screen-free kindergarten classrooms

[Anonymous]

Does this exist anywhere in the DC Metro area? (Or in DC schools themselves?) I was sort of appalled to see screen (computer, ipad) use in kindergarten classrooms in ACPS schools - I'm coming from out of state where these tools are not used until later years.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

At our school (in Fairfax County) the kindergarten classrooms were the FIRST ones to get iPads. Gradually other grades have received them.

[Anonymous]

We're in MCPS and all the classrooms have a huge Prometheum (sp?) board in the front of the room. Last year in K, they watched lots of short videos and some movies on it. Pretty much daily.

[Anonymous]

Waldorf

[Anonymous]

MCPS gives kindergartners a lot of screen time.

[Anonymous]

What's wrong with screens at the elementary school level? They're wonderful, high-interest learning tools. Your child will use Promethean boards, chrome books, and iPads to research and plan writing assignments. They'll record themselves reading throughout the year so they can hear progress. They'll help update websites, record podcasts to share with parents, create powerpoint presentations, graph results, and practice basic facts at their own pace. Technology is not a bad thing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with screens at the elementary school level? They're wonderful, high-interest learning tools. Your child will use Promethean boards, chrome books, and iPads to research and plan writing assignments. They'll record themselves reading throughout the year so they can hear progress. They'll help update websites, record podcasts to share with parents, create powerpoint presentations, graph results, and practice basic facts at their own pace. Technology is not a bad thing!

And then the teachers will suggest to the parents to limit screentime at home. Well if they're using iPads and Smartboards in school, and they have to get on Blackboard to get to their assignments and use online textbooks, when the hell are they supposed to enjoy a half-hour of downtime in front of the TV?

Thanks, schools, for so much damn screentime.

[Anonymous]

Montessori Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this exist anywhere in the DC Metro area? (Or in DC schools themselves?) I was sort of appalled to see screen (computer, ipad) use in kindergarten classrooms in ACPS schools - I'm coming from out of state where these tools are not used until later years.

Thanks!

Yeah, we're a little more advanced than the boonies. Why would you want to avoid screens? This is the first truly native user generation -- screens are an integral part of education and the way business is conducted today. It seems peculiar to deliberately avoid them in schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with screens at the elementary school level? They're wonderful, high-interest learning tools. Your child will use Promethean boards, chrome books, and iPads to research and plan writing assignments. They'll record themselves reading throughout the year so they can hear progress. They'll help update websites, record podcasts to share with parents, create powerpoint presentations, graph results, and practice basic facts at their own pace. Technology is not a bad thing!

And then the teachers will suggest to the parents to limit screentime at home. Well if they're using iPads and Smartboards in school, and they have to get on Blackboard to get to their assignments and use online textbooks, when the hell are they supposed to enjoy a half-hour of downtime in front of the TV?

Thanks, schools, for so much damn screentime.

You seem to think screen time is bad. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with screens at the elementary school level? They're wonderful, high-interest learning tools. Your child will use Promethean boards, chrome books, and iPads to research and plan writing assignments. They'll record themselves reading throughout the year so they can hear progress. They'll help update websites, record podcasts to share with parents, create powerpoint presentations, graph results, and practice basic facts at their own pace. Technology is not a bad thing!

In my view, "high-interest" is what's wrong with these learning tools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with screens at the elementary school level? They're wonderful, high-interest learning tools. Your child will use Promethean boards, chrome books, and iPads to research and plan writing assignments. They'll record themselves reading throughout the year so they can hear progress. They'll help update websites, record podcasts to share with parents, create powerpoint presentations, graph results, and practice basic facts at their own pace. Technology is not a bad thing!

In my view, "high-interest" is what's wrong with these learning tools.

Except, your view isn't supported or valid.

[Anonymous]

Technology is not a bad thing, but it is a tool that should be in service to other, higher skills (seriously, PP? You're touting the wonders of PowerPoint, which anyone can learn to use in an hour?).

You don't develop critical thinking through a screen. You don't learn to collaborate through a screen, although you can use screens for collaboration. You don't learn to assess the validity or biases of a reference source through a screen.

Learning to think hard IS hard. It is supposed to be hard. Screens offer quick rewards, and that keeps kids from going for substance.

[Anonymous]

It's easy and intuitive for the kids. Some teachers & parents...not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're in MCPS and all the classrooms have a huge Prometheum (sp?) board in the front of the room. Last year in K, they watched lots of short videos and some movies on it. Pretty much daily.

Promethean. Like Prometheus.