How can we advocate against Ed tech in elementary in dcps?

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02/07/2026 20:11

Subject: How can we advocate against Ed tech in elementary in dcps?

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Anonymous wrote:I think you need to focus on the curriculum and ineffectiveness of “Ed tech” as opposed to portraying the image of a precious Montessori mom who believes that even one episode of Teletubbies will pollute her child’s brain.

The issue is not a teacher putting a dance video on the smart screen - that is actually probably a fun and good use of screens. The actual issue is that the screen/algorithm based instructional methods replacing paper *do not work.* Even more of an alarm bell should sound when the school starts telling you that the instruction will be “self paced” with your child on a device.

So the upshot is - no, you cannot act like an entitled parent and cry that your baby is being “exposed to screens.” Because computers are obviously here to stay in the world. You need to focus on how Ed tech has replaced books and paper based education despite being catastrophically less effective - particularly in math.

This is a gross misrepresentation of what most people want. And sure if it’s the equivalent to 3-15 minutes a day sure.

But sometimes the books are read on the screen, all the morning meeting songs are on the screen, the movement breaks, whole group lessons,etc. -it can add up to 30-60 minutes easily.

To not take this seriously is to discredit the vast amount of research coming out. My generation (gen z) is the first one said to be less capable than the previous generations in terms of executive functioning skills and the like. It will only get worse.

I’m not advocating for Montessori or Waldorf -especially since both have ties to eugenics or forest school. Please don’t use reductive arguments.

I simply don’t think it’s appropriate for classrooms with children 3-5 years old to be made to have laptop carts with iPads in them. Especially when it’s not developmentally appropriate or necessary.

1) I doubt you are actually in the classroom every day to know how much time is on screens
2) Using your granola-mom standards as the basis for your advocacy is not going to work. Screens are not actually toxic to children. This is just like when granola moms try to organize against baloney sandwiches and yoplait (check the archives).
3) there IS a BIG problem with screens, and that is with their use to deliver computerized/algorithmic curriculums that have poor results. THIS is what you need to have your eye on - how is your school delivering phonics and math instruction? Not the YouTube dancing video.

Haha. I made sure to NOT mention that I AM a PK teacher/coach. I hate to burst your bubble but I have seen this in plenty of classrooms.

Why did you ignore my mentioning of laptop carts in every ECE classroom? This is easily verifiable by the Ed spec of schools that are modernizing.

It’s also not just about what is currently happening, it’s what’s coming as well. DCPS isn’t giving us all iPads for nothing.

The fact that you are bashing moms because you think they are not experts and just overly sensitive is telling.

What do you let your young child have 3+ hours of screen time a day and you feel guilty?

And please stop moving the goalpost like people are just saying ‘a screen in general’ it’s not helpful to the conversation.

Hmm maybe you are the psycho PK3 teacher my kid had.

Maybe you can answer my question about phonics and math instruction though because that is the one that actually matters, not your weird thing about laptop carts.

This is the last time I will answer you since you are clearly not interested in an intelligent conversation. As for your boring question -through free and guided play. My students are all ‘ahead.’

Oh guess what I didn’t use? Some run of the mill app. I feel sorry for your child’s previous teachers, you are clearly can’t understand basic neuroscience or child development.

You want to teach phonics and math through “free and guided play”? OK then!

DP but you are talking to a PK teacher. Free and guided play is absolutely how a lot of kids start to learn letters and letter sounds, counting, shapes, colors, etc., as 3 and 4 year olds.

Do you want preschoolers drilling multiplication tables on an iPad? WTF?

If you look back at my post, the point is, I don’t think catastrophizing over the presence of iPad carts or showing a dance video is really helpful. What is helpful is yes, looking to see how phonics and math are taught, and no, I don’t think that should be via iPad.

But making fun of a PK teacher for using free and guided play to teach is weirdly unproductive since that's actually an evidenced-based method for teaching at that grade level. The PP is complaining about the presence of ed tech in her PK classrooms, which she views as an unnecessary distraction from age-appropriate learning. This is a valid point, and does not deserve to be mocked. She's not catastrophizing, she's literally just describing her experience and sharing her professional recommendation for how to handle tech in PK classrooms.

I think you need to take a break from this thread.

She was being snide about how much better she is than other teachers that, gasp, show their kids a video. And weirdly fixated on the cart. Her concerns have very little to do with the needs of older kids.

DP

I think it’s sad that you don’t believe teachers, 30-60 minutes is not ‘a video.’
You must be a parent who supplemented connection and play through ‘teaching’ their child using apps. Don’t worry, I’m sure your child will forgive you for making them less capable and more anxious.

PS. A lot of screen time is detrimental for older kids too.
GL to you, it’s surely needed.