ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the intersection between neo-liberal educational reforms and educational technology in the Israeli education system, through a study of the policy work of an edtech research and development unit in Israel named MindCET, which operates a startup accelerator and other activities and programs. Based on ethnographic research from the first two years of MindCET’s operation (2013–2014) alongside analysis of interviews and publications, I explore the edtech sector discourse and practices expressed by MindCET and the ways in which it attempts to promote educational reforms based on technologies, methods, and reasoning from the techno-business world. The article traces the disruption logic of MindCET – which evolved from disruptive innovation business theory – and how this logic is manifested in MindCET’s activities and educational policy work. I claim that MindCET’s policy work is implemented not by promoting in-system change, but rather through its disruption mode: a set of activities that distribute connections, ideas, possibilities, and experiences that are intended to create conditions and mindsets for willingness for disruptive change in education.

摘要

本文通过对以色列教育技术研发部门名为MindCET的政策工作的研究，分析了新自由主义教育改革与以色列教育系统中教育技术之间的交集，该部门负责启动加速器以及其他活动和计划。基于MindCET运营的前两年（2013-2014年）的人种学研究以及对访谈和出版物的分析，我探讨了MindCET所表达的教育技术领域的话语和做法，以及它试图推动基于技术的教育改革的方式，技术商业世界中的方法和推理。本文追溯了MindCET的颠覆逻辑（它是从颠覆性创新业务理论演变而来）以及该逻辑如何在MindCET的活动和教育政策工作中体现的。我声称MindCET的政策工作不是通过促进系统内变化来实现的，而是通过其破坏模式来实现的：一组活动旨在分配联系，思想，可能性和经验，旨在为破坏性变革的意愿创造条件和思维方式在教育领域。