Opinion

School is back. So is debate about tech in learning. Tell us what you think.

Share your comments in the form below and tell us what you think about ‘gamified learning’ and best teaching approaches.
January 28, 2016 Powder Springs - Antar Green (left), Brianna Espinoza, Kathleen Alfaro and Nia Murchison work together to draw a bug character during class at Powder Springs Elementary School in Powder Springs.

Credit: Jonathan Phillips

January 28, 2016 Powder Springs - Antar Green (left), Brianna Espinoza, Kathleen Alfaro and Nia Murchison work together to draw a bug character during class at Powder Springs Elementary School in Powder Springs.
4 hours ago

During the COVID pandemic, virtual and video learning became lifelines for many parents who balanced their work — at home or away — while their children attended school from home.

Shutdowns made laptops, tablets and mobile phones essential to stay connected.

Five years later, however, Georgia approved a ban on cellphones in school due their disruptive nature on students’ ability to learn. The ban goes into effect in 2026, but several school districts have already implemented limitations on phones.

The AJC has published guest opinion commentaries on different approaches to child development, including one advocating for hip hop as a valuable tool and another decrying how “gamified learning” from devices and apps has limited children from thinking critically, exploring their creativity and sometimes just being bored.

We want to know what readers have to say.

Add to the conversation in the form below and continue adding to the discussion.

The future of learning

As Georgia students return to school, what is the best way to educate them? Read two guest commentaries and tell us what you think.

Opinion: Hip-hop has what schools are missing: Creative ways to enhance learning

Opinion: Let children be bored. Gamified learning is not always a good thing.

Discussion: School is back. So is debate about tech in learning. Tell us what you think.

You may also send letters of 200 words or fewer to letters@ajc.com and include your full name and city as well as a phone number for verification.

We want to hear from parents, educators, administrators and students; as well as ordinary citizens who seek to solve problems facing the region.

David Plazas, opinion editor, AJC

About the Author

David Plazas joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May 2025 after a 25-year award-winning career as a reporter, editor and opinion editor for The News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida, and most recently, The Tennessean in Nashville, Tennessee, as an opinion writer and editor, video podcast host, newsletter writer and sought-after moderator.

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