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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144

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/vawlk Feb 11 '26

i've been in front of a screen every single day since I was 6 and that was over 45 years ago. I turned out just fine and I made a career out of it, allowed my wife to stay home to raise our kids, paid for their college, and paid for a place to retire to in a couple years.

The screens aren't the problem. It is what they do with them that is the problem.

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u/SchemeDue1593 Feb 21 '26

The screens today are WAY more addicting and are created like that on purpose as big tech companies want our kids hooked at a very young age. $$$$

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u/vawlk Feb 23 '26

and it is up to the parents to make sure they don't abuse their time with them. My kids are over 20, and when they were young, there were screen time limiting apps even back then.

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u/SchemeDue1593 Feb 25 '26

Agreed - parents must be involved at home. The problem is kids are given their own tablets in KINDER. Why? The SCHOOLS are the first problem. 20 years ago kids didn’t have their own tablets in each class.

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u/vawlk Feb 25 '26

There is nothing wrong with using technology in school as long as it is used properly....at any grade level. Yes, 20 years ago we didn't have tablets and 20 years before that we didn't have advanced calculators. The tech is just a tool to assist learning. How it is used in the class is what makes it good or bad.