School board wrestles with screen time, agrees more data is needed

It's June 3. W-JCC school board and staff agree more context is needed to evaluate how students are using technology in school. Developers look at converting empty Wyndham resort to housing.

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Williamsburg-James City County’s school board spent nearly a quarter of their marathon work session Tuesday discussing how students are using computers in school, agreeing they want to know more.

“Parents and our community are trying to understand...how our students are using that time,” Vice Chair Randy Riffle said, noting the process was like “unwrapping a mummy.”

Superintendent Daniel Keever told board members a screen time study that has been underway since the beginning of the year is aimed at ensuring technology remains a tool to support learning and not the centerpiece of school.

“Great teaching remains the most important factor in student learning,” Keever said, adding “no device, software program or digital platform can ever replace the expertise, relationships and instructional skill of a highly effective teacher.”

Staff members who spent an hour reviewing the screen study with the board said it was only one measure of computer use and that more study needs to be done.

“Context matters,” said Kristin Barr, Supervisor for Instructional Technology, Innovation and Information Literacy. She said technology can help when it encourages active learning and is appropriate to the student’s age and development. She said technology tools were particularly valuable for students with disabilities and those who were still learning English.

Keever said the schools will continue gathering more data while taking steps to ensure students have a good balance of physical and off-screen time along with computer use.

Among the items that surfaced during the hour-long discussion:

1. The screen time study measured only time spent on browsers, and not on applications like word processing or Photoshop.

2. Staff said one of the top 10 websites students reached while browsing was a Securely site that keeps them from trying to reach banned websites.

3. Elementary school students are offered screen time as a reward for good behavior and completing work, raising concerns from some teachers that they are rushing their work to get the reward.

4. Only about a third of parents had signed up to receive regular reports on what their students are accessing online.

5. School computers used by students at home or in class are equipped with software that allows teachers to ban specific sites and lock down computers as needed.

6. Preparing students for jobs by learning programs such as word processing and spreadsheets is part of the educational standards schools are expected to achieve.

7. Computer use was being introduced in 2014 and accelerated during Covid when schools closed.

Barr reviewed safety data on screen time, noting the American Association of Pediatrics no longer recommends screen time limits, recommending it depend on the individual student’s needs. She noted the academy warned screen time should not replace other opportunities for hands on learning or in lieu of developing social and emotional skills.

Claudia Kessel, whose child is a student at Matthew Whaley Elementary School, told us after the presentation that she was still frustrated by the issue. She said parents should be able to opt their children out of all screen time at school.

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