Monday, November 17, 2014

Where does the information in the app your kid is using at school go?

And has anyone checked?
Great article in the NY Times today on the growing use of apps at schools, and the lack of tracking where the information goes. While the article focuses on behavioral apps--which, as an aside? I find appalling--this certainly carries through for about anything where your child signs into a website and does anything: reads an online book and takes a quiz, practices math problems, checks test results.
While teachers have to agree to a user agreement upon setting up the site for their classes, I suspect that the experience of many is like that of the teacher in the article: they just click agree.
On a local note: there is guidance on this coming from downtown in Worcester, as part of a larger "data managment" memo (which will deal with data walls, too). I'll make sure we get it around so that everyone knows what's supposed to be happening. In the meantime? Parents, ask!

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