Blog Post #2

From Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier's blog, Bridging Differences on 6/19/12, about the Gates Foundation's new research. Its a'll interesting, but this is the section that really caught my eye...


My own reaction was that this research is reminiscent of Brave New World. It suggests the development of a device to snoop into our being. It crosses a line that allows others—whether government officials, researchers, or teachers—to peer into how we feel. Whether it is intended to evaluate teachers, as was originally implied on the Gates website, or to measure student engagement, as the foundation now says, it is sinister. It goes where measurement does not belong. The fact that something can be done does not mean that it should be done. We could, for example, search for drugs and prevent anyone from bringing them into school by regularly examining students' body cavities, but we don't do it. We don't do it because it is wrong. We should not do what is wrong even in the pursuit of the ultimate measure of student engagement or teacher effectiveness.


My Response:

Diane, thanks for adding the Big Brother component. When I first heard of this research, I was confused, thinking wow, if they had put those on my pre-k students they would have had constantly changing blood pressure rates (I’m sorry, “engagement”). Does that mean that my students were or were not engaged--not necessarily! I am surprised that researchers on their team failed to consult research showing that varying heart rates is actually okay and natural! Now that I have discussed this ridiculous research with others, I have become more cynical and angry about it. It is definitely Big Brother-ish; it screams of listening into conversations, constant monitoring, and punishments as a result.  Not only is research into testing this idea based on a disregard for research theories and findings, it is also extremely unethical. Once again, it seems that the Gates Foundation is over-extending its power.