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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/A19DF2E8-3C69-4193-A676-430CF0C83DC2

https://www.edweek.org/technology/should-schools-curtail-the-use-of-technology-congress-fuels-debate/2026/01

Some easy reads for skeptical parents. As an educator, I find it interesting that there is such discord on here about this.

Current tech is not great for learning, who knows about the future. Either was in the early years (birth to 6), nothing beats human connection, play, and love/safety. 
[/quote]

Yes, even if people want to argue about tech in older grades, it seems like a no-brainer to me that we should be eliminating as much tech as possible from PK and K classrooms.

To be fair, the PK teacher our kid had in a Title I DCPS was already on this 5 years ago -- it's one of the reasons we chose that PK despite getting into some charters in September. No tablets or computers in the classroom, the only screen use ever was a short dance video they would play for the kids while setting up for "choice time." Physical books were read to the kids, as much time as possible was spent outside, any learning was done through play, music, and games. She (and her teacher's aide) were such a gem. I think a lot of DCPS PK classrooms are like this, though, because DCPS requires most PK teachers to have a masters in early childhood education, and anyone who has gotten that degree in the last 20 years is going to understand that you don't teach 3/4/5 year olds with apps and screens.

I think K is the tougher sell, especially in Title I schools, because DCPS starts pushing academics pretty hard in K and that often leads to more screens because of DCPS's reliance on iReady and other tech for teaching. But honestly, even our K class wasn't that screen heavy -- some videos here and there, the teacher used a smart screen for lessons (this is just a more convenient chalkboard, it's fine), and sometimes kids did iReady lessons during centers time (this was the only one that bothered me).

But I don't think it would be that hard to get parents and teachers on board with a concerted effort to get the vast majority of screens out of ECE classrooms.

I think grades 1-5 is where the battle will be, because yes at those ages some tech is pretty much inevitable and advisable in some areas (like learning to type), but it's also a time when kids can get completely hooked on screens and apps. I know people keep saying "stop talking about screen time!" because it makes me sound like an overzealous parent of a toddler, but I'm speaking as the parent of older kids -- screen addiction is REAL and it becomes a critical problem for tweens and teens when they can't go a few hours without a screen. Some of these kids have zero ability to work through normal boredom, social discomfort, anxiety, etc. without screens. You see it in adults too, of course. This is a major social issue. It's really more about handheld, interactive screens than about screens in general, but I mean, I'm 45 and I worry about my "screen time."[/quote]

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