacher.

I explore this gap between technology’s promise and its use in schools in my new article, “Technology Could Redefine Learning. Many Schools Settled for Substitution.”

What could students do if schools moved beyond substitution?

Stop Trying to Detect AI. Start Creating Better Assignments

What if we spent less time trying to detect AI and more time designing learning students can't outsource to it?

In my latest Tech & Learning article, I explore Michael Hernandez's Uncheatable Assessments and what happened when I put several assignments through his Cheat Vulnerability Index.

The goal isn't AI-free learning. It's learning worth doing.

What do you think makes an assignment “uncheatable”?

Stop Trying to Detect AI. Start Creating Better Assignments

What if Schools Are Shortening Attention Spans More Than Screens?

We hear it everywhere: Kids can’t pay attention anymore, and screens are to blame. Screens can certainly affect attention, but what if we’re overlooking something else?

For years, schools have trained students to read short passages, answer predetermined questions, move on, and repeat. High-stakes testing and test-aligned curriculum may be contributing to the very short bursts of attention we so often blame on technology.

In my latest LinkedIn article, I look at what the research says, what I experienced as a librarian and literacy coach, and what schools could do differently if we really want students to develop deep, sustained attention.

Read: What if Schools Are Shortening Attention Spans More Than Screens?