The other day I was catching up on email and surprised to see a survey from my child’s school district asking some questions about how to reduce their budget shortfall. Among the many things that stood out to me was two questions asking about elementary schoolers having their own computer.
I feel very strongly about this, but my answer is probably not what most people think.
I believe strongly in being screen *neutral* and while that means I don’t blame technology for things that are much bigger problems, it also means I do not advocate for unnecessary technology, which is a huge problem in educational environments.
Technology should enhance education, it should not simply be a substitute for analog hands-on education. This is most important, in my opinion, when it comes to things like intervention and assessment, but these are areas we have seen more and more technological reliance.
These are huge issues that are not the fault of any one factor or participant in the system; well-meaning laws have created more regulated and streamlined standards, which are evaluated through tests which have to be consistent, which is easiest to do online. And because the tests are consistent, then test PREP can be consistent, and since the test is online, the test prep and academic intervention is online. Throw in the benefit to companies who can shove gen AI tools into those products and use them as replacements for less profitable hands-on products like workbooks, textbooks, and manipulatives, and you have the perfect storm of private, capitalist business siphoning off of public education.
But if there is one group of people that school districts and leaders listen to, it is parents. Parents, after all, are the “customer” of public education. If you feel like your child is using technology in ways that are not beneficial, or they are not receiving adequate digital literacy education to support their technology use, make your concerns known!
Two of my favorite questions to generate conversation in this area are: 1) how do we know this technology is better than the analog alternative? What data do we have to show this? and 2) What is the barrier preventing us from trying an alternative to this technology?
Asking about the barrier is essential to making it clear that we are on the same team as public educators, and that we are trying to support them and our kids, not fight them.
If you want to answer the poll about when kids should get a computer, head over to Instagram!
