On August 10th, CCFC released "A Statement on EdTech and Education Policy during the Pandemic," signed by more than 100 leading experts in child development, education, and technology. The statement is part of a broader campaign to “deepen learning” by rejecting simplistic EdTech solutions in favor of education that engages and respects the whole child.

Now we need you to help us demonstrate to policymakers and education officials that there is widespread support for limited and intentional EdTech use, no matter where school takes place this year!

Students Before Screens, Teachers Before Tech!

We urge educators and policymakers to look beyond EdTech solutions for learning in the age of COVID-19, and find ways to limit children’s time on computers and digital devices during the coming school year and beyond. No matter what school looks like, educators should ensure that their lessons center on offline, high-engagement components such as hands-on, project- and place-based learning. 

For-profit EdTech vendors sell the false premise that their products offer effective and budget-friendly ways to learn. In reality, the products are costly to purchase and maintain, frequently crowd teachers and staff out of the budget, harvest student data, and expose students and teachers to numerous privacy and data collection risks.

For the safety and wellbeing of children, reducing screen use during the pandemic must be a priority. We urge educators and administrators to adopt the following principles:

• Limit screen time. Use technology only when necessary for communication, collaboration, research, or facilitating creative expressions of student learning. Apps and platforms that use persuasive design to keep kids online should be avoided.
• Embrace teachers and relationships over tech. Remote learning, when needed, should be driven by human interactions and designed to maximize student engagement and agency through use of project- and place-based lessons.
• Maximize offline, hands-on learning. Schools should maximize offline, hands-on learning – even if students are at home – by encouraging structured activities such as reading actual books, writing by hand, and outdoor play. Schools must support families by providing physical books and supplies.
• Avoid hasty purchases and decisions during the pandemic that may lead to the overuse of EdTech for years to follow.
• Privacy matters. Schools should avoid services that do not clearly say who will have access to student data and for what purpose. Schools should also not assign platforms or apps that contain advertising, including upselling students and their families on premium versions.

We must trust educators – not EdTech companies - to work together and employ their intelligence and creativity to design and deliver curricula that keep all students engaged while deepening their learning, even in a pandemic. Our children and our nation deserve nothing less than safe schools and low-tech, child-centered, educator-driven learning.

To read CCFC's full statement on EdTech and the research supporting offline learning, click here. By signing this petition, you are joining over 100 experts and leading advocates in education and child development.

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