Opt Out of Computer Use

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's really hard (maybe impossible) to find a school, public or private, that truly has zero computer use. They all do little presentations or type their essays. Standardized tests are almost all on computers now, no more scantron. But that doesn't mean they are using AI.

There are a couple that are virtually zero computer use. Our parochial school uses the classical model and in elementary school only uses the computers for the standardized testing they're required to do. Middle school is almost entirely paper-based, although I believe they do type their essays and do a very limited amount of research using internet databases. I'm very anti-EdTech, but I appreciate the use of the computers for standardized testing because unfortunately the SAT is computer-based now and my kids will have to get used to taking exams like that.

You probably can't find an ideologically middle-of-the-road school that has zero EdTech, so whether you go this route depends on how comfortable you are with religiously conservative schools or Waldorf.

I think you're doing your children a disservice. They will be using technology in college and when they start working - no matter what their field of work is - so it's best to get them comfortable with tech early. My 4th grader is learning how to type because my 7th grader has been complaining how hard it is to do schoolwork when she's such a slow typist.

Research does not support this. Students can still learn technology skills later in their educational careers, and tech use in school should be very intentional and safe to enhance learning. Students can also learn typing by practicing lessons each day, and not being on a computer all day at school.

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Indeed. I took typing in high school - an all girls Catholic school in the early 90s. I blew past that skill my first week on the job as a technologist. What are you hoping your kids achieve? Critical thinking is not the same thing as computer use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The no tech parents are not going to convince the tech-head parents that their approach is better and vice versa. But I will point out that only one approach has a proven track record.

Men and women with paper, pencils and computers the size of entire rooms put a man on the moon. Our techy kids don't even know their times tables.

Thank you for the laugh. It’s hard to find a genuine guffaw these days but by heavens you have done it! I hear Amazon is having a lightning sale on pencil sharpeners? May want to check that out - my Stem kid needs his lunch order transcribed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just put a note in their file that says No computer use. Tell your kid to refuse all assignments on a computer. We did that it was fine.

How does this work as your child gets older? I think they would miss out on a LOT of the work. My middle schooler's teachers put their syllabi and notes online, they communicate via Schoology. It would be so much extra work for a teacher to have to duplicate all of that on paper. I don't even know how they'd get a message to a child who doesn't have a computer - my middle schooler just scheduled a test retake via email, and the hall busses and bathroom basses are all electronic.

Also request “no education”, “basement boiler room” and “we hearby release all rights and claims to a suitable education”. You are READY!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just put a note in their file that says No computer use. Tell your kid to refuse all assignments on a computer. We did that it was fine.

How does this work as your child gets older? I think they would miss out on a LOT of the work. My middle schooler's teachers put their syllabi and notes online, they communicate via Schoology. It would be so much extra work for a teacher to have to duplicate all of that on paper. I don't even know how they'd get a message to a child who doesn't have a computer - my middle schooler just scheduled a test retake via email, and the hall passes and bathroom passes are all electronic.

I have a high schooler and I can't imagine him managing his class load without a laptop. Do people opt out in high school?? HOW?

Corrected PP's typos.

[Anonymous]

OP here we are not talking about high schoolers the original post was about elementary, kindergarten to be specific,

[Anonymous]

We had so many parents opt out of computers in my school that they had to create a classroom in each grade that doesn’t use computers except for standardized testing requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had so many parents opt out of computers in my school that they had to create a classroom in each grade that doesn’t use computers except for standardized testing requirements.

Was this in FFX county? Gives me a bit of hope

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The no tech parents are not going to convince the tech-head parents that their approach is better and vice versa. But I will point out that only one approach has a proven track record.

Men and women with paper, pencils and computers the size of entire rooms put a man on the moon. Our techy kids don't even know their times tables.

Thank you for the laugh. It’s hard to find a genuine guffaw these days but by heavens you have done it! I hear Amazon is having a lightning sale on pencil sharpeners? May want to check that out - my Stem kid needs his lunch order transcribed.

Seriously, your kid is wasting his time with a pencil and paper. My kid uses AI to write his papers, and it’s made him so much more efficient than all the traditional learners out there and it’s opened up a lot of time for extracurriculars. I read an article in WSJ about how employers actually want employees to use AI more so I figure he’s actually going to be more prepared for the 21st century, and it’s not like most jobs require original thinking anyway.

[Anonymous]

Oh man some of these responses are painful. Check out today’s Nytimes https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/opinion/laptop-classroom-test-scores.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1k8.GRN7.hzM1H3K33kCB&smid=url-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawOHSgBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFVNnViblpuRWlOUnppVUpMc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MghjYWxsc2l0ZQEyAAEeTRvIrmqRxr07rCCxXsckZL2piODZEHiqOA5jT81UgonDxyNDWB-M8N2uvuA_aem_g5Zl8FeMchMVtXsWy6xQuQ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here we are not talking about high schoolers the original post was about elementary, kindergarten to be specific,

But what happens as your child gets older? When are you going to opt him in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The no tech parents are not going to convince the tech-head parents that their approach is better and vice versa. But I will point out that only one approach has a proven track record.

Men and women with paper, pencils and computers the size of entire rooms put a man on the moon. Our techy kids don't even know their times tables.

Thank you for the laugh. It’s hard to find a genuine guffaw these days but by heavens you have done it! I hear Amazon is having a lightning sale on pencil sharpeners? May want to check that out - my Stem kid needs his lunch order transcribed.

Seriously, your kid is wasting his time with a pencil and paper. My kid uses AI to write his papers, and it’s made him so much more efficient than all the traditional learners out there and it’s opened up a lot of time for extracurriculars. I read an article in WSJ about how employers actually want employees to use AI more so I figure he’s actually going to be more prepared for the 21st century, and it’s not like most jobs require original thinking anyway.

Nice try, troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had so many parents opt out of computers in my school that they had to create a classroom in each grade that doesn’t use computers except for standardized testing requirements.

Was this in FFX county? Gives me a bit of hope

LOL that was a troll

[Anonymous]

Check out this article from the NYT 11/16/25!
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/opinion/laptop-classroom-test-scores.html?smid=url-share

Follow Jonathan Haidts work. Technology needs to be intentional and monitored more closely by the schools. They have the money but have terrible priorities and no common sense. The poor teachers aren’t to blame for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here we are not talking about high schoolers the original post was about elementary, kindergarten to be specific,

4th grade parent here. In Fairfax starting third grade students are expected to haul school computer home every day, but rarely do anything on it. By fourth grade they will have homework that is on the school computer they need to finish every week.

For K-2, there are tests that can only be done on computer e.g. iready, nnat, etc, but that's limited to at most 4 times a school year. I don't think you need to worry about that.

For K-2 normal classroom computer use it really depend on teachers. I know some schools uses more computer (kid's word: every day) than others (another kid's word: not every day, btw, good luck letting your K-2 kid tell you anything useful). I know they do 1-2 hours of Lexia reading on computer every week (not every day) . You'll have to talk to your teacher to find out.

I am really curious about your worry of AI with a kindergartner. They can barely read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here we are not talking about high schoolers the original post was about elementary, kindergarten to be specific,

4th grade parent here. In Fairfax starting third grade students are expected to haul school computer home every day, but rarely do anything on it. By fourth grade they will have homework that is on the school computer they need to finish every week.

For K-2, there are tests that can only be done on computer e.g. iready, nnat, etc, but that's limited to at most 4 times a school year. I don't think you need to worry about that.

For K-2 normal classroom computer use it really depend on teachers. I know some schools uses more computer (kid's word: every day) than others (another kid's word: not every day, btw, good luck letting your K-2 kid tell you anything useful). I know they do 1-2 hours of Lexia reading on computer every week (not every day) . You'll have to talk to your teacher to find out.

I am really curious about your worry of AI with a kindergartner. They can barely read.

This varies quite a bit by school. Our elementary school does not send the computer home ever. Not in 1st grade, not in 6th grade.