Smart Devices

As Gen Z is the first generation on record to demonstrate lower literacy and numeracy than their parents, isolated use cases for personal devices in class do not justify how central they've become to K-12 education.

In response to growing unease about students’ steady diet of screen time, some Oregon teachers, schools and districts are cutting back on how much class time is spent on school-issued iPads and laptops.

Proposed legislation would build on an existing bill that limits screen time for kids ages 2-5, creating an Elementary Technology Task Force to develop, and annually review, standards for screen-based instruction.

At least 130 education bills were introduced this session, including one to restrict student use of personal electronic devices, and one requiring the state to develop guidance and best practices for AI use.

Many public schools in Kansas already had policies restricting device usage during the school day, but policies that allow for limited screen time during lunch and passing periods will have to be updated.

Amid gamified lessons, video-directed read-alouds and assigned work on tablets for students as young as age four, at least 16 states have introduced legislation in 2026 to reevaluate screen time or vet ed-tech tools.

Given so many conversations in the public sphere about how devices and screen time are affecting developing minds (and adult ones), educators might consider how technology has changed how we live and communicate.

The Lexington-Richland 5 school board is considering changes to how the district expects students to use Chromebooks after hearing concerns from parents about how much their kids are on the devices.

Among more than 68,000 surveyed educators, most say school cellphone policies directly contributed to students having better learning experiences, healthier relationships and improved emotional well-being.

In a survey of over 460 caregivers of children ages 17-30 months about word use and video consumption, Southern Methodist University found that spending less time with digital media was linked to higher vocabulary scores.

A bill headed to Gov. Kay Ivey's desk would limit the amount of screen time allowed for children in licensed child-care facilities and state-funded preschool and kindergarten programs, though teachers can still use them.

Elementary and middle school students in Wake County, N.C., aren’t allowed to use their phones at all during the school day, but the district is considering an exception for recording video for safety reasons.

High schoolers attending the Future of Education Technology Conference last month argued that punitive policies against essential technologies do a disservice to graduates entering an AI-saturated job market.

Remote learning days have been unavoidable due to severe weather, but Buffalo school officials say the district still has issues with device access and inconsistent rules that beg for a more organized strategy.

After implementing an initiative to reduce screen time last August, a North Carolina school district is seeing results that resemble pre-COVID learning environments, with improved focus, behavior, reading and writing.

From compromised TVs to AI-powered house chores, exploring the evolving global threats and why human-centric security matters more than ever.

A new safety app at UTC includes a panic button, ride requests, location sharing and remote monitoring. The university is also planning to implement panic alarms on walls and computers.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation into law this week requiring school districts to draft policies banning the use of cellphones on campus during instructional time, with some exceptions.