Abstract:

Educators as ed tech brand ambassadors and micro-influencers, along with the lack of research and policy about this trend has been amplified by the expansion of remote learning during the pandemic when educators as ed tech users grew exponentially. Women compose most of the teaching force globally, and the image of women as teachers is sewn into the division of labor. However, education leadership roles are held overwhelmingly by men, and women in STEM fields are underrepresented (18% in 2021). At the intersection of education and technology, one place for women to exercise their power has emerged in social media. As ed tech influencers, educators lend their authentic voice to the media strategy of big tech.

This presentation will explore how the ed tech influencer movement, specifically with regard to women, serves as a window into and an attempt for women to course correct for the historical, economic, and structural exclusion of women both in STEM fields and in educational leadership roles. With social media serving as an illusory equalizer, women are spokespersons for ed tech products but hold relatively few executive roles in the ed tech industry. The media image of women as ed tech "cover girls" echoes a time when women were the faces of products in advertising campaigns but excluded from leading roles in advertising agencies.

This perspective in this presentation is absent at the leading ed tech conferences because the practice is normalized and unquestioned.

The advantages of being an influencer includes the potential for career advancement via exposure through the conference circuit and associated ed tech communities as well as opening the door to employment opportunities with ed tech vendors; influencing then becomes a path to being "seen" as a leader and into a more profitable male-dominated field. Although without direct remuneration, the influencer may eventually recover their unpaid investment with the promise of greater economic prospects either in a school district, or with ed tech companies who recruit educators due to their credibility and influence with other educators (customers). From a teacher perspective, I will include interviews from current educators who serve as brand ambassadors for ed tech products.

The presentation will review the ethical concerns, considering the blend of commercialism and pedagogy, as well as the systemic problems caused by the teacher pay gap which has been attributed to the field being overwhelmingly composed of women.

Are women the marketing arm of an industry they can’t break into through traditional pathways? How can this change? In this largely online media space, the percentage of women influencers is high and creates the impression of breaking the glass ceiling.

The contrast between ed tech users and influencers and the number of women employed in the ed tech and tech industries highlights this discrepancy. Data to support this contrast will be provided, such as the “ISTE 20 to Watch”; 16 of the 20 rising stars are women.

Finally, I will include my experiences as an ed tech brand ambassador, my background in the advertising and media industries, and as a career educator and IT employee.

Keywords:

Technology, education, leadership, STEM, media, inclusion.