Phones, Chromebooks, AI, and The Battle for Their Attention (Send Help!) - BNT Team Meeting [S7 EP. 277]

Listen to the full episode below:

I’ve got to tell you, this episode was a whole journey. It started with me (Marie) realizing the bell rang and I somehow missed it… which perfectly sums up the kind of day that pushed me to record right from my classroom instead of waiting for my fancy microphone at home! 

Screens - phones, Chromebooks, AI tools, all of it - have been everywhere in conversations lately, and two articles that popped up in my feed hit such a nerve that I couldn’t wait to talk through them with you. As a high school English and drama teacher who’s been in the classroom for 18+ years (and a mom of two), I’ve seen firsthand how technology has reshaped our students’ brains, habits, and ability to just… be humans together.

I bring up two articles that I want you to check out. One is about what kids say would help them get off their phones, and another about how screen time has impacted kids’ education. I share my very mixed, very honest reactions. I get defensive, I get reflective, and I also genuinely want to know what you think. 

Because between unstructured time turning into either dead silence or chaos, kids filling every gap with a screen, and AI cheating becoming the latest classroom whack-a-mole, it feels like we’re all navigating this technology tightrope together. And I definitely don’t have all the answers, but I do have thoughts, questions, and a whole lot of lived experience to bring to the table.

We would LOVE to hear how all of this shows up in your classroom or home. What are you noticing with screens, AI, or unstructured time? Send us a DM or email and let’s keep this conversation going. We want to hear your perspective!

topics discussed:

  • How screens and devices are affecting student focus, responsibility, and social skills

  • What recent articles say about kids’ need for unstructured freedom, and why adults struggle to allow it

  • The tension between necessary tech use and its downsides

  • Classroom realities: phones, Chromebooks, Minecraft, and the rise of AI-based cheating

  • Why comparing today’s childhood to past generations just isn’t fair (or helpful!)

  • Some screen-free ideas that you can try in your classroom

resources:

check out other bnt episodes:

More about Brave New Teaching:

Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!

Tune in on your favorite podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

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