Technology and Screen Time in Wyckoff Schools

At Lead By Example, we think the question isn't just, "Should students use technology?" but more "What is the technology actually adding?"

A focused 10-minute session on a research-based platform reinforcing a specific multiplication strategy is very different from an hour of digital worksheets. One is targeted practice. The other may just be busy work on a screen.

I think about this like I did 20 years ago when I was told to discourage my students from reading graphic novels because they weren't "real" books. I did the research, and there was no support to back that claim. I believed if it got kids reading, then it had a purpose. We need to do the research and make informed decisions.

Technology is no different. We need to ask: Why this platform? Is it backed by research? Are we actually using the data it gives us? Is there a real benefit from those 10 minutes? Is it actually 10 minutes, or does it spiral into 40? And what is that screen time replacing?

Kids still need to write, move, build, talk, play, and connect with teachers and peers. If technology is replacing meaningful teaching, learning, and connection, then we need to pause and ask why.

And this isn't about teachers looking for a break. Our teachers work incredibly hard. Districts choose these platforms and set expectations for how they're used. When those expectations aren't clear, teachers are left to figure them out. In education, we call that policy silence.

That's where leadership matters: clear guardrails, thoughtful implementation, and actually supporting teachers, not just handing them another platform and saying, "Use this."

Leadership is responsible for doing the research, understanding what's developmentally appropriate, putting policies and accountability in place, and communicating that clearly to everyone: school staff, parents, and the community. This needs to be proactive work, not reactive.

Technology can absolutely be a tool. But it should earn its place in the classroom.

A parent’s question after Back to School Night

One thing that stood out to me was the repeated message about finding a "balance with technology." But as a parent, I'm still left wondering: What does that balance actually look like? How much screen time is too much, what are our children actually doing on these devices, and how are we measuring whether we've found that balance?

This isn't about being anti-technology. Technology is a tool, and it's part of our children's world. But before we can truly use technology well, our kids need to develop the critical thinking, reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving skills that technology can't replace. And our teachers need the time and freedom to teach.