Digital Learning

Learn more about using technology and online tools and resources in the classroom to aid learning

See also: Remote/Virtual Learning, Hybrid Instruction

Article

A student and teacher navigate the pitfalls of a digital world.
8 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have, According to Educators
Today's students are "digital natives," but some of their basic tech skills still need improvement, educators say.
Learn More
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Sponsor Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Accessibility as a Superpower
The morning literacy block has begun, and Ms. Williams is watching children in her classroom use a literacy app she just added to her reading centers. She sees one student open the app and create a story that features them as the main character, while another asks for her help to turn on the read aloud feature. The app reads the story aloud for them, pointing to each word as it is read, allowing full control over the text displays with rich image descriptions.
Content provided by Digital Promise
A student holds their cell phone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
A student holds their cell phone during class at a high school in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024. The U.S. Surgeon General's office recommends schools invest in physical textbooks and put a premium on paper-and-pencil classroom assignments and curriculum materials at all grade levels.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Trump's Surgeon General's Office Advises Schools to Limit Screen Time
Schools should emphasize paper-and-pencil assignments, Trump administration recommends.
Alyson Klein, May 20, 2026
•
4 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Classroom Technology Opinion What If Ed Tech Does More Harm Than Good?
An influential new book delves into the research on how ed tech affects learning.
Rick Hess, May 5, 2026
•
10 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Letter to the Editor A Student’s Perspective on AI in Schools
A high schooler shares what he thinks about artificial intelligence in this letter to the editor.
April 24, 2026
•
1 min read
In this Oct. 5, 1980, file photo, Nancy Armstrong, a teacher at the Marshall elementary school in Harrisburg, Pa., assists her students in the use of computers to aid them in their studies. Today’s grandparents may have fond memories of the “good old days,” but history tells us that adults have worried about their kids’ fascination with new-fangled entertainment and technology since the days of dime novels, radio, the first comic books and rock n’ roll.
In this Oct. 5, 1980, file photo, Nancy Armstrong, a teacher at Marshall Elementary School in Harrisburg, Pa., assists her students in the use of computers to aid them in their learning. The debate about how much time students should spend using technology to learn has been around for decades, but is now heating up in Congress and state legislatures and creating some unlikely allies.
Paul Vathis/AP
Ed-Tech Policy Welcome to the 'Funky' Politics of the Tech in Schools Debate
The Trump administration is cheerleading AI in schools as GOP lawmakers crack down on ed tech.
Alyson Klein, April 20, 2026
•
9 min read
Open laptops, or tablets for younger students, are a common sight during class time post-Covid, as in this 6th grade class period during a "What I Need" period at Cedar Park Middle School in Beaverton, Ore., on April 3, 2026. Cedar Park is experimenting with storing Chromebooks on a classroom cart, instead of assigning them directly to each student, to try to reduce the amount of time students spend on screens during instructional time.
Sixth-graders work on laptops during a class at Cedar Park Middle School in Beaverton, Ore., on April 3, 2026. The school is experimenting with storing Chromebooks on a classroom cart, rather than assigning them directly to each student, to try to reduce the amount of time students spend on screens. Teachers and parents say the pilot program is working.
Mark Graves/The Oregonian via TNS
Classroom Technology How to Lessen Screen Time in Schools—and Make It More Effective
Districts have tried monitoring software, tech-free days, and parent education to curb screen time.
Lauraine Langreo & Alyson Klein, April 20, 2026
•
7 min read
EdWeek Lullaby Crisis
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Opinion AI Can Read to Our Children. That Doesn’t Mean It Should
Are AI tools encroaching on the acts of care that define parenting and teaching?
Anne Tapp Jaksa, April 20, 2026
•
5 min read
CEM 2542
Special Report Why Schools Need Tech. And Why They Don’t
Schools and state legislators are taking action to rebalance how much time students spend using technology.
April 20, 2026
EdWeek What Educators Say - Drawbacks
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Classroom Technology What Educators Really Think About the Overuse of Tech in Schools
Teachers and administrators express strong opinions about the downsides of tech use in school.
Kevin Bushweller, April 20, 2026
•
1 min read
EdWeek What Educators Say - Benefits
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Classroom Technology What Educators Really Think About the Benefits of Tech Use in Schools
We asked educators why they think technology can help students learn.
Kevin Bushweller, April 20, 2026
•
1 min read
L1230272
Students in a history class at Sapulpa Middle School in Oklahoma take a break from using technology, focusing instead on group activities involving worksheets and discussion on April 7, 2026. A growing number of schools across the country are using approaches to cut back on screen time in classrooms.
September Dawn Bottoms for Education Week
Classroom Technology The Ed-Tech Backlash Is Here. What It Means for Schools
Many educators and parents are worried that overuse of tech in schools is hurting learning.
Alyson Klein & Lauraine Langreo, April 20, 2026
•
12 min read
EdWeek Screen Time
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Classroom Technology Explainer The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Screen Time: An Explainer
Too much screen time is bad for kids. But what does that mean for schools?
Arianna Prothero, April 20, 2026
•
9 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Opinion Schools Are Urged to Embrace AI—and Ban Phones. Can We Resolve the Tension?
Don’t reflexively adopt AI just because “that’s where the world is moving,” cautions Michael Horn.
Rick Hess, April 14, 2026
•
8 min read
JL838
Students at Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park, Ill., volunteered this school year to use some of their recesses and lunch periods to investigate AI tools. They presented to the faculty as part of a panel discussion on April 8, 2026. Teacher Ashley A. Kannan, right, developed the idea for the project.
Joshua Lott for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence A Group of Students Took a Deep Dive Into AI. Here’s What They Told Teachers
They came away with new skills, but also confronted some thorny ethical questions.
Sarah Schwartz, April 10, 2026
•
6 min read