mandy

mom, wife, educational diagnostician. former teacher. here for rational covid discussion and children’s recovery.

[Jonathan Haidt @JonHaidt]

Amazing: LA schools will eliminate personal devices in K and 1st grade, and limit use in grades 2-5, and give parents more options. I think this will catch on nationally:

[Jean Twenge (author of 10 RULES, GENERATIONS) @jean_twenge]

The dialing back of "every kid gets a Chromebook" has started. Here's hoping it keeps going, and that there's more learning and less distraction. https://t.co/ZpT82YPLz9

[Karen Vaites @karenvaites]

‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.

A 2024 meta-analysis of 119 studies of early-literacy tech interventions, led by Rebecca Silverman of Stanford University, found the studies described programmes that delivered at best only marginal gains on standardised tests. The majority had little effect, no effect or harmful ones. Jared Horvath, a neuroscientist and author of a book called “The Digital Delusion”, has reviewed meta-analyses covering tens of thousands of studies. His verdict: “In nearly every context, ed tech doesn’t come close to the minimum threshold for meaningful learning impact.”’

[mandy @jusbitching]

@AlecMacGillis We are going to be saying the same thing about school-issued iPads & Chromebooks soon.

[Dale Chu @Dale_Chu]

“We’ve banned the cellphones, but it doesn’t matter, because the kids are using the school-issued devices in exactly the same way.” @LByock via @tylerkingkade

[Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79]

Raise your hand if you always knew this.

[Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79]

“Although it once seemed like a good idea to give every child his or her own device, it’s clear that those policies have been a failure.”

💯

School-issued laptops distract students at school and home, expose them to things they shouldn’t see, and hurt learning.

🧵

[mandy @jusbitching]

@tetheredtoed1 @C_Hendrick Middle class in UK means upper class.

[mandy @jusbitching]

@wegg_ @MrZachG How do they staff this? You mean licensed teachers, right? Are they all retired?

[mandy @jusbitching]

@PetraBarbele @MrZachG Wow. In my district we (certified teachers) are paid more to sub. And more for sped roles and long term sub positions.

[David Zweig @davidzweig]

A reminder that we still have not reckoned with the fact that regular people objectively outperformed the “experts” in predicting outcomes during the pandemic.

I cover this and more in my book: An Abundance of Caution

[Karen Vaites @karenvaites]

“Providing laptops to students did not have a positive impact on educational outcomes, likely driven by lack of effects on cognitive skills and limited classroom adoption.

The estimated impacts on academic performance and years of schooling are both negative and insignificant.”

[mandy @jusbitching]

@vlal42 My kids still did this in elementary! They’re going into 3rd and 6th. In Austin.

[Jonathan Haidt @JonHaidt]

I agree, this is a problem. We're working on this too, e.g.,

https://t.co/EfiUSKcRYi

[Jonathan Haidt @JonHaidt]

HB 1481 led by @FairlyForTexas would create "bell to bell" distraction and cell phone free schools across the great state of Texas.  Thrilled to see the momentum for this important bill building in the Texas Senate Education Committee. Thank you for your work on behalf of Texas' kids:
@SenCreighton @DonnaCampbellTX @TeamBettencourt @HagenbuchTX @ElectAHinojosa @PhilKingTX @JoseMelendezTX @mayes_middleton @TanParkerTX @AngelaPaxtonTX @RoyceWestTX #texleg

[Laura Powell @LauraPowellEsq]

“I want to be really clear on this… This wasn’t a trade off that kids did. This was only harm, zero benefit.”

@davidzweig on school closures with @lhfang at a launch party in Berkeley for his book, An Abundance of Caution.

[David Zweig @davidzweig]

Major excerpt from my forthcoming book, An Abundance of Caution.

Ultimately, this book is not about the pandemic. It is about the failure of the expert class.

Link in reply.

[mandy @jusbitching]

@JonHaidt Next up, Ed tech 👏🏼

[mandy @jusbitching]

@Austen Sounds terrible.

[Kelley K @KelleyKga]

Public health has lost public trust. They need to earn it back. There are several gems from today's NYT op-ed by @MckeanCarrie, but this passage sums it up well I think. (link at end of thread)