San Diego students will return to fewer screens in class
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School Chromebooks will no longer be streaming. Photo: Claire Trageser/Axios
When San Diego students go back to school on Monday, their laptops and classrooms will look a little different.
Why it matters: San Diego Unified is trying to move away from too much screen time in the classroom and is starting with a few low-hanging changes, with bigger changes coming later this year, district Board of Education trustee Shana Hazan told Axios.
Inside the classroom:
📺 YouTube and other streaming platforms will be blocked on student Chromebooks, though teachers can allow access for specific lessons.
🎮 Non-instructional gaming sites will also be blocked, but educational games can still be used.
💻 Chromebook carts are being removed from transitional kindergarten classrooms.
What's next: The district is also looking for nominations for a committee that will:
⏱️ Set screen time limits for each grade level.
📱 Review apps, games and digital tools for effectiveness, age-appropriate content and whether they show ads.
👩🏫 Research teacher training programs to help teachers not rely on technology.
🔬 The district also is considering partnering with the nonprofit Children and Screens that studies technology and child development.
The Board of Education would have to approve any new limits or rules.
- A separate committee will create guidance for how students and staff should use AI.
What they're saying: "For a long time our objective when it came to technology was increasing access, and that was really important because there was this huge digital divide coming out of COVID," Hazan told Axios. Now, the work is making sure students are getting quality information and not overly relying on those devices, she said.
Reality check: It can be hard to enforce a broad policy across the entire district (case in point: cellphone bans and recess rules).
- Hazan said compliance on some things will be easy, like blocking access to YouTube and gaming websites.
- For bigger things, they'll need to use training, coaching and classroom visits, she said.
Friction point: Some advocates want even more, like letting parents opt out of Chromebook use entirely.
- Los Angeles students won't use screens until third grade and have daily and weekly limits for other grades.
Those changes may come in San Diego, too, but Hazan said it's important to have buy-in first.
- "It means it takes a little longer on the front end, but we see much more positive and much more lasting results over the long term," she said.