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- NewsEdSurge23 Jun 2026
I’m a Teacher, and I’m Against Phone Pouches
A teacher argues against phone pouches, citing mixed reactions from students and teachers. While surveys show 93% of adults support cellphone restrictions, a majority of U.S. teenagers oppose banning phones during school. The author questions the effectiveness of such pouches for improving learning.
Original abstract
<p>A recent craze in education that has garnered the attention of students and teachers alike is the ever increasing presence of phone pouches, or more specifically for my school, <a href="https://www.overyondr.com/about"><u>Yondr pouches</u></a>, These small, neoprene packs have a firm magnetic seal that can only be released by tapping it against an unlocking base. Their main purpose is quite simple: stop students from accessing their phone during the school day. The rationale is that the less time students spend on their phone, the more time they will spend learning.</p><p>Recently, the response from students and teachers seems to be fairly divided, with most students vehemently opposing it and most teachers earnestly welcoming it. Indeed, according to a recent poll from the Pew Research Center, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/01/13/about-4-in-10-teens-support-cellphone-bans-in-classrooms-fewer-back-all-day-restrictions/"><u>a majority of U.S. teenagers oppose banning phones during the school day</u></a>. On the contrary, a separate survey of 1,098 adults found that <a href="https://uasdata.usc.edu/survey/UAS+740"><u>93% of adults support cell phone restrictions</u></a>. This survey is part of the Understanding America Study (UAS), which was conducted last year by the University of Southern California Center for Economic and Social Research.</p><p>While common sense dictates what side I should take as a teacher, I can’t say I’m a fervent supporter of phone pouches.</p><p><strong>The Problem with Storage</strong></p><p>On the surface, phone pouches promise to create distance between the phone and their pupil. Ultimately, this distance may improve learning outcomes by helping minimize phone-fueled distractions. Indeed, according to a study published in the <em>Journal of the American Medical Association</em> (JAMA), U.S. teenagers already <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2843506"><u>spend approximately 70 minutes using
- NewsEdSurge17 Jun 2026
5 Things We Did Wrong with Edtech
The article reflects on common missteps in educational technology adoption, such as adopting tools without clear purpose or adequate teacher training, leading to overload and distraction. It emphasizes the need for intentional integration and sustained professional development rather than simply adding more platforms.
Original abstract
<p>In the early 2000s, classrooms were simple.</p><p>One desktop computer sat in the back of the room, usually reserved for Accelerated Reader quizzes, and a computer lab down the hall hosted weekly keyboarding lessons. When laptop carts arrived, it felt like the future had rolled in on wheels.</p><p>My principal believed in slow, intentional adoption. The first month, she handed each teacher a laptop and said, “Keep it on your desk. Turn it on. That is all you have to do.” For most teachers across the country, the shift looked nothing like this. Schools scrambled to adopt technology, sometimes for learning, sometimes simply to keep up.</p><p>Debates emerged: Should we still teach cursive if students will be typing anyway? Should computer labs disappear? Should every student have a device? As the years progressed, students arrived more digitally fluent than ever and quickly outpaced teachers despite ongoing professional development. Districts kept adding more software, more platforms, more bells and whistles. Learning management systems became central to instruction. Individually, each tool was an advancement. Collectively, they created noise.</p><p>COVID accelerated everything, but it was not the sole cause of technology fatigue. By 2021, <a href="https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-the-massive-shift-to-1-to-1-computing-means-for-schools-in-charts/2022/05">90% of schools</a> had adopted at least one new digital platform, but fewer than half provided sustained professional development to support its use. Teachers were overwhelmed. Parents were unprepared. Students were distracted.</p><p>So where did we go wrong, and how do we get back on track?</p><h4><strong>1. We Adopted Technology Without Guardrails or Purpose</strong></h4><p>Before adopting any tool, districts must answer a simple question: Is this for learning, productivity, accessibility, or innovation? The distinction matters. Digitizing worksheets is not innovation.</p><p>Tools should help students create
- NewsEdSurge17 Jun 2026
Before Schools Write the AI Policy, Should They Have a Conversation First?
Only one in three students report their school has an AI policy, yet many use AI for assignments and studying. Aleta Margolis argues that schools should first have human conversations with students about AI use before writing policies, emphasizing co-creation of guidelines. A new NPR/Ipsos poll shows 54% of teachers worry AI harms critical thinking, and nearly 75% believe its impact will exceed that of the internet.
Original abstract
<p>Only about one in three students say their school has a school-wide AI policy, yet students across the country are already using AI to complete assignments, study for exams, and make decisions about their daily lives. Aleta Margolis, founder and president of the Center for Inspired Teaching, has spent three decades coaching teachers to ask better questions and listen more carefully to students. She argues in <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2026-06-03-what-to-do-about-ai-begin-by-talking-about-it"><u>a recent </u><strong><u>EdSurge</u></strong><u> piece</u></a> that the policy conversation cannot come first: the human conversation has to.</p><h2><strong>What the Classroom Conversation Looks Like Right Now</strong></h2><p>Margolis describes a growing dynamic in schools where teachers are using AI to generate assignments and students are using AI to complete them, raising a deeper question about what teachers and students are actually there to do together. She says co-creating AI guidelines with students, rather than handing down a list of rules, puts everyone on the same team and draws on knowledge that young people already have.</p><h2><strong>When the Policy Gap Comes Home</strong></h2><p>A new <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/06/05/nx-s1-5779757/school-ai-education-students-teachers-poll-critical-thinking"><u>NPR and Ipsos poll</u></a> found that 54 percent of teachers worry AI is hurting students’ critical thinking skills, and nearly three in four believe its impact will be larger than the internet or computers. Sarah McKibben, editor-in-chief of <strong>EdSurge</strong> and the parent of two middle schoolers, is watching that tension play out at her own kitchen table. She sees both the genuine promise of AI as a learning tool and the corners students are cutting when no one has taught them what responsible use actually looks like.</p><h2><strong>Stories Mentioned in This Episode</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2026-06-03-what-to-do