Too much technology too early ? Use of Chromebooks from 3rd grade onwards in Edison NJ

[Utopian Slums]

I think cursive is a good skill to learn. Helps motor skills. Helps to be able to read any written notes they come across. Makes one less dependent on spell check, etc.

I also think the radiation is an underestimated concern not well studied in this population.

[NJ Person]

Originally Posted by jsj74

I am just surprised to hear from my 4th grader that from this year every student in Edison, NJ has Chromebook and more importantly shocked to learn that there will be little or no writing and everything will be done on these laptops. I am a technologist myself but strongly believe that writing skills are essential.
Elementary schools years are the years where kids develop reading, writing and critical thinking skills. If this is replaced by typing for the most part then I don't see how these kids can develop their writing ability and critical thinking to write an essay or paragraph. I can understand the use of laptops from High school onwards but starting this excessive use from elementary years is very concerning to me.

I want to know what do the other parents think of this ? Do other public schools in NJ also have the similar adoption of laptops in elementary schools ?

Just want to tell you what I learned last night at my child's school - here is the reason schools are getting 3rd and 4th graders "hands" on the computer:

Due to the RIDICULOUS COMMON CORE STANDARDS NJ students in 3rd and 4th grade will for the first time this year, be taking something called the PARCC Test. The PARCC tests are done on the COMPUTER. These tests require the children to type essays, do math problems, etc etc. Up until this point in our schools, this was always done with a pencil and paper. The schools need to be worried about how their students perform on these tests (unfortunately) and they are worried that the students won't perform up to their normal standards because all of a sudden they are going to be doing everything on the computer, something they aren't used to. So all the districts are now putting Chrome books in the students hands asap, b/c they want them to be comfortable taking these ridiculous PARCC tests in the spring. So now these poor kids are being forced to do all this extra work on the computer for "practice" instead of just learning..........

I am so upset about the whole Common Core and these PARCC tests and the new teaching priorities the teachers have to have b/c of them - I am tempted for the first time ever to send my kids to catholic school.

[HalfFull]

Hours spent learning cursive vs. hours learning to use the keyboard. OK, both are not directly learning academics, but the keyboard will be of much greater use as they go forward.