Is Education Technology Really Improving Outcomes for Black Children? New Report and Advocacy Toolkit
Join us at Edgbaston Community Centre for a free, interactive afternoon for parents, guardians and all who want to learn more about how EdTech impacts Black/Black heritage children— and what you can do to understand and protect children's data.
We will share our new report on the views and use of educational apps (EdTech) in Birmingham schools and present our toolkit to support parents in advocating with and for their children and the data collected about them.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Children are welcome to attend, but we cannot provide childcare services. Children must remain with parents/guardians for the duration of the event.
RUNNING ORDER
1.30 pm- Meet the team & light refreshments
2:00 pm- Report findings with a Question and Answer session
3:00 pm- Short break
3:15 pm- Launch and test of new advocacy toolkit: How to check and question the use of EdTech tools and the data collected about your child
4:30 pm- Close
ABOUT THE PROJECT
In 2023, Data, Tech & Black Communities CIC supported by BLAST collaborated with a team of analysts, community organisers, and volunteer community researchers from Birmingham’s diverse Black and Black heritage communities to address a growing concern– with the increasing use of EdTech in schools on top of the existing differential outcomes for Black/Black heritage children seen in our education system, does EdTech really improve outcomes for marginalised children?
The project analysed data from 90 schools, reviewed 65 EdTech apps, and gathered views from 99 parents/guardians, teachers/school support staff, and individuals working in Black communities.
This event will:
present the findings of this research,
provide an opportunity for parents/guardians to ask questions to the DTBC team, and importantly,
present a toolkit developed in partnership with Defend Digital Me that parents can use to learn more about EdTech, ask questions to schools, trusts and local authorities and receive answers.
ABOUT DATA, TECH & BLACK COMMUNITIES
Data, Tech, & Black Communities (DTBC) is a not-for-profit community interest company (CIC) of diverse Black/Black heritage people working together to ensure data and data-driven technologies (e.g. AI) enhance Black lives, rather than curtail or surveil them.
The directors of DTBC CIC did not receive payment for this project; instead, we fundraised to support people's participation in the investigation. This is more than a research project. This is about how we build a community to check and scrutinise data-driven technologies, ensuring that technology benefits everyone.