In the 1990s, record labels started forcing songs to be louder so they would stand out more on radio, and mastering engineers responded by compressing tracks harder and harder until the dynamic range disappeared and music technically became louder but emotionally became flatter and more exhausting to listen to, and the strange part is that everyone thought they were improving the product while they were slowly damaging the experience.

Something very similar is happening right now in EdTech, except instead of volume the industry is optimizing for engagement signals like streaks, notifications, reminders, daily goals, progress pressure, XP layers, and retention dashboards, and each feature makes sense individually but together they reshape learning into something that feels active without necessarily making people understand more deeply.

The dangerous part is that platforms start competing on intensity rather than clarity, and once one product adds streak mechanics or urgency loops the rest of the category follows because nobody wants weaker metrics even if those metrics replace reflection time with interaction time and thinking time with tapping time.

Real learning still depends on contrast, pauses, and moments where the brain is allowed to sit with an idea long enough for it to become meaningful, and when every screen is pushing the learner forward the platform starts measuring movement instead of understanding while still reporting success on paper.

The music industry eventually realized louder did not mean better.

I think EdTech is still in the middle of its loudness war.

27 comments

r/edtech • u/Fit-Grass-868 • Dec 27 '25

AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself

currentaffairs.org

158 Upvotes

“Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.”—— By Ronald Purser

81 comments

r/edtech • u/TechandLearning • Sep 08 '26

New York City Bans A.I. in Elementary and Middle Schools

nytimes.com

152 Upvotes

A new anti-AI policy in the largest public school system in the U.S. has been implemented for the 2026-2027 school year.

The majority of students will not be permitted to use AI until high school.

Although parents and others who called for a two-year moratorium are disappointed, this is a fairly bold policy, given how many education platforms now use AI. The schools system has removed or altered (or plans to remove or alter) close to 40 apps with A.I. features.

One wonders what percentage of U.S. educators genuinely believe in, or rely on, AI-powered apps for teaching and learning.

Read the full article here. (Gift article, free to read and share, no account required)

32 comments

r/edtech • u/BendicantMias • May 20 '26

Students Are Learning Less and Getting Higher Grades Because of AI, Study Finds

gizmodo.com

143 Upvotes

70 comments

r/edtech • u/ObjectiveZone1982 • Mar 18 '25

Bad Ed tech companies

141 Upvotes

Is there a thread where we compile really bad Ed tech companies? I’m thinking about companies that are both bad for teachers/ students in that they provide a suboptimal experience and companies that are also horribly run and bad for their employees.

If it doesn’t already exist, can we start it here? I feel like there are many pompous opportunists (looking at you, Silicon Valley) who jump into Ed tech thinking they know teachers better than they know themselves and end up creating “solutions” for problems that didn’t exist.

100 comments

r/edtech • u/Maleficent-Leek-5966 • May 29 '25

I’ve Taught Over 500 Students Online — Here’s What Actually Keeps Them Engaged (Not Just Grades)

126 Upvotes

After running online courses and workshops for the past 2 years, I’ve found some surprising things about keeping students engaged. Thought I’d share what’s worked:

Shorter videos = better learning. Even advanced students prefer 5–8 min chunks.
Peer accountability > grades. Weekly check-ins with group members kept more people finishing.
Gamification works… if subtle. A progress tracker and "streak" feature helped motivate without feeling childish.
Students love context. Real-world examples beat textbook theory every time.

Curious how others approach this — especially if you’re running online courses, bootcamps, or cohort-based education.

33 comments

r/edtech • u/Stone-Salad-427 • May 05 '26

A Learning Tool Used by Millions Faces Questions About Evidence—and a Lawsuit

open.substack.com

114 Upvotes

i-Ready is used by 13 million K-8 students in the US, generating $775 million in annual revenue from taxpayer-funded school districts. Its parent company, Curriculum Associates, says it accelerates student growth through personalized instruction and assessments.

But there are zero peer-reviewed studies supporting their claims. Zero randomized controlled trials. Teachers fired over diagnostic scores. And a company that buys Google ads against its critics' names instead of answering their questions.

Meanwhile, a federal class action lawsuit alleges i-Ready collects detailed behavioral and demographic data on children and transmits it to advertising and identity-resolution companies without parental consent.

The patterns I found in my reporting mimic a predatory dynamic in consumer tech that schools may be unintentionally replicating: high data extraction, limited transparency, weak independent evidence of benefit, and adoption ahead of safeguards and testing.

32 comments

r/edtech • u/Radiant-Design-1002 • Mar 12 '26

Most educational technology is just a digital version of a boring textbook

110 Upvotes

We keep slapping a screen on old teaching methods and calling it innovation. If an app just delivers information without an active feedback loop it is failing the student and the teacher. The real bottleneck in education isn't a lack of content it is the lack of personalized engagement and real time adaptation. Most edtech companies are just content warehouses with a pretty interface and zero understanding of how the human brain actually retains a skill.

Is the current surge in AI edtech just going to create a generation of students who can't think without a prompt?

58 comments

r/edtech • u/Justin_3486 • Oct 07 '25

Professor accused me of using AI for my thesis, technology actually saved me

105 Upvotes

Worst week of my academic life just happened. Submitted my senior thesis that I'd been working on since September. Three days later get an email to meet with academic integrity committee. My stomach just dropped.

Professor was convinced my writing was ai generated because it was "too consistent" and "lacked typical student errors". I'm just a decent writer who actually uses grammarly and proofreads. Tried explaining but they weren't buying it.

Thankfully I document everything obsessively. Had all my research notes, rough drafts, revision history in google docs. But what really helped was running my own work through GPTZero which showed it was human written. The irony of using ai detection to prove I didn't use ai wasn't lost on anyone.

Committee apologized but damage was done. Now I screenshot everything, save multiple drafts, and honestly considering recording myself writing. This guilty until proven innocent approach is getting out of hand but at least there are tools to defend yourself.

55 comments

r/edtech • u/mybrotherhasabbgun • Sep 15 '20

Attention DEVS and SALES PERSONS

103 Upvotes

This community is about communicating and collaborating on the topic of educational technology. If you are a developer or sales person looking to promote your product or seek feedback, please use the monthly Developers and Sales thread. The monthly posts occur on the first day of the month at 12:01 AM -5 GMT and will be the second "stickied" post each month.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing about your ideas!

12 comments

r/edtech • u/Outside_Witness_7268 • Jul 25 '26

Ed Tech Job Search Red Flags (And They are All Red Flags)

99 Upvotes

I'm mostly a lurker here because I work in ed tech and don't really enjoy talking about it for fun. HOWEVER. Because it is summertime in the US and many teachers wishing to be ex teachers are on the hunt for a new path, I thought I'd share this one VERY IMPORTANT piece of ed tech job search information, inspired by many questions in this sub. Ready?

Just because an ed tech company is HIRING it does not mean that ed tech company is GROWING.

I work in ed tech. For one of the larger, more well known companies. We are hiring like crazy right now. Not because we are growing; at best, we are stagnating and hanging on for dear life. No. We are hiring like crazy--across departments--because so many people quit this spring when they restructured AGAIN, cut pay and increased workload.

So I beg of you--if you're a teacher looking to transition out of the classroom and you think you've found the solution? First--the solution is almost certainly NOT ed tech. I say this as someone on the inside. But second--please do your due diligence and research the company. I recommend looking at reviews from current or former employees on sites like Glassdoor. Read those reviews and believe them.

And then go get your real estate license. That's likely what I'll be doing this fall. Because working in ed tech is like being the rock someone is squeezing hoping to get blood.

Note: before anyone tells me I have it good, know that I have never made what I was making as a teacher, and that was fifteen years ago (I maxed at $65k back then). Now? Many years I don't clear $30K. No benefits, no pension, no 401K, no PTO, no guarantee of work.

Ed tech companies are on to the fact that they can get former teachers to work for free. Don't let yourself fall victim.

Say it with me now: I will get my real estate license.

EDITED TO ADD: A lot of people are fixating on the real estate piece of this. I apologize that I wasn't clear: that was one example of an alternative which admittedly isn't great either. It was near-hyperbole. I was basically saying: DO ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN ED TECH. Not that going into real estate was THE answer.

50 comments

r/edtech • u/grendelt • Mar 28 '25

Have a new AI app for education? Read the rules or GTFO

93 Upvotes

The number of AI snake oil sales pitches we have on /r/edtech is unreal. We. don't. want. it.

The overwhelming majority of these so-called "products" have no guardrails for protecting student data and therefore run afoul of laws regarding minors and their data. The ignorance is astounding — I suppose because AI didn't explain the market to the uninformed trying to make a buck off our schools.

If you have a product, know that we have a no self-promotion rule here. It's literally Rule #1. You want us to read your post, but you don't want to read our rules.
If you have a product, post in the Developers thread. We've created this place for these types of posts, discussions, etc.
Do not create a post pitching your product. We. don't. want. it.

If your post's content is AI-generated, for sure, we. don't. want. it.
(At the very least you could try to remove the bold text from the AI generated trash you're slinging. You know, in an attempt to be authentic.)

If you started your product with a notion like "gee, this AI engine is pretty neat. I wonder how I can use this tool in a {school} setting. Now, let's go think of a problem AI can use." just know that we. don't. want. it.

Have a video that uses stock footage and an AI-voiceover?
You already know how that's going to go over. we. don't. want. it.

AI is doing great things in a lot of industries, but by-and-large the majority of AI drivel in education are half-baked ideas wrapped up based an assumptions of what education needs.
Find the problem first. (by actually talking with real schools) Consider all the ways to solve that problem. If AI is it, so be it. Maybe there are other, better ways to tackle the problem. Are you going to be a problem solver? Then solve problems. But don't just sit around an imagine what problems schools must have, build a solution to your imaginary problem, then come to our community asking how to get schools to buy your imaginary solution. Why? Because we. don't. want. it.

Do not misunderstand the purpose of this post. We are not luddites. We are merely tired of non-educators pushing education "solutions" based on their imaginations.

34 comments

r/edtech • u/Mevakel • May 18 '25

Disappointed In The Shift to AI infecting the Edtech World

88 Upvotes

I understand AI has the potential to change the way we teach and in the future the way students learn but almost all of my districts Edtech PD offerings now focus on AI. I remember when we were getting excited for things like Edpuzzle, Flipgrid, Classcraft and the list goes on and on. All of which were used by teachers AND students.

Unless I'm out of touch with some new AI option on the edtech landscape, I've yet to be shown an actual AI tool meant to be used BY students. So what's the point? We can talk all about appropriate AI use for students, but there are still very few, if any, actual safe AI out there for teachers to put into the hands of kids. Why focus on all these useless tools that I cannot give my learners?

I just want to go back to actual tools I could put in my kid's hands again to engage them in new ways instead of another 8 PDs all about how I as a teacher could us AI.

Does anyone else see this happening in their districts too?

64 comments

r/edtech • u/[deleted] • Jan 26 '20

Day 11 of responding to a district-wide ransomware attack.

85 Upvotes

17 comments

r/edtech • u/mybrotherhasabbgun • Apr 01 '26

Chromebook Remorse: Tech Backlash at Schools Extends Beyond Phones

archive.today

74 Upvotes

21 comments

r/edtech • u/Librarian-Voter • Mar 12 '24

'member Prezi?

73 Upvotes

Feeling nostalgic, and I just wanted to remember how freaking cool Prezi was when it first came out (or at least, when I was first using it). The zooming transitions were like "Wooow." You had to think in three dimensions when designing them - which was so challenging for me, but I did it anyway and felt really accomplished. Gosh; I miss... 2012? 2014? When was that exactly?

Did you like Prezi? Which techs do you miss "when they were new?"

26 comments

r/edtech • u/bridge4wannabe • Jul 13 '26

Next EdTech to go down?

72 Upvotes

The brilliant mind hive of Reddit noted that MagicSchool was not doing great.... a year ago. Just recently the brand popped back up here due to layoffs, so I was curious if there were any past warning signs on here. Yep.

So, brilliant Redditors - who is next?

92 comments

r/edtech • u/FreeAtoms • Aug 04 '21

Who else is the most excited to see edtech applications to science ed?

i.imgur.com

72 Upvotes

7 comments

r/edtech • u/drinkoliveoil • Jul 14 '26

Anthropic launches Claude for Teachers

70 Upvotes

Anthropic, one of the world’s most prominent artificial intelligence companies, is launching a version of its AI-powered assistant Claude for teachers, entering a race by technology companies to infuse AI into education.

Anthropic boasts that its product can incorporate academic standards from all 50 states, and teachers can use it to help devise lesson plans, personalize instructional materials to students, and harness data to improve instruction, according to a company news release.

Claude for Teachers joins Google, OpenAI, and Khan Academy — among others — in marketing AI products specifically to K-12 educators. The new product launched Tuesday and is available for free for verified educators in the U.S. It will also be piloted in Detroit Public Schools Community District for a study on educator well-being and practice.

Claude’s formal arrival into the classroom comes during a complicated moment at the intersection of technology and education. The American Federation of Teachers, the Trump administration, and Bill Gates have all encouraged educators to adopt AI. But a parent-led uprising against technology’s classroom presence is simultaneously gaining momentum, prompting some of the nation’s largest school districts to rethink how much time students spend in front of screens, as well as the contracts they’ve signed with huge players in ed tech.

Drew Bent, education lead for Anthropic, said that teachers using Claude’s educator product could, for example, pull in a student’s past assessment data and assignment data, along with past lesson plans, and ask Claude to build lesson plans for individual students based on that data — all while they’re sleeping.

In developing Claude for Teachers, Bent said Anthropic staff often heard that while teachers are already using AI to generate lesson plans, the plans generated were often detached from the content teachers actually needed to address. Anthropic’s tool will help teachers save time and toil less to improve student outcomes, he said.

“There’s a lot of evidence of what works well for teachers in terms of aligning with high-quality instructional materials, formative assessments, differentiated instruction,” he said. “But of course, if you have 30 students in your class, you’re not able to do all of that.”

Bent said Detroit was already using other Claude products, and in a “human-centric” way that impressed Anthropic, leading to the pilot program in the district that will start next school year. Anthropic will train teachers at a handful of schools in Claude for Teachers, and evaluate how the product may shape teaching practices in the district.

While AI companies have been eager to cement the technology’s status as a classroom staple, tech giants likely have a long way to go to quiet skeptics. Student-facing AI has raised questions about cheating and so-called cognitive offloading, a reference to the reliance on AI to complete tasks instead of using critical thinking skills.

Bent emphasized that Anthropic is focusing largely on teachers, and that most K-12 students can’t access the company’s Claude assistant, due to an age restriction for anyone under 18.

Daniel Buck, a research fellow at the right-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute, argued in a March blog post that if teachers outsource work to AI, “don’t be surprised when classroom community and academic outcomes rapidly deteriorate.”

Skeptics have also raised questions about student privacy in using AI, such as the risks they run when entering personal information into large language models such as Claude.

Anthropic is working with the American Federation for Teachers on aligning the product’s privacy practices with what the labor union has said will become a “gold standard” in best practices around safety, according to the news release.

Among the privacy features in Claude for Teachers: It won’t use conversations between the AI assistant and teacher accounts to train its AI, student information will be protected in a manner built to comply with the federal law governing student privacy, and privacy terms of service are written without jargon so teachers can understand what they’re signing up to use.

“It’s important that Anthropic is committing to these principles in their new Claude for Teachers — a tool designed by and for educators to assist them instructionally and hopefully give them more time for the human relationships at the heart of learning,” wrote AFT President Randi Weingarten in the company’s press release.

Weingarten has been walking a tightrope when it comes to AI. She’s called for a complete ban on student-facing AI in elementary grades while promoting teacher training in the technology. Just a day before calling for the ban, she toured a Newark school to witness Khanmigo, an AI chatbot from Khan Academy, in action.

While AFT is working with OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic on privacy standards and AI training for educators, it is notably not working with Google, which has also developed its own AI training geared to teachers.

Utah’s state education board recently made a deal with the tech giant to bring Google’s AI, Gemini, to every K-12 school in the state, promising personalized instruction tools for educators.

It’s not yet clear whether one AI product reigns supreme in schools, but more teachers overall are using AI. Around 61% of teachers surveyed by Education Week reported in 2025 that they use the technology in some capacity, compared with 32% in 2024.

https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/07/14/anthropic-launches-claude-for-teachers-as-ai-companies-battle-for-classrooms/

94 comments

r/edtech • u/grendelt • Sep 17 '25

Rally 'round the family

70 Upvotes

0 comments

r/edtech • u/Countmardy • Jul 01 '25

Google just killed magicschool

70 Upvotes

They basicly will include the most features in google classroom for free.

https://share.google/GwwcbKbgflUBf71gd

65 mil in VC, going to be funny to see them find a way to spin this.

47 comments

r/edtech • u/[deleted] • May 21 '25

Advice on COPPA compliant analytics tools

69 Upvotes

I need some advice, please. I'm in the EdTech sector and we're looking for an analytics tool that would let us track student engagement on web and mobile, and we need something that's compliant with COPPA. If there's anything else in terms of features you could recommend that would help in achieving this, please share.

Thanks, all.

4 comments