Ditching Devices is Crucial for Learning

Have you ever had a negative gut reaction to something that everyone else was excited about? That was me with EdTech. Everything I’d learned about learning, from brain science, to child psychology and development, told me “This is a bad idea,” but everyone I knew, parents and teachers alike, thought it was just fabulous. Here’s a sampling of what I heard most often from teachers:”They’ll be so much more engaged, and it will make differentiation so much easier!””I can be so much more creative with my teaching, and with so many online lessons, I’ll save so much time.””Now we don’t have to hear ‘I forgot my book,’ and kids don’t take good care of books anyway.””We are really lucky actually; Some schools don’t have devices yet, so their kids will lag behind in their 21st Century skill development.”Parents were slow to catch on to the fact that their kids weren’t bringing books home anymore, but when they did, most I knew were happy their kids were getting “access” to technology, and even called it a “privilege” they hoped all students would soon have. I remember fundraising efforts to raise money for the purpose of purchasing one-to-one devices for schools that didn’t have them yet, and electronic white boards to go with them too.

*Sigh.* I felt very lonely on my island of skepticism and concern, even as test scores dropped like a stone, and the number of ADHD, anxiety, and depression diagnoses increased dramatically. That is until today, when my gut was validated, and my concern vindicated by this article by Jared Cooney Hovrath for After Babel. The article inspired me to do a mini podcast as a companion/reaction specifically about dopamine addiction, so you will understand how EdTech combines with tech use outside of school to create and exacerbate the very problems we’re told EdTech prevents: boredom, disengagement, demotivation, and depression.Please read the article because you need to see the data for yourselves! You also need to understand the science behind the damage. In particular, I recommend you pay close attention to the section on Multitasking. If you’re the parent of a middle or high school student who insists he or she can “multitask,” you’ll finally have the evidence to back you up when you say “No, no you can’t.”

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