Opt-Out? Can I really do that? My child doesn’t HAVE to use a device at school?
A guest post by “First Fish” parent, Michelle, in Seattle, WA
Prior to following Emily Cherkin’s work, I had not seriously considered the amount of time my daughter spent using an internet connected device at school nor the type of technology programs the school uses. My daughter is 11 and entering grade 6 in the fall. She does not have or use personal devices at home. She watches PBS and participates in family movie nights. Using Emily’s phrase, we are a ‘tech-intentional’ family.
When it came to screen use at school, I figured a small amount of ‘educational’ technology (EdTech) was acceptable. But then I learned from Emily how EdTech harms children by sharing their data and exposing them to harmful content. Additionally, EdTech is highly commercialized, embedded with manipulative design techniques, and not developmentally appropriate for children. It struck me: This was exactly why I did not let my daughter use devices at home. Why was I letting her use EdTech at school? And so my family’s opt-out journey began!
Here are three things I have learned… so far:
Your child may not be the only one to benefit from opting-out. I began to follow Emily’s work when my daughter was in 3rd grade. I mustered the courage to ask her teacher one question halfway through the school year: “What do students use their laptops for in your classroom?” His answer: “Mainly for math and reading”. Okay, I thought, that seems harmless. Shortly thereafter, I casually asked my daughter what she had used her laptop for that day, a question I had begun to ask on a regular basis. I don’t remember her entire answer because what got my attention was that she had played a game on her laptop during free choice time. What?! She told me that students could read books, create art, or play laptop games during free choice time, so which one do you think a majority of the students chose?! My concern was not only that students were interacting with screens rather than each other during play time, but also that they had access to the internet during “play” time.
After much discussion with our daughter about the dangers of Google searches on her own and a reminder about why she didn’t use devices at home, we decided as a family that our daughter would choose other activities besides screen time. I explained this to her teacher and received no pushback. A month later, my daughter mentioned that students no longer had the option to use laptops during free choice time. I was intrigued and inquired. Her teacher said that after our conversation, he connected increased screentime to the fact that students had a hard time collaborating, problem-solving, and managing conflict (skills formed during play). He then incorporated his childhood stuffed animals and toys into the classroom and encouraged the students to play during free choice time. He noticed in a very short time period that students resolved conflicts much more easily than before! A win for ALL!
(Note from Emily: Michelle is 100% right that your individual advocacy efforts can benefit other children besides your own. I also love how much Michelle approached her child’s teacher with curiosity and how he took those questions to heart and made some noticeable changes.)
Ask lots of specific questions. At the start of my daughter’s 4th grade year, I chatted with my daughter’s teacher a lot during the first weeks of school. This time I focused on the total amount of time students would use their laptops. It seemed that EdTech tool use would be limited and internet use monitored. In hindsight, I wish I had asked more specific questions. EdTech was in fact limited, but not to the level I was comfortable with.
Once school started, I volunteered a few times a month during math and witnessed my daughter playing a math game on her laptop that seemed more gamified than educational. She also told me she often played games on her laptop during classroom celebrations. Even more concerning, as the school year went on, I witnessed her handwriting, writing skills, and ability to focus while reading decrease. When I looked into it, I found that she was mainly reading on her laptop and typing writing assignments (or rather pecking letter by letter because she had never been taught to type!). From then on, my daughter agreed that she would handwrite her writing assignments and read actual physical books. Lo and behold, within a few weeks her skills and focus rebounded and improved. Her handwriting became legible again and my avid reader returned!
(Note from Emily: It is so important to notice that Michelle’s daughter’s skills improved with this change. While we must be conscientious about not overburdening already overburdened teachers, refusing to use EdTech products may demonstrate benefits that teachers (and administrators) can’t ignore.)
You do not need to fully opt-out. This past year, my daughter entered 5th grade. Before school started, I emailed my daughter’s teacher and met with her the first week of school with a prepared list of specific questions and ideas based on past experience and Emily’s Unplug EdTech Toolkit! I asked her the following questions:
“In your classroom, are devices used for…”
Reading and Writing? “Yes.” I requested that my daughter read library books (I would provide extra as needed) and use paper and pencil instead. Her teacher agreed. Check!
Rewards during classroom celebrations and/or free choice time? “No, students play board games and work on puzzles.” Who is this fabulous teacher?! Check!
Learning how to type? “Yes.” I allowed my daughter to use her laptop to gain this essential skill. (But she only used Typing Club for about 20 minutes per week at school, which is not enough time to adequately gain this skill, so she uses the program, without ads for a minimal fee, at home on my laptop on a regular basis. Again, why isn’t typing required as part of the curriculum at school?) Check… kind of.
Presentations? “Yes, students use PowerPoint a couple of times a year.” I allowed this because I believe this is also an important skill. Check!
Research? “Yes, but minimally. I supervise all Google searches. Internet programs such as YouTube are not allowed.” Check!
Math? “Yes. Students use a ‘personalized adaptive’ program that mainly consists of word problems. It is not a math game.” I gave in to the ‘personalized adaptive’ part, but I wish I had said “No” because near the end of the year my daughter told me she didn’t like the program and preferred learning with her teacher. Additionally, I contacted the school district to understand if the program protected student privacy and was told Yes, only to be told later by a lawyer that the answer was No. …Check? Nope, but lesson learned!
(Note from Emily: Michelle’s relationships building with her daughter’s teacher is key to her ability to opt out, even partially. I love that this essay shows how, over time, she tried one thing, learned something new, adjusted, and adapted, all while communicating clearly with her daughter and her daughter’s teachers.)
Gaining this knowledge over several years allowed for me to approach opting out with flexibility, as I am not opposed to all technology. In an ideal world, I would like to see our children using non-internet connected devices in a computer lab to learn coding, typing, etc. But that’s a conversation for another day!
Our story is To Be Continued.
This coming fall, my daughter starts middle school and when I inquired about opting-out at the Open House, I learned that teachers could, hopefully, accommodate my request. I wrote an email in May to the school’s principal, assistant principal, and counselor requesting to fully opt-out my daughter from the school’s 1:1 device program. I plan to communicate with each teacher at the start of the school year to create a plan. We have chosen to fully opt-out this time due to our assumption that the supervision of internet use we grew accustomed to in elementary school will no longer be given and based on the EdTech harms mentioned above, but our biggest reason for opting out is because my daughter prefers paper, pencil, and books and thrives without a device!
So… Can you opt-out your child from using an internet-connected device at school? I want to acknowledge that not all teachers (or administrators) will be as amenable as my daughter’s teachers have been, but that should not stop you from trying. The answer, therefore, is a resounding YES! One inquiring conversation, one piece of knowledge, and one brave action at a time.
Thank you to Emily and her team for educating me, showing me an alternate path, and supporting my family’s journey!
