As the New Providence School District prepares to reduce the use of technology in classrooms next school year, many teachers and students have shared mixed opinions about the change. Some believe that returning to more paper-based learning could improve focus and understanding, others feel that technology is an important tool to learn skills like organization and independence. The discussion has brought up the importance of being able to find the right balance between traditional learning and modern technology.

Mr. Carrell said: “I think it could be a good thing, there is always a balance that you have to make. We need technology to do certain things but it’s also good to go back to the traditional ways of pencil and paper.”

Many other teachers agree that even though technology can be useful, students may be able to greatly benefit more by spending time writing notes by hand and working without the constant screens. Some teachers believe that too much technology can become distracting in the classroom and that returning to many of the traditional methods can help students focus better and have the ability to retain more information.

“I think it’s a good decision overall to balance our approaches, and it could be a good idea to step back and try to get that balance between technology and pencil and paper in order to improve the learning outcome,” said Mr. Klein.

However, most of the students are not as excited about the shift away from technology as the teachers are. Students have grown used to using iPads and online apps in order to stay organized and complete assignments in a more timely manner. For them, technology has become a crucial part of their learning.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea because technology helps us keep being organized and, it’s way more efficient then passing out paper notes because we can keep all of our stuff in one app instead of having so many papers to keep track of,” said Grace Mundy.

Even students who support reducing screen time still believe that technology should continue to play a role in education. Some students feel that learning how to use digital tools responsibly is an important skill that prepares students for the future.

“I think it could be really beneficial, especially for the younger grades. But I still do think that some of the instructions should be on the iPad because it teaches the students independence and responsibility,” said Bianca Berti.

As the school district continues to move forward with its decision, everyone ultimately agreed that the best solution was finding the right balance between technology and paper.