Screen time in elementary schools

[Anonymous]

I teach third grade. Most days students don’t use their laptops. I have “Computer Tech” as one of my math stations, but that’s only about 6 students a day over 4 days. At the end of some writing units (poetry, for example), students published on the computer but that was after the rest of the writing process was done in composition books. A few assignments have been completed in Schoology, but that’s less than a weekly occurrence. Some assessments have been completed in Horizon.

Our grade level doesn’t assign hw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My oldest went to FCPS before the pandemic. The last two years we have been at a private school. We are enrolled to come back (two kids) this fall.

I have heard a lot on other pages about screen time in FCPS.

How screen time is being done at your school and what grades?

I feel like the use of screens was overused even in spring 2020 but I am afraid maybe now FCPS never went back to normal based on what I have read in other parent groups.

Can you share how much screens are being used in elementary school? I want my kids doing normal homework using paper (writing these down physically retains more knowledge--multiple studies have been done on this.). Thanks.

As a 4th grade teacher, I can say that there is a huge variation among all of us who teach 4th grade at my school. There is definitely no consistency. It's all teacher preference. When filling out the placement forms for next year, indicate that you'd like your child with a teacher who does not rely so much on screen time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't bother me one bit as a parent of a 2nd grader. The present and future are digital.

When your child doesn't learn or remember anything b/c they didn't put pencil to paper, it might bother you more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG just stay in your precious private school, PLEASE.

Stop it. It is cheaper than daycare. Also, I needed to work. There is no way I could have done virtual school with two grades with one being in kindergarten. I had to stay employed. I am divorced and ex and I coparent. Shut up.

FCPS was in person this year, crazy lady.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest went to FCPS before the pandemic. The last two years we have been at a private school. We are enrolled to come back (two kids) this fall.

I have heard a lot on other pages about screen time in FCPS.

How screen time is being done at your school and what grades?

I feel like the use of screens was overused even in spring 2020 but I am afraid maybe now FCPS never went back to normal based on what I have read in other parent groups.

Can you share how much screens are being used in elementary school? I want my kids doing normal homework using paper (writing these down physically retains more knowledge--multiple studies have been done on this.). Thanks.

As a 4th grade teacher, I can say that there is a huge variation among all of us who teach 4th grade at my school. There is definitely no consistency. It's all teacher preference. When filling out the placement forms for next year, indicate that you'd like your child with a teacher who does not rely so much on screen time.

Yup! Some teachers are using it more than others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't bother me one bit as a parent of a 2nd grader. The present and future are digital.

When your child doesn't learn or remember anything b/c they didn't put pencil to paper, it might bother you more.

NP, that’s your kid - not every kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's awful, OP. Laptops are now a crutch being used all day long. MY KIDS TOOK THEIR LAPTOPS TO PE.

yep. Kids are taking laptops to PE and music class. 4 th grade

[Anonymous]

They use their laptops in LA, math, SS, Sci, PE, and music. In addition, the teacher will show shorts and small movies as part of their instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They use their laptops in LA, math, SS, Sci, PE, and music. In addition, the teacher will show shorts and small movies as part of their instruction.

Teachers have been showing videos as part of instruction for AT LEAST a decade. There in 3-5 min in ES and up to 15 min in MS. It’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They use their laptops in LA, math, SS, Sci, PE, and music. In addition, the teacher will show shorts and small movies as part of their instruction.

Teachers have been showing videos as part of instruction for AT LEAST a decade. There in 3-5 min in ES and up to 15 min in MS. It’s fine.

My 5th grader is on her laptop all day long. it's ridiculous. There's a youtube channel the teacher uses for math instruction. They do ST Math. The math "textbook" is "digital". They have "digital notebooks" for science and google slides for language arts. It is really enraging, to be honest. And my older dc had the same exact teacher pre-covid and it was normal school. This is all post-covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't bother me one bit as a parent of a 2nd grader. The present and future are digital.

When your child doesn't learn or remember anything b/c they didn't put pencil to paper, it might bother you more.

NP, that’s your kid - not every kid.

There have been lots of studies showing kids remember information more when they write it down.

There have been ZERO studies on the effectiveness of ES age kids spending all day learning via laptop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't bother me one bit as a parent of a 2nd grader. The present and future are digital.

When your child doesn't learn or remember anything b/c they didn't put pencil to paper, it might bother you more.

NP, that’s your kid - not every kid.

There have been lots of studies showing kids remember information more when they write it down.

There have been ZERO studies on the effectiveness of ES age kids spending all day learning via laptop.

PP clearly stated that kids don’t learn anything - learn better and learn nothing or different. PP was making a gross overstatement. Some of our kids did well with virtual. **see how I used the word some?

[Anonymous]

Oh, yeah, fascinating. Tell us all about how much your first grader learned in virtual school last year. Sounds SUPER age appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's awful, OP. Laptops are now a crutch being used all day long. MY KIDS TOOK THEIR LAPTOPS TO PE.

yep. Kids are taking laptops to PE and music class. 4 th grade

Like most other topics here, it varies. That's not happening at our school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's awful, OP. Laptops are now a crutch being used all day long. MY KIDS TOOK THEIR LAPTOPS TO PE.

yep. Kids are taking laptops to PE and music class. 4 th grade

Like most other topics here, it varies. That's not happening at our school.

Does anyone think that is acceptable?