The NewsWorthy Special Edition: Is Ed Tech Failing Kids?
13 snips
Sep 26, 2026 
Victor Lee, a Stanford education researcher focused on AI and K–12 learning, and Jared Cooney Horvath, a neuroscientist and author of The Digital Delusion, debate technology in classrooms. They explore screens, attention, memory, test scores, foundational skills, adaptive tools, and AI literacy. The conversation weighs blanket bans against thoughtful, purpose-driven use of digital learning tools.
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The Oregon Trail Game Taught The Wrong Thing
- Horvath recalls mastering Oregon Trail’s mechanics while learning almost nothing about the historical Oregon Trail.
- He uses the example to show how gamification can make entertainment memorable while sidelining the intended lesson.
Teach Skills Before Introducing Tools
- Teach foundational skills before introducing tools that automate them.
- Calculators can boost performance during practice, but students may collapse without them if they never learned the underlying math.
Teach Technology Without Making It The Classroom
- Separate teaching digital skills from using computers to teach every subject.
- Horvath favors targeted tech labs over giving every student an unrestricted laptop in every class.
