In 2002, Maine became the first state to implement a statewide laptop program to some grade levels. Then-governor Angus King saw the program as a way to put the internet at the fingertips of more children, who would be able to immerse themselves in information.
By that fall, the Maine Learning Technology Initiative had distributed 17,000 Apple laptops to seventh graders across 243 middle schools. By 2016, those numbers had multiplied to 66,000 laptops and tablets distributed to Maine students.
King’s initial efforts have been mirrored across the country. In 2024, the U.S. spent more than $30 billion putting laptops and tablets in schools. But more than a quarter-century and numerous evolving models of technology later, psychologists and learning experts see a different outcome than the one King intended. Rather than empowering the generation with access to more knowledge, the technology had the opposite effect.
Snapping pictures can be useful, but only if it’s something secondary.
For example, the prof with a heavy accent is talking about the Avogadro constant. You try to write down what he’s saying phonetically, and take some notes about what he’s saying – what that constant is, why it matters, etc. Later on, if you try to look it up and can’t find it, you can look back at the snapshot you took to see how it’s really spelled.
Or, sometimes a prof might write down where to find something in the textbook as a footnote. It’s nice to be able to pull up a slide and find out where to look.
Too often though, people use things like screenshots or recordings as a primary source. They don’t realize that the process of taking notes helps you understand and remember.