Technology

Classroom Technology

Digital literacy, screen time, cellphones. Learn more about how schools handling technology’s effect on teaching and learning

Explainer

In this 2015 photo, third grader Iyana Simmons works on a coding exercise at Michael Anderson School in Avondale, Ariz.
Technology in Education: An Overview
From blended learning to computerized testing, digital and online technologies are reshaping the classroom experience for students.
View Explainer

Featured Special Reports

Special Report Technology & Student Wellness: How Tech, SEL, and Mental Health Are Now Linked
See how schools are trying to put student wellness front and center to help kids navigate a world in which social media and AI are all around them.
March 25, 2024
Custom illustration of a young female student in a meditative pose floating above a cell phone. She is surrounded by floating books and wide range of emotions reflected by different emojis. Digital / techie textures applied to the background.
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Special Report Math + Tech: Are We Solving the Equation?
Math educators are testing new technologies such as artificial intelligence to see if they can help improve math instruction.
September 18, 2023
Photo of girl using tablet computer.
E+ / Getty
Special Report Tech Is Everywhere. How Schools Are Using It
The rapid expansion of technology in schools raises important questions about the impact it is having on student learning.
March 27, 2023
Pre-K students Margaret Gilllespie and Noah Parangan attend a coding class at Hampton Street School in Mineola, New York, March 13, 2023.
Pre-K students Margaret Gilllespie and Noah Parangan attend a coding class at Hampton Street School in Mineola, N.Y., March 13, 2023.
Mostafa Bassim for Education Week

  • The Latest

    ISTEvr001
    Krista Wilkewitz (left) and Tara Menghini, teachers at Knox Gifted Academy in Chandler, Ariz., explain their interdisciplinary project in which students designed their fantasy school during the ISTELive 26 + ASCD annual conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on June 29, 2026.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    Classroom Technology Here’s What Happened When 6th Graders Designed Their Dream School
    A class project prodded students to use digital tools to fuel creativity, not passively consume content.
    Alyson Klein, July 1, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    Chromebooks, to be loaned to students in the Elk Grove Unified School District, await distribution at Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove, Calif., on April 2, 2020.
    Chromebooks, to be loaned to students at a high school in Elk Grove, Calif., on April 2, 2020. Students are taking laptops home during the summer and assistant principals share how their schools use this strategy to combat the summer slide.
    Rich Pedroncelli/AP
    Classroom Technology Do School Laptops Help Students With Summer Learning?
    School-provided computers can extend learning in the summer, but educators are weighing the best use.
    Jennifer Vilcarino, June 30, 2026
    •
    6 min read
    ISTEJune29hh
    Educators, advocates, and tech company officials crowd the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on June 29, 2026. EdWeek's reporters and visual journalists are producing a steady flow of dispatches from the event.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    Classroom Technology Inside ISTE 2026: EdWeek’s Daily Updates
    EdWeek's reporters and visuals team are on the ground at the massive 2026 ed-tech show.
    Sean Cavanagh, June 30, 2026
    •
    2 min read
    ISTEJune29W
    Attendees gather for the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., on June 29, 2026. Teachers and administrators at the show said there needs to be a balance between tech- and non-tech-based strategies in schools.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    Classroom Technology Tech-Savvy Educators Weigh In on 'Techlash'
    Teachers and administrators attending the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference were asked for their takes on major tech themes.
    Alyson Klein, Lauraine Langreo & Arianna Prothero, June 30, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    Four students sit at a table working on laptops in a bright classroom or library setting.
    Photo provided by Sora
    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     Lessons on Modern Literacy from the Sora Student Reading App Annual Report
    Digital reading tools boost literacy, access, and engagement, complementing print while supporting diverse learners through choice.
    Content provided by Sora
    ISTEJune29cc
    Attendees move between sessions at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on June 29, 2026. The backlash emerging from many school communities about tech's role in classrooms has been a major undercurrent at the show, the nation's largest ed-tech conference.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    Classroom Technology There's a New Pledge for Schools to Show They're Deliberate About Tech Use
    ISTE and GreatSchools.org are urging schools to prove they're using tech in a "safe and purposeful" way.
    Alyson Klein, June 29, 2026
    •
    2 min read
    CEM 2540
    A middle school history class in Sapulpa, Okla., uses whiteboards and worksheets during a tech-free day on April 7, 2026. EdWeek Research Center survey data show that relatively few schools are pairing back their investment in tech, despite pressure from some parents.
    September Dawn Bottoms for Education Week
    Classroom Technology Are Schools Actually Scaling Back Tech in Response to a Rising Backlash?
    An EdWeek Research Center survey asked educators about efforts to pull back on digital tools.
    Sean Cavanagh & Jessica Cuellar, June 29, 2026
    •
    2 min read
    Classroom Technology Spotlight Spotlight on Digital Learning Done Right: Engaging Students With Research-Backed Tech
    Learn how research-based digital learning, such as esports, AI, and robotics, engages students while building real-world tech skills.
    June 29, 2026
    A look at the 2025 ISTE conference in San Antonio.
    The exhibit hall shown above at the ISTE+ASCD annual conference last year in San Antonio featured a wide range of ed-tech products and services. At the outset of the 2026 conference in Orlando, Fla., on June 28, the organization announced that it was changing its name.
    Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
    Classroom Technology What's in a Name? Check Out ISTE+ASCD's Rebrand ... ish
    The new name is attempting to address the challenges schools are facing at this moment in time.
    Alyson Klein, June 28, 2026
    •
    2 min read
    Art teacher Lindsay Johnson, second from left, teaches students how to ask Canva for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, on June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill.
    Art teacher Lindsay Johnson, second from left, teaches students how to ask Canva for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School on June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. Many parents are supportive of the use of tech in school that enhances learning.
    Nam Y. Huh/AP
    Classroom Technology Parents Don't Hate Ed Tech. They Just Want More Balanced Use
    New survey reveals nuanced views about tech use in school among parents.
    Arianna Prothero, June 26, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    Education Rural Schools 25323724091271
    Students work together on a science, technology, engineering and mathematics challenge, facilitated by the Kentucky Science Center, in Simpsonville Elementary School, Nov. 18, 2025, in Simpsonville, Ky. Many schools across the country are now being asked to justify their use of technology in instruction.
    Jon Cherry/AP Photo
    Classroom Technology Tech Backlash Prompts Responses From Leader of Top Ed-Tech Group
    Rebuilding trust with communities on tech concerns must be a high priority, CEO says.
    Alyson Klein, June 25, 2026
    •
    4 min read
    LuAnn Oliver's son, who is in 6th grade, demonstrates how he uses an iPad for his classes during a May 9, 2026 gathering at Oliver's house in Arlington, Va. A group of parents were there to discuss ways to encourage schools to limit screen time. Concerns about the overuse of technology in schools are rising across the country.
    LuAnn Oliver's son, who is in 6th grade, demonstrates how he uses an iPad for his classes during a May 9, 2026, gathering at Oliver's house in Arlington, Va. A group of parents were there to discuss ways to encourage schools to limit screen time. Concerns about the overuse of technology in schools are rising across the country.
    Kevin Wolf/AP
    Classroom Technology Q&A How Schools Can Limit Screen Time, But Still Use Tech Effectively
    A district leader discusses how adolescent brain development and screen use affect learning.
    Lauraine Langreo, June 23, 2026
    •
    5 min read
    Wed., June 17, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
    Classroom Technology Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Rewiring of Childhood With Jonathan Haidt
    Jonathan Haidt, Catherine Price, and Adam Swinyard join Peter DeWitt on how to get students off devices and back to the basics of childhood.
    Register
    June 17, 2026
    A student types a prompt into ChatGPT on a Chromebook during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025.
    A student types a prompt into ChatGPT on a Chromebook during an English class at a high school in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025.
    Jae C. Hong/AP
    Classroom Technology Are Ed Tech's Academic Benefits at Odds With Its Social-Emotional Downsides?
    An EdWeek Research Center survey asked educators how tech is shaping students' school experiences.
    Kevin Bushweller, June 15, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
    Sonia Pulido for Education Week
    Classroom Technology Opinion How to Run a Classroom That’s Not Screen-Dependent
    Educators share tips for navigating thorny decisions about ed tech.
    Larry Ferlazzo, June 11, 2026
    •
    12 min read