I’d want to see extensive research on the benefits of Ed-Tech products before they are unleashed on classrooms full of actual students. “Making things easier for teachers” is often not the case and simultaneously creates costs for training and support at these institutions along with the exponential growth required to administer these new roles. And then of course are the students themselves. How do iPads compare to…
I like that I have an automated gradebook and communications tool. I like that I can e-mail students and accept work done outside the room via Google Docs. And it's pretty great to be able to present slides from me or students, or occasionally look at a Desmos or Jupyter notebook. Khan is neat to get an instant read or to allow students to hear a topic explained a different way than I do. Playing a game in Gimkit is a way to break up the monotony of a class. I privately advise students they might want to consider Anki as a way to increase their long term retention of information.
Even though I've named a lot of technology, these things are about 10% of what we do. Even when I'm teaching about technology, a huge portion we do is pen, paper, careful thought, and discussion. I know students aren't trying to game; I know they've produced their own work; I know they've not become over-reliant on a crutch. And beyond this, the fundamental reason why a classroom works is not some assumption of my authority or my use of grades for leverage: it works based on the social connections formed in a classroom between the teacher and students, and between students with each other. Too much time on screens interrupts this.
Of course, I'd love high quality research to help guide me in making better choices in the room, but actionable educational research that has good enough methodology to be believed is rare.