In 2002, Maine became the first state to implement a statewide laptop program to some grade levels. Then-governor Angus King saw the program as a way to put the internet at the fingertips of more children, who would be able to immerse themselves in information.
By that fall, the Maine Learning Technology Initiative had distributed 17,000 Apple laptops to seventh graders across 243 middle schools. By 2016, those numbers had multiplied to 66,000 laptops and tablets distributed to Maine students.
King’s initial efforts have been mirrored across the country. In 2024, the U.S. spent more than $30 billion putting laptops and tablets in schools. But more than a quarter-century and numerous evolving models of technology later, psychologists and learning experts see a different outcome than the one King intended. Rather than empowering the generation with access to more knowledge, the technology had the opposite effect.
THANK YOU. As a teacher, this guy made me rage hard. And even harder when older teachers who already hate technology latched on to it as an excuse. Show me evidence for fucks sake when middle school teachers are ALSO now teaching multiple subject areas, have way less prep time, the school has less money, are also responsible for live online grading and access to assignments.
Also, I love fediverse. Rational mind heaven
I’m glad I’m out of middle and high school, both were hell for my ability to learn due to teachers like this. I’ve tried and tested the fact that I objectively learn better on computers than books and writing, but the many teachers who would outright ban laptops in their classes because “you can’t learn on those, you all get distracted” would cripple my ability to learn. Writing is difficult for me as well, and I’ve always had horrible and slow hand writing, but I have abnormally fast typing speed and can type notes while listening fully to the teacher, which is why I breezed through my more tech focused classes for instance.
Of course, I don’t blame those technologically conservative teachers for their views, since monetary interests have crippled the medium enough to make digital education difficult for the vast majority of people, but that doesn’t mean some aren’t the opposite and learn quicker and of higher quality on digital mediums rather than the standard analog mediums.