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When the covid-19 pandemic forced in-person classroom instruction to go virtual, students suddenly needed to have their own laptops or tablets in order to interact with teachers and complete assignments. In the United States (U.S.), federal pandemic funding was used to address the digital divide – the gap between students and families who had their own tablets, computers and high-speed internet, and those who did not.

While most schools resumed in-person classes by 2021, many of them continued to rely heavily on online platforms and apps to help their students do their work. Today, however, more and more U.S. schools are trying to establish clearer expectations about when technology should be used, for what purpose and at what ages. Instead of treating screens as the default tool for instruction, some schools are directing teachers to use laptops only when the technology adds clear instructional value.

In fact, the distinction between passive consumption and purposeful use is increasingly shaping school policy. Updated policies also reflect an emerging emphasis on age-appropriate screen use. For older students, technology may remain central to learning, particularly when students are using it to program, analyze data, model complex systems and critically evaluate information. Younger children, meanwhile, should have sufficient opportunities for play, conversation, movement and hands-on, “unplugged” learning, without screens.

The issue is not whether students spend more or less time using technology. It is whether the time they spend with technology helps them build understanding, solve problems, think critically and make informed decisions. The technology itself is not what improves learning. What matters is how teachers use it to engage students in deeper thinking.

(Janice Mak. https://theconversation.com,30.07.2026. Adaptado)