Post you DC elementary school’s tech usage!

[Anonymous]

One thing I’m struggling to find online is information about tech in classrooms.

Please post your DCPS or DCPCS elementary school, at what grade they provide one device per student (if ever), what it is (tablet, Chromebook, etc), and how much time you suspect those devices are in use during the school day.

For earlier grades, please include any and all information about tech in classrooms (type, frequency, what they’re used for).

[Anonymous]

DCPS is, in theory, 1:1 for grades 3+. That should be the same across all DCPS schools. Of course the reality is that schools have to fight for working devices and some schools are better at it than others for a variety of reasons within and outside of their control.

Grades 3+ in ES had Surface Gos, but I hear they're being phased out because they break constant (thank goodness). Laptops for Grades 6+.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is, in theory, 1:1 for grades 3+. That should be the same across all DCPS schools. Of course the reality is that schools have to fight for working devices and some schools are better at it than others for a variety of reasons within and outside of their control.

Grades 3+ in ES had Surface Gos, but I hear they're being phased out because they break constant (thank goodness). Laptops for Grades 6+.

We're still in early elementary but this comment implies that the main difference is that the wealthier schools have more/better devices, but the reality is that wealthier schools have significantly less screen time because the parents won't stand for it. We're at a Ward 4 Title I elementary EOTP and our neighbors who lotteried across to Lafayette this past year say it's night and day. No "dance breaks" with KidzBop between every center, no watching movies during Music class, no watching videos of books being read out loud on a YouTube channel during library visits.

The only screen time for early elementary in wealthy elementaries is the mandatory iReady assessments on tablets. In each of the 2 Title I schools I've been at, iReady is the least of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is, in theory, 1:1 for grades 3+. That should be the same across all DCPS schools. Of course the reality is that schools have to fight for working devices and some schools are better at it than others for a variety of reasons within and outside of their control.

Grades 3+ in ES had Surface Gos, but I hear they're being phased out because they break constant (thank goodness). Laptops for Grades 6+.

We're still in early elementary but this comment implies that the main difference is that the wealthier schools have more/better devices, but the reality is that wealthier schools have significantly less screen time because the parents won't stand for it. We're at a Ward 4 Title I elementary EOTP and our neighbors who lotteried across to Lafayette this past year say it's night and day. No "dance breaks" with KidzBop between every center, no watching movies during Music class, no watching videos of books being read out loud on a YouTube channel during library visits.

The only screen time for early elementary in wealthy elementaries is the mandatory iReady assessments on tablets. In each of the 2 Title I schools I've been at, iReady is the least of it.

Sorry, I was only answering the part of the question about what devices students have and I believe the above is accurate. (FWIW it is not always the rich schools that have working devices though, a lot of it is about how good the principal and/or IS is at working the system.) You are absolutely correct that the amount of screen time between schools varies, though in my experience very little of that is related to personal devices (which is the part of the question I was answering). My kids' school does iReady 40 minutes week on each of math and ELA, but that includes time spent at home, so it's really only in the classroom if kids don't do it. They also use their devices for testing, test prep, typing practice in 3rd grade and occasional in-school power point projects in 4th & 5th. There is some other screen time (watching clips of videos, indoor recess movies), but none of that is on personal devices at all.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I really appreciate everyone's info! Could people post the names of the schools? The purpose of this post is for lottery/research purposes.

I have specific schools I'm looking for, but figure a wide variety would help a lot of folks (since I hear concerns about tech use discussed on DCUM a lot)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is, in theory, 1:1 for grades 3+. That should be the same across all DCPS schools. Of course the reality is that schools have to fight for working devices and some schools are better at it than others for a variety of reasons within and outside of their control.

Grades 3+ in ES had Surface Gos, but I hear they're being phased out because they break constant (thank goodness). Laptops for Grades 6+.

We're still in early elementary but this comment implies that the main difference is that the wealthier schools have more/better devices, but the reality is that wealthier schools have significantly less screen time because the parents won't stand for it. We're at a Ward 4 Title I elementary EOTP and our neighbors who lotteried across to Lafayette this past year say it's night and day. No "dance breaks" with KidzBop between every center, no watching movies during Music class, no watching videos of books being read out loud on a YouTube channel during library visits.

The only screen time for early elementary in wealthy elementaries is the mandatory iReady assessments on tablets. In each of the 2 Title I schools I've been at, iReady is the least of it.

This is not an accurate characterization of all WOTP schools. We are at Janney and the classrooms have smartboards on which they do many of the above (dance breaks, book videos, movies in music class). It is true that there is significantly less personal device use before 3rd grade, but after that, it is ubiquitous. Some of it is teacher dependent and some of the tech use is better executed than others.

We moved from a Ward 4 school as well and found that the tech use differences were not as large as we had hoped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is, in theory, 1:1 for grades 3+. That should be the same across all DCPS schools. Of course the reality is that schools have to fight for working devices and some schools are better at it than others for a variety of reasons within and outside of their control.

Grades 3+ in ES had Surface Gos, but I hear they're being phased out because they break constant (thank goodness). Laptops for Grades 6+.

We're still in early elementary but this comment implies that the main difference is that the wealthier schools have more/better devices, but the reality is that wealthier schools have significantly less screen time because the parents won't stand for it. We're at a Ward 4 Title I elementary EOTP and our neighbors who lotteried across to Lafayette this past year say it's night and day. No "dance breaks" with KidzBop between every center, no watching movies during Music class, no watching videos of books being read out loud on a YouTube channel during library visits.

The only screen time for early elementary in wealthy elementaries is the mandatory iReady assessments on tablets. In each of the 2 Title I schools I've been at, iReady is the least of it.

This is not an accurate characterization of all WOTP schools. We are at Janney and the classrooms have smartboards on which they do many of the above (dance breaks, book videos, movies in music class). It is true that there is significantly less personal device use before 3rd grade, but after that, it is ubiquitous. Some of it is teacher dependent and some of the tech use is better executed than others.

We moved from a Ward 4 school as well and found that the tech use differences were not as large as we had hoped.

I think this is more common than people want to believe and admit. The biggest difference in my experience is aftercare and frankly you're going to get what you pay for. Our Ward 4 Title one has plenty of dance breaks but also kindergarteners reading at a frankly very impressive clip, and after school book club, garden club, the school play, and learning enrichment after school for younger kids.

My personal philosophy on this is that happy kids learn better and the occasional dance break isn't going to hurt anyone. Now if every lesson is dependent on screens that's more of an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is, in theory, 1:1 for grades 3+. That should be the same across all DCPS schools. Of course the reality is that schools have to fight for working devices and some schools are better at it than others for a variety of reasons within and outside of their control.

Grades 3+ in ES had Surface Gos, but I hear they're being phased out because they break constant (thank goodness). Laptops for Grades 6+.

We're still in early elementary but this comment implies that the main difference is that the wealthier schools have more/better devices, but the reality is that wealthier schools have significantly less screen time because the parents won't stand for it. We're at a Ward 4 Title I elementary EOTP and our neighbors who lotteried across to Lafayette this past year say it's night and day. No "dance breaks" with KidzBop between every center, no watching movies during Music class, no watching videos of books being read out loud on a YouTube channel during library visits.

The only screen time for early elementary in wealthy elementaries is the mandatory iReady assessments on tablets. In each of the 2 Title I schools I've been at, iReady is the least of it.

Why do parents generalize like this? All the schools I’ve worked at have been title 1, it varies by teacher.

Also it’s not best practice to put a whole song between every ‘center.’ Most teachers just use a standard timer and it may be on the smart board.

Videos of books are only used when the teacher needs a break, it’s not the norm.

Title 1 schools vary by video/tech usage and even by teacher.

[Anonymous]

It is important to visit schools and actually talk to parents, including parents of upper grade students, to understand this.

Our previous school (Title I, Ward 5), which I will not name because it will make me identifiable, had a lot of parents who wanted more tech in the classroom. They viewed access to ed tech and time spent on computers and tablets as important for kids to develop "tech skills" that would be essential to future careers.

I get why people feel this way because it was the prevailing attitude about technology in eduction for 20-30 years and for a long time the mark of a well funded school was access to the best computers or other technology. It is only within the last 5-10 years that concerns about screen time have really gained traction and doctors, therapists, and education experts have started sounding an alarm about screens in school. For a lot of people, the alarm hasn't sounded yet and they will look at you like you are some crazy luddite if you say you'd like your child to have LESS access to screens in the classroom.

Go to open houses and talk to the PTA members there. Ask open ended questions about tech in the classroom. If their answer is entirely focused on touting all the great tech they have and their "1:1 ratio" on devices, and they say nothing about the importance of limiting technology use, you have your answer. Teachers/administration are more circumspect because they understand the competing viewpoints and will hedge their answers accordingly. Parents will not and you can get a good idea of the culture by asking without prompting the response you *want* to hear.

[Anonymous]

Our time at Murch was quite device-forward, beginning in early grades with many apps used on tablets from 1st grade onward.

[Anonymous]

Giving devices to elementary school children is an excellent way to destroy their attention spans. Don't complain when they won't read a book.

[Anonymous]

LAMB. Virtually no screens whatsoever. Thankfully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our time at Murch was quite device-forward, beginning in early grades with many apps used on tablets from 1st grade onward.

Agree, I think upper grades have a lot of computer time, both for writing and research but also iReady lessons.

[Anonymous]

During tours of Capitol Hill schools this year during lottery season I witnessed:

- PK-4 class at Maury dancing to a video on the smartboard
- 1st graders at LT working on tablets (1:1)
- A video displaying the words to a story on a smartboard at Payne in a PK or K classroom
- A class watching a video on a smartboard about another country on a “virtual field trip” as the tour guide called it at CHML

And those were things that just happened to be occurring as the tour passed by! I felt pretty disheartened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:During tours of Capitol Hill schools this year during lottery season I witnessed:

- PK-4 class at Maury dancing to a video on the smartboard
- 1st graders at LT working on tablets (1:1)
- A video displaying the words to a story on a smartboard at Payne in a PK or K classroom
- A class watching a video on a smartboard about another country on a “virtual field trip” as the tour guide called it at CHML

And those were things that just happened to be occurring as the tour passed by! I felt pretty disheartened.

Uh huh. 🙄 How much screen time does your kid have at home?
Have you ever thought about kids with disabilities who may need bigger words than what’s on a chart paper? Or maybe they need visuals to help them engage. Are you going to print thousands and pay for colored visuals?

Are you going to pay for a trip to Italy?

There is NOTHING wrong with what you listed as long as it’s not for hours.

I have done a 15 minute virtual tour in my classroom, then students did research using books, travel magazines, brochures, etc.

If parents want zero tech send your kid to a private forest school. We have those in this area, they’re cute.