Three reasons to abandon 1:1 tech policies in elementary schools

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As a graduating high school senior, I’ve spent a lot of time recently reflecting on memories of my days in elementary school, where I spent my time in class reading books, creating projects, socializing with friends and building tree forts in the knee-deep Minnesota snow during recess.

These are memories that transcend generations — but for today’s elementary schoolers, they’re starting to take a back seat to experiences that happen on the screen in front of them, due to the proliferation of one-to-one technology policies in classrooms. Such policies (often stylized as 1:1) provide each student with their own device, such as an iPad or laptop. The policies grew popular during the pandemic and have remained at many schools since.

To better understand the landscape of technology use in elementary-school classrooms, I spent a week visiting classes at three different elementary schools in the Twin Cities: a public magnet school in a middle-class suburb, a traditional private college-prep school and a small Montessori school. The magnet school and traditional private school both had a 1:1 policy for kindergarten and up, while the Montessori class didn’t use technology at all — there wasn’t even a projector or a computer in the classroom.

After observing several classes and interviewing both teachers and students, I’ll acknowledge that 1:1 policies have several benefits for students. Having more everyday access to technology, students are better at coding and troubleshooting with technology, and they have more opportunities to develop digital literacy and citizenship. Students can also use programs that adapt to their skill level, and teachers can get instant feedback on their progress. However, I believe that the benefits of 1:1 tech policies in most elementary schools are far outweighed by the following harms:

1) They allow students to take shortcuts that prevent them from learning. Teachers at both of the 1:1 schools discussed how some students’ reliance on voice typing prevents them from developing certain skills, including grammar, writing and critical thinking. AI also affects learning: One student showed me dozens of images he’d generated with an AI image software, most of which likely took only seconds to create. These tools allow students to produce art or write an essay without much work or thought.

2) They provide mindless distractions. Technology was prone to distracting students at both of the 1:1 schools. Teachers at the magnet school told me that students sometimes struggle to complete tasks independently on their iPads or Chromebooks, switching halfway through to watch YouTube. Fourth-graders at the private school also told me they like to play video games, watch YouTube or find new wallpapers for their iPads when their teacher isn’t looking. In contrast, first- through third-grade Montessori students worked productively for the entire hour that I observed them; their schedule for the day consisted of a three-hour block where they were responsible for working independently on activities of their choice for the entire time. Their teacher told me that technology doesn’t align with the school’s goal of increasing students’ concentration and stamina.

3) They enforce a dependence on technology. At both of the 1:1 schools, the majority of students I spoke with preferred working on iPads over working on paper. Multiple fourth-graders at the private school described themselves as “addicted” to their iPads; one student even said he would focus more on his paper assignments if the paper emitted blue light. Their teacher told me that students often become sad when their iPads are taken away; they prefer indoor recess to outdoor recess because of the iPads, and they see pencil-and-paper assignments as a punishment. At the Montessori school, however, students were able to focus and complete tasks without technology, demonstrating that technology isn’t always required for students to learn.

For these reasons, elementary schools should step away from 1:1 tech policies in favor of more limited tech use in the classroom. While technology has many benefits in schools, near-constant tech access or use for the youngest students likely isn’t setting them up for success in future grades and beyond.

Shireen Dalton is a graduating senior at the Blake School in Minneapolis.