HOWELL – At the most recent Board of Education meeting, a parent questioned the reliance on electronic teaching equipment.
A “bell-to-bell” ban on internet-enabled devices went into effect in all New Jersey public schools this September. Officials said the reason was for the mental health and attention span of children. However, the ban doesn’t impact devices used for education.
During the portion of the board meeting where members of the public can speak on any issue they like, resident and parent Lauren Gibbons said she wanted to talk about educational technology used in the classroom.
“When I received my school supply list for my child, it was to my surprise that they required headphones and so I inquired more about their purpose and was informed that my child would be using them for a one-to-one personal device,” she said.
She said, “According to literature such as ‘The Digital Delusion,’ the use of a personal screen device has been shown to be harmful to our kids, and I have brought up these concerns to our school principal as well as the superintendent, and I do appreciate these conversations.”
“However, these conversations led to a growing concern that there’s a large reliance on digital tools on our children’s education,” she said. “There’s a lack of information provided to the parents regarding the ed tech used in the classroom.”
She said that it is important that the board needs to consider a handbook that specifically provides the information on the digital tools used within the classroom.
“I’m also here to urge you guys to reevaluate the amount of time and tools that are being used by the children and educators,” she said. She added that it’s hard for families to then limit their own screentime when kids are being encouraged to use it daily at school.
“To quote the book ‘Anxious Generation,’ digital devices reduce interest in all non-screen based forms of experience,” she said. “There is current data revealing that the literacy rates are decreasing and the implementation of ed tech is not improving it. Human interaction and paperwork has been proven time and time again to be superior.”
