I guess there are worse ways to spend $40 million. Not many, but they do exist.

Miami-Dade To Give Teachers 18 Months of Interactive Whiteboard Training — THE Journal.

Miami Dade is deploying over 10,000 interactive whiteboards by the beginning of the 2015 school year. Admittedly I haven’t priced smartboards in a few years. I sent emails to a number of school officials and haven’t heard back on the details of this contract. In doing a couple of quick checks, $4000 is a reasonable estimate for purchase and installation of one of these smartboards. At 10,000 units that’s $40 million dollars. Plus the 18 months of training. Plus bulbs for the projectors. Plus support.

It boggles the mind.

This is approximately $80 million
Approximately $80 million and Miami Dade doesn’t sell meth

That’s a lot of money spent on technology that hasn’t been shown to have any long term impact on learning outcomes.

I wonder how many of them will still be used as anything other than a whiteboard and projector in 2 years. Every one I’ve seen has been ripped out or gets used as a simple white board.

Some sales guy must have had a really good quarter though.

See also: YOU CAN HAVE MY CHALK WHEN YOU PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!