The commerical market of education

Building upon ideas expressed in other posts and the article, I have to post the question: Is there a commerical market within education?

In the article the authors state, "Another respect in which these celebrated educational technologies are similar ['integrated learning systems' and 'e-learning environments'] is their high cost and re-location from the sphere of education research and development to the high-stakes corporate environment of e-business."

With this statement I have to reflect on me personal and viewed experiences with education supplies and resources. All I can think is how is the realm of technology identifying the field of education as a market any different than other realm's doing so as well. Anyone who has been to a teacher store knows that "teacher" supplies and resources cost a lot of money. From assessment strategy books to posters and stamps; as soon as the term education is attached the price goes up. Moving from the teacher directly to the schools and school boards, programs for math and literacy are numerous and expensive. I will not use any names, but there has been a shift in schools to a math program that is very expensive and now with the BC IRPs changing, the schools are forced to purchase the costly upgrades to stay relevant. And I should add this is not a product that schools have had for many years, some schools purchased it within the last two years and now have to come up with additional funding to make it not obsolete. In this case we could go into arguements of early adaptors gain the most for their money and late adaptors will have to upgrade faster. But if with look at the article, the authors go so far as to cheer for the luddits.

One thing that the article does well and even if education is an economic market, teachers need to be aware of is understanding of why they are using the tools they are using in class. Specifically the article states, that teachers have an "obligation to have a thoughful and informed understanding of how one's educational purposes are best served, and by means of what cultural tools." I think that with any approach, method or tool, teachers' need to understand the theory and purpose within them. A good teacher knows why they are doing what they are doing and as such they will implement technologies that go along with their education philosophies.

Moving beyond this positive point in the article, the authors next transition back to the commerical components of technologies in education, arguing that is is "irresponsible" for education community (teachers, administrators, school districts) to "support what is now a burgeoning corporate involvement in education software design and development." This is an interesting idea and the authors work in their own research and software design that they say is on a smaller scale. Would they give their software away for free to schools so that is does not become part of the corporate world? I think that we can be aware of the commerical hipe and impact, without ignoring techonologies in the classroom.