Most VCs, Principals, Rectors, and senior managers are not well grounded in ed tech. It is also an area which is subject to extreme views (for and against), often based on emotion, romance, and appeals to ego. I would like to therefore propose a new role: Sensible Ed Tech Advisor. Job role is as follows:

• Ability to offer practical advice on adoption of ed tech that will benefit learners
• Strong BS detector for ed tech hype
• Interpreter of developing trends for particular context
• Understanding of the intersection of tech and academic culture
• Communicating benefits of any particular tech in terms that are valuable to educators and learners
• Appreciation of ethical and social impact of ed tech

And as Audrey Watters highlights tirelessly, an unsceptical approach to ed tech is problematic for many reasons. Far more useful is to focus on specific problems staff have, or things they want to realise, than suggest they just ‘don’t get it’. Having an appreciation for this intersection between ed tech (coming from outside the institution and discipline often) and the internal values and culture is also an essential ingredient in implementing any technology successfully.

Source: Sensible Ed Tech – The Ed Techie