As an edtechnologist, I am always looking for new and innovative ways to improve education. Black feminist theory is a way of looking at the world that is grounded in the experiences of Black women. It is a way of understanding how power works and how systems of oppression intersect. It provides us with a framework for understanding the world and for creating change.
I believe that Black feminist theory has something to offer education and edtech. In particular, it can help us to create more inclusive and equitable learning environments. It can help us to understand the experiences of marginalized students and to create tools and resources that meet their needs.
I am excited to explore Black feminist theory more deeply and to see how it can help to improve education and edtech.
Black feminist theory is a branch of feminism that focuses on the experiences of black women.
It critiques the mainstream feminist movement for its failure to take into account the intersectional experiences of black women. Black feminist theory aims to center the voices of black women and to promote social justice and equality for all.
As an edtech activist and educator, I can learn a lot from Black feminist theory. In particular, I can learn how to create more inclusive and equitable learning environments for all students.
How Does Black Feminist Theory Influence Edtech?
Black feminist theory can help us reimagine education and edtech. It can help us see that education is not neutral, but is instead shaped by historical and social forces. It can help us question the dominant narratives about education, and it can help us create new ways of thinking about and teaching technology.
Black feminist theory can also help us understand the role of power in education. It can help us see how technology is used to control and oppress marginalized groups of people. And it can help us create technologies that are more democratic and inclusive.
Ultimately, black feminist theory can help us create a more just and equitable world through education and edtech.
Examining the Limitations of Edtech Through a Black Feminist Lens
Despite the potential for edtech to dismantle oppressive educational structures, it often falls short due to its failure to account for race and gender.
As a Black feminist educator, I have often been critical of edtech and its inability to address the ways in which race and gender operate within our educational institutions. Edtech often relies on data and rationales that are grounded in white supremacy and patriarchy, which means that they often fail to serve students who are notwhite and/or male.
For example, many edtech tools rely on algorithms that use standardized test scores to identify students who are struggling. However, these scores are often based on the assumption that all students learn in the same way and at the same pace. This fails to take into account the fact that Black and Brown students are more likely to be misidentified as strugglers due to institutional racism.
Edtech also tends to emphasize individualized learning, which can be counterproductive for students who already feel marginalized in the classroom. When students don’t see themselves represented in the learning materials or in the people who are teaching them, they can feel even more isolated and unheard.
Abolitionist Education and Its Relation to Edtech
Through the lens of Black feminist theory, abolitionist education can help edtech become more equitable and inclusive. Abolitionists encourage critical thinking and awareness of power dynamics, which is essential to highlight in technology. They promote sharing power with users and speaking out against systemic oppression. As an edtechnologist, I can use this framework to hold myself accountable to creating empathic technology that puts users in control of their data. This means making sure design decisions are not only privileging certain voices, but providing a platform for marginalized voices to be heard and respected. Additionally, I can ensure that technology is not reinforcing existing oppressive systems or promoting new ones in its design.
As an edtech professional, it is my responsibility to bring Black feminist theory into my work. I do this by being mindful of power dynamics when creating educational technology. This means that I must be aware of and actively resist the systems of oppression that have been embedded in educational institutions since before the internet existed.
For example, when designing an online course or platform, I should prioritize equity and inclusion. This means designing products that provide equitable access to content and features regardless of a learner’s background, language, culture or identity. Furthermore, I should embrace collaboration between teachers and students in order to create an environment where all voices are valued. Finally, I should strive to create digital spaces where learners can be creative and explore without fear of being judged or punished for their ideas or opinions.
As an edTechnologist, I find Black Feminist Theory is an incredible resource for understanding how technology intersects with the feelings and perspectives of diverse populations. This theory enables us to examine our own biases and assumptions when creating educational materials, programs, and technology. It also allows us to consider how marginalized communities are represented in our work, as well as how our work can best serve them.
Furthermore, using this theory allows us to better understand the potential harms of technology and how we can mitigate those harms by centering empathy and inclusion in our work. We can develop resources that provide equitable access to technology while addressing systemic injustices that prevent marginalized individuals from utilizing those resources. In this way, Black Feminist Theory offers us the opportunity to create meaningful change in education through technology.
I argue that edtech needs to be more intentional in its application of Black feminist theory in order to create more just and equitable learning environments for all students. In particular, I suggest that Black feminist scholarship can help us to more critically examine the role of edtech in reproduction of raced and gendered hierarchies, and to develop more democratic and liberatory educational tools and practices.
