The days of unrestricted YouTube on school-issued Chromebooks are over.
As students return to class next week, San Diego Unified is launching a new technology policy aimed at making screens less of a distraction and more of a learning tool.
"Our focus can't just be on access to technology or access to a device, but really on the content within those devices,” Shayna Hazan, San Diego Unified School Board Trustee says. “Making sure all of the technology our students have access to is in service to student wellness and student safety."
Hazan, says every student received a Chromebook during the pandemic, when virtual learning made personal devices essential.
Now, leaders say it's time to shift the focus from simply providing technology to making sure it's being used intentionally.
Starting this school year, YouTube and other streaming platforms will no longer be available by default on student devices. Non-instructional gaming platforms are also being removed, while transitional kindergarten classrooms will no longer have individual Chromebooks.
Teachers will still be able to give students access to YouTube when it's part of a lesson.
"We know that YouTube can be incredibly distracting, that students are accessing content that may not be appropriate, and that's getting in the way of learning,” Hazan says.
District leaders say the changes were driven by research and conversations with parents, following last year's rollout of phone-free school days.
And they say this is only the beginning.Artificial intelligence is next on the district's radar. A new committee made up of educators, researchers and families will spend the coming year developing recommendations for how AI should be used in classrooms.
"AI is coming at us fast, and it's important that we develop a thoughtful policy around what platforms are appropriate and how students should be using them,” Hazan says.
District leaders say families can apply to serve on the district's AI advisory committee on their website.
