How two towns in Kansas soured on educational software from Summit Learning, funded by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; Summit CEO says protests are about nostalgia
WELLINGTON, Kan. — The seed of rebellion was planted in classrooms. It grew in kitchens and living rooms, in conversations between students and their parents. Tweets: @sokane1 , @nytimes , @coreypein , @nathansnewman , @nathansnewman , @biblioracle , @nathansnewman , @xeni , @suzettechan , and @bisforberkshire Tweets: Sean O'Kane / @sokane1 : Let's check in on that Zuckerberg-backed “personalized learning” school curriculum, I bet it's going gre— https://www.nytimes.com/... pic.twitter.com/dA9u0vXfuC @nytimes : Public schools in Kansas rolled out a web-based learning platform backed by Mark Zuckerberg. Now students have staged walkouts and sit-ins, and their parents have organized. http://www.nytimes.com/... Corey Pein / @coreypein : “the kids all looked like zombies” https://twitter.com/... Nathan Newman / @nathansnewman : That a program created with support by Facebook leaders is collecting any personal data on kids is an obvious red flag. Khan manages student learning with pretty much only the data generated within program itself so don't even understand why Summit collects ANYTHING. pic.twitter.com/1qHszxRTgF Nathan Newman / @nathansnewman : Promise of tech should be to replace uniform lectures with MORE teacher time talking with kids individually or in groups, but Summit system seems to leave kids by themselves with little teacher support- a horrible approach. /2 pic.twitter.com/7jsYWI2aye John Warner / @biblioracle : The introduction of personalized learning software into classrooms is a massive experiment without any data to back up its efficacy. Students are right to resist. http://www.nytimes.com/... Nathan Newman / @nathansnewman : My kids have benefited tremendously from tech-based learning from ipad apps to Khan Academy, but in limited does with parental support. Summit sounds less like individualized learning with teacher support than excuse to bypass teachers altogether /1 http://www.nytimes.com/... @xeni : “The platform that Summit provides was developed by Facebook engineers. It is funded by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, and his wife, Priscilla Chan, a pediatrician” http://www.nytimes.com/... via @NYTimes @suzettechan : Some things can't be left to the whims of billionaires. “Tom Kane, the Harvard professor preparing that assessment, said he was wary of speaking out against Summit because many education projects receive funding from Mr. Zuckerberg and Dr. Chan's philanthropic organization”: http://twitter.com/... Jennifer Berkshire / @bisforberkshire : This from @NellieBowles on a rebellion vs. #edtech in Kansas raises a key question: when Silicon Valley comes to school, who is the *consumer* and who is the product? http://www.nytimes.com/...