KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – State leaders and education groups in Tennessee are working to reduce how much time younger students spend on screens in the classroom, especially in kindergarten through fifth grades.
The Professional Educators of Tennessee has begun discussions with lawmakers about scaling back the use of laptops and other digital devices in favor of more traditional teaching methods.
JC Bowman, executive director of the organization, said while technology remains important in modern classrooms, balance is key.
“We live in a technology age. We support technology. We think it’s needed,” Bowman said. “But we just need to figure out how to reduce that amount.”
Some Knox County parents are also advocating for the shift. Margot Kern said students, particularly younger children, don’t need constant access to screens to learn effectively.
“It’s really about taking a more intentional approach to the technology and really asking ourselves, why are we using a technology in this specific case?” Kern said.
Kern added that meaningful change will require cooperation from parents, educators and communities.
“If we wanted to change some norms around screens… we would have to band together to do that,” she said.
The push to reduce screen time comes as a new state law is set to require school districts to establish stronger internet safety measures, including blocking certain websites and setting stricter online guidelines for students.
Bowman said the timing of the conversation is important, as more testing moves online and school systems continue investing heavily in devices like Chromebooks.
“Kids can scroll through the system. They are not staying focused,” Bowman said. “We know from the results that if they have a textbook, they can be kept on task a lot better.”
While discussions are still ongoing, educators expect Knox County to be among the districts closely examining changes to classroom technology use.
