K -8 and Technology

[Pepperdoodle]

I agree with this!! Kids in K-8 have enough time to use devices when at home out of school hours.
I homeschooled our kids and we didn't let them use devices during the school day.
They are now young productive adults.
What is your opinion on what is said below?

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Technology has no place in kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8). Research shows that learning through books, writing with pencil and paper, and engaging in dialogue with real people builds the strongest foundation for education. These traditional methods provide not only cognitive benefits but also emotional and practical skills that prepare children for lifelong learning.

One striking example comes from the Waldorf School of the Peninsula in Silicon Valley, a prestigious private school attended by the children of technology executives. Despite its location in the heart of the tech industry, the school has zero technology in grades K-8.
On its website, the school states: “Brain research tells us that media exposure can result in changes in the actual nerve network in the brain, which affects such things as eye tracking (a necessary skill for successful reading), neurotransmitter levels, and how readily students receive the imaginative pictures that are foundational for learning.”

This approach reflects a deliberate choice: to prioritize human interaction, creativity, and deep learning over early exposure to screens. It serves as a reminder that sometimes, less technology can mean more growth.

Sources:
Waldorf School of the Peninsula. "Educational Philosophy." 2023.
Armstrong, Thomas. The Best Schools: How Human Development Research Should Inform Educational Practice. ASCD, 2006.

 

[PloverWing]

[ I assume "technology" here means smartphones, computers, and possibly TV screens. ]

I think there's a lot of truth here. I wouldn't go as far as no computer technology; I think it's useful for kids to be comfortable using a mouse, typing documents, and navigating windowed user interfaces. And, as a practical matter, it was useful that my kids could text me when it was time for me to pick them up from after-school activities. But I worry about what comes with constant Internet saturation: the flood of content, the constant grabs for the user's attention, everything in short little pictures and videos and tweets.

It takes practice to be able to concentrate on something for an hour or two. It takes practice to read words and form an image in one's head. It takes practice to be able to sit for an hour with "nothing to do" and to be able to cope with that (daydream? listen to the birds? sing? write a poem? build a sandcastle?). It takes practice to learn how to have meaningful in-person conversations with people. I think it's very good for K-8 kids to practice these non-electronic skills. It's good for adults to practice them too.