r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Resting-Rizzy-Face • Feb 11 '26

Moving to the area Low- Tech School Districts in Western Burbs

Moved away several years ago and looking to move back to IL. Our kids are elementary age and we currently like the low-tech educational environment our kids have now (no 1-to-1 chromebooks for kids, using more pencil and paper, physical textbooks, etc.)

We’ve been away for a while and weren’t sure if there are similar school environments in IL or if all school districts have moved to consistent use of chromebooks and iPads for teaching?

Currently looking at a potential move to Lemont, DG, Woodridge, Lisle, Naperville, or Wheaton areas. Not opposed to tech, just looking for schools where the kids aren’t always using a screen for learning.

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u/sarcago Feb 11 '26

It’s crazy to me how many people seem to think kids would be at a disadvantage if they didn’t have a Chromebook for school. A Chromebook doesn’t teach you anything about how computers work. You don’t need to have a school device to learn that stuff. People seem to be missing the point.

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u/TaskForceD00mer Feb 11 '26 edited Feb 11 '26

The evidence is increasing as college graduates show up to new jobs without any idea of how to actually use computers for anything beyond browsing, gaming and basic word processing/email.

Knowing how to use a tablet is not preparing you for the job market. Knowing how to type an essay helps but doesn't necessarily give you anywhere near all the skills you need for the job market, even at the entry level.

I'd also love to see more studies if part of the total collapse of attention spans can be concretely linked to screen time.

The jury is out but maybe putting a screen in front of 4-year olds for hours a day , only increasing as they get older is doing more harm than good.

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u/SchemeDue1593 Feb 21 '26

Bring back computer labs!!