Many educators are also turning a more critical eye toward other forms of technology use in the classroom, naming a “quiet backlash” against edtech.
Educators report dialing back use of all technology in the classroom, questioning whether ed tech efficiencies actually support stronger learning outcomes for students. Some refer to student preference for no-tech days while others reference the deeper learning that can happen when students “go back to basics” and use paper and pencil.
Sample Educator Conversations:
- Many teachers label themselves as “no tech” or “low tech” teachers or report that they carve out “no tech” days in the classroom.
- Teachers acknowledge benefits and opportunities of edtech – such as “increased collaboration, creation and research” on computers, but they also see value in limiting it.
- Discipline issues are higher on days with high tech, tech use can put students in “lounge mode,” and students can miss out on “looking at and speaking with one another” when tech is used heavily.
- Many teachers perceive an imbalance in time spent using tech vs. without tech, and dialing back feels like a way to right-set: “Children need screen limits no matter how educational their activity. More tech ≠ more learning.”
- Teachers see educational benefits in keeping reading and writing paper-based. One teacher says: “Once I switched back to at least half paper, the learning actually went up. There’s something about the process of writing by hand that can’t be replicated in typing for some kids.”
- Scaling back tech use also decreases time spent worrying about plagiarism and off-task screen-based behavior and increases interaction between students.
- Here’s one comment that captures multiple common teacher sentiments on this topic: “The quiet backlash against tech in the classroom has been my norm for the past two years. Kids coming to me for interventions use pen & paper, whiteboards, magnetic letters, and good old-fashioned books. The results have been phenomenal. I’m not anti-tech in every instance. I do believe the pendulum has swung too far in classrooms. Children do not need a million apps and digital textbooks to learn. They need experienced teachers and lots of practice reading, writing, and discussing texts across subject areas.”