Statewide Iowa (RI) — Legislators are considering requiring a state study to determine the impact school-provided technology is having on Iowa students and their ability to focus on tasks.
Students are not allowed to access their personal cell phones during class time under a state law passed last year, but Republican Senator Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center says students are still using tablets and laptops in the classroom that are owned by the school.
The Senate has unanimously voted to have the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services convene a “working group” of experts and parents to produce recommendations by the end of the year. It’s an alternative to a House approved proposal that would limit daily screentime to an hour a day in elementary classrooms.
Andy Conlin is a lobbyist for Cambium Learning Group, a company that offers a variety of programs for digital devices.
Margaret Buckton is a lobbyist for the Urban Education Network and Rural School Advocates of Iowa. She says a daily screentime limitation may be too broad, and she points to a software program that’s helping students in Denison be literate in two languages.
An annual report issued at an international education‑technology conference found that during the last school year, the average U.S. school district used nearly 1,600 ed‑tech tools each month.
KIWA Staff Photo
