PA Unplugged

The Issue

1:1 Devices & EdTech

More technology in the classroom isn't necessarily better.

The Big Picture

Intentional use, not default use

Schools today are full of screens. Chromebooks, tablets, and an ever-growing catalog of apps and platforms have become standard in most classrooms. But more tech doesn't automatically mean more learning. A growing body of evidence suggests that it can actually negatively impact learning outcomes.

Technology is an important tool, but it should support, not supplant, proven instructional methods centered on human connection and rooted in an understanding of cognitive and social development. It should be thoughtfully and intentionally integrated, rather than by default.

A Framework for Evaluating Classroom Tech

The EdTech Triangle

Think of it like a food pyramid for classroom technology. Not all tech use is equal: some enhances learning, some undermines it. The EdTech Triangle was created by Blythe Winslow and Amy Tyson of Everyschool, the first research-based model of healthy classroom tech use. It's free and open-source for educators and districts.

Transformative

Tech that produces unique outcomes or develops high-level skills that can't be achieved without it — robotics, coding, graphic design, digital citizenship, and assistive technology for students with special needs.

Supportive

Technology that meaningfully enhances learning — audiobooks, podcasts, supplementary videos, and collaborative platforms when the same outcomes can't easily be replicated through traditional methods.

Restrictive

Tech that limits learning potential — e-texts replacing print books, unnecessary screen-based activities with easily replicated outcomes, and points-based games that reward speed over understanding.

Disruptive

Technology that disrupts learning or creates harmful habits — age-inappropriate content exposure, unrestricted cell phone access, excessive screen time, and using tech as a reward or behavior management tool.

What the Research Shows

The evidence is mounting

A growing body of research raises serious questions about the increasing role of technology in the classroom:

  • The OECD's 2024 analysis of PISA data found that student-led use of digital devices in class is negatively associated with performance in reading, math, and science. Students distracted by devices scored significantly lower, even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors.
  • Students who take notes by hand consistently retain more than those who type, because handwriting engages deeper cognitive processing.
  • Reading comprehension is measurably higher on paper than on screens, especially for longer or more complex texts.
  • The 2026 U.S. Surgeon General's advisory finds that in classroom settings, multitasking with digital media interfered with attention and negatively affected grades, test scores, recall, and reading.

Right Now

What PA parents are saying

78%
say there is too much screen time on school-issued devices
81%
report concerns about how school-issued devices are used
1,747
responses from 142 PA school districts, updated daily

These numbers come from PA Unplugged's own statewide parent survey. Explore the full dashboard, including results filtered to your school district.

For Parents

Questions to ask your school

You don't need to be a tech expert to ask the right questions. Here are some good places to start:

  1. 1How many hours per day is my child spending on a screen at school?
  2. 2What evidence-based research did the school use to determine that using a tablet/laptop for this class is a) developmentally appropriate and b) better than non-digital learning methods?
  3. 3What problem is this tool solving, and what is the educational rationale for using it?
  4. 4How is student data being collected, stored, and shared by these tools?
  5. 5Are there non-digital alternatives being used alongside or instead of screens?
  6. 6Has the school evaluated whether these tools actually improve learning outcomes?
  7. 7During school hours, are children allowed to use school-issued devices outside the classroom (e.g., lunch, free time, recess)? Who monitors their use?
  8. 8How do teachers feel about the amount of screen time in their classrooms?

Position Statement

Our point of view on EdTech & AI

PA Unplugged stands for an educational environment where children can develop fully — physically, socially, and intellectually — before they are handed a screen. This is our position on K–12 education, with grade-level distinctions where developmental readiness matters. Download the one-page PDF to share with your school.

Partnership over protest

We work collaboratively with districts and teachers to build better systems, modeling constructive civic engagement for our children. We strive to improve the system rather than opt out, while supporting families who choose to opt out when they feel they have no other option.

Skills before screens

K–3 Device-free learning environment.

4–5 Limited introduction in computer class: explicit technology-skill instruction, not just doing assignments online.

6–12 Cart model, where devices are available for use but not the default. Where 1:1 can't be unwound overnight, take interim steps: tech-free days, devices stored during instruction, drafting on paper.

Limit devices at home

K–5 No screen-based homework follows children home. All homework is pencil and paper — kids deserve device-free time to rest and connect with family.

6–12 Parents may opt in to devices coming home, but no assignment should require one. There should always be an analog option; digital-by-default should not be the norm.

Block non-educational platforms

No student access to YouTube, social media, or non-instructional gaming on school devices. Teachers can still share video through controlled methods, like embedding specific clips in Canvas or Schoology, without granting open YouTube access.

Develop the whole body

Schools must keep building fine and gross motor skills: holding a pencil, using scissors, making art by hand, throwing a ball, running and climbing. These aren't optional enrichments; they're foundational to healthy child development.

Parental awareness & transparency

Transparency is the baseline of trust. Parents deserve to know what technology, apps, platforms, and games are used in their child's classroom and during free time, and why — shared proactively, not on request.

Digital citizenship

Structured, sequential instruction in how technology works — including persuasive and deceptive design — taught by a qualified technology teacher with dedicated class time. Families need workshops and resources on healthy tech habits at home.

Protect movement, imagination & connection

Recess, transitions, free periods, before/after school programs, events, and bus rides are moments for movement, imagination, and human connection — not screen time.

Collaborative technology governance

Every district should convene a Tech Advisory Council that includes parents and meets regularly: evaluate all EdTech for educational value, data privacy, and design; vet for persuasive design and gamification; require independent evidence (ESSA Tier 1), not vendor research; eliminate products that sell student data.

No generative AI for students

Generative AI has no place in K–12 assignments or on student-facing devices. Children must develop their own voice, reasoning, and creativity before interacting with tools designed to replicate them. We remain open to a more nuanced position when peer-reviewed, independent research shows a specific tool is safe and effective.

We are not anti-technology. We are pro-childhood, pro-learning, and pro-partnership with the educators who shape our children's futures.

Go Deeper

Key Resources

Take Action

Build your action plan

Answer a few questions about how technology is used at your school and get a personalized advocacy plan with clear next steps.

EdTech Advocacy Guide

Take the parent survey

Five minutes. Your response feeds the public dashboard showing how parents across Pennsylvania feel about school technology.

Parent Survey

Are you an educator?

Teachers see this from the inside. Share your experience through the educator survey.

Educator Survey

Don't do it alone

Join PA Unplugged and connect with parents already asking these questions in your district.

Join us