Tech Use in Elementary Schools

[Anonymous]

Our FCPS school had 1:1 devices and used ipads extensively in 1st grade. A bit in K as well, but I really noticed it 1st. Testing was also on ipads.

We moved to private in 2nd (other reasons) and there was less usage but not none. In 3rd for example, they handwrote a report but then typed it up and added pictures from the internet. In 5th we started getting homework assignments coming home in an e-textbook but the homework itself is done on paper.

We are still close with friends from FCPS and there are some cool things about the tech use. The friends confidently email teachers, which my kid doesn't and wouldn't know how to. They can search online effectively and use the info to make a slide deck, because they do that a lot at school. I don't know whether they write longer form papers yet.

[Anonymous]

Interesting, just came back from a family vacation with cousin who teaches elementary in a NJ school district, and they do NOT have 1:1 tech devices in elementary and also, her children in middle school still use some textbooks (I saw them) so I guess it isn't universal across the U.S. (yet).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to your question, but if you're willing to share, I would be really curious to hear more of the reasons why you don't want your kids in APS. Not to debate you, just would appreciate your unique insider perspective.

Same. I’m curious too. And if you already have kids, OP, are they in DCPS?
-another APS teacher

They are not, they are 2 and 4. As I said, I’m not trying to have a debate if APS is the right system for us. It’s not. A majority of my coworkers have been in APS for many years or have kids who aren’t in elementary, so their experiences weren’t recent. I got feedback on a couple of districts but was trying to crowdsource for more info.

Not sure why it’s considered trollish if I’m just asking about tech use in schools, but there’s DCUM for ya

Agree. Although, OP, you could have posed your question without the APS commentary. Simply, "What is the digital device use in schools in districts other than APS" would have sufficed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why it’s considered trollish if I’m just asking about tech use in schools, but there’s DCUM for ya

I do not think OP was a troll post. I do think too much irrelevant information was in the first post, which accidentally distracted many readers here. All that was needed in the initial post was to ask which schools / school systems use tech devices and maybe also how much they rely upon them.

+1
OP sounded like they needed to vent their frustration/anger at APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know of a school system in the DMV (or elsewhere—we have family that teach in multiple states) that fits the bill. That ship has sailed for the time being IMO, to the great detriment of student learning.

I agree with this. You’d have to go private, even then you’ll have to look.
In my experience with 4 APS elementary schools as teacher/parent I found it varied widely, down to teacher how much was used. In K it was 20 minutes or less per day and ramped up

My child’s private school issued an iPad to all elementary school students. It did not come home unless they had COVID, but they regularly used them in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know of a school system in the DMV (or elsewhere—we have family that teach in multiple states) that fits the bill. That ship has sailed for the time being IMO, to the great detriment of student learning.

I agree with this. You’d have to go private, even then you’ll have to look.
In my experience with 4 APS elementary schools as teacher/parent I found it varied widely, down to teacher how much was used. In K it was 20 minutes or less per day and ramped up

My child’s private school issued an iPad to all elementary school students. It did not come home unless they had COVID, but they regularly used them in the classroom.

Kid in private. iPads are not issued to kids and only brought out if an assignment required their use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One would think a teacher in APS would be able to ask their colleagues who came from or went to FCPS or ACPS about their tech usage. Odd post OP.

APS has been paying less than FCPS for several years — there probably haven’t been a teacher migration from FCPS to APS for like 5 years. Most hires are recent grads or trailing spouses for a corporate move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know of a school system in the DMV (or elsewhere—we have family that teach in multiple states) that fits the bill. That ship has sailed for the time being IMO, to the great detriment of student learning.

I agree with this. You’d have to go private, even then you’ll have to look.
In my experience with 4 APS elementary schools as teacher/parent I found it varied widely, down to teacher how much was used. In K it was 20 minutes or less per day and ramped up

My child’s private school issued an iPad to all elementary school students. It did not come home unless they had COVID, but they regularly used them in the classroom.

Kid in private. iPads are not issued to kids and only brought out if an assignment required their use.

Absolutely not true. You're going to have to do your research, because a blanket statement doesn't apply to all. Some private schools definitely use iPads and notebook computers not only for in-class assignments but for homework as well, even in ES.

Also, they don't give an -ish what you think about... well, anything. They are run by a Board of Trustees, not a publicly elected school board, and I've seen more vocal parents who buck policy get their kids kicked out... straight back to public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know of a school system in the DMV (or elsewhere—we have family that teach in multiple states) that fits the bill. That ship has sailed for the time being IMO, to the great detriment of student learning.

I agree with this. You’d have to go private, even then you’ll have to look.
In my experience with 4 APS elementary schools as teacher/parent I found it varied widely, down to teacher how much was used. In K it was 20 minutes or less per day and ramped up

My child’s private school issued an iPad to all elementary school students. It did not come home unless they had COVID, but they regularly used them in the classroom.

Kid in private. iPads are not issued to kids and only brought out if an assignment required their use.

Absolutely not true. You're going to have to do your research, because a blanket statement doesn't apply to all. Some private schools definitely use iPads and notebook computers not only for in-class assignments but for homework as well, even in ES.

Also, they don't give an -ish what you think about... well, anything. They are run by a Board of Trustees, not a publicly elected school board, and I've seen more vocal parents who buck policy get their kids kicked out... straight back to public school.

Not PP, but… What are you talking about?! 😆

They were sharing details about THEIR private school, not making a blanket statement about private schools.

Reeding comprehenshun is gud.

[Anonymous]

My son attended an Arlington Diocese Catholic school for elementary. Devices were initially used to lay out lesson plans for each subject, create Google docs presentations and write /submit papers and assignments. In 5th grade, device use ramped up to include some lessons in PowerPoint presentations, iXL for math, and Kahoots for Religion and other quizzes. My son left by middle school but we've heard device use has increased for submitting more assignments online (versus paper as we were accustomed to).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know of a school system in the DMV (or elsewhere—we have family that teach in multiple states) that fits the bill. That ship has sailed for the time being IMO, to the great detriment of student learning.

I agree with this. You’d have to go private, even then you’ll have to look.
In my experience with 4 APS elementary schools as teacher/parent I found it varied widely, down to teacher how much was used. In K it was 20 minutes or less per day and ramped up

My child’s private school issued an iPad to all elementary school students. It did not come home unless they had COVID, but they regularly used them in the classroom.

Kid in private. iPads are not issued to kids and only brought out if an assignment required their use.

Absolutely not true. You're going to have to do your research, because a blanket statement doesn't apply to all. Some private schools definitely use iPads and notebook computers not only for in-class assignments but for homework as well, even in ES.

Also, they don't give an -ish what you think about... well, anything. They are run by a Board of Trustees, not a publicly elected school board, and I've seen more vocal parents who buck policy get their kids kicked out... straight back to public school.

Not PP, but… What are you talking about?! 😆

They were sharing details about THEIR private school, not making a blanket statement about private schools.

Reeding comprehenshun is gud.

I put my kid in private school and found he had hours of homework on his iPad. (3th grade.) So we're going back to public. Ironically APS. Talking to my neighbors, at least at my neighborhood school, the iPads don't even come home at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know of a school system in the DMV (or elsewhere—we have family that teach in multiple states) that fits the bill. That ship has sailed for the time being IMO, to the great detriment of student learning.

I agree with this. You’d have to go private, even then you’ll have to look.
In my experience with 4 APS elementary schools as teacher/parent I found it varied widely, down to teacher how much was used. In K it was 20 minutes or less per day and ramped up

My child’s private school issued an iPad to all elementary school students. It did not come home unless they had COVID, but they regularly used them in the classroom.

Kid in private. iPads are not issued to kids and only brought out if an assignment required their use.

Absolutely not true. You're going to have to do your research, because a blanket statement doesn't apply to all. Some private schools definitely use iPads and notebook computers not only for in-class assignments but for homework as well, even in ES.

Also, they don't give an -ish what you think about... well, anything. They are run by a Board of Trustees, not a publicly elected school board, and I've seen more vocal parents who buck policy get their kids kicked out... straight back to public school.

Not PP, but… What are you talking about?! 😆

They were sharing details about THEIR private school, not making a blanket statement about private schools.

Reeding comprehenshun is gud.

I put my kid in private school and found he had hours of homework on his iPad. (3th grade.) So we're going back to public. Ironically APS. Talking to my neighbors, at least at my neighborhood school, the iPads don't even come home at night.

Which private? I've heard complaints that Little Langley is all in on ipads and even worse than APS. We are applying to private and looking for low-tech in younger grades. I fear we are becoming a society where the most privileged schools are low tech and "back to basics" while public keeps increasing class sizes and relying on "tech" for differentiation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know of a school system in the DMV (or elsewhere—we have family that teach in multiple states) that fits the bill. That ship has sailed for the time being IMO, to the great detriment of student learning.

I agree with this. You’d have to go private, even then you’ll have to look.
In my experience with 4 APS elementary schools as teacher/parent I found it varied widely, down to teacher how much was used. In K it was 20 minutes or less per day and ramped up

My child’s private school issued an iPad to all elementary school students. It did not come home unless they had COVID, but they regularly used them in the classroom.

Kid in private. iPads are not issued to kids and only brought out if an assignment required their use.

Absolutely not true. You're going to have to do your research, because a blanket statement doesn't apply to all. Some private schools definitely use iPads and notebook computers not only for in-class assignments but for homework as well, even in ES.

Also, they don't give an -ish what you think about... well, anything. They are run by a Board of Trustees, not a publicly elected school board, and I've seen more vocal parents who buck policy get their kids kicked out... straight back to public school.

Not PP, but… What are you talking about?! 😆

They were sharing details about THEIR private school, not making a blanket statement about private schools.

Reeding comprehenshun is gud.

I put my kid in private school and found he had hours of homework on his iPad. (3th grade.) So we're going back to public. Ironically APS. Talking to my neighbors, at least at my neighborhood school, the iPads don't even come home at night.

That’s fine, but I have one kid in APS and another in private. Our private school has a 1-hr computer class each week, but no use of devices otherwise. Pencil and paper all the way.

Other child is joining sibling in private next year.