Educator and neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath;reveals why digital tools in school consistently undermine learning -- and what parents, teachers, and schools can do to push back with purpose. Our children are struggling. Schools, once alive with deep learning born of human connection, are now dominated by screens and digital tools. The result is unmistakable: falling performance, fractured attention, and the slow erosion of rigorous thought. For the first time in the history of standardized cognitive measurement, children are consistently scoring lower on key measures of cognitive development.; We were told that classroom technology was progress. It wasn’t. In This is not a call to reject technology. Now, more than ever, we need a generation capable of deep thought and understanding. This book is;an urgent call to reclaim real learning and;restore an education that builds strong, motivated thinkers.

Autorentext

Jared Cooney Horvath, PhD, MEd

Klappentext

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Educator and neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath reveals why digital tools in school consistently undermine learning—and what parents, teachers, and schools can do to push back with purpose.

Our children are struggling.

Schools, once alive with human connection, are now dominated by screens and digital tools. The result is unmistakable: declining performance, fractured attention, and the slow erosion of rigorous thought. For the first time in recent history, children are falling behind previous generations on many key measures of cognitive development.

In The Digital Delusion, neuroscientist and educator Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath reveals how the widespread use of laptops, tablets, and classroom software is undermining how children learn and develop. Drawing on decades of research, he provides practical tools for families to reassess device use at home, equips educators with the means to restore attention-rich learning environments, and helps schools make smarter decisions about technology. He exposes and dismantles the central myths driving the EdTech movement and lays out a clear path for putting people—not programs—back at the center of education. This is not a call to reject technology.

It’s a call to reclaim real learning.

Zusammenfassung
Educator and neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath reveals why digital tools in school consistently undermine learning—and what parents, teachers, and schools can do to push back with purpose.

Our children are struggling.

Schools, once alive with human connection, are now dominated by screens and digital tools. The result is unmistakable: declining performance, fractured attention, and the slow erosion of rigorous thought. For the first time in recent history, children are falling behind previous generations on many key measures of cognitive development.

In The Digital Delusion, neuroscientist and educator Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath reveals how the widespread use of laptops, tablets, and classroom software is undermining how children learn and develop. Drawing on decades of research, he provides practical tools for families to reassess device use at home, equips educators with the means to restore attention-rich learning environments, and helps schools make smarter decisions about technology. He exposes and dismantles the central myths driving the EdTech movement and lays out a clear path for putting people—not programs—back at the center of education. This is not a call to reject technology.

It’s a call to reclaim real learning.

Leseprobe
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Wrapped in Lies

The Five Myths That Built EdTech

My daughter was given a tablet in year three (3rd Grade). At the time, I thought she was a little young for so much screen time—­but the school assured us this was how kids learn best now, so I went along with it. She’s now in year six (6th Grade), and to be honest, I don’t think she’s ready. Her thinking feels scattered, she struggles with writing, and she has a really hard time staying focused, even on things she used to love. It’s like nothing sticks. I wonder if we made a mistake with the technology, but it all sounded so promising back then.

—­Tabitha, Mother of an 11-­Year-­Old (Australia)

Tabitha’s story is increasingly common. Across the world, parents were promised that digital tools would unlock potential, increase engagement, and make learning fun. Finally, our children would be free to explore the world on their own terms.

But two decades into this digital experiment, the cracks are starting to show. We’ve watched our children grow ever more anxious, distracted, and falsely confident in abilities they’ve yet to truly develop. Many of us have been left asking the same question as Tabitha: did we make a mistake?

The answer is yes. But our mistake wasn’t in trusting schools or teachers. It was in trusting the seductive promises sold to us by EdTech developers.

Most parents want the same things for their children: to think clearly, read deeply, write persuasively, and develop the habits of mind needed to contribute meaningfully to the wider world. We want kids who are not only curious, but also capable of acting on that curiosity. And we’ve long understood that this journey begins with a solid education.

When modern technology entered schools in earnest in the early 2000s, it didn’t challenge these values. On the contrary, it claimed to champion them. EdTech positioned itself as the savior of learning, promising to deepen creativity, expand knowledge, and better prepare students for an ever-­changing world.

And so we bought in—­especially across the West.

In the U.S., 88% of public-­school districts now operate one-­to-­one device programs. In the UK, schools spend over three times more on digital technologies each year than on teacher development. In Australia, there are roughly 450,000 more computers in classrooms than students to use them.

But what if it was all hype? What if EdTech was always destined to harm the very things it promised to improve?

There’s a kid’s party game popular across Europe called Pass the Parcel. Here’s how it works: A large package wrapped in layer upon layer of decorative paper is passed around a circle of children. Each child peels off one layer, only to reveal . . . another layer. The unwrapping continues, round after round, until one “lucky” child reaches the gift at the center.

I say “lucky” because the prize is almost always a letdown: a flimsy toy car or a cheap plastic ring. What looked big and exciting turns out to be hollow—­a trinket hidden beneath layers of glitz.

That’s EdTech in a nutshell.

On the surface, digital tools look impressive and sound transformative. But once you strip away the sleek marketing and persuasive language, you’re often left with something woefully underwhelming—­even harmful.

Like any good illusion, EdTech’s power lies in belief. Over the past three decades, five seductive assumptions have taken hold—­ideas that we’ve been led to believe are true, but simply aren’t.

These are the myths that built EdTech:

• Education Is Broken

• Multimedia Enhances Learning

• Free Choice Leads to Better Learning

• Kids Learn Best on Their Own

• Intelligent Tutors Make Kids More Intelligent

We’ve heard these claims echoed for years: by the media, tech gurus, and even by schools themselves. But repetition without scrutiny is how a myth becomes fact.

So, let’s unwrap this parcel, one assumption at a time, and see what&rs…