Back in 1913, Thomas Edison confidently proclaimed, "Books will soon be obsolete in the public schools." At the time, Edison was advocating for motion pictures as an educational device. "Our school system will be completely changed inside of 10 years," he added.
Edison was not wrong that video recordings could help people learn. Yet, on the other hand, students still read books today. Like others before and after him, Edison thought one particular technology was going to revolutionize education completely. In reality, technologies do enter schools, but usually at a glacial pace and without changing the essentials of teaching: a good classroom with good teachers and a community of willing learners.
Justin Reich is one of those who believe technology changes education incrementally. He is a joint associate professor in MIT's Comparative Media Studies/Writing program. He has spent about two decades working with schools, from teacher to consultant and scholar. Reich believes in the power of technology but, at the same time, possesses a realistic perspective.
Again and again, entrepreneurs promise tech will overthrow what they describe as sclerosis in the schools. Both halves of those promises usually fall short: Tech tools bring not revolution but evolution in schools that are often changing anyway. Reich's work emphasizes that alternative frame.
Two of the most consistent findings in the history of education technology, Reich says, are, first, when teachers get new technology, they use it to do what they were already doing," Reich says. "It takes quite a bit of time, practice, coaching, messing up, trying again, and iteration to have new technologies lead to new and better practices."
The second finding is that ed-tech tools are most readily adopted by the well-off.
"Almost everything we've ever developed in educational technology disproportionately benefits the affluent," Reich said. "Even when we make things free, those who have more financial, social, and technical capital are in the best position to take advantage of innovations. Those are two findings from the literature that people don't want to hear."
Some people must want to hear them: Reich has written two well-regarded books about education, and for his scholarship and teaching, was awarded tenure earlier this year at MIT, where he founded the Teaching Systems Lab.
"I've spent a big chunk of my career reminding people of those two things and demonstrating them again and again," Reich says.