Schools across the U.S. are starting to rethink the abundance of digital devices in classrooms. After pouring billions of dollars into laptops, tablets and learning apps, a growing number of schools say it is time to scale back.
The problem is they can’t control Chromebooks. Give them a Linux laptop with a purposeful distro that doesn’t allow them to play Minecraft. Boom, problem solved.
So a big problem is lack of control. If schools provide electronics they want it to be cheap, zero maintenance, and limited to academic work to the extent possible.
Kids want their control, they want their features and options, and yes they want to do other things. But not every kid can afford a laptop, not every kid can keep their laptop in working condition, and not every kid will focus on schoolwork as much as they need to
My kids are in college now, and the electric is requirement is “bring your laptop”
Maybe I am misunderstanding what you’re saying but this sounds like an entitlement issue. Kids don’t need to be able to do more than schoolwork on school provided computers.
I think it would take a pretty big effort to keep kids from learning how to use basic functions on tablets or laptops. They are inundated with these in and out of school. They don’t need to use them in school to be comfortabke with them on the job market.
The problem is they can’t control Chromebooks. Give them a Linux laptop with a purposeful distro that doesn’t allow them to play Minecraft. Boom, problem solved.
Minecraft isn’t the problem.
The problem is the 24/7 input of corporate right wing propaganda and brainwashing.
What does that have to do with computers?
It is, that’s what motivates my kids.
So a big problem is lack of control. If schools provide electronics they want it to be cheap, zero maintenance, and limited to academic work to the extent possible.
Kids want their control, they want their features and options, and yes they want to do other things. But not every kid can afford a laptop, not every kid can keep their laptop in working condition, and not every kid will focus on schoolwork as much as they need to
My kids are in college now, and the electric is requirement is “bring your laptop”
Maybe I am misunderstanding what you’re saying but this sounds like an entitlement issue. Kids don’t need to be able to do more than schoolwork on school provided computers.
If a fifth grader uses copy.fail to gain root access on their Chromebook I say we let them have some extra Minecraft time.
That’s fine, some kids will do that, and I hope they do. But they will be a minority.
It’s a valuable part of the education…
Not as good as searching the internet for the answer but it shows promise
In my son’s fifth grade class last year, it was fucking Cookie Clicker. 🙄
The problem is there is no compelling data that these devices are superior for learning. They are distractions and expense with no proven benefit.
It doesn’t matter if they’re superior or not, they need to learn to use them, because every job is going to expect them to be able to.
I think it would take a pretty big effort to keep kids from learning how to use basic functions on tablets or laptops. They are inundated with these in and out of school. They don’t need to use them in school to be comfortabke with them on the job market.
There’s some benefit… my daughter was assigned a Window 11 Lenovo the last two tears and now hates Microsoft AND Windows.
Her personal laptop runs linux.
You could have created a temporary dual boot to teach her that in a weekend. Parents are so lazy these days.
Nah, her kind of deep seated hatred comes from required usage over time, not from a weekend. Short term exposure just doesn’t do it.
The devices for my kids saved me a crapload on buying textbooks.
They consider it a benefit that now they can hand in their assignment just before midnight Friday night the week it’s due