Minnetonka Schools iPad Opt-Out for K-8

Opt out!

Take YouTube off the iPads at least!! Get back to paper/ pencil. Kids retain information better when writing… it’s sad when your 4th grader complains that their hand hurts from writing because they haven’t built up the muscles from writing in the early years! My 7th grader is addicted to his iPad and finds ways to get to games… this creates battles at home.

Please give this option. It is so important for child development.

This is so important!

Parents have real power when we come together. Once you slow down and take a long look at the effects of iPads, screen time, etc on learning, social, emotional, health, and well-being of our children and hear from other parents about their experiences, you begin to realize the enormity of what we've allowed to happen to our children. Thank you for organizing this effort.

So I talked with some teachers at MME about kids playing on their iPads during class instead of studying. My son had been called out by several teachers for this. Two teachers who were more tech oriented set up Apple's education software so they could see every iPad screen in the room on their computer. If a kid started playing games or whatever - the teacher could call them out instantly. But the school wasn't interested in having this set up for all of the teachers. So my son was playing games in all of his classes. He happens to be a very quick learner so his grades were still all "As." But he got addicted to playing games or doing whatever he wanted while at school. He came home and would get upset as we wouldn't let him do this at home. Most of the teachers I spoke with said they just gave up policing the kids and their iPads as it was too difficult - and half of the class were non-stop playing in class. This is not student focused education. This is 100% administration focused education.

no ipad

Would love to see our kids on less screens!

Ipads were not designed for learning, they were designed by hundreds of PHDs at Big Tech to be as addictive as possible. We tried it - lessons learned, and now it’s time to take that learning (see all of the parents comments!) and be more thoughtful about how they are used with children.

My kids were harmed by the all day screens. It took several months once we got rid of the iPad for my son to not want to grab the iPad (any screen) at any chance he could. Also, retention is much lower. You can't go back and page through a book on an iPad. Why have test scores gone down? Schools switched to screens. I think we should reduce screen usage all the way through high school. My son would spend the entire day on his iPad at school - sans art class or gym. Then come home to do homework. Then want to play games online as that is what kids do these days. Insane. And we had no control over the iPad. The school district is lazy. Kids got around any controls in 10 minutes. And we had no way to block anything like we do with our devices at home.

My kids were harmed by the all day screens. Also, retention is much lower. You can't go back and page through a book on an iPad. Why have test scores gone down? School switched to screens. I think this should be all the way through high school.

Please…

I would sign twice if I could. The ipads are such a pain and leave parents with no tools to help their children.

Too many screens in schools. We need to be done!

I’ve been writing this in the annual Minnetonka Schools parent survey for over a decade now. Every year they are dismissive of the data they receive.

I am very supportive of the effort to focus on three dimensional learning. I have learned how important real materials are for attention and cognition. I support the effort to opt out of iPads for kindergarten through eighth grade. If the team needs any support, an advocacy or otherwise, please reach out. I have three kids in the district.

I am very supportive of the effort to focus on three dimensional learning. I have learned how important real materials are for attention and cognition. I support the effort to opt out of iPads for kindergarten through eighth grade. If the team needs any support, an advocacy or otherwise, please reach out. I have three kids in the district.

One day last week, my 6th grader came home and he had spend 4 hours on his iPad at school -- all assigned. by teachers. Seriously MME?

Kids don’t need as much constant tech access. Let them be kids, let them learn without a screen. I’ve also noticed that they easily can play games and search online with no regulation.

The research is becoming clearer. Our student’s education should never have been an experiment.