Have You Heard #211 Silicon Valley’s Vision for Schools is Trapped in a Cold War Fantasy
Jan 22, 2026
Audrey Watters, an education writer and critic focused on ed tech, shares her insights on the troubling parallels between today's educational technology visions and Cold War-era fantasies. She argues that Silicon Valley’s push for robot teachers mirrors the 1950s fears around Sputnik, with urgent narratives driving funding and reforms. Watters critiques the tech industry's reliance on data over human connection, warning that this mindset undermines true educational values. She advocates for a shift towards public investment in education, rather than outsourcing to technology.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Ed‑Tech Is Stuck In A Cold War Fantasy
- Audrey Watters argues today’s ed‑tech visions recycle a 70‑year Cold War fantasy about schools and technology.
- That narrative is rooted in fear, control, and national security rather than genuine educational needs.
1958 Comic Predicts Modern Personalized Learning
- The May 1958 comic 'Closer Than We Think' showed students learning at individual machines while teachers shrink in number.
- That image exactly mirrors today's personalized learning pitches with students working alone on devices.
Sputnik Rewrote Education Around Security
- The Sputnik launch reframed U.S. education as a national security issue and funneled federal funds into testing and ed‑tech.
- That shift delegitimized progressive education and normalized tech-driven fixes for perceived crises.
