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   One of the richest men in the world castigates the billions of dollars spent   
   on buying laptops for US classrooms with no apparent improvements   
      
   Date:   
   Tue, 25 Mar 2025 21:09:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Billions spent on school laptops have failed to improve student performance,   
   raising concerns about the effectiveness of widespread digital adoption in   
   classrooms.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   Laptops are now common in American classrooms, with nearly 90% of schools   
   providing devices to modernize education and prepare students for a digital   
   future.    
      
   However, Michael R. Bloomberg, one of the world's wealthiest and most   
   influential figures as the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, has   
   argued the billions spent on these laptops for students have failed to    
   improve academics, shifting focus from traditional learning and raising   
   concerns about declining outcomes.    
      
   As someone who built a company by developing a computer at the dawn of the   
   digital age, I never believed that computers in the classroom were the cure    
   to what ails schools," said Bloomberg.   
      
   Picking up books and pens -- A call to rethink laptop use in classrooms   
      
   "Some of the most powerful educational interactions occur when a caring,   
   well-trained teacher can look into a students eyes and help them see and   
   understand new ideas," he went on. "Machines often dont have that power."    
      
   Bloomberg argues instead of increasing reliance on screens, schools should   
   encourage students to spend more time reading, writing, and engaging in    
   direct interactions with teachers and peers.    
      
    Laptops for teachers can enhance instruction, but Bloomberg acknowledges   
   that, while student laptops can be useful tools, they cannot replace the    
   value of a well-trained educator guiding students through meaningful learning   
   experiences.    
      
   Studies show excessive laptop use in classrooms leads to distraction, with   
   students often taking up to 20 minutes to refocus after engaging in   
   non-academic activities.    
      
   Despite widespread laptop use, only 28% of eighth graders and 24% of 12th   
   graders are proficient in math, while reading scores remain low, and US   
   students continue to lag behind their international peers, raising doubts   
   about the effectiveness of widespread laptop adoption in schools.    
      
   While the best laptop for engineering students can support advanced   
   computations and specialized software, excessive screen time in general   
   education has not translated into improved academic performance.    
      
   A post-pandemic survey found over 25% of students spend at least five hours    
   of classroom time daily on screens, often engaging in educational games that   
   fail to build mastery. In contrast, time-tested methods like reading physical   
   books and writing by hand have been shown to improve retention and   
   comprehension.   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/one-of-the-richest-men-in-the-world-castigates-t   
   he-billions-of-dollars-spent-on-buying-laptops-for-us-classrooms-with-no-appar   
   ent-improvements   
      
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