Classroom Technology

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

Explainer

Technology in Education: An Overview
From blended learning to computerized testing, digital and online technologies are reshaping the classroom experience for students.

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

    Imran, left, confers with his math partner Nataly as the fifth graders solve a problem using base-10 rods at Hawthorne Elementary School, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 , in Seattle .
    Imran, left, confers with his math partner Nataly as the 5th graders solve a problem using base-10 rods at Hawthorne Elementary School in Seattle on Jan. 24, 2023. Some parents in the city, which issues devices to all students, have opted their children out of school-issued technology.
    Ken Lambert/Seattle Times via TNS
    Classroom Technology These Kids Are Learning Without Tech in a District That Gives Out Devices to All
    Some parents in this city opted their children out of school-issued devices.
    Claire Bryan, The Seattle Times, August 17, 2026
    10 min read
    Ninth-graders Charley Mays, left, and Grace Coleman work on iPads during an honors physical science class at Minnetonka High School on Oct. 30, 2019 in Minnetonka, Minnesota .
    Ninth-graders Charley Mays, left, and Grace Coleman work on iPads during an honors physical science class at Minnetonka High School on Oct. 30, 2019 in Minnetonka, Minn. Some experts caution schools not to go too far in dialing back the use of classroom technologies, a trend called the "techlash" that is driven by concerns about the overuse of technology in schools.
    Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
    Classroom Technology Q&A Why a 'Blunt Force' Approach to Screen Time May Be Problematic
    District and state leaders should avoid one-size-fits-all mandates on screen time, expert argues.
    Alyson Klein, August 17, 2026
    3 min read
    Classroom Technology Spotlight Spotlight on the Screen Time Reckoning: Educators, Parents, and the Fight for Healthier Classrooms
    Screens are reshaping classrooms, but educators are pushing back to restore balance, protect learning, and prioritize human connection.
    August 14, 2026
    Classroom Technology Spotlight Spotlight on the Future of Blended Learning: Finding the Right Model for Your School
    Discover practical insights for evaluating blended learning models and building flexible, future-ready schools.
    August 13, 2026
    Numberpad visible on keyboard of ASUS CX1 Chromebook, Lafayette, California, October 27, 2025.
    The Canon-McMillan school district in Pennsylvania is one of a growing number of school districts that are scaling back students’ classroom screen time. Students in grades K-2 will no longer have regular access to school-issued laptops or tablets, and students in grades 3-8 will have limited access through Chromebook carts.
    Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Sipa via AP Images
    Classroom Technology Q&A Why This District Is Getting Rid of Chromebooks for K-2 Students
    Some parents, educators, and even students are souring on the ubiquitous presence of the technology.
    Lauraine Langreo, August 11, 2026
    6 min read
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    Robyn Lady, a member of the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia, left, and Rachel Edoho-Eket, a principal in Howard County, Md., participate in a panel discussion titled "Building Trust With Families in a Skeptical Age" at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., on June 30, 2026. The growing backlash against the overuse of technology in schools is forcing school and district leaders to have some difficult conversations with parents.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    Classroom Technology How District and School Leaders Respond to the 'Techlash' Will Be Critical
    Educators recommend showing parents how technology is used for learning.
    Alyson Klein, August 4, 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 We’re Finally Starting to Ask the Right Questions About Ed Tech
    Concerns about screen-saturated schools underscore a sense that “innovation” exacts a human cost.
    Rick Hess, August 4, 2026
    5 min read
    Image of a teacher and student balancing digital and traditional schoolwork approaches.
    Robert Neubecker for Education Week.
    Classroom Technology Schools Brace for Growing Backlash to Classroom Screen Time
    Many school leaders think a tech reset is overdue, but don't want to dump what's helping kids learn.
    Arianna Prothero, August 3, 2026
    7 min read
    Education Air Quality Oil and Gas 25147797641797
    Students at Loving Elementary School in Loving, N.M., participate in a science, technology, engineering and math lab on May 19, 2025. A rising number of school districts around the country are making decisions to cut back on the amount of time students spend using technology in the classroom.
    Susan Montoya Bryan/AP Photo
    Classroom Technology From Our Research Center How Much Time Are Students Spending on Tech in Classrooms?
    Schools are wrestling with the backlash against students' classroom screen time.
    Lauraine Langreo, July 24, 2026
    1 min read
    Students in Coach Harris' history class refrain from using tech, focusing instead on group activities using white boards and worksheets on April 7, 2026 at Sapulpa Middle School in Sapulpa, Okla
    A middle school history class refrains from using tech, focusing instead on group activities using white boards and worksheets on April 7, 2026 in Sapulpa, Okla. Some teachers are paring down tech, while others feel they have limited options to do so, according to their responses to an EdWeek story.
    September Dawn Bottoms for Education Week
    Classroom Technology How Teachers Are Tackling the 'Techlash'
    Some educators say they would like to pull back on digital tools, but lack alternative resources.
    Jennifer Vilcarino, July 16, 2026
    1 min read
    Housing HUD Time Limits 25197588934495
    Nintendo Switches, like the one the teenage boy is using above, are being used in the Denver Public Schools in an esports program designed to improve student engagement. Education Week recently talked to one of the educators involved in that program, who gave a presentation about it at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., June 28 to July 1.
    Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo
    Classroom Technology Q&A How This District Is Using Esports to Increase Student Engagement
    An education technology specialist discusses an esports development program she created.
    Lauraine Langreo, July 9, 2026
    4 min read
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    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
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    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
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    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.
    1 min read