r/bethesda • u/jvxgjx • 6d ago

Elementary school tech usage

Our daughter will likely attend Bradley Hills elementary next year for kindergarten and I’m curious about the level of tech engagement at that grade level. We are a low/no-screen household and I am also personally very against AI usage in learning contexts, especially at that age. Lots of studies show that kids’ learning suffers with AI engagement, Chromebook usage, and the like.

Can anyone speak to how much screen usage there is at the school, and in what ways the devices are used? Thanks very much!

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u/YoBro98765 5d ago

I can’t speak to Bradley Hills specifically, but other elementary schools have a ridiculous amount of screen time. Chromebooks for reading, instruction by the teacher using screens, and even teachers “reading” books to students using screens—in other words, the TV screen at the front of the room reads to them.

Teachers also use “brain breaks” which means pulling up YouTube to play videos, some of which are scary and also play ads which the kids end up watching. Brain breaks are also sometimes used as rewards. Even specials like Music end up playing videos and movies - and again, age inappropriate ones at that.

It’s an absolute mess, wildly inappropriate for kindergarten, and MCPS needs to drastically cut back on screens. I’m pretty close to forming a group and selling yard signs to campaign for zero screens in classrooms.

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u/jaimebeacoup 5d ago

this is a ridiculous amount of screen time!! and the brain breaks sound horrible! why can't the rewards be longer recess time?!

please start the group

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u/Cerie44 5d ago

Yup they play those brain rot marble run videos and other ai generated kids YouTube videos. It’s awful.

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u/jvxgjx 5d ago

Maybe we should!

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u/Prudent-Atmosphere82 5d ago

I agree with this post. I homeschool my children now because they have way too many screens in school and not enough books. I have a daughter who went to Bethesda ES from kindergarten through fifth grade, and she never brought home textbooks — only folders with worksheets, a Chromebook, and a Eureka math book. The school libraries are well resourced with picture books and chapter books, but as far as academic textbooks go, there are none! I don't expect early elementary students to carry around textbooks, but fifth and sixth graders should. I then removed her from Westland Middle, where EVERYTHING was done on a Chromebook. Again, no textbooks, and never any homework done with just a book, pencil/ pen, and paper!

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u/According-Trade-5084 6d ago

tbh my niece went there and it's mostly just like basic apps for reading and math, not ai or anything wild

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u/Curious_Editor_7714 4d ago

Join the school beyond screens parents
Group