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Toys or tech?
Toy Story 5 pits a child's old toys with a new tablet that wants to monopolize her playtime.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 221 min read
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Amok time: Elementary kids' behavior is out of control, say teachers
Student misbehavior is way up, say kindergarten and first-grade teachers. More kids are unprepared to pay attention, cooperate and show respect to classmates and teachers.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 213 min read
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Parents say: Bring back pencil and paper
The anti-tech backlash is here: Parents are asking to opt their kids out of using school laptops and tablets.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 182 min read
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Edtech is booming, but so is 'brain rot'
Edtech hasn't improved learning, so far, say critics. And it may encourage students to offload thinking to a bot.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 133 min read
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China is training geniuses to compete in math, science and AI
China is using "genius" classes for top math and science students to train AI researchers.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 33 min read
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Only disconnect: Students need offline learning spaces
College students need internet-free spaces where they can read, write, talk, think, play and sleep.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 26, 20251 min read
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'Aha' moments don't add up to learning
Gamifying education might be fun for kids, but they're not likely to learn very much.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 10, 20252 min read
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Bad for the brain: Kids are learning less in high-tech schools
The more time students spend on screens the less they learn, argues neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 7, 20252 min read
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How to raise low-tech teens
To protect teens from digital addiction, parents must take charge.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 16, 20252 min read
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Kindergarteners with Chromebooks
Students are using Chromebooks and iPads, starting in kindergarten. Most teachers say devices cause distractions.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 15, 20252 min read
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Teachers can't compete with TikTok and YouTube, and they shouldn't try
Instead of trying to be entertainers, teachers should teach students to listen, respond to classmates' ideas and pay attention.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 14, 20252 min read
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Kids prefer memes and make-up videos to 'War and Peace'
Should we worry that young people are spending less time reading for pleasure and a lot more time watching YouTube videos?

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 8, 20252 min read
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Is Alpha School the future?
Will San Francisco parents pay $75,000 a year for Alpha's tech-accelerated school?

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 1, 20252 min read
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'Kids aren't phone zombies now'
"Kids aren't phone zombies now," says teacher whose school banned smartphones.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 14, 20252 min read
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Dropouts, renegades, mad scientists and billionaires
As Americans lose faith in the value of a college education, Silicon Valley is celebrating dropout entrepreneurs.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 12, 20253 min read
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Chatbots can get 'romantic and sensual' with kids, say Meta guidelines
Meta AI has been designed to flirt with children, as long as it doesn't suggest sexual intercourse.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 17, 20252 min read
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Don't worry. Be happy. There's no 'reading crisis' -- if we lower expectations
Lowering the definition of "proficient" reading would end the "reading crisis," writes education professor. But one-third of students are very poor readers.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 31, 20252 min read
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Get computers out of class, and don't let AI in
Digitizing classrooms hasn't improved learning. AI will make it worse.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 27, 20252 min read
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A college degree with no heavy lifting: Ohio State will require 'AI fluency'
Ohio State will require students to use AI. Pomona students have formed a no-tech "Luddite Club."

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 11, 20252 min read
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Learn to plumb: New grads are competing with AI for coding jobs
College graduates are having trouble finding entry-level jobs in computer science and finance. Some blame AI.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 6, 20252 min read
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