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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 152 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 142 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 82 min read
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YouTube vs. 'Goblet of Fire'
Fewer young people are reading books for pleasure.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 62 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 312 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 272 min read
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Chromebooks are hot, but not in a good way: Should all devices be banned in school?
It's not just smartphones: Classroom laptops are distracting students, say teachers.

Joanne Jacobs
May 153 min read
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Ritalin or recess: Why are so many kids on ADHD meds?
Is ADHD a medical disorder best treated with drugs?

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 203 min read
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Devices are distractions: Take the tablets away
Internet-connected devices are distracting students -- not helping them learn.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 252 min read
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Chicago closed digital divide: Low achievers learned less, high achievers learned more
Closing the digital divide widened the achievement gap for Chicago students.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 251 min read
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Student behavior is 'massively' better with no-phones policy
Students behave better and learn more when smartphones are banned.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 131 min read
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Ban phones: Teens spend a quarter of the school day on their phones, says study
Teens average 90 minutes each school day on their phones.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 132 min read
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Keep it simple: Attention must be paid
How do teachers get the attention of easily distracted "digital natives?"

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 22 min read
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Only disconnect: Edtech is bad for learning
"Which computer should we buy?," asked the school administrators. "How are you planning to use the computers?," said the Apple sales rep....

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 13, 20242 min read
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Too much tech: Devices distract students, don't support learning
Schools are wasting time and money on ed-tech that doesn't improve learning and distracts students.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 21, 20242 min read
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Georgetown students 'have trouble staying focused on even a sonnet'
Even elite colleges don't read very much and have trouble staying focused on books.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 2, 20242 min read
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90% of teachers support cellphone bans
Ninety percent of teachers in a NEA survey want their schools to ban cellphones in class, and 83 percent back all-day bans.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 3, 20242 min read
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Phone-free schools: Can it be done?
California is getting on the no-phones-in-class bandwagon , reports AP. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants school districts to restrict students’...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 15, 20241 min read
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Post-Covid kids are unfocused, poorly behaved and -- surprise! -- learning less
Student behavior hasn't recovered from the pandemic, says a federal survey of public schools.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 24, 20241 min read
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In college, but not in class: Kids with 'snowplow parents' give up easily
Absenteeism -- physical and mental -- is high for college students too.

Joanne Jacobs
May 19, 20241 min read
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