Jun 10 2020

CoSN2020: Fact or Fallacy? The Impact of Screen Time

The infusion of educational technology into K–12 classrooms fueled debates about students and screen time. A divide emerged, with some wealthier parents seeking reduced screen time while other parents and educators dealt with concerns about students having basic access to devices and internet as well as other related issues of equity. That conversation shifted when most of the nation’s schools began implementing remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic.

At CoSN2020, the Consortium for School Networking’s virtual annual conference, educators discussed the issue of students and screen time and dispelled some related myths.

Watch the rest of the conversation here.

Participants

    Michelle Bourgeois, CTO, St. Vrain Valley Schools

    Devorah Heitner, Author, Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World; Founder, Raising Digital Natives

Video Highlights

  • What students do with digital devices is generally more important than how long they use them. For example, doing challenging and engaging work is better than playing noneducational games for hours.
  • The role of a teacher is important even as more educational technology is used for teaching and learning, experts say.
  • In modern classrooms, educational technology is increasingly a standard need. Students generally use devices and tools in a manner that parallels the way adults use them in the work world.