Loyalty

​I just realized what makes me a little uncomfortable with Ed Tech. It's the loyalty factor. I find that some companies/individuals want you to...except you to be loyal to one brand. If you are a "Google person" then you can't be a "Microsoft person."  If you love Nearpod, you can't love ClassFlow, which means you can't love Pear Deck. I find that some wish to put products against each other, not to simply see which is better for their situation, but to pledge allegiance to one or the other. And I am not sure if it is the actual companies doing the "loyalty shaming," but I definitely see it being done by some consumers. Shouldn't we be showing more loyalty to our students than to a product? Shouldn't we be looking for whatever ragtag, mismatched tools we can to create the perfect digital working environment for our specific situation? Enough is enough!  I love so many different Ed Tech products and each bring different pros and cons to the table. Why not teach about each of them and let the educators who attend or sessions decide which they want to use and not feel guilty about not showing loyalty to one specific product.

Now, with that being said, there is also nothing wrong with loving a company's suite of products. I have to say that I do indeed love me some Google!  But it is because I use the product daily and believe in the product. If an educator tells me their situation and I think Dropbox would work best for them or Edmodo is the way to go for their online classroom, I will let them know that. It isn't disloyal to the brand, but it is loyal to my mission of helping educators succeed in the plans for student success. So, to all Ed Tech companies/gurus/lovers out there: It is a good thing to have your favorite products compared to others!  If you have/love a quality product, it will be used...it will be taught...it will be recommended to others!  And it will definitely be added to my toolbox as another great Ed Tech option!

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